So your dog's eaten your vape and now here you are. First off, don’t let that happen, that would be extremely bad and you need to protect your animals. Second, if you have retrieved your vape and cleaned it off, it may have a few faults. So, lets go into the potential issues you may come across, from out of the box confusion to problems after a rapid descent of the stairs.

1: You’ve just bought your device but it doesn’t seem to be turning on.

First, not all devices have the same activation system. Some are “autodraw” where there is no on and off and you just use it like a cigarette, while others need to have a button pressed a number of times before it will work. The most common number of clicks on the fire button is either 3 or 5 depending on additional functions. If this doesn’t make it switch on, try charging it. Most devices will have an indicator light that will show when it is charging. If this doesn’t show, you will likely have a dead battery and this will be covered under warranty, if the light shows green (or indigo in the case of the Q2Pro) then the device sees the battery as fully charged. Check that the button clicks, and try pressing it 3 or 5 times again rapidly. If this doesn’t work, you may have a faulty switch and this will be covered by warranty.

2: So it’s switched on, but now it’s saying “No Atomizer” or isn’t firing…

This could be an issue with packaging. Don’t worry; even we forget to check this point and we use the devices all the time. The most likely issue is a small piece of film that is placed over the contacts of the pod to prevent accidental firing when in transit. Remove this and it will likely work. If you are using a tank device, ensure that your coil is properly screwed or seated in place. If you are using a modern device like an Innokin Coolfire Z80, ensure that it is properly positioned into the cutout before screwing the tank together. If you are using an older device like an Aspire Nautilus which uses a threaded coil system, ensure that the thread isn’t being blocked or is cross threaded. This type of coil has been phased out over recent years though some manufacturers keep them going. 

If your coil or pod is seated properly, and it still isn’t firing you should check the connecting pins in the device. Don’t worry, you can touch them fine, your skin is not conductive enough to make a circuit on them. In Pod devices, you will find 2 small golden pins, these are often sprung, allowing for a good clear connection to the pod even when there is a manufacturing defect. Ensure that both of these are up. If one is lower than the other then it is likely stuck. Try to wiggle it out from its stuck position. If it won’t budge, this will be a manufacturing fault and replaceable. For tank style devices, ensure that the golden pin is in the threaded area of the battery. If this is missing, you will be able to replace your battery part or kit under warranty as it can’t work without it. Additionally, if it still won’t read your atomizer after this, either it’s a faulty coil or another fault and the part can be replaced.

3: Finally, it can see the Atomizer… But is it supposed to taste burnt?

Erm… No. Not unless you bought a burnt cedar flavoured vape. Now there’s a few reasons why it’s tasting burnt. First, if you are used to prefilled pods and disposables, you may not have known that you need to wait for the liquid to “wick” into the coil. Most devices will recommend leaving your device for 5 minutes after putting liquid into them to ensure the coil has sufficiently been wicked. Second, if you did leave it for 5 minutes, 1 if it’s winter and you are outside, your liquid may have thickened and so will take longer to wick, or, you may be using the wrong liquid for your device. If you are using a device that is 0.8 to 1.2 Ohms, these are generally made for 50/50 liquids. Anything below 0.8 Ohm is made for high VG and anything above 1.2 Ohm is made for high PG. Make sure the liquid you are using matches what coil type you have. (A side note to this, if you are having trouble understanding what liquids go with your device, go to a vape store like VapeHQ where we can show you examples and explain the differences with these. Your general convenience store is likely to not know what the difference is and will upsell you something else instead.)

Third point, you used the right liquid, it was left for 5 minutes, it still burnt. If your device allows for different wattages, this could be due to the wrong wattage being set. Devices like the Q2Pro automatically detect what coil is present and saves what power mode you want with that coil type when you change it, preventing this issue. But other devices may not have the forethought to add this feature. Your coil will have a recommended wattage stamped on the coil itself and its packaging. Ensure that your device is showing that this is the same output wattage it is currently running at.

Fourth point, airflow. Yeah there’s actually quite a lot that can cause this issue. If you have adjustable airflow, and it was closed when you first fired it, you may not have had sufficient draw to allow the coil to work properly, causing it to get far too hot and burn the cotton. You will know if the airflow was closed as it will have been like sucking a hippo through a straw. You will need to replace your pod or coil from this one and make sure you open the airflow before using it.

