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Common E-Cigarette Problems and How to Fix Them

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It can take a while to get to grips with an e-cigarette, but it might be the problems you thought you had aren’t issues at all. 


Just like any other piece of electronic equipment, things can and do go wrong with e-cigarettes. When it happens, what should you do — throw away your vape gear and buy a new e-cigarette? That would be a potential waste of money if there's nothing much wrong with your vape pen — but you might also be unnecessarily contributing to the rubbish and recycling pile. 


While e-cigs have several components — the battery, processing unit, tank, mouthpiece and possibly a firing button and LED indicator — they're not all that complicated. So when they stop working, or you're not able or sure how to remedy some apparently minor glitch, it's usually possible to fix it. 


You can certainly take your e-cigarette to your local vape shop so they can advise you, and possibly fix any problems — but you can always take a stab at it yourself first. Perhaps you're new to vaping and you're simply wondering how to turn on a vape. Let's take a look at some common issues with vapes and how to fix them. 


The Battery


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"Why won't my vape turn on?" you ask yourself as you grapple with understanding your shiny new device that's just out of the box. Have you tried charging it? Many electronic devices with inbuilt batteries only come with a minimal, or residual charge, and this can diminish over time, as the product moves through the manufacturing, distribution and sales process. 


Before using your e-cigarette, allow it to fully charge. Depending on the make and model, this will take different times, so refer to the instructions that came with it or that are available at the manufacturer's website. Some vapes charge in under an hour. Others may take longer, depending on the size of the battery, as well as the type and the specifications. 


You might also be wondering why your vape battery won't charge, even though you've had it plugged into the USB or other connection to power it up. If you can, check to make sure it's seated correctly in the device and there are no particles of dust between the connectors. 


If you have a second battery — sometimes vapes are sold with two, so you can swap one out when it runs down — try the vape with that, and see if it powers the e-cig. If it does, the other vape battery is not working and is possibly a dud. Never attempt to pry open the battery itself, thinking you might be able to fix it, as doing so could be dangerous. 


Something else to consider if your vape battery is not charging is the charging cable. It may have a flaw, such as severed wires, or one of the four wires may not be properly connected to one or both ends. If you have a spare USB cable, and it fits your vape, try that and see if your vape starts charging. If it does, you can tell the seller your vape pen is not working after a charge because of a faulty USB cable, and they will give you a new one.


Vape Not Producing Vapor


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If your vape is not producing vapour after you've turned it on and drawn on the device, a number of things could be wrong. First, check there's sufficient power left in the battery to heat the e-liquid in the tank and get the vaping process going. — you may be able to determine the battery level from an LED on your vape. If it's low, charge it up, and you should be fine. But if there's plenty of power left in the battery, check out the tank and see how much e-liquid you have left, topping it up if necessary. 


If your vape is not producing vapour after you've turned it on and drawn on the device, a number of things could be wrong. First, check there's sufficient power left in the battery to heat the e-liquid in the tank and get the vaping process going. — you may be able to determine the battery level from an LED on your vape. If it's low, charge it up, and you should be fine. But if there's plenty of power left in the battery, check out the tank and see how much e-liquid you have left, topping it up if necessary. 


Something else to look at if your vape is not producing vapour is the connection between the tank and the device — and the coil inside the tank. Make sure all are sitting properly and are connected — and that there is no build-up of residue or dirt between them. It's worthwhile giving all the connecting spaces a quick clean with a cloth (or cotton bud) anyway, as spillages can occur during refills and use, and you might not notice they've built-up between vital connecting areas of the vape. 


How to Turn on a Vape Pen


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It may seem obvious, but many people wonder how to turn on a vape pen when they first get one, and it can especially be true for novices. Vapes haven't been around all that long, and so it's not surprising it takes a while to get used to this new technology that allows you to enjoy great flavours as well as getting your nicotine hit. 


The simple answer to this kind of vape pen troubleshooting is that it depends on what kind of pen it is. Some are draw-activated, which means all you have to do to get it going is draw, or inhale, on the mouthpiece. Others fire up at the press of a button — how many times again depends on the model, although it's usually between 3 and 5. As always, refer to the manufacturer's instructions, and if in doubt, ask your vape shop how to do it, to avoid injury to you and damage to your vape pen. 


Burnt and Disappearing Taste


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Another common e-cigarette problem is a sudden lack of taste from your e-liquid — or perhaps the taste seems diluted or is disappearing and you're not getting all that much. Alternatively, you could be getting a burnt taste from your vape. In both cases, you're almost certainly running low on e-liquid and you need to top up — especially if you notice a burnt taste because the coil is probably no longer steeped or even covered in e-liquid and is burning out. 


One reason for losing the taste of your e-liquid is a condition known as vaper’s tongue, which can come about from vaping too much and overloading your taste buds. So it might be worth scaling back your vaping for a while, or changing flavours, to give your buds something different. And make sure to stay hydrated, by drinking lots of water, as vapour can dry out the mouth.


There's lots of troubleshooting you can do at home if something goes wrong with your vape, and it's possible you can fix it yourself. If not, you can always ask the friendly staff at your vape shop for help so you can get back to vaping in a flash.




You can get all your vaping accessories right here at the Electric Tobacconist online shop, including spare batteries, charging cables, tanks and more. Free European shipping on orders over £150!