Why is Your Vape Device Popping and Crackling?
Why does my vape crackle? A little crackling is normal: it’s e-liquid boiling off the hot coil. Loud popping or spitting usually means too much e-liquid around the coil (a flooded coil), a new coil that isn’t fully saturated yet, thick high-VG e-liquid, or a wattage that doesn’t suit the coil.
One of the things that catch new vapers off guard on their first month or so of vaping is the noises that devices make whenever they draw. There’s the sound of air and vapor being inhaled, which is to be expected.
Then there are times when it pops, crackles, and hisses for some reason. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen, and it can happen more often for some people with some devices or setups more than others.
If you’ve been wondering why your vape is making all these different noises that may alarm you, then here’s a primer on the popping and crackling sounds coming from your vape.
How is Eliquid Turned into Vapor?
To properly understand why those sounds tend to come up, we must first get into how eliquid is turned into vapor—the most fundamental mechanism of vaping.
For most vape devices, eliquid is dripped or channeled to the cotton wick, which brings it to the coil. When you press the button, electricity from the battery flows through the coil and the resistance from the coil wire produces heat, which then heats up the eliquid and vaporizes it. You then draw in the vapor, which is basically how vaping works.
There are times when the process of vaporizing the eliquid produces some noises since it’s essentially heating up a liquid. It’s like when you throw water onto a hot pan on the stove, which produces the same kind of noise.
What Causes the Popping and Crackling?
Some crackling and popping is normal and shouldn’t really be a cause for concern. Different devices yield different levels of sound. It also depends on how you vape and how long you keep the button pressed (assuming your device has a button)
The longer you press it, the more chances that you’re heating up all the liquid available at the moment on the wick and you may start actually burning the wick itself. Burning the wick will give you that nasty “burnt hit” that tastes really bad and sticks to the back of your throat.
It tends to happen more with sub-Ohm coils, usually due to more eliquid building up compared to what’s being vaped. That excess eliquid pops and crackles as it’s being heated, with some of it not immediately turning into vapor.
What Can You Do About It?
If it tends to happen for you consistently, then you may want to address how the eliquid is being channeled to the wick and find a way to limit it. It may also be the wattage or voltage needing to be increased to heat the eliquid more completely.
You may also just need to change your way of vaping just a bit, like drawing a bit longer at the correct wattage to make sure that all of the eliquid is being turned into vapor when you hold down the button.
If it still happens way too much, then you may want to change your wick or coils. If that doesn’t solve the problem, then you may want to try a different tank or atomizer.
Thinner eLiquids are going to be more likely to flood the atomizer, which can also cause more pronounced popping and spitting noises. This is much more likely to happen with high PG eLiquids.
Fix a popping vape in 5 steps
- Clear excess e-liquid. Remove the tank or pod, wrap a paper towel over the mouthpiece and blow gently, or flick it, to clear flooded e-liquid from the coil and chimney.
- Prime the coil properly. On a new coil, drip e-liquid onto the exposed cotton, fill the tank and wait 5–10 minutes before vaping.
- Adjust the wattage. If the coil runs too cool for the e-liquid reaching it, it gurgles; if it’s too hot, it spits. Set it within the range printed on the coil.
- Check the fill level. Don’t overfill, and don’t pour e-liquid down the center chimney. On tanks prone to flooding, close the airflow while you fill.
- Replace the coil. An old, gunked-up coil pops and spits more. If the steps above don’t help, swap in a fresh one from our replacement coils.
Using a GeekVape Z tank? GeekVape Z Series coils are in stock.
Popping and crackling FAQs
Is it normal for a vape to crackle?
Yes, a soft crackle is normal — it’s the sound of e-liquid vaporizing on a hot coil. It’s only a problem if it becomes loud popping or the vape spits e-liquid into your mouth.
Why is my vape popping and spitting?
Usually because the coil is flooded with too much e-liquid. Clear the excess, make sure the tank isn’t overfilled and check your wattage suits the coil.
How do I stop my coil gurgling?
Clear flooded e-liquid from the coil and mouthpiece, take gentler draws, don’t overfill the tank and run the coil within its recommended wattage. If it continues, replace the coil.
