Why Is My Vape Spitting and Crackling?
Hearing your vape crackling for the first time can be very disconcerting, while a vape spitting hot e-liquid onto your tongue is downright painful. If your vape has just started to show problems, or you have been putting up with your vape crackling and spitting for some time, you might be worried that your device is done for and consider buying a new one.
Thankfully, you can usually easily remedy a crackling and spitting vape, in some cases without needing to replace any part of your vape kit. In this article, we will look at what causes vape crackling and spitting, how to prevent them, and how to fix your vape if you start having issues.
Why is My Vape Spitting?
There are lots of things that can cause vape spitting, but the main reason is an oversaturated vape coil. When you take a hit of your vape, the coil heats up in order to vaporise the e-liquid surrounding it. However, if too much e-liquid surrounds the coil, the excess liquid will begin to boil and spit.
When hot e-liquid droplets fly out of your mouthpiece, this is what we refer to as vape spitting. Being on the receiving end of your vape spitting is an experience you’ll want to avoid, as it can burn the inside of your mouth while causing you to absorb high quantities of nicotine.
Why Does My Vape Crackle?
While excess e-liquid in your coil similarly causes your vape to crackle, the fault ultimately lies with the construction of the coil rather than the e-liquid. Typical coils consist of wound metal wires insulated with cotton wicks. This design promotes the passage of electricity through the coil at the expense of sections of the coil not being in contact with the wick. These pockets between the coil and the cotton provide the perfect place for e-liquid to build up.
When you hear your vape crackling, you are listening to these pockets of e-liquid boiling against the coil. While there are no immediate adverse effects to vape crackling, it can increase the rate at which your coil degrades, leading to a burnt taste in your mouth each time you inhale.
Common Causes for Vape Spitting and Crackling
Now that we have covered why vapes spit and crackle, we can get stuck into the various things that make vapes start spitting and crackling in the first place. Below is a list of the most common causes of vape spitting and crackling, as well as some simple measures you can take to prevent your vape kit from being affected.
- Flooding the coil
Keeping the cotton inside your coil well-saturated with e-liquid is crucial to the function of your vape, as having a dry wick prevents your vape from producing vapour. It is also the fastest way to burn out your coil. However, oversaturating the cotton will flood the coil, making it difficult for the coil to vaporise the e-liquid and increasing the chance of vape spitting.
One of the easiest ways to flood the coil is when you are priming a new one for your vape device. You might be tempted to soak the exposed cotton in your e-liquid, but you only need to squeeze a couple of drops onto the coil before attaching it to your vape tank. If you are worried about over-priming your coil, simply attach the new coil straight to your tank and allow it to sit for 15 minutes so the e-liquid can absorb into the cotton on its own. For more top tips, you can also read our best practices for correct vape coil use.
- Burning the coil
Repeatedly using the same coil can cause its cotton insulation to decrease, creating more pockets for e-liquid to pool in while making it easier for the remaining cotton to become oversaturated. These factors will inevitably lead to your vape crackling and spitting, not to mention your coil burning out and causing damage to your vape kit.
The most straightforward solution is to change your vape coil as soon as you start having any issues. If your vape device is compatible with mesh coils, you might consider switching to them. Their flat profiles prevent e-liquid from collecting inside them, significantly reducing the likelihood of your vape crackling.
If mesh coils are not an option and you don’t have access to another replacement, you could try reducing the airflow through your device to prevent e-liquid from pooling around your coil. As you limit the airflow, the internal pressure in your tank will increase, propelling vapour more quickly towards the mouthpiece while decreasing the saturation of your coil.
We recommend that you should only use this method as a short-term solution and to replace your coil as soon as possible. Keep an eye on our special offers on coils for the best deals.
Lack of use
Most vapers use their vapes several times throughout the day, but if you are an occasional vape user and go days without taking a hit, this can increase the likelihood of your vape spitting. Leaving your vape inactive with e-liquid in its tank allows the cotton wick to absorb more of the e-liquid, which eventually causes your coil to flood.
Our advice to infrequent vapers is never to fill your tank more than halfway, ensuring there is a smaller amount of e-liquid left in your device between vaping sessions. Furthermore, if you are taking your vape abroad and know it will be sitting in your hand luggage for a few hours, you might want to empty the tank beforehand to avoid your vape spitting and crackling when you reach your destination.
- Using the wrong wattage
Mismatching the wattage of your advanced vape kit with its coil is another easy mistake vapers make that can lead to their vape spitting and crackling or even gurgling! Vaping at a wattage that is too high for your coil will cause the cotton wick to burn out faster, creating space for e-liquid to pool and begin crackling within the coil.
However, reducing your wattage below the recommended settings for your coil can reduce the speed of its vaporisation, resulting in excess liquid seeping into the coil. Rather than your vape crackling, it may begin to gurgle like water boiling in a kettle and eventually start spitting large amounts of e-liquid from its mouthpiece. To avoid this, check the packaging for your current coil to ensure you are using the correct wattage.
- Using the wrong e-liquid
Depending on the recommended wattage for your coil, you should fill your tank with an e-liquid with a specific ratio of vegetable glycerine (VG) to propylene glycol (PG). Starter vape kits with low-wattage coils are better suited to thinner e-liquids with higher quantities of PG. In contrast, higher wattage coils used for sub-ohm vaping are designed to handle the viscosity of VG-rich e-liquids.
Attempting to vaporise thicker e-liquid at a lower wattage will result in gurgling and, eventually, your vape spitting onto your tongue. On the other hand, pairing thinner e-liquid with a high-wattage coil could similarly lead to oversaturation or your vape tank beginning to leak.
- Inhaling too strongly
As you inhale through the mouthpiece of your vape, you draw some e-liquid from the tank into the coil such that the cotton never becomes desaturated. However, vapers who enjoy taking long, deep hits on their vape can accidentally flood their coil as the force of their inhale draws in an excess of e-liquid.
To prevent this, increase the airflow through your device to allow more air to circulate between your coil and tank. This will reduce the internal pressure, meaning less e-liquid is drawn through with each breath. If vape spitting persists after adjusting your airflow, you might want to reconsider how you vape.
How Do I Stop My Disposable Vape from Spitting?
Disposable vapes are ‘closed system’ devices, meaning you are unable to take them apart should they begin to malfunction. As most single-use vapes use lower wattages, the main reason for disposable vapes spitting is that too much e-liquid has seeped into its coil.
To remove the excess e-liquid, we recommend covering the mouthpiece with a paper towel and then shaking the device firmly downwards. When you have cleared as much e-liquid as possible, dab the mouthpiece's opening to absorb any droplets clinging to the inside.
How Do I Stop My Vape Kit from Spitting?
While the easiest solution to vape spitting is to replace your coil at the earliest sign of a fault, you can remedy a saturated coil in a vape kit the same way as you would in a disposable. After you have finished shaking the excess free, you could also remove the mouthpiece to properly clean the inside. This can be done with a cotton bud or a wad of tissue.
Alternatively, you could force out any excess e-liquid through the airflow by blowing several times into the mouthpiece and then wiping the residue from the vents. Regularly clearing the airflow in this way not only reduces the likelihood of your vape spitting and crackling but is also beneficial to the longevity of your device.
If you are having problems with your vape spitting, or if you are new to vaping and want to prevent your first vape spitting and crackling, get in touch with one of our vaping experts and discover how we can help you.
