It is a fact of life that any vaping device – whether it’s a JUUL, another pod system or a mod with a tank – can leak. A leaking JUUL or other vaping device is a serious annoyance, both because it’s very messy and because the e-liquid is quite expensive. Even if you buy from a JUUL superstore like Premium Vape Australia, the loss of a pod – and potentially the device itself, if the leak is severe enough – can be a real financial burden.
It’s time for some answers, and this article is going to provide them.
- Why is your JUUL leaking? We’ll explain why your vaping device leaks.
- What should you do right away when a JUUL or other vaping device leaks?
- What can you do to prevent your device from leaking in the future?
Let’s dive in.
Why Is Your JUUL Leaking?
First, let’s discuss why a JUUL or other pod system may leak in the first place. Aside from buying a pod that turns out to be a dud – which is extremely rare, but it does happen – there are four common reasons for a leaky vape pod.
- Puffing too firmly – using too much air pressure when inhaling – forces excess air through the pod’s intake vents. That breaks the pod’s internal vacuum and pushes e-liquid into the pod’s coil assembly. When that happens, e-liquid can leak out the bottom of the pod.
- A vape pod usually has a rubber gasket at the top. Removing the gasket opens the pod for filling, and replacing the gasket seals the pod. If you overfill the pod, the gasket will push the excess e-liquid out.
- A vape pod or tank is designed to work best when you use e-liquid within a specific viscosity range. If the e-liquid is too thin, it can seep through the pod’s coil assembly and leak out the bottom.
- All vape pods and tanks are prone to leaking during elevation changes. If you take a vape pod on an airplane flight or a mountain drive, it’ll probably leak due to the change in air pressure.
What Should You Do When a JUUL Pod Leaks?
So, what should your immediate response be if a JUUL pod leaks? Follow these steps to clean and preserve your device. These tips apply to virtually all pod systems, so this advice applies even if you aren’t a JUUL user.
- Stop using the device and remove the leaking pod immediately. Don’t continue vaping, because you’ll risk permanent damage to the device if the pod continues to leak.
- Insert a cotton swab into the opening at the top of the device. Use it to blot away the e-liquid inside the device’s pod chamber. Use multiple cotton swabs if necessary; remove as much of the e-liquid as possible to prevent vape juice from entering your device.
- If you think that e-liquid has entered your device, blow firmly through the top of the device while holding a paper towel over the bottom. That’ll force most of the e-liquid out of the device.
- If your device has stopped working due to a leaky pod, seal the device in a zip-top bag with some dry rice or a packet of silica gel. The absorbent material may help to remove any moisture that’s still trapped inside the device’s internal electronics.
How Can You Prevent Your JUUL Pods From Leaking?
Understanding what you need to do when your JUUL pods leak is a great thing, but what you’re really here for is to get some actionable information about how to stop your pods from leaking in the first place. That’s what we’re going to give you next. You can prevent a leaking JUUL almost 100 percent of the time by following four simple steps – and just like the information above, these tips will work for almost all pod vaping systems.
- Always inhale gently when vaping. The JUUL has an indicator light that turns on when the puff sensor detects that you’re using the device. So, the way to avoid using too much air pressure and causing your JUUL to leak is really simple; use only enough air pressure to get the light to turn on. When you smoke a cigarette, puffing more firmly causes the cigarette to produce more smoke. A vaping device doesn’t work the same way; the way to get the biggest vapor clouds is by inhaling slowly and gently.
- Don’t overfill your pod. That advice is equally vital regardless of whether you’re refilling your own JUUL pods or using a pod system designed for refilling. Every vape pod has a rubber or silicone gasket or stopper that seals the pod and prevents it from leaking through the filling hole. If you don’t leave room for the stopper, you’ll push e-liquid out through the pod’s coil assembly when you replace the stopper after filling the pod. You also need to leave a little room for air at the top of the pod.
- Use the correct e-liquid. A pod system is always designed to produce the best possible experience with nicotine salt vape juice. That’s not entirely because of the nicotine salt, though – it’s also because nicotine salt e-liquid has a specific viscosity because it contains a blend of vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol that’s close to 50/50. Pod systems are designed to work well with e-liquid in that viscosity range. Vegetable glycerin is much thicker than propylene glycol, so an e-liquid blend that’s skewed too heavily toward one or the other will produce an undesirable result. An e-liquid containing too much propylene glycol will be very thin and may leak out the bottom of the pod.
- Prepare accordingly for high-elevation travel. If you’re bringing your vape pods on a plane flight or a drive through the mountains, you can expect your pods to leak. For that reason, it’s best to travel without a pod in your vaping device. If you use a JUUL or other system with pre-filled pods, leave the pods in their original packages. If you use a device with refillable pods, travel with the pods half-filled. Your pods will be less likely to leak if they have a bit of room for the expanding air.
