How to Fix a Flooded or Gurgling Vape — 5 Quick Solutions

If your vape is making a gurgling or bubbling noise when you inhale, or you’re getting hot liquid spitting into your mouth, your coil is flooded. This is one of the most common vaping problems — and usually fixable in under a minute.

What causes a flooded coil?

Flooding happens when too much e-liquid enters the coil before it can be vaporised. Common causes include over-filling the pod, leaving the device lying flat for extended periods, drawing too hard on a pod system, or a coil that’s been over-primed. Cold temperatures can also slow absorption and cause temporary flooding.

How to fix a flooded or gurgling vape

1. Remove the pod or tank and blow through it. Remove your pod or tank, hold a tissue below the mouthpiece, and blow firmly down through the device. This pushes excess liquid out of the coil. Wipe away what comes out.
2. Shake out the excess. Hold the device mouthpiece-down and give it a firm downward shake over a tissue. A few short shakes usually displaces the pooled liquid.
3. Fire a few dry puffs. With the pod reinstalled, press the fire button briefly (2–3 seconds) without inhaling. This heats the coil and burns off excess liquid. You may hear crackling — that’s normal. Do this 2–3 times.
4. Vape at a slightly higher wattage temporarily. If your device is adjustable, bumping the wattage up slightly for a few puffs helps burn through the excess. Drop back to your normal setting after.
5. Remove and dry the coil or pod. If the above steps don’t resolve it, remove the pod and use a thin piece of twisted tissue to absorb liquid from inside the mouthpiece. Re-seat the pod and try again.

How to prevent flooding

Don’t fill your pod to the absolute maximum — leave a small air gap at the top. Avoid drawing too hard: if you inhale very forcefully on a pod system, you can pull more liquid than the coil can vapourise. Store your device upright rather than on its side. And make sure your wattage is appropriate for your coil — running too low leaves liquid unvaporised and pooled.

When is the coil the problem?

If flooding happens repeatedly with the same pod or coil, and the fixes above only work temporarily, the coil is likely worn out. Coils develop micro-cracks in the cotton over time that allow liquid to flood past the heating element. Time for a replacement.

Replacement pods for Vaporesso XROS (R279/4-pack), Bewolk Smart (R259/4-pack), and OXVA devices (R219/3-pack) are in stock at kremvape.co.za.

For adult use only (18+).