Vaping is fun, relaxing and much safer than smoking. It has become increasingly popular amongst ex-smokers and those trying to quit, as well as people who have never touched a cigarette. As a result of this demand, there is much variety on the vaping market. You can choose mods, pods, disposables and more. There are literally thousands of e-liquids out there, and even CBD varieties for those who wish to improve their general health and wellness. 

Here is the downside. Sometimes, vape pens are faulty or fake, which makes the experience far less enjoyable and potentially very dangerous. 

We explain how to spot a fault and what you can do about it. 

Fakes Are Everywhere

We'll start by talking about fake vape pens, rather than legitimate vape pens that have a fault. This is because fake vapes are much more likely to contain faults than genuine ones and it can be very hard to spot a fake. 

To put the matter in perspective, 300,000 fake vape pens were seized in December 2022 at a British port. There are, at any one time, thousands of vape pens in circulation that aren't the real deal. 

Vaping a pen that hasn't gone through the safety checks and regulatory processes of real vape pens can be a dangerous activity. And aside from being potentially dangerous, they might not taste good, might contain too much or too little nicotine, or might simply break down on you after a few puffs. 

So how do you spot a fake? Well first of all, the branding should look legitimate. If there is any bleeding on the ink, or if the branding looks off or unclear, it is likely a fake. 

You can also check for the health warning. If there is no health warning, this is.a clue that the product might not be legitimate. 

The vape kit should come with a serial number. If this is missing, it's a big red flag. 

Lastly, the maximum amount of nicotine you're allowed in the UK is 20mg. If your vape kit has more than that, it is either a fake, or is simply illegal to use in the UK and therefore has been sold illegally to you. 

Noticing a Fault

If you have purchased a legitimate vape pen, there is always still a possibility of a fault. It happens with all products from time to time, and with the JM Wholesale returns policy, you are not going to lose any money if you do need to return a faulty item.

Here are some common faults found within vape kits. 

1) Draw activation isn't working. If you are using a disposable pen and are inhaling but nothing is happening, or it is a struggle to get vapour out, then there is a mechanical fault inside the vape. Seeing as disposables cannot be opened, the best option in this case is to return it for a replacement. If you are using a refillable pen and all of a sudden it is a real task to inhale, the mouth piece might be clogged and is worth investigating. 

2) You're still craving nicotine. Now, sometimes this isn't a fault with the pen and actually more to do with the way you are using it. Different devices offer different nicotine hits. For example, if you are using an old-style CE5 clearomiser with an EGO battery, you might get less nicotine and less flavour than you would get with a modern tank or pod system. You can instead try a more powerful battery vape pen and higher strength e-liquids. 

3) Your vape keeps running out of battery quickly. This could be a battery error, in which case you can return the vape for a new battery. Alternatively, your coil is low resistance, which uses up more battery, and switching to a higher resistance coil can solve the problem. 

4) There's no throat hit. Again, this could be a device fault, especially if you have used it before and had no issues. But it could also be that you've used the wrong PG/VG levels in your e-liquid. Remember, for a stronger, throat hit, select a higher PG level. 

5) The vape is leaking. Sometimes this means the juice is leaking into your mouth and other times it means it's spilling out of the side. The most common cause of this is that the tank hasn't been screwed in properly. Some devices prevent leakage through an o-ring in the tank. If you have a leaking tank, it’s worth checking to see if the o-ring has moved or is broken. Or, it could be that the brand you have chosen doesn't offer the best leakproof technology and it's time to swap to something more modern. 

6) You've noticed a burnt taste. There are two main reasons this might happen. The first is that the coil is old and needs changing. This isn't a fault with your vape, just something that happens after a period of time. The second reason is that you haven't primed your coil and are trying to vape too quickly after refilling. 

7) You can't taste the flavour. There are two main reasons this might happen. Firstly, your coil needs changing. If you change the coil and still can't taste the flavour, then you might be experiencing vapours tongue. This is where you have so much of one flavour that you can no longer taste it. To check if this is the case, try a new flavour. If you are still dissatisfied you can swap the pen for another. 

8) The tank is making a gurgling noise. If this happens, it is likely too full. Or it has been screwed in too tightly or too loosely. If this isn't the case, you might need a tank replacement. 

9) You're getting a 'no atomizer' error message on your tank, but there's an atomizer inside. In this context, atomizer means coil, and if the coil is inside, it's either not placed properly of the vape tank is faulty. Sometimes cleaning the vape kit can solve this problem. 

If you think your vape kit is broken, we are happy to help you change it for another. Just get in touch with customer services and we will issue you with a new vape kit in receipt of the faulty one.