Charging a vape is supposed to be a simple process. When the battery is dead, you either see a warning on the screen, or your device’s light blinks. You connect the device to your computer’s USB port, and an hour or two later, it’s ready to use again. The charging process makes a vape feel much the same as any other consumer device – except when it doesn’t work. When your vape isn’t charging, all of your expectations get thrown out the window – especially if the device in question happens to be your only vape. Now, charging your device isn’t just a matter of the slight inconvenience of waiting an hour or two – it’s a question as to whether you’re going to have to endure a nicotine fit while you go out to buy a new vape.
Here’s the good news: Charging a battery is usually a pretty straightforward process – and unless there’s something seriously wrong with the battery in your device, you should have no real trouble getting it working again. Fixing a vape that isn’t charging is usually just a matter of making a good connection from the power source to the device, and that’s what we’re going to help you do in this guide.
Your Vape Isn’t Charging Because the USB Cable Is Broken
If you’re having trouble charging your vape, try replacing the USB cable before you do anything more drastic.
The most common reason why a vape doesn’t charge is because the cable has a problem. People overestimate the durability of USB cables they look fairly solid on the surface and are used to charge almost every type of portable device. Behind the scenes, though, experienced users are beginning to complain that these cables seem less reliable than they used to be – especially the latest USB-C cables. When a USB cable is constantly connected and removed day after day, the internal wires start to become weak – especially if you’re grasping the cable by the middle and not by the connectors. When the wires begin to disconnect, the cable can no longer deliver power reliably – and at that point, your vape won’t charge. If you have a charging issue with a vape – or just about any battery-powered device – replacing the cable is always the first thing you should try.
Your Vape Isn’t Charging Because You’re Using the Wrong Power Source
You should only charge a vape through your computer’s USB port or through a wall charger that the device’s maker has specifically recommended.
Are you charging your vape through your computer, or are you trying to charge it through a wall adapter? If you’re using a wall adapter, there’s a good chance that the charging current is greater than what your device expects to receive – especially if you’re using the adapter for a quick-charging device like a computer or mobile phone. The batteries in today’s high-end electronic devices are designed to handle quick charging. A modern smartphone has a specialized charging circuit that starts out with a higher current to get the battery to a usable state as quickly as possible and eventually slows to a trickle as the battery fills up to prevent overheating.
The problem with using that type of wall adapter to charge a vaping device, though, is that your vape isn’t designed to handle the higher charge current and could possibly overheat. It’s also possible that your vape will simply refuse to charge at all if you connect it to the wrong type of wall adapter. Try connecting the vape to your computer instead. If it still doesn’t charge, it’s possible that the battery overheated and was damaged when you connected the device to the wrong type of charger. You should still run through the other troubleshooting steps in this article, though, before you conclude that the device is dead.
Your Vape Isn’t Charging Because the Port Is Dirty
You can use a toothpick or other non-metal tool to remove dust and lint from a dirty USB charging port.
Another reason why you might have trouble charging your vape is because the port is clogged with dust or lint from your pocket. Once again, this comes down to the fact that your vape can’t charge without a good electrical connection between the power source and the battery. Check the device’s charging port with a flashlight. Does it look dirty? If so, dig the contaminants out with a thin tool like a toothpick. Don’t use a metal item to clean your vape’s charging port because it could scratch the thin metal plating inside the port.
Your Vape Isn’t Charging Because It’s Fake
A fake vape is unreliable and potentially dangerous. Always buy from a reliable vape shop to ensure that you’re getting authentic vapes.
Have you ever read about fake vapes online or in your favorite magazine? If you haven’t, it’s time for you to become aware of a problem that’s been sweeping across the vaping industry for the last several years. For quite some time, unscrupulous manufacturers have been making counterfeit versions of popular vaping products – and these days, disposable vapes are the manufacturers’ biggest targets. If you have a device that’s refusing to charge and have followed all of the other steps in this article, you should consider the possibility that your vape is actually counterfeit. Did you buy it from a convenience store or gas station? That’s where most fake vapes end up. Buy from a reliable vape shop that gets its products only from the original manufacturers and authorized distributors.
Your Vape Isn’t Charging Because It’s Damaged or At the End of Its Life
If you have a refillable vape, it changes the nature of the problem somewhat because you probably recharged your device many times already without ever experiencing an issue. In this case, it’s possible that your vape isn’t charging because the battery has actually reached the end of its life. Before the issue began, did you notice that your device’s battery life seemed dramatically shorter? If that’s the case, it’s possible that the battery no longer holds a charge. It’s also possible that your device is finished if it stopped charging after you dropped it on a hard surface or in water. In either of these cases – and if you’ve tried the other ideas in this guide without success – it’s probably time to consider buying a new vape.