Vape pens are incredibly popular because they’re discreet, portable, and convenient. It’s hard to imagine an easier way to get your cannabinoids than with D10 vapes, or D8 carts. Even though vaping is so convenient, there are still a few maintenance tricks you should know to make your experience as enjoyable as possible.

Good vaping hygiene and some simple vape cleaning go a long way toward keeping your setup in great condition. Even if you practice excellent vaping habits, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually encounter a clogged vape cartridge. It’s not the end of the world. 

Here’s what you can do about it.

Step 1: Understand The Basics of Your Vape Pen’s Model and Construction

If you’re having car troubles, wouldn’t you want to hire a mechanic who knows everything about your specific model? The same kind of thinking applies here. It’s easier to maintain your vape if you know everything about it. 

This doesn’t mean you have to become an engineer and learn all of the science behind how vapes work. It only means you should understand the parts that make up your vape and how those parts work together. This knowledge will make diagnosing and fixing all sorts of problems easier.

Parts of a Vape Pen

There are many different vape pen designs, so it helps to research your specific model. Still, you can generally expect your vape pen to include the following parts:

• Battery – When holding a vape pen, the biggest piece by size and weight is normally the battery. This is what powers the vaping experience. The battery is often removable unless you’re using a disposable vape pen. When the battery is removable, it’s best to remove it before you clean your vape cartridge to be safe.
• Button – Some vapes are buttonless. Those types include sensors that can activate the battery when you inhale. For a vape with a button, you’ll have to press the button to engage the battery and activate the vape. Some vapes allow you to change the power or temperature setting by using the button.
• Cartridge – The cart, sometimes called the tank, is what holds the vape oil. You can find refillable tanks or use disposable carts with vape juice inside them already. The cartridge is built right in for disposable vape pens without detachable batteries. 
• Atomizer – The atomizer uses battery power to heat up. The atomizer contains metal coils that get hot when energy passes through them. The heat produced by the atomizer is what vaporizes the oil. 
• Mouthpiece – This is the part of the vape pen that you put your mouth on. After the atomizer heats the vape oil, the vapor passes to you through the mouthpiece. It’s critical to keep this piece clean so vapor can pass through it and because this piece touches your mouth.

Once you know some basic information about your pen, maintenance gets a lot easier.

Step 2: Take Apart Your Vape Pen

Now you’re ready to disassemble your vape pen because you know all the individual parts. Most of the parts can simply be screwed apart and then screwed back together because they’re threaded. Rarely, there may be plastic components that snap together and pull apart. 

If you run into trouble while you’re trying to take your pen apart, it might be time to revisit the manual or do some research online. You can almost always find some sort of information that’s unique to your specific model. Once you do, you can take the components apart with confidence.

Step 3: Cleaning of Your Vape – What to Know

The reason you just took your vape apart is that it’s far easier to clean individual pieces. The mouthpiece is the piece that gets dirty most often and the piece that’s most important to clean. This makes it a good place to start the cleaning process.

Rubbing alcohol is one of the best cleaning supplies for vape mouthpieces. You can apply it with a cotton ball or Q-tip. If your mouthpiece is especially gunked up, you might even want to soak it in rubbing alcohol or warm water before you start scrubbing. If you use water, ensure it isn’t hot enough to damage your mouthpiece.

Cleaning the mouthpiece will solve most of your problems with a clogged vape. There are a few more things you can try. Besides, you already have your vape taken apart. You might as well give the cartridge, tank, and battery some love to make sure you’re taking good care of your things.

How to Clean a Clogged Vape Cartridge

Your vape might be clogged because oil hardened in the cartridge. In this case, you can release the clog with a safety pin, paper clip, sewing needle, or something similarly slim and pointy. You can loosen particularly stubborn clogs by blowing them gently with a blow dryer, as long as you don’t get the cartridge too hot.

How to Clean the Tank

Unlike your mouthpiece, submerging the tank in liquid is never a good idea. If the mouthpiece and tank are connected, then you’ll have to do all of the cleanings with a cotton swab. Other than that, cleaning a tank is similar to cleaning the mouthpiece. A little bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball or Q-tip will work wonders. Make sure everything is 100% dry before putting the vape back together.

How to Clean the Battery

The battery is the most dangerous part of your vape because it’s full of electricity. Never get it wet, and handle it with care. You can still clean it gently with rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs. The vape thread connecting to the atomizer or cartridge must be clean to work perfectly. Again, make sure this has completely air-dried before you put it back together.

Step 4: Allow Your Vape Pen to Dry

It bears repeating at least one more time. Your vape pen should be 100% dry before you put it back together. “Almost dry” isn’t good enough. If you don’t let your vape pen get all the way dry before you put it back together and turn it on, you might run into some problems.

