Hot-pops, spit-backs, and leaking may seem like names from a hip-hop crime-fighting cartoon team, but these are the names of phenomena that you will have surely encountered if you have spent any time vaping (especially with higher-powered mods). But what exactly do they imply? What are the underlying reasons for these all-too-common and irritating occurrences at times? Is there anything that can be done to avoid them?
Whether you’re an experienced vaper or just getting started, whether you like tank mods, drippers, or something else, keep reading for the definitive guide to ensuring a smooth, joyful, and stress-free vaping experience.
What does it mean to “leak” when it comes to vaping?
As the name indicates, leaking is a wide word that covers any circumstance in which e-liquid (“juice”) escapes from where it is supposed to be and ends up somewhere it isn’t, such as the airflow system, the inside of your coat, or all over the work papers in your bag…
Leaks, like all disasters, can range in intensity from a few drips that go unnoticed to a full-fledged deluge that leaves everything sticky and smelling like a perfume truck plowed into a French bakery.
Finding the exact site of a leak can be tricky, leading to some stressful (and messy) circumstances.
Fortunately, if your vaping equipment does spring a leak, there are a few typical culprits and some very simple procedures you may take to rectify the situation.
How to Prevent Leaks from Occurring
Examine your seals for authenticity.
Most of the time, leaking from your vaporizer is due to user mistakes. The most common mistake that can lead to your e-liquid running away is not correctly putting your tank back together. The thread that connects tanks and their lids is usually quite tiny, and even a minor misalignment of the grooves might result in a leak.
Vertically store your tank.
Some tanks, particularly older types, have a design defect that causes them to leak if kept horizontally for long periods. Back-flow through the wick and into the airflow is usually the source.
Fortunately, you may avoid this leaking by altering your procedures. You should be OK as long as you remember to keep your vape from being on its side as much as possible. Alternatively, you may purchase a newer tank free of these concerns.
Make sure your grommets are in good shape.
It’s also a good idea to examine the condition of any rubber grommets or O-rings that surround the seals on your tank. Rubber deteriorates with age, and micro-perforations can cause difficulty in detecting leaks.
Change the way you vape.
Occasionally, leaking is caused by the user’s behavior rather than a structural fault with the vaping gear.
Excessive forceful inhalation might result in a variety of issues. Puffing too hard might result in excess juice in your coil, which can lead to leaks from your device.
Do not overfill your vaporizer.
Filling your tank to the top is not a good idea. Allowing a tiny space for air at the top of the container can assist keep e-juice from escaping via the seals, mouthpiece, or air holes. If you leak when filling your tank, slowing down might assist.
Examine your vaporizer for any signs of wear and tear.
One of the most obvious leaking sources from your vaporizer is cracks in the glassware. Occasionally, though, extremely minute hairline fractures might form over time and go undetected. Make a point of properly inspecting your vaporizer from time to time to look for any indications of damage.
In addition to cracks in the glassware, keeping an eye out for any twisted metal components can be beneficial, especially around the joints. Even minor body deformations can cause vape juice to spill out (and certainly all over your possessions!) over time.
Make certain your juice proportions are correct!
As the name implies, Cloud-chasing is a word used to describe vaping using strong devices that can produce massive amounts of vapor. A superior mouthfeel and flavor profile have been noticed by vapers, in addition to looking badass.
Cloud-chasing necessitates the use of high-powered coils, and any e-liquid containing less than 70% vegetable glycerine is likely to leak due to its reduced viscosity.
Make your coils with caution.
If you’re into vaping enough to use an RDA (rebuildable dripper atomizer) or anything similar, you’re undoubtedly already aware of the necessity of acquiring the appropriate amount of cotton. If you use too much cotton, your airflow will be severely constricted, making it difficult to vape at all. If you overdo it on the cotton front, you may have dry and burned impacts.
On the other hand, using too little cotton might result in e-juice leaks from your vaporizer. Unfortunately, trial and error is the only way to figure out how much cotton is “just right.” If you’re new to RDAs, accept that you’ll probably smell like e-liquid for the first few times you create a fresh coil.
What exactly is spit back?
If you’ve ever taken a long drag on your vape and instead of a delightful burst of vapor, you were met with a mouthful of ultra-hot e-juice droplets, and you might have gasped. Congratulations if you’ve had this experience! You’ve been through the agony of spit back.
What Causes Spitback and How Can It Be Prevented?
