Is Your Pod Vape Leaking? Here’s How to Fix It

Pod vapes typically feature technologies that help to make leaking impossible or at least extremely likely. A typical pod for a modern device will have plastic components that are welded together to prevent gaps, and it’ll also have large silicone gaskets that keep your vape juice where it’s supposed to be. These technologies are so reliable that you’ll probably be pretty surprised if you have a leaking pod vape.

With a pod system, leaking is often a sign that the pod is old and has reached the end of its useful life. Before you head to your favorite vape shop to buy a box of new pods, though, it’s important to understand the other common causes of leaking vape pods. It’s possible that you’re doing something incorrectly – and in that case, you can fix the issue and continue using the pod you have.

Is your pod vape leaking? Here’s what you can do to fix it.

Dry Your Vape Before You Start Troubleshooting

Before you worry too much about the situation, it’s important to understand that a small amount of condensation under a vape pod is completely normal. That’s because air flows through the bottom of the pod. The airflow opening is also positioned next to the pod’s atomizer coil, which is a heat source. If you see a small amount of liquid when you remove the pod to fill it, you can remove it with a cotton swab.

If you see a lot of e-liquid under the pod, you’re dealing with a real leak. In that case, you’ll need to dry the device thoroughly before you proceed because the vape juice could potentially get inside the device and damage its components. Follow these steps to remove the e-liquid quickly.

• Remove the visible e-liquid from the device and the underside of the pod using paper towels and/or cotton swabs.
• Blow firmly through your vape’s air intake hole. Do you see e-liquid in the chamber where the pod would normally be? Dry it and continue blowing until the vape juice stops coming out.

Now that your pod system is completely dry, it’s time to figure out why it started leaking and correct the problem.

Change the Way You’re Puffing on the Device

Aggressive puffing is the most common reason why pod vapes leak. A small pod vape typically has a narrow airflow channel because it’s designed to mimic the tight draw of a conventional cigarette. If you puff too firmly, you’ll force extra vape juice out of the pod’s storage area and into the atomizer coil. The e-liquid will eventually drip into the airflow system, and you’ll hear a gurgling sound – that’s how you know you’re puffing too hard.

If you want your pod system to produce a bigger cloud, taking a longer puff – not a firmer one – is the way to accomplish that. If you’re looking for a device that can tolerate more aggressive puffing without leaking, you might want to consider stepping up to a larger pod mod or vape mod.

Fill Your Pod Properly

If you’re already using gentle air pressure when puffing on your device, it’s possible that your pod vape is leaking because you’re not filling it properly. Here are the two things that you need to remember every time you fill your pod.

• Always leave a small amount of empty space when you fill your pod. This is important because the plug will consume some of that space when you close the pod. If there’s no room for the plug, the pod will overflow when you close it.
• When you close the pod, push the plug down firmly on all sides to make sure that it’s completely sealed. If you have a top-filling pod, make sure that the mouthpiece is firmly attached.

Install Your Coil Properly

Some pod systems have pods with replaceable coils, which gives you some additional options for customizing your experience and can help to reduce your long-term vaping costs. When you replace your coil, though, it’s crucial that you do it properly. You install the coil by pushing it through a hole on the bottom of the pod, and that means your pod will definitely leak if you don’t push the coil all the way in.

When you replace the coil in your pod, the base of the coil should be flush with the base of the pod. If the coil sticks out at all, something is wrong. If you can’t push the coil all the way into the pod, it’s probably aligned incorrectly. Check the coil’s base for a flat edge. If you find one, there should be a corresponding flat edge in the hole on the bottom of the pod. Rotate the coil until the two flat edges line up, and you should be able to push the coil in without any trouble.

Replace the Pod

As reliable as most pod vapes are, no pod lasts forever. Eventually, the plastic components may begin to separate, or the silicone gaskets that prevent leaks can stretch and tear. Gasket wear is especially likely to happen in a pod with a removable coil since you can replace the coil when the flavor changes and continue using the same pod indefinitely. If you’ve tried everything else in this article and are continuing to experience leaks with your pod system, it’s probably time to replace the pod.

When you replace your pod, don’t forget that there’s probably nothing wrong with your coil if you just installed a new one. There’s no need to discard the coil; you can just transfer it to the new pod. If the new pod also leaks, though, it’s possible that the coil actually does have an issue. Remove the coil and check for a damaged or misaligned gasket. If you find a misalignment and are unable to move the gasket back into place, you should install a new coil. Once you’ve eliminated the pod or the coil as the cause of the issue, your pod system should stop leaking.