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Just when you thought you’d learned everything there is to know about disposable vape pens, air bubbles form. Too much air pressure, too little air pressure, pod’s wicks, the list of things that could be causing air bubbles never ends! Don’t panic, air bubbles are normal.
Even experienced vapers struggle to pop the bubbles in their vape pens, which is why we have created these troubleshooting tips.
Did you just purchase a brand new disposable vape that’s not working? Don’t worry – we’ve got solutions.
9 Quick Fixes For Air Bubbles
Regardless of why the air bubbles are there, you need to get rid of them. You might have been worrying about unwanted air bubbles for ages, but they only take a few seconds to pop!
Keep reading to discover how to get an air bubble out of a disposable vape as quickly as possible.
Squeeze the Sides
A bit of light pressure could be just what you need to pop those pesky air bubbles.
- Turn your vape pen upside down, so that the mouthpiece is facing downwards.
- Lightly squeeze the sides where the bubbles are.
Most of the time, this is enough to force the bubbles to dissipate.
Remove the Rubber Stopper
A lot of modern vape pens feature a rubber stopper. As the name suggests, it stops the e-liquid in the tank from seeping out of the device.
By removing the rubber protector, you will release any air pressure that is in the vape juice. To avoid spilling any e-liquid, you can place your vape device on its side, with the stopper closest to you. Once you’ve removed the stopper and released the air bubbles, just return the stopper to the gap and begin vaping.
Give It a Tap
This might sound too simple, but it will work well if a small air bubble develops in your device. Gently tap your device on the spot where the bubble has formed. Again, you need to be gentle when you do this, otherwise you could damage something!
Take a Sharp Inhale
Sometimes a sharp inhale is all it takes to pop air bubbles. When you take a forceful inhale on your vape, you are creating negative pressure and pushing it throughout the device. This forces the air bubbles to break.
Add More E-Liquid
In some cases, air bubbles form when there is not enough e-liquid in a disposable vape pen. The small amount of liquid doesn’t circulate properly, meaning air bubbles form in the system. This can even happen in a pod-based disposable vape!
To break air bubbles, simply add more e-juice. Of course, some disposable vapes are not designed to be refilled. Once you’ve tried all our other tips, you might have to just buy another disposable vape.
Warm It Up
If you’re in a cold environment, your e-juice will not be as free-flowing as it could be. The liquid slows and settles, causing bubbles to form.
High temperatures can pop the air bubbles in your vape pen. When your vape pen is warm, the e-liquid inside the cartridge can move around freely and easily reach the coil and wick.
You can warm up your vape pen in a few different ways.
- If you’re short on time, you can rub your device for a few minutes.
- Alternatively, put your device in a small bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
- Blow hot air into the cartridge.
If any (or all) of these steps work, the e-liquid in your disposable vape will liquefy and move much more freely.
Make sure that the rubber stopper is secure before you try any of these options!
Give It a Rest
Air bubbles fall under the umbrella of ‘common vape pen problems.’ Sometimes, the problem solves itself. We recommend leaving your vape pen for a bit, and even using your backup disposable vape for a few days.
Blow Into the Mouthpiece
For this tip, you need to find the air vent, which is a hole that leads to the atomizer. You might know it as the airflow sensor or feature.
- Cover the airflow hole
- Blow into the mouthpiece
- Quickly take a sharp breath in
By breathing in, you are creating a vacuum for the air bubbles in the device.
Shake and Vape
This might be the most fun tip for removing air bubbles. Just shake your disposable vape device gently, and let the bubbles exit! Remember, never shake too hard.
Still struggling to get that final large bubble out of your disposable vape pen? It’s time to buy a new disposable vape.
If your disposable vape is auto-firing, our guide can help you stop it and prevent any potential hazards.
Why Are Air Bubbles In My Disposable Vape?
Air bubbles are common, but they’re still frustrating! Like every kind of vape, a disposable vape pen depends on a whole host of interlinked mechanisms to work properly. Despite this, human error is to blame for 50% of air bubbles.
Let’s take a look at some of the top causes.
Temperature Changes
When it comes to temperatures, the middle ground is the only safe option. Too much heat and too much cold can both be detrimental to disposable pens, as they cause the e-liquid inside to contract and expand. When either process occurs, air bubbles usually follow.
Overuse
Overuse is a common problem, especially among new vapers. Taking long puffs might be satisfying, but many disposable vape pens are not designed to handle them.
Another thing that can cause you to use your vape pen too much is the nicotine strength. If you are using a 3mg nicotine-strength e-liquid, but your body is craving a 9mg strength liquid, you will take more puffs to compensate. This puts a lot of strain on your disposable vape pen, which will probably cause bubbles to form.
Incorrect Storage
For the best vaping experience, you need to think about much more than just e-juice. Storage is another big issue, especially for people who want to avoid air bubbles.
If you store items upright, they will have fewer air bubbles. The e-liquid will circulate far better. Whatever you do, don’t lie your device flat.
You should also keep your device away from direct sunlight. Never store it in the storage cupboard next to the boiler, or right next to a radiator. Instead, find a cool dark room. But be careful, if the room is too cool it will cause the vape juice to congeal.
Increase the Airflow
Above all else, disposable vape pens are designed for convenience. They might not have all the bells and whistles that mods have, such as an adjustable airflow.
It’s quite common for disposable vapes to have a limited airflow, which can lead to air bubbles.
Inhaling Too Hard
Vaping might look easy, but there are actually a lot of cravats. When taking a pull on your disposable vape, you need to make sure that your drag isn’t too soft or too hard.
Even the most reliable disposable vapes can’t handle hard puffs. These long, drawn-out vapes can cause air to infiltrate the e-liquid cartridge, which is one surefire way to get air bubbles.
Incorrect Refilling
You’ve read that right; there’s even an incorrect way to refill your disposable vapes.
Here are the main problems that you need to look out for.
- The new vape juice might not mix with the old vape juice. This can be due to any number of factors, with one of the most prominent being the temperature. In cold climates, your liquid will struggle to liquefy. To solve this problem, you can put your vape pen in warm water once you’ve refilled it.
- You might not have put enough liquid in your vape pen. Try to fill the tank or cartridge to the top, so that there’s enough to go around the device.
Leakage
When liquid leaks out of the air intake vent, bubbles form.
Lots of things cause leakages, including accidental damage, high temperatures, and hard drags.
Low Battery
If your vape device has a low charge, the vape juice won’t have enough power to vaporize. As it attempts to vaporize with the low levels of power that are left, air bubbles form.
Before you start vaping, check the LED battery indicator light on your vaping device.
Poor Quality E-liquid
You should avoid poor-quality products at all costs, especially e-liquids. Shoddy manufacturers cut all sorts of corners to create cheap vape liquid, so it’s no surprise that it can cause air bubbles. In fact, air bubbles are the least of your worries. Weak hits, dry hits, and excessive fluctuations in the quality of the hit are other problems that you could face, not to mention health concerns.
Manufacturing Defect
Manufacturing defects can cause a disposable vape to develop bubbles, among other problems.
If you think your device might have a defect, take a few pictures and videos and send the evidence to the manufacturer.
Wrapping Up
For a satisfactory vaping experience, you need to know how to get an air bubble out of a disposable vape. All these tips have been tried and tested by experienced vapers who know exactly how to solve your disposable vape dilemmas.
Unfortunately, if none of these tips work, you’ll have to buy a new device.
If you’re unsure how to tell if a disposable vape is empty, our guide can help you identify the signs.
