Table of Contents
- First, Grab These Carts
- Ice Cream Cake Live Resin Delta 8 Cartridge
- Watermelon Zkit HHC Cartridge
- Components of a THC Vape Cart
- Mouthpiece
- Tank or Cartridge
- Atomizer
- 510-threaded Vape Battery
- How to Tell If a Cart Is Clogged
- What Causes a Vape to Clog?
- Restricted Airways
- Unabsorbent Wick
- Poor Storage
- How to Unclog a Vape Cartridge
- Clear Airflow
- Pull and Blow
- Pre-Heat or “Pulse” the Power Button
- Grab a Hairdryer
- When to Replace a Clogged Cart
- Parting Thoughts
Unclogging a THC vape cartridge can be a little tricky, especially if you don’t know which part of the cart to check. A clogged vape cart comes down to two issues: solidified residue blocking the airway or a wick that’s not absorbing the vape juice properly. And don’t worry—both problems are fixable. But it just takes a li’l know-how to kick it off.
Now, if the terms “solidified residue” and “wick” don’t fit in your lexicon, then it’s a good thing you stumbled on this article. And, folks, clogs are normal. They happen. The most experienced cheefer you know probably has a few stories to tell about all the times a cart jammed up on ’em. But did you know that clogged carts are actually a good sign? They show that the oil in your vape juice isn’t too thin—a trait found in cheap, knock-off pens. Clogs are evidence of a perfectly viscous oil that’s teeming with the right amount of vape additives and cannabis extract.
So, if you’re sitting there, reading this, holding a clogged vape, maybe take this as a silver lining. Your vape is made with real sh*t. Good sh*t. (If it’s from us, ofc it is.)
Here, we’ll explain the anatomy of a vape cartridge, give you a map to find possible problem areas, and show you how to revive your cart from the dead, using nothing but your blowhole (the one on your face), a li’l heat and maybe even a hair dryer.
But first, let’s get you some carts that are already primed to tango.
First, Grab These Carts
What’s worse than a clogged cart? An empty cart—duh. If you’ve got both problems to deal with, start with the latter first. Here are two fan-favorite carts our peeps can’t get enough of! (Seriously, these puppies sell out fast. Grab ’em before they’re all grabbed out!)
Ice Cream Cake Live Resin Delta 8 Cartridge
Packed to its brim with live resin delta 8 and sprinkles of delta 10 and THC-P, our Ice Cream Cake Live Resin Delta 8 Cartridge is a sight to behold. This puppy delivers a swirl of euphoric wonder and flavors that melt even the stoniest of hearts. Pop this sucker on any 510-threaded vape battery, power it on, and get ready to ride the Rainbow Road with no governor holding you back.
Watermelon Zkit HHC Cartridge
Or, opt for an entirely different feel, backed by tasty, trippy HHC, with our Watermelon Zkit High-Potency HHC Vape Cartridge. Made with powerfully potent, true-to-form HHC vape juice, this one-gram vape cart boasts a single-cannabinoid formula that needs to be felt to be believed.
Components of a THC Vape Cart
To really get a sense of clogs in your vape cart, it’ll be helpful to know the ins and outs of this device. A little background knowledge would help you decipher your cart’s issue and formulate a plan forward—to the wonderful feels of fruit-flavored THC euphoria!
Mouthpiece
At the top of all vape carts is the mouthpiece. This is where you inhale the succulent vapor from. Oftentimes, these are made of glass, sometimes plastic. They can vary in size, shape, and color. Ours are translucent cylinders that rest permanently on the tank or cartridge. Since our mouthpieces are see-through, you can easily tell if there’s a clog or build-up of residue.
Tank or Cartridge
Under the mouthpiece is the tank or cartridge. (Newbs, don’t worry, these terms are interchangeable.) This part of the cart holds the vape juice. Usually, like the mouthpiece, the tank is made of glass, letting you get a 360° view of the vape’s contents. Here, you can check the vape juice’s color and consistency; and remember, cheaper vape juices will be more liquidy, less viscous, and have an opaque, milky, or watery texture. Our vape juice has a clear, amber hue that’s evidence of a gold-standard manufacturing process, led by seriously cool cannabis scientists.
If there’s a clog in the machine, it likely won’t be in the tank. Rather, the problem can rest in the atomizer: the heart of the vape cartridge.
Atomizer
With such a cool name like “the atomizer,” you’d expect this li’l part of the cart to do something legendary, like bend space and time, opening up a wormhole to an empty ’70s disco bar for your friends to commandeer. Well, you know, in a way, it does just that (kinda).
The atomizer sits directly in the middle of the tank. It’s the mechanism that heats up the device, vaporizing the juice pooled around it. On the outside, the atomizer is encased in a steel or ceramic mold with a cotton wick, ceramic coil, or quartz coil resting inside. When the attached lithium battery is triggered, the wick or coil heats up, vaporizing the juice and emitting a good ’n’ groovy vapor.
