Vape Guides: How to refill your vape kit without making a mess

If you’ve just started using a reusable vape kit, you’ll probably have already spilled your e-liquid a few times whilst trying to top up your tank. Even veteran vapers manage to make a mess of refilling their vape kit, as some devices are just prone to leaking and need a little bit of extra maintenance. 

In today’s blog, we’re going to share our top tips for refilling your vape kit without spilling your e-liquid everywhere, as well as how to clean your vape and keep it in good condition. 

When do you need to clean your vape tank?

Before refilling your vape kit, it’s a good idea to give your tank a clean first, especially if it’s been a while or if you’re trying a new e-liquid flavour. 

You’ll know when your vape tank needs a clean as you’ll see some build up of e-liquid gunk, which forms over time the more you vape. It’s quite normal and is due to the e-liquid leaving residue behind when it’s heated up and turned into vapour. 

If your e-liquid is changing colour and going orange or brown, that’s an obvious sign that you need to do a deep clean and change your coil, as it’s probably burnt out. Thicker vape juice and dessert flavours usually cause a build up of residue more quickly, so if you’re a fan of your sweet blends then you’ll probably find yourself needing to wash out your tank more often. 

How to clean vape tanks

As we’ve already mentioned, cleaning your vape tank should be done each time you want to change your e-liquid flavour. There’s nothing worse than last week’s custard flavour ruining your new tropical fruit blend! 

First, you need to disassemble your kit. Remove the tank from your device before separating the mouth-piece and coil. Empty out any remaining e-liquid and place everything except the coil into a bowl of warm water. If you want to give your kit an extra clean, you can add a drop of washing-up liquid. Leave the parts to soak for a little while and give them a scrub - old toothbrushes or small dental brushes are perfect for this. 

If you’ve used washing-up liquid, make sure you give everything a good rinse before leaving it to dry. Wipe your tank and mouthpiece down with a clean cloth and leave them to air dry on a clean towel or piece of kitchen roll. Leave it as long as possible to ensure as much of the water residue has gone, otherwise your vape will spit and gurgle when you try to use it. 

Once dry, all you need to do is put everything back together and you’ll be ready to refill your vape tank!

How to clean vape coils

Unfortunately, you can’t really clean vape coils. Once they’re burnt out there’s no chance of resurrecting them, and you’ll need to replace it with a new one. We’ve got a huge range of coils for you to choose from both online and in-store. 

They usually need replacing every 2-4 weeks, but it’s totally dependent on how and what you vape. Sub-Ohm vapes burn through coils a lot quicker than most MTL vape kits, but if you’re using them constantly throughout the day then you’ll probably need to change your coil in 1-2 weeks. 

An earlier sign of your coil nearing the end is losing some flavour before it starts to taste burnt. You’ll find that as soon as you pop a new coil in your vape clouds will be a lot fresher and tastier. 

Whilst you can’t clean your coils, you can wipe them down with a dry cloth if you get any leaks. This will help keep your connections clear of any gunk and e-liquid residue. 

How to refill your vape kit

Now that everything’s clean, it’s time to refill your vape kit! 

It’s always a good idea to have a dry, clean cloth with you ready to wipe away any spills before you start filling. 

There are a range of different filling methods out there depending on your type of tank or pod. Some are top-filling, which means you simply remove the rubber plug or tab and refill from above. Others use a bottom or side-filling system, which means you need to separate the tank from your device to top up your vape juice. 

Tilt your e-liquid bottle slightly to the side whilst refilling, just like when you’re pouring a fizzy drink, as this will help to reduce air bubbles in the tank. It’s also important to leave a gap at the top - about three quarters of the way full is fine. This creates a vacuum within your tank, which helps to prevent leakage when you draw. 

Wipe down any e-liquid that might have dropped down through the coil whilst refilling, give your contacts a clean before you replace the tank and that’s it, you’re good to go! 

So, that’s everything you need to know to keep your vape refills as mess-free as possible! Keeping your vape kit clean will help prolong its lifespan, saving you a lot of money, time and agro in the long run! 

If you need any help with maintaining your vape device or you’re just looking for some new e-liquid to top up your tank with, pop into one of our high-street stores, where our team will be happy to give you a hand. You can also shop everything you need from replacement coils, pods and tanks online at 888 Vapour, with free 24 hour tracked delivery on all orders costing £25 or more!