A vape tank is a remarkable contraption. It’s got holes at the bottom and the top, and yet, it somehow manages to hold several milliliters of vape juice in its reservoir without leaking – most of the time, at least! If you do happen to have a leaking vape tank, though, it isn’t just messy and inconvenient; it’s also a waste of money because there’s usually no way to reclaim e-liquid that leaks out of your tank. When your tank dumps its contents, that e-liquid is just gone. So, fixing a leaky vape tank isn’t just a matter of keeping e-liquid from spilling in your pocket or on your table – it’s also about making sure that you aren’t investing in expensive e-liquid that you’re just going to end up throwing away.
There are several reasons why you might have a leaky vape tank, and the good news is that all of the potential causes are actually quite easy to resolve or at least mitigate. Let’s learn more.
Disassemble and Reassemble Your Tank
The first thing that you should do when your vape tank leaks is check for an assembly problem. One of the reasons why e-liquid doesn’t normally leak out of a tank is because a partial vacuum forms inside the glass and keeps the vape juice in its place. The tank uses tight threading and silicone gaskets to maintain that vacuum, and if those parts aren’t in their correct places, the vacuum can’t form.
Disassemble your tank completely. Rinse the components – except the coil, which is already primed with e-liquid – in the sink. Leave the silicone gaskets in place but examine them for any stretching or tearing. If a gasket is damaged, replace it; every new vape tank should include a complete set of replacement gaskets.
When you reassemble the tank, do so carefully to avoid crossing the threads. If you feel resistance when screwing two parts together, don’t force the threads; back up and try again. Don’t over-tighten the tank’s components, as doing to could push the gaskets out of place. A vape tank is designed to just be finger tight. When the tank is fully reassembled, fill it with e-liquid and see if the leaking persists.
If your vape tank continues to leak, read the rest of this article for some additional helpful ideas. If nothing seems to work, though, it’s probably a good idea to replace the tank – especially if it’s an older vape tank. The earliest tanks were much more susceptible to leaking than today’s tanks, and it may simply be time for a replacement.
Don’t Puff Too Firmly
Modern vape tanks are designed to allow plenty of air to pass through their intake vents. It’s still possible to break the vacuum in the glass enclosure, though, if you inhale too firmly when vaping. If you’re on the hunt for bigger vapor clouds, you should inhale slowly and deeply. If you inhale too firmly, you’ll draw excess e-liquid into your tank’s coil assembly – and if that happens, the coil will flood. When the coil floods, e-liquid will leak out the bottom of the tank.
Are you constantly dealing with flooded coils when you vape? There’s a good chance that your tank simply doesn’t have sufficient airflow for your vaping style. Try buying a new tank with larger intake vents and a wider mouthpiece.
Try a Thicker E-Liquid
Did you know that e-liquid comes in varying thicknesses? On the labels of many bottled e-liquids, you’ll see something called a VG/PG ratio. That refers to the ratio of vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG), the two base liquids that form any e-liquid. VG is the thicker of the two liquids, so an e-liquid with a high VG/PG ratio will be much thicker than an e-liquid with a low VG/PG ratio.
In e-liquid, VG/PG ratio is important because it determines the type of experience an e-liquid will produce with a given tank. A smaller tank generally won’t work well with a thicker e-liquid because the e-liquid won’t flow efficiently through the tank’s coil assembly. A tank with a large coil assembly, on the other hand, works best with a thicker e-liquid. If you use a modern sub-ohm tank with a very thin e-liquid, the tank is likely to leak because the e-liquid will seep through the cotton wick too quickly and flood the coil.
Replace the Coil
Has your tank just started leaking after several weeks or months of trouble-free operation? Have you already disassembled the tank to check for worn gaskets or incorrect assembly? It’s possible that you’ve simply received a defective coil. They’re rare, but they do happen. The coil assembly is the most important part of any vape tank because it moderates the flow of e-liquid and air throughout the tank. Replace the coil and see if the tank stops leaking. As always, reassemble the tank carefully to avoid crossed threads.
Expect Leaking During Rapid Elevation Changes
There is one situation in which you can expect your tank to leak, and that’s during rapid elevation changes. Do you enjoy mountain driving? You’re probably going to find your vaping device resting in a pool of e-liquid when you reach the top because the change in air pressure will break the tank’s vacuum and push e-liquid out of the tank’s intake vents. You can minimize the leaking by traveling with a half-empty tank because that gives the air in the tank a bit more room in which to expand. Even so, having your vape tank leak during elevation changes isn’t something that you can fully avoid.
Don’t Store Your Tank on Its Side
Some vape tanks don’t do well when they’re stored on their side for long periods. Do you often leave your vaping device on its side overnight and find the device resting in a pool of e-liquid when you get up in the morning? You’ll probably find that your tank performs better if you store it upright. That keeps the coil assembly’s wick openings covered with e-liquid and ensures that air won’t enter the tank and cause the vacuum to break.
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