Now onto things you can’t control. On rare occasions you may find a coil that tastes burnt straight away or soon after you start using it. This is likely a manufacturing error that has caused something called a “hot spot”. There isn’t anything that can be done for this coil unfortunately. If you just bought it from the shop and especially if they saw you fill the device correctly, you will likely get a replacement coil as reputable vape stores know this is a possible issue. Be sure to go straight back to the store however as if you leave it two days most companies will be wary of the claim.

4: I got it working but now it’s leaked everywhere. What’s happening!?

Ouch, sorry to hear that. First, make sure to clean it up thoroughly before you do anything else. Nicotine stains, and you don’t want any children or animals getting at it either. Next, there’s a few reasons why this can happen, from user error to a faulty product. We will start with what you can help with first as first time users can make a lot of errors. I know, I’ve had to clean up leaking devices many times over the years. So, first off, the one I always found most annoying when I used a Zlide tank, seating the coil properly. If it is not seated into the cutout properly, it can mean that the seals also aren’t properly seated and so won’t work properly. This is always annoying as it makes you feel rather silly when you realise what it is for the 8th time… so be sure to check this.

If the coil is seated properly, it could be an issue with the liquid. Not the liquid having a fault, liquid will however do as liquids do. Flow. And if you put a high PG liquid into a coil designed for a thicker liquid, it will leak. Many tanks and pod kits have coil options that allow for thicker liquids, and many of them will provide these coils with the kits to let you test them and see what works best for you before you buy a new coil or pod. If you started out on a 1.5 Ohm coil, and changed to a 0.8 Ohm coil, the liquid you got for that higher ohm coil might be too thin. 

Staying on the point of liquids, it is important to be careful where you keep your device. This might sound silly at first but it’s true. Think of when you put oil into a frying pan, at first it is thick and what you would describe as “oily”, but, once it has heated up it flows around the pan like water. E-liquid or vape juice works in the exact same way. If you leave your device on the windowsill in the sun, or next to a radiator, and stick it in the cup holder in your car with the fan blasting it with hot air it will make the liquid thinner and eventually science will take over and allow the liquid to escape. So avoid leaving it exposed to heat like this. And don’t forget it’s in your back pocket if you use a seat warmer….

Some devices in the Direct To Lung section of the market have incredibly high airflow to allow them to work properly. On occasion, this high airflow can also result in a lack of pressure when the device is not in use. If you are using a DTL device like this and are suffering this issue of it leaking when not in use, I recommend closing the airflow to allow for increased pressure when it is not in use. Just remember to open it again afterwards.

Going back to the point on heat briefly, when you use your device, if it has a fire button and you use it with that (as some have both autodraw and a fire button like the QOne and Q2Pro), be sure not to keep firing it after a draw. This can cause residual heat to be given to the liquid, and allow condensation to build up around the chimney in a way that will lead to it leaking or gurgling. I will get to gurgling in another point as this is a separate issue.

5: I looked at my device and now it’s on fire… please help.

Well that’s not good. Do not throw water on it. As it’s an electrical device and contains a lithium battery, if it’s on first due to an electrical fault it will likely short circuit more and become more of a fire. Lithium fires can also use the oxygen in water to continue burning. Best thing to do is try and smother it. If you are outside and you have dirt or sand you can throw on it, do that. If you are inside and it’s not safe to move it but it’s not at risk of causing further damage, then just let it burn itself out. Move away from it and make sure everyone else is safe. 

If it is safe to move it outside, be very careful.

6: I tried to charge my device but it won’t charge. Not what I need!

Take a deep breath, this stuff happens. Might be the device, might be the cable, might even be pocket lint. No literally it might be. 

First off, the quickest and easiest checks are the “did I do a dumb” checks. Make sure it’s plugged into a turned on socket and you don’t have the cable next to it plugged into your device. Number of times I’ve grabbed what I thought was the charging cable only to find my son had unplugged it to use the socket and just left the cable there is… well… He has his own charging station now.

Onto the potentially broken things. Cables are made of hair fine strands of metal that do break, if it is an old cable, this is much more likely to be the case, doubly so when the cable sits in a bent position most of its life. Moving it into its usual position will normally cause it to start working again and show that it is definitely the cable; though trying a different cable or device is better to test this point. 