Fortunately, the reason for spit back is rather simple. When an e-liquid-soaked cotton wick inside a vaporizer becomes oversaturated, some liquid can pool around the coil’s metal portion. When this happens when the device is ignited, heat isn’t uniformly distributed throughout the e-liquid, and some of it remains liquid rather than becoming an aerosol. These super-heated drips can find their way past your mouthpiece and onto your poor palate, similar to how a hot frying pan can spit like crazy if water is added to the surface.
What Exactly Is Popping?
Many individuals (including myself) find the subtle popping and crackling when you start up your vaporizer to be rather pleasant. Popping may lend a delightful soundtrack to an already joyful situation, reminiscent of an open fire or perhaps the sound of a burning cigarette.
Popping is a milder variant of spit back that frequently occurs in conjunction with it, and the reason is the same as with saliva back. Instead of rising through the mouthpiece, the super-heated drops of e-liquid either impact the chamber’s sidewalls or turn into vapor.
Sportback and Popping: How to Reduce Them
It’s doubtful that you’ll be able to eradicate spitting and popping from your life unless you use a very low-powered vaping device, like a pen or stick vape. However, there are several things you may take to reduce popping and, more crucially, spitting.
To avoid a mouthful of scalding e-liquid, take the following precautions:
Don’t go overboard with the “priming.”
Any time you change your coil, you should prime it. Priming a coil entails manually pouring e-juice over your coil’s cotton wick before properly installing it and filling your tank for the first use. The goal is to completely cover the wick, which will assist in generating a wicking effect that will speed up the absorption process and have you vaping those great tastes faster.
The race is won by going slowly and steadily.
When you take a puff from your vaporizer, make sure you inhale slowly and evenly. Putting too much energy into your in-breath might cause your chamber to overflow. If you’re still having problems with popping or spitting after practicing mild inhalations, consider adjusting the airflow valve (if your tank has one).
Increase the volts.
Spitbacks and popping can occur if your coil does not reach hot enough to immediately change the e-juice into an aerosol. Fortunately, the vaping devices that are most prone to face these issues generally include flexible power settings and increase the wattage by a few watts to see if this fixes the problem.
The thickness has been reduced.
The foundation of all e-liquids is made up of PG and VG in various ratios. VG is much thicker than PG at room temperature, and its increased viscosity makes it less prone to infiltrate through microscopic gaps. If you’re experiencing trouble spitting, try switching to an e-liquid with a greater VG/PG mix.
Stick to standard coils.
There are various coil types available, including twisted coils and Clapton coils, in addition to the traditional round wire. Many users claim that these non-regular coils cause more popping and spitting, so stick with the tried-and-true round kanthal and cotton combo.
Adapt your drip tips as needed.
The mouthpiece, also known as the drip tip, acts as a barrier between your breathing passages and any stray drips of super-hot e-liquid that try to escape. If you’re still getting spit back after using a drip tip, you might try a drip tip that’s particularly intended to prevent it.
There are a few different drip tips to utilize if you don’t want to spit. Many of them will have a sharp bend, curve, or angle, and others accomplish the same spitback-reducing effect by relying on their extraordinarily lengthy length.
Maintain a clean environment.
Excessive volumes of e-liquid entering the coil from the reservoir are the most common cause of spitting. If your chimney is exceptionally clogged, though, juice might concentrate and slide back down into the chimney, causing a cooling effect. Thankfully, the answer is straightforward: Remove your drip tip and clean down into the chimney with a wad of kitchen roll (toilet paper can shed fibers into your device – not ideal!) A kitchen towel may assist soak up any leftover e-juice that could otherwise stay, in addition to eliminating any residue.
When everything else fails, start shooting.
If you fear you may have over-primed your coil or sucked too hard on the mouthpiece, there’s a simple remedy to avoid any unpleasant and perhaps painful spit back. “pulse” the power button a few times until you no longer hear any popping sounds.
Conclusion
Since it initially became a thing, vaping technology has gone long. However, some adjustments and trial and error are typically necessary to create your ideal vape. Taking the procedures described above will eliminate most of the reasons for spitting and popping. However, if you try all of the troubleshooting methods we mentioned and still have problems, you might need to buy a new tank.
Spit back may become a non-issue as the technology within vapes continues to expand and develop, much like many of the difficulties connected with the first vapes no longer exist. Until that time comes, the odd pop or spitback is a minor price to pay for the numerous advantages of switching from tobacco to electronic cigarettes.