Here’s how to fix a vape that doesn’t charge:
Before tossing your vape into the bin, take matters into your hands, apply these steps and try to fix the not-charging issue.
- Verify that the vape itself is the problem
- Try an external battery charger
- Replace your mod’s batteries
- Adjust the vape’s connection plate
- Get out your soldering iron
- Replace your vape
So if you want to learn all about why your vape doesn’t charge and how to fix it, then you’re in the right place.
Let’s jump right in!
(Disclaimer: Use at your own risk. You are responsible for your use of the information on this website.)
- Vape Mod Parts: Names & Functions?
- Charging Disposable Vape Pen: How To?
- 6 Ways to Charge Vape Battery Without a Charger
- Charging Vape With Phone Charger: How to?
How to Fix Your Vape That Won’t Charge?
In most cases, recharging a vape is as simple as plugging it into the appropriate charger and waiting a while.
However, even the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
If your vape isn’t recharging as it should, it often means that some internal component within the vape is damaged.
In these cases, you may have no other option but to replace the device.
Before you toss it in the trash, though, there are several options to explore.
In this article, we’ll take a look at everything you should consider when your vape isn’t charging.
There is a wide range of reasons why a vape won’t charge, and many of these have relatively simple fixes.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to fix the problem with your vape and begin enjoying it again in no time.
What Are the Different Kinds of Vapes? (3 Categories)
Before we get started discussing how to address a vape that won’t charge, it’s first important to examine the different types of vapes on the market today so that you are able to determine which type you own.
Vapes can be separated into three main categories:
#1 Vape Mods
Vape Mods are devices that feature tanks that can be filled and refilled with any e-liquid of your choice.
Mods are typically powered by removable batteries.
With this being the case, it is often possible to charge a mod’s batteries using an external battery charger.
However, many mods also feature a built-in micro-USB port that enables you to charge the vape’s batteries with any micro-USB charger as well.
#2 Rechargeable Vape Pens
Rechargeable vape pens are somewhat similar to mods. Instead of refilling the vape with loose e-liquid though, rechargeable vape pens are refilled via disposable pods of e-liquid that are pushed into place at the top of the vape.
Unlike mods, rechargeable vape pens do not tend to feature removable batteries and can thus only be recharged using the appropriate charger.
What kind of charger this is will depend on the exact model that you own.
JUUL and Vuse rechargeable vape pens, for example, both feature unique charging ports that require a specialized charger, and these vape pens cannot be recharged using a standard micro-USB charger.
#3 Disposable Vape Pens
Disposable vape pens are not designed to be recharged at all.
They don’t feature an external charging port, and though their battery can be removed, it is wired to the rest of the vape’s components and not designed to be recharged using an external battery charger.
Instead, disposable vape pens are designed to be tossed as soon as the battery goes dead.
With that said, it is possible to recharge a disposable vape pen’s battery by disassembling the vape and connecting the positive and negative terminals of the battery to the exposed positive and negative wires of a stripped-down charger.
How Do You Fix a Vape that Won’t Charge? (6 Ways)
#1 Verify That the Vape Itself is the Problem
There are three different components involved when you are charging a vape:
The charger, the electrical outlet, and the vape itself.
A problem with any one of these components can cause your vape to not charge properly, so it’s first important to verify that the vape itself is indeed the issue.
Start by trying to plug the charger into a different outlet to make sure that a nonfunctioning outlet isn’t the cause of your troubles.
You can also test the outlet that you are using by plugging another device into it.
If you determine that the outlet is working fine, the next step is to check and see if there is a problem with the charger that you are using.
If you have another charger available, try plugging it into your vape to see if that solves the problem.
If the outlet you are plugging the charger into is able to provide power to other devices and trying a different charger doesn’t work, then the source of the problem is likely the vape itself, in which case you will need to explore other options.
This can certainly be a disappointing discovery, but at least you will know what you are dealing with.
#2 Try an External Battery Charger
If you own a mod that isn’t charging correctly when you connect it to a micro-USB charger, the first thing you should try is removing the mod’s batteries and placing them in an external battery charger.
Over time, micro-USB charging ports tend to wear out, leading to a faulty connection that may not actually be able to deliver a charge.
However, a worn-down charging port doesn’t inherently mean that the mod’s batteries or any other components within the mod are damaged.
