The great thing about disposable vapes it that they’re easy to use. You don’t need to worry about refills or maintenance. And once they’re finished, you just open up a new one.

That’s the theory, anyway. But what happens if something goes wrong?

If your vape has malfunctioned, we’re here to help! Our guide will show you how to fix a disposable vape that won’t hit – no matter what the underlying problem is.

Why is Your New Disposable Vape Not Working? (Know Vape Parts First)

There are a number of different reasons your disposable vape might not be working properly, no matter the bar or pen. To work out what’s going wrong, it helps to understand the different parts and the way they interact.

1. Battery

The battery provides the power for the vape. So if your battery isn’t working, nothing else is going to work either.

Supposing there’s nothing wrong with it, the battery will heat up the …

2. Coils

These sit in a tank surrounded by e-liquid. Inside the coils is wicking, an absorbent material designed to make sure the e-liquid is soaked up and reaches the coils.

When the battery is activated, the coils get good and hot, turning the e-liquid to vapor. This vapor then travels via an exit point in the tank to the …

3. Mouthpiece

This is where the vapor leaves the device and enters your mouth.

It’s not just a hole, though. The mouthpiece also acts as a switch, reacting when you draw on the vape to fire up the coils.

Potential Issues – How to Fix Your Disposable Vape Not Hitting

As you can see, a vape has a pretty simple design. But it does need all three elements – battery, coils, and mouthpiece – to work properly. A problem in any one of those can leave you with a vape that isn’t hitting.

So what kind of problems can occur? And how do you fix them when they do?

1. A Disposable Vape That Isn’t Turned On

Most vapes that are made to be disposable are simple to use. They can get activated by just inhaling. Not all of them are going to do this, though. Sometimes, you may need to turn them on.

Check the instructions if there is a turn-on button. If so, the problem is solved.

2. Dead battery

No power means no vape! The coils can’t heat up, so the juice can’t turn to vapor.

Most rechargeable vapes will have a light that flashes to show the battery is working. So if you can’t see one, the chances are your battery is dead.

Watch out, though. Many disposable vapes don’t have lights at all. So don’t bin your device before you’ve investigated other potential problems.

If you have a disposable vape and the battery is dead, sadly, that’s the end of the road. You’ll need to invest in a new device.

If you have a rechargeable vape, plugging it in and leaving it to charge should deal with the issue. Check if a light comes on when you plug it in, though. If it doesn’t, it’s probably broken.

3. Out of juice

You might be thinking this can’t be the case. Your disposable vape was supposed to be good for 600 puffs, and you’ve had nowhere near that many!

But those puff figures are just estimates. The precise number you’ll get out of your device depends on how long and how deeply you inhale.

Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to check the e-liquid level on most disposable vapes. But if you’ve experienced a harsh or burned flavor from your last couple of draws, running out of juice is likely to be the culprit. And with a disposable vape, that means its time is up.

4. Blocked mouthpiece

The light is on when you draw, and until it stopped working, your vape tasted completely normal.

That sounds like your battery is working and you still have e-liquid. The problem here could be that something is stopping the vapor getting out through the mouthpiece.

That can happen if the holes in the mouthpiece are blocked.

Some vapes have removable mouthpieces which will make it easier to check this. Just take off the mouthpiece and hold it to the light to check for blockages.

With most disposable vapes, though, the mouthpiece is fixed in place.

If you think you might have a blocked mouthpiece, a toothpick, pin, or cotton bud can help deal with the problem. Just push it gently into the holes in the mouthpiece to dislodge any fluff or debris.

5. Blocked airflow holes

Some disposable vapes have extra holes to assist the air flow through the device. Just like the ones in the mouthpiece, these can become blocked. And that’s particularly likely to happen if you keep your vape in a pocket that has a fluffy lining.

The technique here is the same as for clearing blockages in the mouthpiece. Just use a pin, toothpick or cotton bud to poke out any debris.

If your vape is activated by drawing on it, there’s another fix you can try too. Cover one of the airflow holes at a time with your finger, then draw deeply. The extra air pressure will sometimes be enough to dislodge any particles from the uncovered holes.

6. Air bubbles in the e-liquid

Sometimes air bubbles can get between the e-liquid and the coils. That means the liquid won’t heat up and you won’t get any vapor.

