The rise inpopularity of vaping has led to an increase in the number of vapes produced globally. With more extensive manufacturing needs, the quality of specific vape components has come under scrutiny.

One key component in a vape is the vape cart, where vape liquid is stored. The most common issues with vape carts are clogging, faulty carts upon arrival, and failing to work after damage.

Teaching yourself how to extract oil can save money and prevent waste by rescuing a vape cart rather than throwing it away. Here, we’ll show you simple, practical steps to get oil out of a vape cart that isn’t working. 

Common Reasons for a Non-Working Vape Cart

While most vape carts have no issues, there are some common reasons why you may occasionally receive a faulty one or one may stop working. 

• Clogged air passage: The more you use a vape, the more liquid goes through the passages, leading to a build-up of oil or residue that blocks the airflow.

• Faulty or dead battery: Like turning a computer on and off, the issue could be as simple as a faulty or dead battery. 

• Damaged or malfunctioning cartridge: Vape carts are being churned out by the thousands by facilities worldwide each day. With this many in production, occasionally faulty vapes slip through quality testing and make it onto the shelves. Additionally, vapes may be damaged at stores or in transit and still sold. 

• Oil consistency issues: Viscous or thick oil, usually found in cheaper vapes, doesn’t flow as well as higher-quality e-liquid and may make it harder to hit a vape at room temperature. 

Tools You’ll Need

If your vape isn't pulling and you suspect an issue with the vape cart, you'll need the following tools to restore it. 

• Syringe or needle: You'll need a syringe or needle to remove the oil from the cart safely. 

• Tweezers:The cart may need to be wiggled to release the liquid, so grab some tweezers to manipulate the vape cart gently. 

• Heat source (optional): If you suspect thick oil is the issue, you'll need to use a heat source like a hair dryer, heat gun, or warm water to loosen thick oil.

• Cotton swabs: Vapes' air passages are pretty small, so you'll need a small cotton swab to clean and wipe the cartridge.

• Plastic container or parchment paper: The oil needs to go somewhere after extraction, so pick up a plastic container, mason jar, or parchment paper for this. 

• Rubber gloves (optional): Keep your hands clean with these. 

 Step-by-Step Guide: How to Extract Oil

Now that you’ve gathered the necessary items to begin oil extraction, it’s time to start the process. 

Step 1: Inspect the Cartridge

First, inspect your vape cart for any visible signs of damage or defects. This can help you narrow down whether the issue is the oil or the cart itself. You can look more closely at the oil by using your heat source to warm it up to ensure it isn't too thick or hasn't solidified, which can be an issue, especially for vapes that aren't used often. 

Step 2: Try to Identify the Issue

If you have another cart to hand, you can do more troubleshooting by testing the battery with another cart to confirm that the battery or device isn’t the problem. Inspect the removed cart for blockages and clogs that may prevent liquid from passing through the device. 

Step 3: Warm Up the Oil (if necessary)

Grab your heating device again and heat the oil to loosen it up and see if it moves better around the cart. Hold the cart near an available heat source or in warm water for a minute or two. Don’t use too hot water as this could damage the vape.

Step 4: Use a Syringe or Needle to Extract Oil

Now that the oil is loosened, use the syringe to draw it out of the cart. Do this slowly, trying not to spill any oil on the way out, then place it into your container for collection.

Step 5: Clean the Cart (Optional but Recommended)

While this stage isn’t always necessary, it may prevent further blockages in the future. Use your cotton swab to clean the interior of the cartridge before the oil goes back into the cart. 

Alternative Methods (if Syringe Doesn’t Work)

If you tried this method with the syringe and didn’t get the oil out of the faulty cart, try another tiny tool, like a dental pick or needle, to scrape the oil. Alternatively, you may be able to disassemble a stubborn cart to access the oil. Specialized tools are also available to help with oil extraction. 

What to Do After Extraction

Now that you’ve extracted the oil and cleaned up the cart, you’ll need to have a plan as to what to do with the extracted oil next. If you plan on reusing the oil, store it in a cool, dark place at room temperature to ensure it remains usable when it’s time to put it back in the cart.

You may have gone through that only to realize that the cart is the problem. In this case, it’s best to ditch it safely and move on to a new one rather than risk damaging your vape or taking it apart again. 

Tips to Avoid Future Problems

To avoid future problems, keep your vape clean and maintained. Don’t let the battery run flat, and avoid storing your vape in rooms with high temperatures. For a deep clean, take your vape’s components apart and clean them separately; just let them dry before putting them back together.

Don’t over-tighten parts or overfill carts with liquid. When you disassemble it, you should be able to tell which parts are working well and which may need replacing. 

Store your unused carts upright in a cool, dry place at room temperature to keep the oil at the proper viscosity. If you’re running low, buy high-quality carts with the right thickness for your vape.

MTL vapes (mouth-to-lung) work well with higher amounts of propylene glycol (PG) to avoid clogging, while DTL vapes are more compatible with thicker liquids with high vegetable glycerin (VG) contents to produce large clouds while you vape. 

Conclusion

Don’t waste money or oil! Instead, learn how to safely extract the vape oil from a vape cart by using a syringe or needle and cleaning up the cart before putting it back. You’ll find that these methods are pretty effective and could save you money and oil. The key to preventing clogs in the future is keeping your vape and vape carts stored correctly and maintaining your vape regularly.