In most cases involving a mod that won’t charge using a micro-USB charger, you should be able to charge the batteries using an external battery charger then continue using your mod with no issues.
External battery chargers are not vape-specific devices and can be purchased at a wide variety of stores.
However, most vape shops will carry them as well.
If your mod still won’t draw after you have charged the batteries using an external battery charger, this is typically a bad sign.
Don’t despair yet, though; it could mean that the batteries or even the external charger you used are faulty.
If possible, try popping the batteries into another device after they’ve been charged to see if they are able to power that device.
Since most mods use standard AA batteries, you should be able to find another device in your home that also takes AA batteries that you can use for testing purposes.
If the batteries also fail to power that device, it’s time to move on to option number three…
#3 Replace Your Mod’s Batteries
Even batteries that are designed to be recharged don’t last forever.
If you have determined that the batteries your mod came with are faulty by testing them using another device, replacing the batteries with new ones is the simplest way to get your vape working again.
Of course, if the batteries themselves are not the issue and charging them on an external battery charger doesn’t help, then it is safe to say that some component within the mod itself has malfunctioned.
#4 Adjust the Vape’s Connection Plate
Just because your vape isn’t drawing doesn’t mean that the batteries aren’t receiving a charge when you plug them in.
Perhaps the most common reason why vapes won’t draw even after they have been charged is an issue with the vape’s connection plate or the plate that connects the vape’s cartridge to its power supply.
Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to tell when a problem with the connection plate is the source of your issues.
If the LED at the bottom of your vape is coming on, but the device is not producing any vapor when you hit it, this means that the batteries are functioning properly but are not transferring power to the vape’s cartridge.
In most cases, the reason for this problem is that the connection plate has been depressed and is not making contact with the bottom of the vape’s cartridge.
If you unscrew the cartridge from your vape, you should notice a small, circular plate that is nestled in-between the threads that the cartridge screws into.
Try taking a paperclip or other thin, sturdy object such as a needle and gently pry up the edges of the connection plate.
“Gently” is the keyword here, though, as you don’t want to pull up the connection plate too far or else it won’t make contact with the power supply.
Once you’ve lifted the connection plate up a little so that it is no longer depressed, screw the cartridge back on and try drawing from your vape.
You may be surprised just how often this simple procedure is able to fix the problem.
#5 Get Out Your Soldering Iron
This option should likely be a last resort given both its complexity and its potential for permanently destroying your device.
If all else has failed, though, and you don’t mind the risk of damaging your vape beyond repair, you can sometimes fix the damaged components that are keeping your vape from charging using a soldering iron.
Most vapes have numerous wires that are connected to various components within the vape.
Sometimes, though, these wires can become disconnected.
Depending on the wire that has become disconnected, it may prevent the vape from charging, drawing, or both.
If you are able to disassemble your vape and pinpoint a wire that has become disconnected from its component, it may be possible to reconnect it using solder and a soldering iron.
Of course, solder and soldering iron aren’t exactly common household objects, and unless you happen to already own these tools, purchasing them is likely to be more expensive than simply replacing your vape.
If you do happen to already own solder and soldering iron, though, then chances are you will have some degree of experience using these items, and that experience will serve you well as you go about trying to repair your vape.
To reconnect a wire within your vape that has become disconnected, push the wire against the terminal of the component that is supposed to be connected to then touch the tip of your solder to the point where the wire and terminal meet.
Next, once your soldering iron has heated up, touch the tip of the iron to the solder in order to melt it.
Once the solder has melted and re-hardened, it should properly secure the disconnected wire back into place.
Once again, attempting to repair your vape in this manner should be a last resort.
There are plenty of things that go wrong with a vape’s internal components, and a disconnected wire is only one issue.
In any other case aside from a disconnected wire, a soldering iron isn’t likely to do you much good.
If you do notice that a wire appears to have become disconnected, though—and you happen to own the right equipment—soldering it back into place is certainly an option.
#6 Replace Your Vape
If all else fails, it may be time to throw in the towel and simply buy a new vape.
If you own a vape that was especially expensive, it may be worthwhile to take it to a technician or send it back to the manufacturer to see if it can be repaired.
Otherwise, you are probably better off just buying a new one.
- Vape Mod Parts: Names & Functions?
- Charging Disposable Vape Pen: How To?
- 6 Ways to Charge Vape Battery Without a Charger
- Charging Vape With Phone Charger: How to?
