Vapes are complex little devices. From the battery to the coils to the power setting to the mouthpiece, a lot of moving pieces combine to deliver those perfect puffs of vapour to you. As with any other complex device, vapes require constant maintenance, and even still, things can go wrong.
One common odd experience vapers report is hearing a bubbling, gurgling, or crackling noise coming from their vape when they inhale. If you’ve been hearing this sound when using your vape, don’t be alarmed. The causes are as simple as many of the solutions. Let’s dive in.
What Causes Disposable Vape Bubbling, Crackling, or Popping?
It isn’t ideal to hear bubbling, crackling, or popping coming from your disposable vape when you take a hit. These sounds aren’t signs of breakdown, decay, or anything terrible like a battery fire. But they should be taken as a sign that your vape needs maintenance.
Here are the leading causes of vape bubbling.
Type of E-Liquid
The first modern vape was developed in 1930 by an American inventor named Joseph Robinson. Robinson could never have imagined hundreds of e-juice flavours on the market one day, as there are now.
If you’ve been hearing a bubbling or crackling coming from your vape, you may want to try switching from VG (vegetable glycerin) juice to PG (propylene glycol). These e-liquids have different consistencies and are suited to their own distinct vapes.
Power Output
If the sound coming from your vape is more a crackling than a gurgling, and if it’s spitting e-liquid, you may need to adjust your power output. Check the battery capacity and make sure your vape can handle the voltage. There may be a differential your vape is struggling to overcome.
Coil Type
Changing out your coil can lead to a smoother vape experience. Check if you have a low-resistance or high-resistance coil, and compare that to what your e-liquid and battery are best suited to.
E-Liquid Oversaturation
Priming your coils by letting them sit in e-liquid before you inhale is essential, but you can also oversaturate your coils. E-liquid can gunk up if unused for a long stretch of time. Don’t drop e-liquid into the centre of the coils; let the coils soak up the e-liquid on their own time.
How Do I Stop My Disposable Vape From Bubbling?
Once you’ve identified a bubbling, gurgling, crackling sound, it’s time to diagnose and treat your vape. Here are the best ways of fixing vape bubbling:
Open up Airflow
Many vapes come with an adjustable airflow. That means you can control how much vape comes from the mouthpiece whenever you inhale. If your vape gurgling and crackling is connected to airflow, the most likely case is that your airflow is too narrow.
Open up the airflow and see if the sound lessens.
Clean the Coils
Regularly clean your coils, bubbling or no bubbling. E-liquid gunk builds up quickly within coils, and cleaning them off helps prevent bubbling sounds and improves flavour and throat hit.
If you’ve never cleaned the coils in your vape, all you need is a cotton swab. You don’t need to use any cleaning agent, as that can leave trace residue and mix in with your e-liquid to produce a nasty flavour. Just use a Q-tip to clear away the buildup on your coils, and be careful not to push too hard, or you could break them.
Drain Your Tank
It’s healthy to completely drain the tank of your vape and let it sit now and then. Give it a rest, clean the coils, and let them dry out. Too much saturation in e-liquid can cause them to become overloaded and slow at vaporizing juice.
Tinker With the Wattage
Do you know the wattage recommendation that came with your coils? Probably not, as most vapers simply buy a new vape, remove the packaging, load up the e-liquid, and start hitting. There’s nothing wrong with this approach – until there is.
Batteries are a hugely undervalued part of normal vape functioning. Too much wattage and too little wattage can run risks from causing a slight bubbling sound to full battery malfunction. Vapes that use lithium batteries risk catching fire and even exploding.
Check what wattage your vape should be operating with and reference it against the battery voltage.
Modulate Your Inhales
While it’s true there’s no one right way to vape, there are a few wrong ways to vape. When you take a hit, you should take a short breath in, hold the vapour in your mouth for a few moments, and then inhale. Too many DTL (direct to lung) hits can exhaust your wick and coils. The wick can become charred the coils can wear down over time, causing the unpleasant gurgling you’re hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is My Disposable Vape Crackling When I Hit It?
There are a number of reasons why your disposable vape might be crackling when you hit it. Various causes of vape crackling include unclean coils, too many DTL (direct to lung) hits in quick succession, e-liquid oversaturation, and an incorrect power output setting.
Is E-Liquid Spitback Dangerous?
“Spitback” refers to when hot, frothy e-liquid overheats and either bubbles out or spits out of the mouthpiece. Usually, the reason this happens is because of a coil issue; either too much gunk has built up on your coils, or they heated the e-liquid too quickly. It isn’t dangerous, but it does mean you need to address problems with your vape as soon as you can.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in the market for a new vape, get the best vaping experience with a disposable WAKA Vape. WAKA’s line of vapes was created by vaping enthusiasts to provide maximum flavour in a sleek design. Express your individuality and get the best hits possible with a WAKA vape.