Check that the cable is going into the port properly on the device. It might look like it’s in there but it might not be fully in. This could be due to 2 problems, and is also where pocket lint comes into the issue. It sounds silly but this is actually a problem with electronic devices that are put in your pocket. Over time pocket lint works its way into your charging ports and each time you plug it in to charge, the lint is shoved down into it. This eventually causes the charger to not plug in properly. This is removed easily enough with something thin like a pin, just be careful when you do it not to damage the charging port. 

The second issue that causes the charger not to plug in properly is a broken pin. You will be able to see this in the charging port as a small piece of gold sticking off/across the port. If this is the case, then the port is broken and depending on when this has occurred, you may be able to get this solved under warranty. It’s very rare that this happens however. As someone who is very tech heavy in life I’ve never seen it.

Some devices have the ability to detect damage to the charging circuit in the device. If the device’s lights flash or display something different to the normal charging cycle; when plugged in, before going off, and the device doesn’t charge then this may be the issue. Take the device to your local store for assistance with this.

Over time, the total capacity of a battery reduces as it wears out. This is usually only seen by the fact that the battery doesn’t last as long, though when a battery fails completely, it is possible to see it in another way. That being, when you plug it in, the battery displays as being full (from nearly empty) in a matter of minutes, and when you use it, it quickly displays that it is almost empty. This normally takes a very long time for a battery to reach this point, and I’m talking years of use, but if a battery has a fault, this could suddenly occur at any time. Take the device into your local store if it’s fairly new and they will help you out. Additional point on this, if you use the wrong charger, and plug a NON fast charging device into a fast charger for your brand new Samsung, you can cause your battery to become damaged and have this issue. Do not use fast chargers on non fast charging devices. Use the provided charger with it instead!

7: My device won’t fire. GAHHHH!

Woah there, let’s settle down. 

Devices not firing is normally because of an accidental activation of a feature. On the Q2Pro, this is called “Disposable mode” and can be switched on and off both in the menu by clicking the button 3 times and navigating the menu to “Disposable mode” before holding the button down. Alternatively, you can press the fire button 4 times to enter disposable mode or leave it. Pressing the button 4 times will display a lock on the screen either opened or closed to show you that it has locked or unlocked the button. Other devices have a different method, from a little switch that locks the button, to a series of clicks or a combination of buttons being held down. Refer to your device’s instructions for the specifics of your device. 

While that is awkwardly the most common reason, it’s not the only reason.

If you recently dropped your device, check that the button is not stuck. You may have had the button hit something and become lodged against the shell of the device. If this has happened, give it a firm press and a wiggle to release it and it should be okay. If it still seems sticky, but fires then you may want to replace the device.

Lastly, if your device has the ability to change the power output, check that it is not set to the lowest setting. If a button has been pressed in your pocket or bag, it may just be at minimal power which can seem like it is not firing if you have a lower ohm coil/pod. Change the Wattage/power back to the normal level (this can be found on the side of your coil if you don’t know what this is or usually on the bottom of your pod.) I’ve known people have this happen in the opposite way too and suddenly burn their coils badly so if your device can change the power, be sure to check it before use when it’s been sat in your bag.

If it’s none of these, then bring it into your Local VapeHQ and we’ll be sure to help you in any way we can.

8: My device fires but none of the screen or lights work. I think my screens broke…

Maybe, but first, let’s check 1 thing. Many devices come with something called “stealth mode”. For those that drive at night, the lights on an E-cig can be quite bright, so it’s very helpful to have a stealth mode to prevent glare. Others also just don’t like the lights and prefer to be more discrete in their habits. In either case, you will likely be able to reactivate your screen either through a series of clicks of the fire button or through a combination of button presses for those devices with multiple buttons. 

On the Q2Pro, they have designed the device to prevent accidental activation of this, which is great, but it does mean you have to enter the menu to switch it on. If you are in stealth mode on that device, press the fire button 3 times and the screen will come on and display the menu. Navigate to “Stealth mode” and then hold the fire button. This will switch stealth mode back off. For other devices, as there are so many ways this has been done, refer to the user manual for switching this option on/off. If this still doesn’t work, bring your device into your local store and they will either determine the fault or show you how to activate / deactivate stealth mode.

