

How to Fix a Leaky Vape

How to Fix a Leaky Vape: 12 Quick Fixes

For vapers, a leaking vape is a fact of life. But, it doesn’t always have to be this way. Believe it or not, small changes, like the kind of vape juice you use, how you inhale your vape, and even how you fill it up, can affect if your vape will leak or not. That’s why this blog was created to help vapers pinpoint that small change that will teach them how to fix a leaky vape.  

Table of Contents

  1. Why Do Vapes Leak?
  2. How to Fix A Leaky Vape?
  3. Conclusion

Why Do Vapes Leak

There are many reasons why vapes leak. Some of the most common reasons include:

  • The way you inhale
  • Not filling up your vape correctly
  • Not tightening your vape correctly
  • Tightening too much
  • Failing to check your o-rings
  • Having cracks in the tank
  • Not using the correct wattage
  • Not using higher VG ratio vape juices
  • Tilting your vape
  • Not using the right type of coils
  • Having an old coil
  • Using a damaged pod

All of these could be reasons why your tank is leaking. Thankfully all of these have solutions. 

How To Fix a Leaky Vape? 

So how do you fix a leaky vape? Well, let’s start with one of the first reasons. The way you are inhaling your vape. 

Not Inhaling Your Vape Correctly

Believe it or not, not inhaling your vape correctly could lead to having a leaky vape. We are listing this one as one of the first reasons because, especially for new vapers, the style in which they inhale might be causing the problem. 

While inhaling harder and faster on a cigarette might create more smoke, the same can not be said for vapes. If you do this with your vape, instead of creating more vapor, you’ll be inhaling more e-liquid into the wick, which could lead to flooding the coil and eventually to leakage. 

To prevent this, simply inhale softly and slowly, and you’ll see that you’ll get the same amount of vapor as if you were inhaling hard, without any of the leaks. 

Not Filling Up Your Vape the Right Way

Not Filling Up Your Vape the Right Way

One of the most common reasons why your vape will leak is because you filled it up incorrectly. The two most important things to look out for when filling your vape are never to pour e-liquid into the chimney and always to leave a bubble of air inside the tank, which creates a vacuum that prevents vape juice from escaping from the airflow holes. 

So when filling up your tank, always tilt the vape at a 45-degree angle and pour the vape juice against the glass of the tank, and straighten the vape as you fill it up, like when pouring wine, always remembering to leave a bubble of air inside the tank. 

Not Tightening Your Vape Correctly 

Another major reason why you might be experiencing a leaking vape is that you are not tightening your vape correctly. 

When putting your vape together, make sure every part is fastened and screwed securely. If parts are not screwed tightly, e-liquid could make its way out of these holes or gaps. The most important parts that need to be tightened securely are the coil and the tank since these are the parts where e-liquid will be stored. 

Tightening Too Much

Another culprit that can cause your vape to leak is tightening your vape parts too much. When you do this, you run the chance of cross-threading, which will create uneven gaps and holes between the joints of your vape because they will be made to fit by force instead of being screwed in.  

So remember never to force the joints and parts of your vape together. Simply screw them firmly without using too much force, and if you find yourself grunting and forcing a part to fit, you’re probably cross-threading and should stop and try again. 

Failing to Check O-Rings

Did you know that over-tightening can also damage the small plastic rings you’ll find around and at the base of your vape parts? Putting too much pressure on these “O-rings” can lead to leakage since they won’t correctly seal every vape part together or might even break. 

They can also fail for several other reasons. They might not have been manufactured properly, they can fall out, they could have cracks, or they could be old and worn out from daily use. 

Thankfully most vapes and starter kits come with spare O-rings, and the solution is to replace them using tweezers. 

So, always remember to check your O-rings if you’re experiencing leakage since these small rings can often be the culprits. 

Having cracks in the tank

After prolonged use, and especially if you’ve dropped your vape a couple of times, cracks can develop on the tank. These cracks on the tanks are one of the most common reasons for leakage.

To avoid this, replace the glass of the tank with a new one. Most modern starter kits not only come with O-rings replacements but also tank glass replacements, or you can buy a new glass replacement from any vape shop.

Not Using the Right Wattage

Not Using the Right Wattage

If you own a variable wattage vape, the reason why you’re experiencing vape leaks might be because you’re not using the right wattage or power output. 

