Are you having problems with your vape tank?
Most of us will experience issues with our ecig at one time or another, be it that horrible burnt taste, not getting any vapour, leaking, gurgling or even eliquid coming though the mouthpiece.
But, there are a couple of tips and tricks you can do to help resolve these problems.
The following infographic (produced in the form of a flow chart) is designed to help you quickly identify problems with your clearomiser - and solve them!
Simply begin with the clearomiser problem you are experiencing, follow the arrows and ensure you are doing what the boxes tell you :)
Please note that some of the points refer only to the Aspire Bottom Dual Coil Clearomiser - these are marked with an asterisk. Others are relevant to standard clearomisers such as the Innokin Jem Tank.
For a larger version, just click on the flowchart, or for a printable PDF version that you can keep to hand or give to your vaping friends click here.
Do you have any great solutions for clearomiser problems? I'd love to hear what they are, so please let me know in the comments below!
Step-By-Step
Here you will find a more in-depth description of the steps depicted in the infographic:Burnt Taste
Are you getting a burnt taste from your ecig? Here’s a few tips to help you prevent this:1. Don’t take long drags, especially if you’re using a low ohm clearomiser. The ideal drag is about 5 to 7 seconds, any longer than this and you risk burning the coil and the e liquid.
2. Similarly to the point above, don’t hold the button down for too long as this can also cause burning. It’s good practice to turn your battery off when you’re carrying it around in your bag/pocket, as this prevents the button from being accidentally pushed. (Tip: To turn your ecig battery off, press the button 5 times) 3. Don’t let your eliquid run too low. Not having enough e liquid in your clearomiser typically leads to burning. If you’re using a bottom dual coil clearomiser (BDC), a tip is to not let the eliquid fall below the two holes on the coil. Top the clearomiser up with eliquid and see if that stops the burning.
4. If you've put a new coil/wick into your clearomiser, ensure you've left it for at least 5 minutes for the e-liquid to soak in - if you don’t, you'll probably be taking a dry hit and it’s very likely you’ll get a burnt taste.
5. BDC only - If the steps so far haven’t worked for you, try cleaning the clearomiser by running water through it and allowing it to dry for at least 12 hours. Click here to see how you clean a clearomiser.
6. BDC only - If cleaning the clearomiser didn't help, it may be time for a new coil. Once you've replaced the coil, don’t forget to let the eliquid soak in for at least 5 minutes.
7. Recommended by Hannah Roulston in the comments - Try taking a few drags with your finger covering the air hole and use the suction to pull eliquid though and saturate the coil.
Tip: If you are using a variable voltage battery such as the Vision Spinner 2, make sure the voltage is not set too high as this will definitely burn out the coil. The ideal voltage is relevant to the ohms rating of the clearomiser’s coil, for more information on this, click here.Not Getting Enough Vape
Not getting much vapor production from your ecig? Try following these steps:1. Ensure the battery is fully charged and turned on. This may seem obvious, but we all make silly mistakes sometimes ;)
2. If you have a spare clearomiser (that you know works), see if that works on the battery. If it still doesn’t work, it’s most likely a battery fault. (Tip: Very gently lift the connection point on the battery with a small pin, this will allow it to connect with the clearomiser once again and could fix the problem - but PLEASE be gentle, if you damage the battery this way it could void the warranty).
3. Dirt in the connection points between the battery and clearomiser can cause connection issues and won't produce the optimal amount of vapour. Using a cotton swab, you can gently clear the connection points of any dirt (see image above) - for optimal cleaning, soak the cotton swab in rubbing alcohol first (allow battery/clearomiser to fully dry before use).
4. BDC only - Make sure the coil is screwed securely to the base. If the coil isn’t screwed on properly, it will not make a connection between the battery and the clearomiser and won’t perform as well, or even at all! You should also make sure the clearomiser is fully screwed on to the battery and is not cross-threaded.
Still not working? Try following steps 3-6 under ‘Burnt Taste’.Leaking Clearomiser
Is your ecig leaking ejuice everywhere? This can be an annoying problem, but here are a few suggestions to try to prevent further leaking:1. The first thing to do is check carefully for cracks in the clearomiser where eliquid may be leaking from. Cracks can be caused by various thing, from sitting down with your ecig in your pocket to dropping or knocking the clearomiser. To prevent this, consider buying a vape case which will protect your ecig from any bumps and knocks. If you do spot a crack, I'm afraid there's not much you can do to remedy this apart from replacing the whole clearomiser - although I have seen some nifty DIY where people have tried taping over the crack and it works!
2. Have you left your clearomiser in a too hot, or too cold a place? Leaving your clearomiser in extreme temperatures (such as in a hot car), can cause the clearomiser to crack or the e liquid to thin, resulting in it seeping through the tiniest cracks/holes. Try allowing the clearomiser to return to room temperature before use.
3. BDC only - Ensure the rubber seals on the clearomiser and coil have not shifted or broken. These rubber seals allow the connections to stay tight and prevent juice from seeping through.
4. Make sure the connections between the clearomiser, the coil and battery have not cross-threaded and are secured tightly.
5. Recommended by Robin Baker in the comments - Tank not screwed tightly enough to the base (rebuildables only)
If you’re still experiencing problems, follow steps 3-6 under ‘Burnt Taste’Clearomiser is Making Gurgling Noises
You can almost be certain that you’ll get funny gurgling noises from your clearomiser at some point. Sometimes these can fix themselves after a few drags, but sometimes you may need to do some simple maintenance. Try following the steps below:1. Ensure you have not flooded the clearomiser (got any e liquid down the centre tube). Putting too much eliquid in your clearomiser can result in some pretty strange gurgling noises. Tip some out and allow it to settle, then see if the noise has gone.
2. Sometimes a simple flick of the clearomiser can rid any excess eliquid from the centre tube and solve the problem.
3. BDC only - Unscrew and remove the base of the clearomiser, then blow through the mouthpiece to rid the center tube from excess e-liquid - see image above (tip: blow on to a tissue to prevent spraying e liquid everywhere).
4. If the gurgling won’t stop and it’s causing you problems, it may be time to change the coil.
5. Recommended by Robin Baker in the comments - Ensure wick head is screwed tightly to the centre tube.
6. Recommended by Jaret Godeski in the comments - Use a pipe cleaner to clear the clearomiser, or alternatively turn the tank upside down and run a pipe cleaner up the drip tip - be careful not to jam it too far in as this could damage coil.Getting E Liquid in your Mouth
[caption id="attachment_8866" align="aligncenter" width="600" class=" "]
Fill regular clearomisers from the top end (see top picture), fill bottom dual coil clearomisers from the bottom end (bottom picture). With both, be careful not to get eliquid down the center tube.[/caption]It’s a horrible taste and something you should avoid. If you’re ending up with e liquid in your mouth, follow these steps:
1. Make sure you are filling your clearomiser from the right end. A simple mistake but one many people have done, especially if you’ve just changed your style of clearomiser (tip: you fill BDC’s from the bottom and most standard clearomisers from the top).
2. Give the drip tip a wash to rid it of condensed e-liquid which can sometimes form in the tip after continuous use.
Jump to steps 1-4 of ‘Gurgling Noises’ for further suggestions.
