How to Refill Your Vape Tank or Pod

Refillable tanks and vapes offer great convenience for those who love their e-juice flavors.

Now that we can't enjoy pre-filled pods of our favorite flavors, due to the federal ban, many of us are doing it ourselves — buying vapes with refillable tanks and topping them up with the e-liquids we love. For those who are just beginning to do this, it can sometimes be a slightly perplexing and messy affair. You line up the various components and pour, drip, or squeeze the e-liquid, hoping you don't overdo it and spill that precious e-juice everywhere. 

Depending on what type of refillable vape you have — usually a pod mod or box mod — you'll either have a tank or a small pod filled from the top or bottom. Some have a little window that will let you see the level of e-juice remaining in the chamber, while others will indicate it via a display panel on the vape. Some others might not have any way of letting you directly know the level of your e-liquid, so you'll have to keep a close eye on the tank or pod. If you start to notice a burnt taste, it's almost certainly beginning to run out, because there's not enough to keep the coil and its wick covered. At this point, it’s time to stop vaping and top your tank or pod up.

Not refilling your vape tank or pod in the right way risks damaging your vape so it might not work properly — or at all. It's especially important to make sure the coil in the tank is adequately covered, and the wick has had enough time to soak — known as priming the coil — before turning the device on and using it. As a general guide, here's what to do when your e-juice runs out, and you want to refill your vape tank or pod.

Refilling Top-Fill Vape Tanks 

Make sure your vape device is turned off — then remove the tank. How you do this will depend on this model. Refer to your manufacturer's instructions, if a user guide or product leaflet came with your vape —as they mostly always do — or look up the details online, on the manufacturer’s website, if that’s where the user information is. Removing the tanks is usually done by unscrewing the airflow base at the bottom; then, you need to remove the coil, by pulling it out of its position and placing it somewhere safe. Note that many pod mods do not have replaceable coils as they are included in the pod itself. 

It's important to keep your tank clean because detritus or residue can build up over time from your e-liquid, and this can affect the performance of the coil and greatly impact your vaping satisfaction. Plus, if you're using different e-juice flavors, not cleaning out your tank every time you refill can lead to flavor contamination, leading to an undesired mixture of flavors.

You can clean your tank by placing it in a bowl of warm water. If there's a lot of residue build-up, you can use some liquid dish soap or alcohol, for a deep clean (original and high-proof vodka that's not flavored is good for removing stubborn grime, stains, and residue). Then just let the tank dry in the air for around 15 minutes, and you're good to fill it up and put it back in place.  

Next, get your e-juice bottle — which should have a dropper as part of it. Fill the dropper with the e-liquid,  then take your coil and put a drop of juice into each hole in the coil — there may be several. This is known as priming the coil and wick. Essentially we're pre-saturating this part of the tank with your chosen e-juice for several reasons. Priming will help to prevent overheating and burning, thereby prolonging the coil’s life. It will also ensure you get a fuller and more satisfying taste from your e-liquid flavors. 

To fill the tank, it's usually a matter of unscrewing the top connector. Then you can see where you place the dropper or head of your e-liquid bottle and drop in liquid or squeeze to the indicated fill level.  Don't go beyond this as the liquid will most likely spill during use, and it could end up damaging your vape. Also, be careful to not get any juice into the airway of the tank that runs through it, as you might inhale the juice as a liquid instead of vapor — definitely not an enjoyable experience. 

The final part in refilling your vape tank is to put the top connector back on, pop the coil back into place and screw the bottom part onto the vape. Just because it's now all back in one piece and full of e-juice doesn't mean you can use it straight away, however. Wait a few minutes, so the coil has a chance to become fully saturated, then you're good to go. Some more technologically advanced vapes may have automatic indicators telling you when they're ready after a refill. 

Refilling Bottom-Fill Vape Tanks

When refilling bottom-fill vape tanks, you — again, making sure the device is off — detach the tank from the unit and then remove the bottom section of the tank by unscrewing it. Then carefully remove the coil and place it aside. If you're going to be changing your e-juice flavor, you should clean the tank, using the procedure outlined above. Even if you're sticking with the same one, you can give the tank a clean anyway, just to make sure there's no debris lodged in it that might ruin your vaping experience. 

When that's done, and the tank has been air-dried, take your e-juice and — using the bottle's dropper — place a couple of drops of liquid into the coil and reattach it. Now it's time to fill the tank. Repeatedly fill and empty the dropper along the inside of the tank until the level comes to the fill line. Then screw everything back into place and again give it a few minutes to saturate the coil before you fire up your device and start enjoying your vape all over again. 

How to Refill Your Vape Tank or Pod

 As pods in vapes are simpler structures, compared to the multi-element nature of a box mod, it's a relatively easier process to refill them. Simply remove the pod once it's empty, and fill it using the manufacturer's slot and with the dropper of your e-juice bottle. Then give it some time — around 10 minutes is fine — for the wick to become saturated — and replace the pod in the device.

You can get pod mods, box mods, and all the vaping accessories you need, including replacement tanks and refillable pods, right here at Electric Tobacconist

The Electric Tobacconist stocks e-liquid of varying nicotine levels, including nicotine-free, as well as all your favorite e-cigs from the likes of VUSE, VUSE Pods, JUUL and blu. Spend over $150 with us on any eligible order and get FREE shipping. Please note, Heated Tobacco and nic pouch products such as Zyn and Velo are currently only available for sale from our UK store and cannot be shipped to the US.