There are few things worse for a vaper than their e-liquid leaking out of their vape tank. E-liquid notoriously can get quite sticky so the last thing you need is it staining your clothes and getting your hands messy just because of a leaking tank. It’s also one of those problems that if you don’t quickly fix will just stay a nuisance for longer than it should.
Our team of vaping experts have put together a handy list of tips on how to prevent your vape tank from leaking.
Check your vape tank’s seal
Always make sure your vape is properly sealed before you start vaping. This may seem like a really obvious tip, but you’ll be surprised how many people forget to do this. When screwing your tank and coil back together, make sure everything is screwed on tightly to make sure there aren’t any gaps between the different parts.
You should also make sure to look out for any cross threading. This is when the threads on the two components you’re putting together don’t line up properly, which can cause an imperfect seal. Even if you’re in a hurry, take the time to make sure the threads are in sync and you’ll be ensuring you won’t waste any time later cleaning up any leaking e-liquid.
Fill the tank properly
A common cause of vape tank leaks is overfilling your vape with e-liquid. You might be tempted to fill your tank up all the way with your favourite vape juice, thinking that it might save you the hassle of having to fill up again soon. But this could end up backfiring and creating a mess.
When topping up your e-liquid, it’s important to make sure you’re leaving a small air pocket at the top of the tank. This little air pocket actually helps to create a vacuum inside the tank that prevents vape juice leaks from happening. Also, try not to fill your tank up too quickly as you might risk flooding your vape with e-liquid, causing it to overflow and leak everywhere.
Clean out the vape’s chimney
The chimney is the central airflow tube that runs from the main body of the tank up to the drip tip (aka the vape’s mouthpiece). Sometimes e-liquid can get into the chimney during filling, and this can create a gurgling sound as you inhale from your vape and eventually even start leaking. Many vapes now have features that prevent the chimney from being filled up with e-liquid but it’s still a good idea to clean out the chimney every once in a while. This is simple enough to do: just remove the drip tip and clean it out with a paper towel.
Keep the tank upright
Another common reason vape tanks can start leaking is that they’re left lying on their side for too long. Coils have ports, or ‘juice holes’, and when the vape is lying in a sideway position, e-liquid can start seeping into the coil and leak out into the central tube or out of the airflow holes. This is less likely to happen when the tank is full, but it’s best to get into the habit of leaving your vapes standing even up.
Check for damaged o-rings
O-rings are the rubber seals found at the bottom or top of a vape tank and they help to prevent e-liquid from leaking between the different parts of the tank. Over time, they can start degrading or shifting in position and compromise the air seal. If you notice any leaks in your tank, try having a look into your o-rings.
To check their condition you’ll need to take your tank apart — this should be easy enough as it just means unscrewing the different parts of the tank. If you notice they’re looking a little rough, you’ll need to replace them with new ones. When purchasing new o-rings, make sure you’re getting the right size for your vape. Some vape kits also come with spare o-rings, which make that first replacement process a bit easier.
Switch to high VG e-liquid
Different e-liquids have different ratios of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG) depending on what type of vape juice it is. E-liquids with a higher percentage of VG tend to have a thicker consistency, which means they take a bit more time to be drawn into the coil head. This also means that they’re less likely to leak out compared to high PG vape juices.
This is great news for all the cloud chasers and DTL vapers out there as high VG liquids work best with sub-ohm devices and can help produce larger vapour clouds. But don’t worry if you prefer MTL vaping, MTL vape devices do well with e-liquids that go up to 70% VG so you’ll still be able to use higher VG juices to prevent leaks.
Check for tank damage
Leaking can also happen because of damages on the tank itself. Dropping your vape once in a while isn’t the worst thing that can happen, and most devices are built to be quite sturdy these days anyway. However, occasionally you might find some cracks or other kinds of damage on your vape, including on your tank. Any damage on your vape tank can compromise how airtight the tank is, causing the e-liquid to leak into the air hole valve. If this does happen, it’ll be worth looking into replacing your tank completely to make sure nothing else – especially leaks – interrupts your vaping.
Leaky tanks can really get in the way of your vaping experience. They’re messy, inconvenient, and time-consuming to clean up. But with proper vape usage and maintenance, you can minimise how often these leaks happen and make sure your vape is in the best condition possible.
We hope this guide will help you out, but if you do have more questions about anything vape related don’t hesitate to send us a message and we’ll be more than happy to help you with your vape.