This is quite a common issue, but fortunately it’s also easy to fix. Just give your vape a shake or a few gentle taps. The movement should burst the bubbles and enable the liquid to reach the coils again.

7. Dried out wicking

Another problem that can prevent the e-liquid from reaching the coils is dried out wicking. This can happen if you’ve been using your vape a lot, especially if you’ve been drawing frequently and deeply.

One of the symptoms caused by this is a weak vape. And if the wicking is very dry, you could also experience the same unpleasant burnt flavor you get when you’re out of e-liquid altogether.

The only solution here is time. Give the vaping a rest while the e-liquid is reabsorbed into the wicking. That will usually take around ten minutes. Giving your vape a gentle shake during this time will also encourage the e-liquid to soak into the wicking.

8. Overheating

Most disposable vapes have some kind of overheating prevention built into a key area of their machine. This is good, considering the high heat that goes through a typical vaporizer. It’s there to prevent things from (literally) blowing up in your face.

If you left your vape in a hot car or felt your vape getting unusually hot, only to have it not pull anymore, your vape could have overheated. The safety system probably shut it down before things could get ugly.

A good fix for this is to bring it out of the heat and let it cool down. Then, check to see if it can pull now. In some cases, it may just need a cooldown. In other cases, the vape may already be too fried to do much.

9. Frozen E-Liquid

On the other side of the spectrum is a case when you leave e-liquid or vape juice out in the freezing cold. Though it is unlikely that your liquid will be fully frozen, extremely low temperatures can cause condensation and may also make it hard for the liquid to travel.

Warming up the vape, giving it a quick (but gentle) shake, and also giving it a couple of extra puffs can help make it work again. This can serve as a good lesson to learn if you live in a cold climate: vapes and cold do not mix!

Here is a case of the disposable vape charged but not hitting from Reddit, You can check it out.

What Not to Do When Your Disposable Vape Not Hitting

Disposable vapes are designed as cheap, throwaway items. That means that when things go wrong, sometimes the only option is to bin them and move on.

It also means there a few things you shouldn’t do…

1. Don’t try to recharge the battery

Whatever you do, don’t try to recharge a disposable vape.

There’s no easy way to attempt this, because there won’t be anywhere to plug in a cable. But don’t try to get around this with creative DIY charging solutions either! Trying to recharge a battery that isn’t rechargeable can cause it to catch fire or even explode.

Batteries contain some pretty unpleasant chemicals too, so they’re best left well alone.

And when you’ve finished with your vape, dispose of it responsibly. It should go to a recycling service for batteries and electricals.

2. Don’t try to disassemble the vape

There are different opinions on disassembling disposable vapes. If your heart is set on doing it, you can find guides online. But the chances are, you’ll spend a lot of time tinkering with something you’ll never get to work again.

If you like getting to grips with the inner workings of your vape, a pod device is a better option. These combine much of the ease and portability of disposable vapes with the ability to replace faulty components. The pod can be re-filled and the battery can be re-charged.

Alternatively, a vape mod or box mod could be the answer. These require more maintenance and know-how, and you’ll usually have to purchase the batteries separately.

But they will give you more options to customize your vaping experience. And if one element stops working, it’s usually fairly easy to find a replacement.

When All Else Fails

Just because a product is marketed as disposable, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t it expect it to work properly!

If your disposable vape has malfunctioned and you’re unable to fix it, contact the retailer or manufacturer. They should offer you a refund or replacement.

Not all retailers, however, have the same levels of customer service. If you don’t get a positive response, consider whether it’s worth pushing the point. Your time is valuable too, and you may prefer to leave a scathing review and take your custom elsewhere in the future.

How to Fix a Disposable Vape – The Bottom Line

The simple design of a disposable vape means it’s usually one of just a few factors behind a malfunction. It could be that you’re out of juice, have a dead battery, air bubbles in the e-liquid, dry wicking, or a blocked mouthpiece or airholes.

A dead battery or used up e-liquid means the end of your vape. But there are some simple fixes for everything else. A ten minute rest, or a gentle tap or shake, can often be enough to get things working again.

And if the mouthpiece or airholes are the problem, a needle or toothpick can deal with most blockages.

We hope our guide has helped you find the culprit – and most importantly, to fix it!

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