Troubleshoot your vape pen for heating problems!

Having trouble with your vape?

Most vapes malfunction due to a build-up on the inside of the heating chamber where the coils are. Sometimes it’s the coils that need repairing or the faulty wiring underneath. Overtime, these parts lose their strength in conductivity and tolerance.

But do not worry! Before you throw your vape into the bin, give this article a read. Here we give you DIY steps to troubleshooting your vape for some common heating issues. There are different types of vape pens and they each have a different set-up, a variation in the tank or mouth piece, some even with a squonk bottle.

There are dry herb vaporizers, weed vape pens, herbal vaporizers, CBD vapes and essential oil vapes, each with different internal components.

So before you unscrew your vape into pieces, try to Google the anatomy of the type of vape you have. The components that you will be working on are kind of the same in most vapes, however, the attachment style might differ from one model to the other.

What are the necessary equipment to get started?

Isopropyl alcohol, a brush, a small screwdriver to fix the coils, soldering iron, wire solder and a shrink tube, a magnet and glasses to protect your eyes.

Try cleaning it!

Your vape collects oil and debris inside and underneath the heating chamber after being used for a long time. Take off the tank and the heating chamber by rotating them both, counter clockwise.

You will be exposed to the coils. Use the brush to clean the coil and the heating chamber. Use the magnet to get rid of metal fragments inside the heating chamber.

Dab isopropyl alcohol into a cotton and clean the coils.

Take time doing this because residues on and around the coil can be greasy and stubborn. Do not pour the alcohol into the chamber. Take excess alcohol off by dabbing a dry cotton over it. Some of it vaporizes if you air it for a while. The coil inside your vape is the most sensitive, so be patient and gentle, but thorough. Heating the coil before cleaning it loosens the residues, making it easier for you to clean it.

Try some adjustments before replacing!

If nothing works, you may need to replace the entire heating mechanism of your vape. Just like you can buy a vape pen online, you can also buy parts and spares. All you have to do is look for it. But before re-investing, try some adjustments.

The wires inside the coil move and go out of alignment, especially if you’ve dropped your vape couple of times. This prevents the vape from heating properly. Adjust the wires with a screwdriver to make sure that the turns are consistent and without gaps in-between them.

Make sure the ends of the wire are twisted into a hook. There are two screws inside the chamber that hold the wires together. Tighten the screws gradually with a screwdriver, quarter turns at a time, and make sure the coils are aligned on top of the bottom screw which holds the coil in place. The coil should not be in contact with the walls of the chamber, except for the ends. Whether the screws are too loose or too tight, the coil will not heat. So take time doing this, and test your vape as you go.

Wire works!

Below the coil is the battery of your vape in the lowest chamber. Wires come out of the battery to connect the power source with the coils. The wires that connect these two parts may need repair if all other options fail.

Here’s what to do. Connect the wires with similar color. Twist the ends together neatly and firmly and use a soldering iron to melt the wire ends together. Don’t hold the iron for too long or else it starts melting the wires. Let the joint cool down and place a shrink tube over the opening afterwards. Heat the shrink tube with a hair dryer to insulate the opening.

Take it to the store

If you have an expensive vaporizer, and you just don’t want to risk it by trying to fix it yourself, take it to the store you bought it from. They can provide you with replacement parts. In case they don’t have the parts you need, look into online vape stores and search for parts using the brand and model name.