How to Clean a Vape Tank

Many modern vaping devices rely on a reusable tank system that holds e-juice in a chamber where it is exposed to a heating element. This chamber, called the vape tank, needs to be cleaned regularly in order to prevent damage and maintain performance. For a quick clean or between different types of e-juice, a warm water rinse will often suffice. When gunk builds up in your tank, you may need to use high-proof, unflavored alcohol to get your vape tank clean again.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Doing a Quick Cleaning

  1. Image titled Clean a Vape Tank Step 1
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    Disassemble your device. Remove the mouthpiece and battery portions of your vaporizer. Take off the top and bottom of the tank and discard any remaining e-juice. Continue to take apart the vape tank and the pieces attached to it, taking care to remember where each piece goes.[1]
    • Take the tank assembly apart as much as possible so you’ll be able to clean each piece individually.
    • Draw a diagram if you think it may be helpful during reassembly.
    • Note that different devices will have different specific assemblies.
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    Run warm water through the tank. Hold the tank itself under a faucet running warm water for 20 seconds or so. Adjust the water to be as warm as possible without being too hot to touch. This will help rinse away residual e-juice.
    • Use a faucet that provides a moderately powerful stream.
    • If you clean your tank regularly and prevent e-juice from forming deposits within the tank, warm water will usually be enough to clean your tank.
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    Pull paper towel through the tank. Twist a small sheet of paper towel or small microfiber cloth at the corner and fit it into one end of the tank. Twist the material and pull it back and forth through the tank to wipe residual water away.
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    Clean other pieces individually. Hold the pieces you've removed from the vape tank in a bowl of warm water. This will help you keep track of each piece, and a short soak will assist in cleaning.[2]
    • Use a small microfiber cloth or clean toothbrush to wash each part of your tank assembly, especially those that have fine features such as threading.
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    5
    Air dry for ten minutes. No matter how well you attempt to dry the tank and other components, a bit of water is likely to remain. For this reason, allow everything to dry for at least ten minutes before reassembling and refilling.
    • Simply allow the tank and other pieces to air dry. Do not dry your tank with heat or direct sunlight, as these risk weakening or damaging some pieces.
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Giving the Tank a Deep Cleaning

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    Wipe with high-proof alcohol. High-proof, unflavored liquor such as vodka is the ideal solvent to help break down persistent e-juice deposits. Dampen a microfiber cloth or paper towel with the alcohol and rub the dirtied areas until the e-juice is removed. Wipe and rinse with warm water.
    • While isopropyl rubbing alcohol (90%) also works well, it can be toxic if you don’t rinse and dry the tank extremely well after cleaning.
    • Soap and other types of detergents are unnecessary when cleaning a vape tank and may leave behind unwanted residue.
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    2
    Use a jewelry cleaning machine to remove stubborn deposits. Ultrasonic jewelry cleaning machines are designed to remove residue from small, fragile items and are perfect for cleaning your vape tank. There are also similar devices designed specifically for cleaning vape equipment. If you have access to one of these machines, fill it with warm distilled water, vodka, or rubbing alcohol and use it according to the included directions.
    • You can purchase these machines from many vaping stores or online. You may also be able to take your equipment to a vaping store and have them clean your device.
    • Do not allow parts that have plastic, rubber, or vinyl components to sit in alcohol for too long.
    • Usually, one cycle in a cleaning machine will be sufficient to clean your tank, etc.
    • Be sure to fully rinse and dry your tank after cleaning.
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    Avoid soaking or boiling. Overnight soaking in water or alcohol is not recommended, as it may degrade your equipment. Similarly, boiling your tank may cause damage as well. While these methods may work with some pieces, they are unnecessarily risky.
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Cleaning Your Equipment Regularly

  1. Image titled Clean a Vape Tank Step 9
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    Clean your vape tank weekly. Weekly cleanings are important to prevent damage or unnecessary wear of your device. Consistent cleaning will also prevent older e-juice from collecting in your vape tank, which can negatively affect the quality of your vaping experience.
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    2
    Wash the tank between flavors. Cleaning is important between different types and flavors of e-juice. If you don’t clean the tank fully when you switch to a new flavor, you may experience “flavor ghosting,” or the taste of a previous flavor mixed into a new flavor.[3]
    • Even if your tank appears empty, e-juice from the previous load has formed a layer on the walls of the tank and is still contained in the wick and coil of your device. In order to remove the flavor, the tank must be cleaned.
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    3
    Replace parts when necessary. Many vaping setups house the wick and heating coil that are used to produce vapor near or within the vape tank. Accordingly, you’ll usually be cleaning these parts when you’re cleaning your tank. When you do so, make sure to check them for wear. The coil in particular should be changed regularly.[4]
    • If your tank includes o-rings, check them for damage or wear each time you clean the tank. Change the o-rings whenever you're uncertain about their condition.
    • If your vapor tastes burnt, even after a fresh cleaning, it’s likely time to replace the coil.
    • Other signs that the coil or another piece may need to be replaced include less vapor coming through your device, any leaks, or an unsatisfactory vape.

Things You'll Need

  • Bowl of warm water
  • High-proof, unflavored alcohol such as Everclear
  • Paper towel or a microfiber cloth
  • Toothbrush (optional)

Warning

  • Vaping should not be considered a safe alternative to smoking combustible cigarettes. While e-cigs differ substantially from combustible cigarettes, there is still cause for concern regarding nicotine dependence, heart health, etc.[5]

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.misthub.com/blogs/vape-tutorials/76789957-tutorial-tank-maintenance-and-troubleshooting
  2. ↑ https://www.zamplebox.com/community/223/how-to-clean-your-tank
  3. ↑ http://www.vaporesso.com/cloud-community-blog/tips-for-vape-tanks-how-to-clean-a-vape-tank
  4. ↑ https://www.zamplebox.com/community/223/how-to-clean-your-tank
  5. ↑ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/the-e-cig-quandary/

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 42,372 times.
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Co-authors: 9
Updated: September 8, 2022
Views: 42,372
Categories: Electronic Cigarettes