510-threaded Vape Battery
And that brings us to the 510-threaded vape battery. All of our vape carts are compatible with 510-threaded vape batteries. Most, if not all, vape cart batteries are button-activated. A little button on the side of the battery turns it on and heats the coil in the cart’s atomizer, creating the oh-so-funky fresh vapor. Generally, your maintenance efforts won’t reach down to the battery to unclog the cart. The only real dilemma the battery poses is when it’s dead, blinking up at you while your friends eagerly await a toke—which you can totally control. Don’t be a fool, and charge your battery.
How to Tell If a Cart Is Clogged
Now, there are two main tell-tales of a clogged vape cartridge. The obvious one is if your cart releases a faint plume of vapor during your pull. Typically, when carts come out of the box, their first tokes explode with copious amounts of delicious, fruit-flavored, cannabinoid-rich vapor. But over time, that once large plume of vapor gets weaker with every toke. Even if there’s a ton of vape juice resting pretty in the tank, sometimes all you can muster out of the mouthpiece is a few wispy breaths of dragon smoke. If you can see a ton of vape juice still in the tank, then chances are that puppy is clogged.
Another tell-tale sign of a clogged vape cart is when its vapor carries a bitter, almost burnt taste. If there’s still vape juice in the tank, this is a sign that the wick or coil in the atomizer isn’t absorbing the juice properly. That burnt, bitter taste is the taste of the burning cotton wick, ceramic or quartz coil. Don’t worry; this typically happens to more higher-end vape oil. A clogged vape cart isn’t really an omen. It’s more or less a sign that you stumbled upon top-shelf vape juice.
What Causes a Vape to Clog?
Now that you’ve been given a tour of your vape cart and know the signs of a clogged cartridge, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details. What are the causes of this whole shebang?
Restricted Airways
When you vape from the cart’s mouthpiece, some condensation and vapor residue can linger around. Over time, and after many a late-night vape sessions, this residue and condensation can build up and solidify, blocking the newly heated vapor from freely leaving the mouthpiece.
Unabsorbent Wick
Another leading cause of clogs is an unabsorbent wick. Sometimes, vape juice can be a little too viscous to absorb properly into the wick, leaving the dry wick to burn when the battery gets triggered. This is why your cart can sometimes taste a little bitter or burnt, even though there’s plenty of vape juice still rocking around in the tank.
Poor Storage
When heated, cannabinoid-rich vape juice can flow through the vape juice like butter, pooling in the atomizer, absorbing into the wick, and bubbling up into plumes of vapor. But, once the party’s over, and you put the vape cart down, the vape oil can harden a little. If you don’t store your cart upright or in the right temperature, this vape juice can pool and crystalize away from the atomizer, making it nearly impossible for the slow-moving resin to reach it.
How to Unclog a Vape Cartridge
Now, let’s give you the secrets to unclogging a cartridge.
Clear Airflow
First, look through the glass mouthpiece. Can you see any built-up resin blocking the chamber leading up to the mouthpiece? If so, grab a thin, firm object, like a needle or the pointy end of a floss stick, and run it around the chamber’s inner edges. You might feel the block of resin clip the needle. Do this a couple of times to dislodge the resin block. Next, try to clean the chamber with the end of a tissue. This will help wipe away any remaining condensation.
Pull and Blow
Another way to unclog your cart’s airways is to alternate between inhales and exhales. If you don’t want to get exponentially lit, do this when the cart isn’t attached to its battery. (Or don’t, you do you, Ghost Rider.) These alternating airflows will help push the vape juice toward the wick. If that doesn’t work, try combining this technique with the last two below.
Pre-Heat or “Pulse” the Power Button
Before taking a pull off your cart, push the power button and hold it. Let the lithium battery preheat the vape juice. This can help clear any sticky block in the atomizer and make way for an unimpeded toke.
Grab a Hairdryer
And if that doesn’t work, you’re gonna need to get a li’l more DIY with this dilemma. Grab a hairdryer and an oven mitt. Hold the cart in the oven mitt and blast that puppy with the hairdryer at full volume. The heat from the dryer will hopefully soften the vape oil and let it pool near the atomizer to better absorb into the wick. From here, after the puppy cools down, you can do the “Pull and Blow” method to guide the vape juice into the atomizer.
When to Replace a Clogged Cart
And if all else fails and you feel like it’s time to give up on a clogged cart, give us a call. If your TRĒ House cartridge is past the point of no return, we would be happy to assist you in finding a new one to toke, pull, puff, and enjoy—clog-free.
Don’t wanna give up just yet? Check out our other guide to troubleshoot clogged vape pens and carts!
Parting Thoughts
Now, if you’ve made it through all this mumbo-jumbo, chances are your vape cart is riding free, emitting wondrous, fruity fumes. Make sure to take care of that cart; store it upright, away from kids or pets, and in a cool, dry environment. If you ever run into a jam again, come back, refresh yourself on the ins and outs of THC vape clogs, and get back to movin’ and groovin’ with your favorite vape cartridge. We’ll be here, waiting to give you a hand whenever you need.
As always, safe travels, fellow TRĒ Huggers.