Why Is My Vape Spitting?

Why is my vape spitting?

Spitting, also called spitback, is when hot droplets of e-liquid pop up through the mouthpiece into your mouth instead of turning to vapour. It almost always means the coil is flooded, with more e-liquid pooled around it than it can vaporise, so the excess cooks and spits like water on a hot pan. The good news is it is easy to fix.

It helps to know a little crackle is normal. A soft sizzle is just liquid vaporising, while a loud pop with hot liquid in your mouth points to flooding. This page explains what spitback is, what causes it, how to fix it and how to prevent it, so you get back to a smooth, dry draw. As with any vape, this is for adults aged eighteen and over.

Let us look at what it is, the causes, the fixes and prevention.

What spitback is

Spitting is a symptom of one underlying issue. A flooded coil holds more e-liquid than it can heat, so when you fire it the pool pops and sizzles, sending hot droplets up the mouthpiece instead of smooth vapour.

• Hot droplets: liquid on your lips or tongue mid-draw.
• Loud popping: an aggressive crackle as the pool cooks.
• Harsh hits: uneven vapour as the liquid spits.
• A wet mouthpiece: liquid sitting in the chimney.

Not every sound is a problem. A gentle crackle or soft sizzle as you fire is the normal sound of liquid vaporising, so it is only spitback when you get a loud, wet pop along with hot liquid reaching your mouth, which means the coil is flooded.

The common causes

Spitback traces back to a few habits. Overfilling, over-priming a new coil, drawing too hard, setting the wattage too low or using a liquid too thin all leave excess liquid pooling on the coil, where it spits.

On filling, topping the tank or pod too high floods the coil, so keep it above the cotton contacts but leave an air gap rather than filling to the brim. On priming, soaking a new coil with too many drops oversaturates it from the start. On technique, drawing too hard sucks extra liquid into the chamber, so take smooth, slow draws and turn the power up for bigger clouds rather than pulling harder. On power, too low a wattage cannot vaporise the liquid fast enough, so it pools, which means setting the wattage within the coil printed range helps. On liquid, a thin high-PG juice floods more easily, especially in sub-ohm kits, so match the liquid to the device. A worn coil that no longer wicks evenly can also spit.

The fixes and how to prevent it

Clearing a flooded coil takes seconds. Flick the device firmly downward over a tissue to clear the pool, wipe the mouthpiece, dial the wattage into range and take gentle draws, then fill and prime carefully to stop it returning.

On clearing, take a smooth slow draw without firing, otherwise flick the device firmly downward away from you over a tissue to push out the pooled liquid. On cleaning, wipe any liquid and condensation from the mouthpiece and chimney with a tissue or cotton bud. On power, set the wattage within the coil printed range, nudging it up a little if liquid is pooling so it vaporises faster. On technique, take slow, steady draws rather than hard pulls, then raise the power for bigger clouds instead of pulling harder. On filling, leave an air gap rather than filling to the brim, then prime a new coil with just a few drops. On a disposable, tap it gently on a hard surface and take shorter, slower puffs. If a worn coil keeps spitting after all that, fit a fresh pod or coil.

• Clear it: flick the device downward over a tissue.
• Puff gently: slow draws, more power for bigger clouds.
• Set the wattage in range: too low lets liquid pool.
• Fill and prime lightly: leave an air gap, a few drops only.

If you want to dig deeper, see our explainer on why your vape is bubbling. It pairs well with our guide on why your vape is leaking and our look at how to prime a vape coil.

For the full set of guides, the vaping FAQs hub brings everything together in one place.

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