9: gurgling/spitting

Gurgling and spitting usually is an issue with how the device is being used or kept. Because of this, fixes are often only temporary and you’ll want to work on changing your habits. So, what is it that I mean but this. Well, for those who are quitting rollup cigarettes, some of you enjoy a tighter draw. I saw this with my wife when she quit smoking as she would always make the tightest skinniest cigarettes. When she started vaping, she would often end up with a gurgling and spitting coil because? She was sucking too hard on her vape. If this is an issue you are suffering with, it might help you to find a device with a much higher ohm coil such as a 1.6 Ohm Aspire BVC coil in a K1 tank. This higher ohm coil will be smaller and narrower and will be designed with a harder draw in mind. 

Second to how you draw on the device, how you keep it. You might not leave it next to the radiator all night, but if you use a laptop, and drop your device next to your leg while you’re using it, you are probably blasting your device with all the heat being fired from your computer. As you are still using your device, you will be pulling thinner liquid through the coil, which will in turn, allow for even more to wick through than normal. This will eventually result in the coil gurgling or worse, spitting. Be sure to avoid leaving it in hot places or in direct heat.

If you have a button activated device, try to avoid firing it after you have finished drawing on the device. Doing this will generate unused heat in the coil which among other things, can result in it drawing additional liquid into the coil.

When you are cleaning the device, don’t push anything down into the coil. The coil component is quite delicate and is easily damaged, and while that doesn’t mean it will just not work, it will likely either burn, leak or start to gurgle and spit from this. When you clean the mouth piece, use a soft piece of tissue to wipe the inside, and avoid pushing a cotton bud down against the coil.

Now onto how you can remedy the issue. The best way to do this is to vapourise the excess liquid in the coil and force out any that can’t be vapourised. To do this, take your device to a well ventilated area, and, while firing the device, blow through it. This will both force the vapour out the airflow vent along with any excess liquid. Don’t blow too hard, you aren’t trying to inflate a balloon past an elephant, but still give it a good toot. Repeat this process a few times until your device stops gurgling when you use it normally and use a piece of tissue to clean up any excess liquid that may have come out of your vents.

10: My Vape tasted so good but now it doesn’t taste of anything!

Ah, Vapers Tongue. Logged coils. Acclimatisation. These are all things that cause this issue. I’ve never seen a company mess up and forget to add flavouring to a product so this one is more of a technical issue. Here’s some tips though to overcome it.

Vapers Tongue. This is the name given by the vape industry to a phenomenon where you stop tasting something you’ve been tasting for weeks. It’s like your tongue has become numb to the smell. There are a few ways to deal with this. 1 is to buy some candies that supposedly work to reverse this numbing. I have never used them but I’ve been told they’re good.

Another way to fix it is to just change your flavour for a couple of weeks. Try out a Raspberry Lemonade or Pineapple Gummy flavour before returning to your cherry menthol. This works for most people.

A trick used by flavour scientists to keep their taste clean and clear is to smell coffee between flavour tests. This sounds odd, but it does work to clear the senses and it may help you out.

Water logged (or I guess E-juice logged) coils is another issue. If you leave your coil or pod for several days, the cotton will absorb and bind the flavourings, preventing them from being vapourised. Either that or they evapourate and escape suuuuper easy as soon as they are in a device but I’m fairly certain that’s not the case as the bottom half of a bottom would never taste of anything. Try not to leave your coils unused, with liquid in them, for days at a time. If you are not going to use a coil and you need the flavour too, just replace the coil, or don’t start using it yet.

Aclimatisation is a fancy way of saying “got used to it”. If you’ve vaped only one flavour for months on one specific coil, maybe you’re just too used to the flavour or output of the coil. I had that myself with Pineapple flavours when I started, and then again when I found Menthol vapes. (I love me some menthol….). As I first got into building my own coils in the early days of vaping, I always got the best flavour output, and when I moved to smaller devices, everything tasted weak. Now I know that this isn’t something most people think about, I didn’t at the time, but if you change device or coil, or pod, you could have this issue. If you always use an Xros 0.6 Ohm pod, expect it to be a stronger taste than their 1.2 Ohm pod or a Qseries 0.8 Ohm pod. But the same goes for a QSeries 0.8 Ohm pod against a Smok 1 Ohm coil. So that spare pod you’ve kept in your draw for emergencies you just installed because you burnt your last one. That might be the whole issue.