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Vape leaks and gurgles
If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you’ve experienced vape leaks and gurgles. Vape leaks and gurgles are a common problem, but one that’s relatively easy to fix. This usually comes down to a small mistake that you’re making when using the device. Vape Tanks have come a long way since the early days of vaping, and they don’t often experience leaks for no reason anymore. It may still happen so let’s look at what leaking and gurgling entail, how to prevent it and what to do when it does happen.
What is vape leaking?
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Before we continue on how you can prevent vape leaks and gurgles, let's take a look at what a vape leak is and why it might happen. Vape leaks occur when e-liquid escapes through your tank. This can vary from a few drops to your vape covered in e-liquid. The e-liquid usually escapes through the airflow. As this is irritating Modern vape designs are commonly designed to prevent this, but might still happen due to user errors.
What is gurgling?
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Have you noticed a gurgling (bubble sound) or spitting noise when you are vaping? This might happen because your e-liquid is trapped somewhere in the tank's airflow. If you have a vape with adjustable power settings, it might mean that your wattage is too low, causing excessive e-liquid to build up in your tank's airways.
How to prevent vape leaks and gurgles
It's never a pleasant feeling when you vape and suddenly you get e-liquid in your mouth. The first thing that you need to check is that the central airflow tube needs to remain clear for air to flow through it. Good airflow is needed in order to vape properly. When filling your device with e-liquid, it is imperative that you do not get any e-liquid down the tank's centre post. If e-liquid does get in this central tube you will face leaks and gurgling. Keep the tank as full as feasible (don't overfill) and not less than 1/2 full of liquid. This helps to sustain the vacuum in the tank and thwart leaks.
Everything on your vape needs to be screwed together securely to prevent leaking. It's important that you don’t overtighten, as this can break the seals. Ensure the component parts are screwed together straight and not cross-threaded. It is relatively easy to ruin the ‘O’ rings seals when taking the tank apart to clean. Be extra careful and make sure not to stretch or damage any of these rubber seals. If they are damaged or missing, they could be responsible for leaks. If there are any seals missing, there will be spares in your vape box.
Coils have a limited lifetime and will eventually expire. When they wear down, leaks and gurgling are more likely along with diminished flavour and vapour. If your tank worked initially and now it's leaking, the problem is most likely to be a damaged seal or an expired coil (most coils have a typical life of 1-2 weeks).
You can get new coils for your vape, right here.
What to do when gurgling happens?
Gurgling noises can be an indication that liquid has found its way into the tank's centre tube and most often occurs after a refill. The gurgling is caused by the liquid mixing with air, a bit like when you suck through a straw when the glass is nearly empty. If this is the case, you’ll need to clean out the tank otherwise you won’t get a clear airflow. This can also be a cause of leaks.
Gurgling can also happen if you have not used the device for a significant amount of time, which can also cause leaks. Usually in this case it is not a big deal and just means that the coil is oversaturated with e-liquid and after a couple of minutes of usage this problem will subside.
What to do when leaks happen?
Having your vape covered in e-liquid, or your vape spitting droplets of e-liquids in your mouth is a common irritation among vapers. There are a few common things you can that you can do to reduce the probability of your vape leaking. It's important to not overfill your tank with e-liquid. This might cause your vape device to leak and make a spitting/gurgling sound. Ensure that you don’t get e-liquid down the tank's center post. Modern tank design has mostly eliminated leaking tanks but it can still happen.
Vape leaks and gurgles can cause frustration. If you are vaping and suddenly experiencing a burnt taste, you can
read our article on How to avoid getting a burnt taste here.
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