Not using the correct wattage or power mode can lead to too much e-liquid making its way into the coil, causing the coil to flood since the wattage selected will not create enough heat. Since there is too much e-liquid, this can generate vape spitback and leaking. 

One way to fix this is to check the coil for the recommended wattage output. Most coils will have engraved or written down on the side the recommended wattage settings. So, for example, if the recommended wattage settings are 60 to 80 watts, 70-75 watts would be an ideal wattage setting since it lives in the middle of the range of the recommended settings. 

Not Using Higher VG Ratio Vape Juices

Even e-liquids can affect and be the cause of why your vape device is leaking. Some vape juices are more prone to act more like liquids because they have a higher ratio of propylene glycol in their composition. 

If you’re a vaping newbie, you should know that almost every vape juice is composed of four ingredients: nicotine (which is optional), artificial flavorings, vegetable glycerin, and propylene glycol, with the two most important ingredients being VG (vegetable glycerin) and PG (propylene glycol). These two ingredients determine how the e-liquid can taste, its viscosity, and even how it behaves. 

If you have a vape juice with a higher ratio of PG, you can expect it to be more flavorful but be less dense, which means it will act more like a liquid. This generates a couple of problems, it can start boiling like water due to the heat creating spitback, and it can also flood the coil, which leads to leaking since it can easily travel through gaps and holes. 

So, one solution for leaking could be as simple as switching to a vape juice with higher viscosity or a higher VG ratio. With a higher VG ratio, the vape juice will act less like a liquid and more viscous. 

Tilting Your Vape or Laying it Sideways

Even the way you rest your vape juice or how you store it can determine if it will leak. New vapers, who are just getting started, should know that they should never store, hold, or lay their vapes sideways. 

Now we know that this might not be possible with daily transport and use, but doing your best to keep them in the upright position will go a long way in keeping your vape leak-free.

Not Using The Right Type of Coils

This one is a biggie, especially for newbie vapers. Every vape device that comes with a starter kit nowadays comes with a couple of coils. Each of these coils is made for a specific purpose.

Remember when we said that every coil has a recommended wattage setting? Well, every coil also comes with an Ohm designation (or resistance) engraved on the side that you should pay attention to.

Coils with an Ohm designation or resistance above 1.0 are best used with vape juices that have a high PG ratio. These coils have smaller juice holes that only thin and less viscous liquid, like a high PG ratio vape juice can travel through. If you were to use a high VG ratio vape juice with these coil above 1.0 Ohm, they can easily clog the coil and lead to leaking. 

At the same time, coils with a resistance below 1.0 ohm tend to have bigger juice holes and airflow holes designed specifically for higher VG vape juices which are thicker and more viscous. If you were to use one of these coils with a high PG vape juice which is thinner and acts more like a liquid, you would quickly flood the coil, creating leaking. 

Always remember to match the coil with the vape juice, and as we stated before, use the recommended wattage setting. 

Having an Old Coil

If you are experiencing leaking and still don’t know the cause of the leakage, after trying out all these solutions, it might be time to replace the coil. 

Coils will go bad after prolonged use; that’s just a fact of life. Some tell-tale signs that your coil is on its way out include experiencing a burnt taste after inhaling, having a harder time generating vapor, and constant flooding of the coil. If you are experiencing any of these, it might be time to buy a brand new coil. 

Using a Damaged Pod

If you happen to be a beginner vaper who owns a pod system, one of the reasons why you might experience vape leaks is because that shiny new pod you inserted into your pod system could have faulty manufacturing. While it is true that pod systems will leak less than their counterparts, they can still leak, and if they do, faulty or damaged pods could be the reason. Thankfully, this has a quick fix. Dispose of the damaged pod and buy a new one. 


Finally, remember to clean your vape device regularly. Over time gunk and dirt can build up on the tank and coil, and this dirt can affect how it functions. But by periodically cleaning and performing maintenance, you’ll not only get rid of this dirt, but you can also check if the O-rings are in the right place, if the coil is screwed tightly, or if you are using the correct vape juice coil combination, etc. In other words, by performing regular maintenance, you will not only keep your device clean but, you can check for leaks and address the problem head-on. 




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Andres Roman