If there’s still too much moisture, you risk damaging your battery. This could be a costly – and potentially even dangerous – mistake. You also might get an unpleasant vaping experience that includes the taste of rubbing alcohol if you don’t wait for your vape to get dry enough before you put it back together.

Understandably, you’re probably going to be in a hurry to use your freshly-cleaned vape once you get to this point in the process. You can help accelerate the drying process by wiping your vape components with a paper towel or even a microfiber towel.

Once you do that, it’s still good to wait a while for some air drying. The good news is that rubbing alcohol will likely be completely evaporated within minutes. Water might take a while longer.

Step 5: Maintain a Regular Cleaning Schedule

Like everything else (your car, your room, etc.), cleaning your vape is easier the more often you do it. You’ll get better at cleaning your vape, and your vape will be less dirty because you cleaned it recently. Because there’s less work to be done and you’re that much better at the process, you’ll have your vape as clean as ever in no time.

Is It Common For Vape Cartridges to Clog?

It depends on the vape cartridge. Disposable vape cartridges don’t seem to clog quite as much because a single cartridge doesn’t get as much use. If you have a refillable vape cartridge that you use over and over again, the odds go up that it will eventually clog.

This isn’t to say that you should choose disposable vape cartridges, though. Even that variety is still going to get stuffed up every now and then. Now you know how to fix it and you don’t have to buy a new vape cartridge to replace yours prematurely.

What Causes a Clogged Vape Cartridge?

There are a number of reasons your vape might clog, but these four are among the most common. Once you know the risks, you’ll be more prepared to prevent them. You’ll also know how to identify the problem and solve it more quickly if your vape does end up clogged.

1 – Current Temperature & Humidity

Low temperatures can make your oil thick and sticky. For an easy example of this, think about water. At room temperature, it’s totally fluid. Once it gets cold enough, it freezes up and becomes solid. While that isn’t exactly what’s happening to your oil, cold temperatures can make it thicker. Humidity plays a factor, too.

2 – The Oil Itself

It could be that the oil is too thick and viscous even at room temperature. Some of the most potent cannabis oils (that is, with the highest cannabinoid levels) are especially thick. An old reusable vape cartridge from a few years ago (or a cheap cart) might not be made to handle some of the concentrates we have access to today. Sometimes preheating your device is the key to thinning out the oil.

3 – The State of the Cartridge Itself

As you vape, it produces resin. Vaping doesn’t produce as much resin as smoking, which is one of the things people love about vaping. All the same, there will eventually be some buildup. When too much resinous byproduct builds up, it gets thick and sticky. Over time, a lot of vaping can create a hardened plug of resin.

There might even be a mechanical issue with the cartridge. This could be the case if your brand-new vape cartridge is clogged. It likely means that the clog is actually just a defect, like a piece of plastic that’s covering the mouthpiece.

4 – An Outside Blockage in the Mouthpiece

This one isn’t especially pleasant to think about for someone, but it’s a valid consideration. The blockage could have gotten into your vape’s mouthpiece from the outside. It could have happened if you vaped too soon after eating or when you had your vape in a pocket or bag. The good news is that you can clean these blockages just like any others by following the steps above.

What To Do With a Flooded Vape Cart Tank

Sometimes a flooded vape cart can have some of the same problems as a clogged vape. The cause is slightly different, though. A flooded vape cart is what you get when the coil gets oversaturated with liquid. It can happen when you overfill a reusable vape cart or draw too hard on your vape pen.

Luckily, there are a few ways to fix this problem. One is to flick the cart from side to side, which can help shake some of the liquid off of the coil. If this doesn’t work, your best bet might be to try taking the vape apart and cleaning the coil, especially if you have a reusable tank.

Depending on the vape, you might be able to blow into the mouthpiece to get liquid off the coil, but blowing into the vape is bad for some cartridges and pens. Make sure it’s ok to do this with your specific vape. The same goes for turning the vape on without inhaling for a short time.

How to Properly Store Vape Cartridges

Proper storage won’t prevent all of your vape problems, but it will definitely prevent some! It’s worth taking care of your vape if you want to have the best experience and save yourself some headaches down the road. Generally, the best bet is to keep it upright, out of direct sunlight, and at room temperature.

Turn To CannaBuddy for the Best Delta 10 THC, CBD & Other Vape Cartridges

Another way to prevent vaping problems is to buy trustworthy products. CannaBuddy offers reliable vape cartridges and disposable vapes. If you ever run into a problem you can’t solve with a product from our store, please reach out to a member of our team. We’ll be happy to assist you!

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