Why Is My Vape Bubbling? (7 Causes and Fixes)

Yuck. There’s nothing quite like settling in for a nice vape, only to get a mouthful of hot, sharp e-liquid instead of smooth vapour. If your vape is spitting, sizzling, popping, or making a nasty gurgling sound, don’t throw your vape just yet! In this guide, you will find out the answer to your question, “Why is my vape bubbling?”

Is Vape Bubbling Normal?

Normal? Yes. Desired? Of course not. It’s normal for car tyres to go flat eventually, but you’ll want to sort that out quickly. So far, no one has invented a liquid vape kit that won’t start gurgling given the right (or, more accurately, wrong) circumstances.

But try not to panic too hard if your vape pen has started sounding like a kitchen sink that you’ve fed too much pan oil. A bubbling vape is almost always fixable and rarely requires you to purchase an entirely new kit.

The #1 Reason Your Vape Is Spitting, Popping, or Gurgling: The Flooded Coil

When your vape starts spitting, popping, or gurgling, it all comes down to one simple problem: a flooded coil.

This just means your coil’s cotton wick has soaked up way more e-liquid than it can actually vaporise. Instead of turning into a smooth vapour, the extra juice just boils and bubbles aggressively on the hot coil.

This is just what happens to a coil once its glory days are over. The wicks don’t maintain a bulwark forever, and after 2-4 weeks, the juice gets loose.

Annoyingly, this can also happen with new coils! Sometimes, it is due to manufacturing errors, but more often, it’s because a tank or pod got filled wrong, and juice got dumped right into the centre of the coil rather than into the surrounding area.

Why Are My Vape Pods Flooding?

Wrong Coil 

Not all coils are compatible with all e-liquids.

• Thinner 50/50 e-liquids get on better with high-resistance coils (0.8ohm – 1.8ohm)
• Thicker vape juice with a higher volume of VG than PG (e.g., 70VG/30PG, 80VG/20PG, etc.) gets the most optimal absorption from lower resistance coils (0.7ohm and below).

Failed to make GET request

Coil manufacturers build their lower-resistance coils with the expectation that thick, gloopy cloud juices will be used. If you try to pour thin e-liquid into a sub-ohm coil, the cotton is likely to leak as it isn’t designed for such a watery fluid.

This will always result in a spitty situation, so be careful which coils you’re buying!

Overfilling the Tank 

Easy does it! I know the TPD’s 2ml tank/pod restriction can be frustrating, but you aren’t going to clear that hurdle by dumping too much juice into your tank.

Pouring too generously can force the vape juice into the coil’s cotton walls, resulting in the same issue we discussed above. And in old-fashioned tanks, too much juice up near the top of the tank might emigrate through the various fittings into the coil chamber, which you now know is something to avoid.

So, watch your bottle when you’re adding new juice. No need to overdo it!

Wrong PG/VG Ratio

You may be using the wrong juice for your coils! Always keep this in mind:

• If you’re using a mouth-to-lung coil (0.8ohms—1.8ohms), you should use thinner e-liquids with either 50VG/50PG ratios or more PG than VG.  If you try using high-VG juice on these coils, they won’t do a great job of absorbing all the gloopy goodness.

• If you’re using sub-ohm coils (0.8ohm and under), trying to use a thinner e-liquid will ALWAYS result in the watery fluid seeping through the cotton and flooding the heating chamber.

So, to reiterate, always check your VG/PG ratios and coil ohmage, and remember this old folk song:

“If the juice is high in VG,

It needs sub-ohm coils to get steamy!

But if the juice is thinner,

High-ohm coils will make you a winner!”

Okay, I just made that up, but its message is true and righteous, so heed it.

Setting the Wattage Too Low

If the power’s too low, the juice isn’t going to atomise, right? Wrong, bucko.

Every time you drag on your vape, you draw fresh e-liquid into the coil’s wicks. Ordinarily, this is fine and part of the process because the juice being drawn into the coil replaces the juice you just converted into vapour.

BUUUT if the initially trapped juice didn’t atomise, and new juice is pulled in, there’s only one direction for the old juice to go and that right into the precious heating chamber, where that bubble’s coming from.

Taking An Overly Strong Puff

Puffing too hard on your mouthpiece will force juice through the cotton wall and into the heating element before it’s had the chance to atomise. Luckily for you, this has the same fix as mentioned above. Flick out the wet, fire the device up a couple of times, and you should be back on dry land. Well, not dry—no one wants a dry coil after all—but dry enough for you to proceed without a mouthful of numbing vape juice.

Skipping Regular Upkeep

This is an issue for the rebuildable vapers, those who enjoy crafting their own DIY coils. Now, most DIY coil vapers are quite experienced, and part of the joy of DIY vaping is in the maintenance aspect. If you don’t like taking your devices apart on the regular, this isn’t the vaping style for you.

But everyone starts somewhere, and making some mistakes early on is easy.

How to Fix a Spitting or Gurgling Vape Right Now (Vape Spitting Fix)

Here’s your step-by-step emergency plan to stop that spitting in its tracks.

Pulse and Flick

Hold your device firmly. Without inhaling, press the fire button 3-4 times in quick bursts (half-second presses). Then give your tank a sharp flick downward – like shaking a thermometer. This forces excess liquid out of the coil chamber.

Blow It Out

Grab a paper towel and cover the airflow holes at the base of your tank. Now blow firmly through the mouthpiece. You’ll push trapped e-liquid out through the airflow slots into the paper towel.

Clean the Chimney

Roll a corner of paper towel into a point. Insert it into your mouthpiece and twist gently. This absorbs any pooled liquid sitting in the central tube (chimney) that leads to your mouth.

Take a Primer Puff

Before taking a proper drag, fire your device and take a very gentle puff. Listen carefully – if the gurgling has stopped, you’re good to go. If you still hear bubbling, repeat steps 1-3.

4 Ways to Prevent Your Vape from Spitting in the Future

Once you’ve fixed the immediate problem, these smart habits will keep your vape running smoothly.

Use the Right Juice

Make sure your e-liquid matches your coil. Big sub-ohm coils need thick, high-VG juice (70% VG or more). If you use thin, runny juice in a powerful tank, it’s going to flood.

Crank Up the Power (A Little)

if your power setting is too low, your coil can’t vaporise the juice fast enough, causing it to pool up. Check the recommended wattage range printed on the side of your coil and make sure you’re in that sweet spot.

Don’t Drown Your New Coils

When you install a fresh coil, don’t go crazy with the priming. A few drops on the exposed cotton is all you need. Then fill your tank and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Inhale Gently

Hard, aggressive pulls draw too much liquid into the coil chamber. Take smooth, steady draws instead. If you want bigger clouds, increase your wattage rather than pulling harder.

Normal Vape Sounds vs. Problem Noises

Not every sound your vape makes is a bad sign.

Problem Sounds: A loud, aggressive pop or a wet, swampy gurgling sound means you’ve got a flood on your hands. If those sounds come with hot liquid in your mouth, it’s time to follow the steps above.

Normal Sounds: A gentle crackle or a soft sizzle when you fire your vape is a good thing! That’s the sound of your e-liquid vaporising perfectly. A quiet hiss after you stop firing is also normal.

Stop Vape Gurgling, Enjoy a Spit-Free Vape!

A spitting vape is annoying, but now you know it’s one of the easiest problems to solve. It’s almost always just a flooded coil, and you’re now fully equipped to fix it.

Clear out the excess juice, dial in your settings, and your vape will reward you with the smooth, flavourful clouds you deserve. And if the problem just won’t go away? It probably means your coil is old and tired. Get a fresh coil at the MIST online vape store!