Why is My Vape Bubbling?

Ever experienced the unfortunate incident where your vape e-liquid bubbles to the surface of your tank, pod or disposable, causing a nasty ‘spitback’ of warm vape juice directly to your mouth?

Don’t worry – you don’t need to replace your device! Instead, there are a few simple fixes for this common issue in our helpful guide.

Vape Spitback Explained

Too much e-liquid in your coil is the most frequent reason for spitback. Even the most veteran vaper with a high knowledge of using vape tanks will recognise this can happen to anyone when the coil gets flooded with vape juice.

Regardless of vape experience, it tends to happen because of an over-enthusiasm to overfill the tank or pod with e-liquid, leading to a buildup of juice down the centre of the coil.

So when the coil overfills, excess residue remains inside the coil, meaning additional e-liquid will bubble and spit out like a pot of pasta left on for too long.

Nobody wants hot drops of e-liquid in the mouth, which can feel quite sickening when experienced, so check out our quick fixes below.

Quick Fixes for a Spitting Tank

1. Insert Cotton Bud or Tissue Down the Coil Centre

One of the best pieces of advice we can give to vapers of all levels to prevent spitback can be done in seconds. Get a soft cotton bud preferably, or failing that a thin piece of tissue rolled up, to insert down the centre of the coil.

Give the coil a thorough cleanse by sticking the cotton bud down the mouthpiece or top of the tank or pod to remove any excess e-liquid from the coil. A pipe cleaner or brush for cleaning reusable straws works equally well.

2. Give the Tank or Pod a Flick

It might sound very simple but trust us – this method works!

Just give your accessory a little shake by flicking the tank downwards over a sink or lay down a bit of tissue (bear in mind juice may go everywhere).

This will help to quickly remove the liquid from where it is stuck so you can get back to vaping.

3. Make Minor Adjustments to the Vape

What we mean by this is to make little tweaks to the setup to prevent vape liquid buildup. This can be done in multiple ways. For example, by altering the airflow so it’s less open, allowing greater circulation of e-liquid so that it doesn’t overflow the coil.

In addition, you could change the wattage if possible. Providing it has this option, you may not be vaping at the correct wattage to match the coil recommendation by the manufacturer.

Simply check the side of the coil where most brands suggest the wattage minimum and maximum limits and adjust accordingly.

4. Don’t Inhale Too Much Too Quickly

Instead of heaving big puffs down into your lungs, take short puffs less often. Give your lungs and vape kit a break by reducing the pressure on the tank, and reducing the amount of e-liquid in the tank.

This will stop juice flooding out of the tank or air vents to give not just the device a breather but yourself too.

5. Switch the Vape Juice

If bubbling happens often, you may not be using the right e-liquid viscosity for your tank setup. If it’s a refillable tank for mouth-to-lung vaping, make sure it’s a nic salt or high PG vape liquid. For a high-wattage setup, pick a high ratio of 70% VG or greater e-liquid.

Leaks appear when the e-liquid is not thick enough for the coil. Naturally, a thinner e-liquid will burn through the coil quicker and seep out of the tank to cause spitback.

How to Prevent Vape Gurgling Before it Starts

• Always fill your pod or tank to the fill line only
• Keep the device upright as much as possible
• Don’t overprime the coil – instead, add only a couple of drops to the cotton wick for saturation
• Before use, place tissue below the pod or tank and then blow on the mouthpiece a few times to remove any excess e-liquid
• Dry hit the vape a few times by pressing the inhale button until the potential gurgling noise disappears

Can Bubbling Happen to my Disposable Vape Too?

Because a disposable vape follows the same structure as a refillable vape kit by containing a coil, e-liquid, and small tank, bubbling can happen with a disposable vape too.

However, because it is not possible to take apart a disposable kit, your chance of fixing the issue is more limited.

All you can do is hit the fire button (if there is one) or do very light puffs on the mouthpiece without inhaling to remove any excess buildup.

Unfortunately, because a disposable contains prefilled e-liquid which may have been sitting in there for some time, there might be excess residue around the coil.

Try to take small puffs and not to inhale too hard, as this will only increase the chances of spitback.

If the issue continues, in this scenario the best advice is to swap for another disposable or upgrade to a reusable device such as a vape pen or rechargeable pod vape, where it’s possible to fix gurgling in a variety of ways.

Does a Vape Bubbling Mean You Need to Change the Device?

Not necessarily! If you follow the tips above, you should be able to stop any issues with the tank or pod in its tracks by reducing the chances of it bubbling considerably.

A gurgling vape does not mean the vape is damaged or not equipped for use, and prevention can help to stop a bad experience.

If this issue still occurs after the correct maintenance and filling the e-liquid to the correct level, it may save time to swap for a new pod or coil instead.

Here to Help

We hope that this blog has helped to explain why your vape may be bubbling over the fill line, plus a few useful ways to prevent this from happening, or putting a stop to it with your vape! If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to contact us for more assistance.