Here Are the 4 Most Common Vaping Problems and How to Fix Them

by Martin B. · September 27, 2022

The greatest thing about today’s vaping devices is that they’re generally reliable, satisfying and enjoyable to use. For the most part, all that you need to do is keep your device charged and refill your tank or cartridge when needed, and you’ll enjoy puff after puff of satisfying vapor.

The instruction manuals for today’s vaping devices, likewise, often seem to be written with the assumption that you’ll never experience a problem. The manual will tell you how to set the device up and use it, but when it comes to explaining how to troubleshoot issues, the instruction manual is either vague or doesn’t have any helpful information at all. That’s a big problem if you experience a problem with your device – and something will go wrong with just about every vaping device eventually if you use it long enough.

You can think of this article as the missing instruction manual for just about any vaping device. If your vape isn’t working as expected, it’s likely you’re experiencing one of four problems – and in this article, we’re going to explain how to fix all four of them.

Your Vape Isn’t Charging

When your vape pen won’t charge, you might be tempted to conclude that the battery no longer holds a charge and that it’s time to replace the device. The truth, though, is that the situation might not be quite so dire. In fact, there are several completely fixable reasons why your vaping device might not charge when it’s connected to a power source. Before you replace the device, follow these steps to troubleshoot the problem.

If the device has a removable battery, make sure that the battery is installed in the correct direction.
Connect the device to your computer rather than an external wall adapter. Many wall adapters – such as the one included with your mobile phone – use high-speed charging currents that most vaping devices don’t support. Unless you’re using a device with a wall charger supplied by the manufacturer, you should charge it only by connecting it to your computer.
Check the device’s charging port for any pocket lint, dust or other debris that could prevent the USB cable from touching the contacts in the port. Use a toothpick to remove contaminants.
Replace the charging cable. Most USB cables are manufactured extremely cheaply, and the wires will fray internally from repeated use. When that happens, your vaping device will either charge intermittently or won’t charge at all.

In some cases, when a vaping device isn’t charging, it actually is time to replace the device. If you’ve been using the device daily for several months and have noticed that the battery’s capacity has noticeably diminished, it’s possible that the device has reached the end of its life. A lithium ion battery typically lasts for around 300-500 charge cycles, which equates to a lifespan of around one year if you charge your device once or twice per day. If you have a device with a removable battery, you can replace the battery. If the battery is built in, you’ll need to replace the entire device.

Your Vape Isn’t Hitting

If nothing happens when you puff on your vape or press the fire button, it’s another case where you might think that it’s time to replace the device. Once again, though, it’s actually fairly easy in many cases to fix a vape that isn’t hitting. Here’s how to do it.

Connect the device to your computer and charge the battery fully. If the device’s indicator light doesn’t turn on, the battery isn’t charging; scroll up to troubleshoot that issue.
Make sure that your device is turned on. In most cases, you can turn a vape on and off by pressing the fire button five times.
Check under the tank or pod for leaked oil. If the tank or pod has leaked, remove the oil with a paper towel and try vaping again.
If your vape still isn’t hitting, replace the pod, cartridge or atomizer coil.
Check your device’s screen or indicator light to see if it is blinking or displaying an error message when you try to vape. If it is, you can check the device’s printed instruction manual to find out what the error means.

Your Vape Tastes Burnt

If you’re unhappy about the flavor quality when you vape, it’s probably because your device is producing a burnt flavor; that’s the most common flavor-related complaint among the vaping community. If your vape tastes burnt, there’s usually only one fix for that issue: You need to replace your coil, pod or cartridge. There are a few steps that you can take, however, to make your vape coils last longer before they begin to taste burnt.

Don’t use sweetened vaping products. Sucralose caramelizes and burns when it’s heated, and it creates a dark layer of residue that saps the coil of its flavor. There’s even some evidence suggesting that sucralose may release harmful compounds when it’s heated. With unsweetened oil, your coils will last much longer.
Reduce your device’s voltage or wattage. If the coil gets extremely hot when you vape, the cotton wick may burn – and if that happens, the coil’s flavor will be ruined forever.
Don’t wait until your tank or pod is completely empty before refilling it – refill it as soon as you see that the level of oil is low. If you vape with an empty pod or tank, the coil’s wick may burn.

Your Vape Isn’t Satisfying

The last vaping problem people commonly report is that their experience simply isn’t satisfying overall. If you’re not completely happy with your vaping experience and can’t quite identify the reason why, these suggestions may help you fix the problem.

Increase your device’s power level to make it generate bigger, warmer clouds. You may find that you enjoy the more intense experience as long as your coil doesn’t get hot enough to burn the wick.
Close your device’s airflow hole slightly. Like increasing the power, reducing the airflow also makes the vapor hotter and more intense.
Try a stronger vape oil.

Bio
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Martin B.

Ex-smoker, passionate vaper who loves to tell the world about the life-changing potential of vaping. Co-creator of Ecigclopedia with a background in Business & Finance. Prefers a dessert flavored vape and loves to innovate.