If you’ve started vaping to curb cigarette addiction or recently switched to another vape mod, you may have experienced popping and spitting. While these can be annoying and potentially harmful, popping and spitting are common even with the best vape mods and can be caused by various factors.
Let’s explore popping and spitting, what causes it, and ways to prevent it from happening.
What Is Popping and Spitting?
Popping is the sound you hear when the e-juice heats up and bubbles on your device’s vape coil. It can range from a faint crackle to a loud, popping noise.
In contrast, spitting is when the e-juice pops out of the mouthpiece and into your mouth while you’re vaping. This can taste awful and even burn your tongue or lips.
What Causes Popping and Spitting?
Several factors can cause popping and spitting in vape mods, such as:
A Flooded Coil
When too much e-juice saturates the cotton wick, it can’t vaporize fast enough, causing excess vapor production. This excess vapor can boil and cause your vape to gurgle and spit, which can be harmful if the e-juice pops out of the mouthpiece and into your mouth.
A flooded coil can happen for several reasons. For instance, over-priming the coil can cause too much e-juice to saturate the wick. Similarly, chain vaping or using a high-wattage setting can cause the coil to become oversaturated with e-juice.
Low-Quality E-Juice
An e-juice is made from propylene glycol (PG), flavorings, vegetable glycerin (VG), and nicotine. When it’s poorly mixed, VG and PG may not be evenly distributed, causing issues like popping and spitting. For instance, an e-juice high in VG may be too thick for the wick to absorb, creating excess vapor and popping. Similarly, an e-juice with lots of PG may be too thin and vaporize too quickly, leading to spitting.
Low-quality or cheap e-liquids may even contain impurities that cause popping and spitting. These impurities may not vaporize evenly, leading to uneven vapor production and popping.
High Wattage Settings
When you vape at high wattage levels, the e-juice evaporates faster than the wick can soak it up, creating excess vapor that makes boiling and popping sounds. This is common when using sub-ohm coils.
Sub-ohm coils have a lower resistance than standard coils, which helps them work at higher wattages. But using high wattage (W) settings with sub-ohm coils can cause the e-liquid to vaporize too quickly, leading to popping and spitting. You can learn more about this in our post on whether or not you can put a vape cart on your 200W mod.
Faulty Coil
Coils are the heating element of your vape mod and are responsible for vaporizing the e-juice. If a coil is damaged or improperly installed, it may not heat up evenly, causing the e-juice to boil, pop, and spit.
A coil can be damaged through general wear and tear, accidental damage, or exposure to high temperatures.
How to Prevent Popping and Spitting in Vaping Devices
If you’re experiencing popping and spitting in your vape mod, here are several steps you can take to prevent it from happening:
Choose High-Quality E-Juice
To avoid popping and spitting caused by low-quality e-juice, you should use high-quality e-juice from a reputable brand or company. Make sure it has been lab tested and is free from impurities and contaminants.
You should also make sure the e-juice is compatible with your vape mod and isn’t too thick or thin.
Use the Right Wattage Range
Using high wattage settings can cause excess vapor production and lead to popping and spitting. Avoid high wattage settings and use the recommended wattage range for your coil. You can find this information on the coil or in the manufacturer’s instructions.
You should never try to exceed the recommended wattage range, even if you prefer a warmer or more intense vaping experience. Also, take longer and slower puffs to make sure the wick has enough time to soak up the e-juice.
Check Your Coils Regularly
Damaged or improperly installed coils can cause uneven heating, leading to popping and spitting. So, check your coil regularly (every few weeks) for signs of damage, such as discoloration or frayed wires, and remove it when it needs replacing.
Also, install your coils correctly by following the manufacturer’s instructions. If you’re unsure or don’t know how to install a coil properly, seek assistance from a vape shop employee or check out an online tutorial.
Next Steps
While popping and spitting can be frustrating, they’re usually caused by inattention and can easily be fixed. For instance, using high-quality e-juice, sticking to the right wattage settings, and maintaining your device can work wonders.
However, make sure you understand the causes behind these issues before taking action. For more helpful vaping information, check out our post on if you can put honey in a vape mod!
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