If you’ve never done it before, refilling an e-cigarette might seem complicated. If you’ve recently started vaping, you’ve probably picked an e-cigarette you like the look of and an e-liquid flavour that suits your palate. But it’s just as important that you understand how to correctly fill your e-cigarette with e-liquid, particularly as doing it wrong could lead to irreparable damage.

In this blog, we explain how to refill an e-cigarette and e-cigarette cartridges as well as how to completely empty and clean an e-cigarette tank.

How do you refill an e-cigarette?

When you run out of e-liquid in your e-cigarette, it’s important that you refill it correctly to avoid damaging the internal workings. Below, we’ve set out simple steps that will ensure complete safety when refilling your e-cigarette:

  1. Disconnect the tank from the e-cigarette.
  2. Remove the rubber cap on the outside of the e-cigarette tank.
  3. Grasp the e-liquid bottle firmly and hold it to the opening in the e-cigarette tank.
  4. Aim the nozzle of the e-liquid bottle towards the inside wall of the e-cigarette tank, avoiding the atomiser in the centre.
  5. Gently squeeze the e-liquid bottle into the tank. Some e-liquid tanks have level markers to indicate how much e-liquid to pour in. However, if it doesn’t, don’t overfill the tank as it may flood the atomiser.
  6. Reattach the rubber cap to the tank and connect the tank to the e-cigarette. You can now once again use the e-cigarette as normal.

How to refill e-cigarette cartridges

Alternatively, instead of a generic e-cigarette that allows for e-liquid to be poured directly into the tank, you may be using an e-cigarette that uses cartridges. With this version, rather than putting the e-liquid into the tank, you connect cartridges containing e-liquid to the e-cigarette. Then, when it’s all gone, you remove it and replace it with a new cartridge that is full and ready to use.

Instructions for refilling e-cigarette cartridges:

  1. Pick a cartridge that contains a flavour you want to vape, or if the cartridges are reusable, use a dropper to add the e-liquid composition to the cartridge.
  2. Remove the existing cartridge from the e-cigarette, unclipping or unscrewing depending on the design.
  3. Reverse the process to attach the new cartridge.
  4. Ensure it’s correctly connected. Power up the e-cigarette and use it as normal.

How to empty an e-cigarette

Whether you’re preparing your e-cigarette for travel or simply want to keep it clean, it would be advisable to understand how to completely empty your e-cigarette tank. It would also be worthwhile knowing how to do this because properly emptying and cleaning your e-cigarette can prevent a clog in the internal workings, problems with the airflow, a build up in the tank and potentially irreparable damage.

To clean your e-cigarette tank, first check that there is no trace of e-liquid in the tank. You should then disconnect the tank from the e-cigarette and remove any remaining residue by holding it under warm running water for around a minute.

Once you’re suitably happy that the tank is completely empty, use a piece of kitchen towel or toilet paper to dry the inside of the tank. You should then leave the tank for around ten minutes as a way of ensuring it’s completely dry. Then, go over the inside of the tank one last time using a cotton bud to check that there are no leftover traces of water. Finally, you can reattach the tank to the e-cigarette and store it away if you’re not planning on using it or add e-liquid if you were just carrying out a routine clean.