How to Fix A Disposable Vape That Isn't Working

In this article, we help you find out why your disposable vape is not hitting and what you can do to fix it.

If you want to avoid faulty disposables, those that die too early or dull and flavorless tasting vape pens, then make sure to check out our top-rated disposables, picked by our team of vaping experts.

What is a disposable vape?
Disposables are non-refillable one-use vapes that are to be disposed of after use. They work immediately out of the box and it is this simplicity and ease of use, that has made them the most popular form of vape today. That said, they nowadays come in a variety of shapes and sizes, often with features like charging ports and airflow adjustability

The different types of disposable vape pens
Disposable vapes can be used for vaping different things. Nicotine, CBD, and Delta-8 are the most popular substances you can find disposable vapes for right now. It is important to understand that despite the difference in what is being vaped, the underlying disposable battery and vape systems work in almost exactly the same way..

Understanding how a disposable vape pen works
A disposable vape will most often be shaped like a small pen or USB-shaped device. However, devices are getting bigger by the day and can now resemble larger “box mod” style vapes with puff counts of over 10000. Despite their different shapes, sizes, and puff counts, disposables are made up of the same 5 key components:

1.Outer casing and mouthpiece
2.Coil/atomizer
3.Tank or cotton
4.Battery
5.Vape juice
6.*Charging port (on re-chargeable disposable vapes only)

The vape juice containing nicotine, CBD or delta-8, etc., is stored in a tank or within high quality vaping cotton, that is used to hold the e-liquid until the coil is heated thereby producing the vapor that is then inhaled through the mouthpiece. The majority of disposable vape pens cannot be re-charged and can only be vaped once, however, some larger disposables will now feature a charging port that can be used to re-charge the device once the battery has run out.

Your brand new disposable vape is not hitting or working, why?
There are several reasons a new disposable vape might not work straight out of the box.

1.It’s a dud or faulty unit
2.The battery is empty/dead
3.The vape juice has leaked out of the vape and there is none remaining in the tank
4.You’re covering the airflow intakes at the bottom of the device when you inhale

Faulty unit – If a disposable vaporizer does not work straight out of the box unfortunately, more often than not, there is not much you can do about it. If when you hit the disposable vape by inhaling through the mouthpiece, and there is no vapor produced and no blinking light, then unfortunately the device is a faulty unit/dud. If this is the case, take the vape back to where you purchased it from and ask for a refund or replacement. To minimize the chances of buying a disposable that is faulty, make sure to purchase from a reputable brand and/or shop that provides good customer service.

The battery is empty – If after you hit your new disposable, a LED is blinking red or orange, this is indicating that the battery is empty. Whilst being rare, there are times a battery has not been charged correctly or has experienced battery drain upon transport from the factory. Again, if this is the case you should immediately seek a refund and take the device back to where you purchased it from.

Vape juice leaking – If your new disposable is covered in liquid, it is a sign that the vape juice inside has leaked everywhere and could be the reason why your device is not working. This is relatively uncommon for new devices as most are sealed, but it can happen.

Covering air-flow holes – If when you hit your new disposable, you’re struggling to inhale on it, it could be, that you are covering the air-flow holes typically found right at the bottom of the vape. These are one or two little slots at the bottom of the casing that need to be open and not blocked, to allow for air to enter the device when inhaling.

What to do when your used disposable stops hitting?

Check the mouthpiece isn’t blocked
Sometimes something might have got into the mouthpiece and is subsequently blocking the airflow. Make sure it’s free and if it isn’t, remove and unclog any debris you can see to free up the airflow.

Make sure the battery is still working
When you are vaping on a disposable vape, typically there will be a solid light appearing on the device when you are inhaling. If the light is solid and not blinking, this means the device is working and there is a charge left in the battery. If the battery is blinking, then this is an indicator that the battery is dead or about to die soon. If you have a rechargeable disposable vape, then it is time to re-charge it, and if not, it is time to dispose of your vape like other lithium-ion powered devices in a designated drop-off for electronics recycling.

Avoid super long and hard inhales
Disposable will most often have an automatic cut-off of 8-10 seconds for safety reasons. If you exceed this time, the device will cut-off automatically.

Avoid overheating, by allowing the device to rest in-between hits
Make sure not to leave your disposable in direct sunlight or in extremely hot environments. Also, when vaping, avoid aggressive chain vaping, which could cause your disposable to overheat. To avoid overheating make sure to allow your vape pen to rest in-between hits and puffs.

Avoid covering the air-flow holes
If you’re struggling to inhale on your disposable vape it could be, that you are covering the air-flow holes typically found right at the bottom of the vape. These are one or two little slots at the bottom of the casing that need to be open and not blocked, to allow for air to enter the device when inhaling.

Why did your disposable vape pen die before it is empty?
It is important to understand that a disposable battery will die before the vape juice (whether CBD, Delta-8, or nicotine) runs out. The devices are designed to work like this to avoid the user from getting what is known in the vaping world as a “burnt hit”. This is when the device heats up but there is no vape juice left in the vape and it creates a mouthful of nasty tasting vapor for the user!

Why does my disposable vape taste burnt?
A burnt hit on a disposable means that the liquid finished before the battery—if no juice is left in the vape pen, you may get a nasty hit. That doesn’t happen often with one-use disposables, but if your disposable is rechargeable, make sure you stop using it when the vapor starts to diminish and feels dry. And while we are at it, no, you can’t fix a burnt disposable vape.

How long do disposable vapes last for?
Most disposables come with a puff count and a liquid capacity listed in milliliters. While it depends on how often you hit your vape and how long your puffs are, smaller disposables (up to 800 puffs) usually last for a day or two, while larger ones may last from a couple of days up to a week of daily use. Do remember that puff counts are all ball-park figures.

The most reliable disposable vapes (based on our extensive testing & research)
Want to avoid buying a disposable vape that is always faulty or dies early? Then simply make sure to purchase the best and most reliable disposable vapes. Our expert vaping team has tested a large number of disposables as well as done 100s of hours of research. Below are our favorite brands you can trust for consistent flavorful hits time after time.

Nicotine disposables
·Elf Bars
·Flum
·Zovoo/Dragbar

CBD disposables
·Avida
·Funky Farms
·Koi

Delta 8 disposables
·Koi
·TRE House
·Secret Nature

Disposable vape pen brands that have the most issues (according to Google search volumes)
Without testing 1000s of disposables time and time again it is impossible to say which ones are the least reliable. However, an interesting metric we can look at is how often issues tied to certain disposable brands are googled by users.

According to the Google search volumes (i.e., how often a query is searched for on Google per month), the below disposables are the ones being searched for on Google the most often for terms like “not working”.

·Urb
·Cake
·Happi
·Bang XL
·Jeeter Juice
·Alien Labs
·Joos
·Ozone
·Runtz
·Kangvape