Why Is My Vape Spitting E-Liquid? Causes and Prevention

A vape spits hot liquid into your mouth (often called spitback) when e-liquid pools on the coil and boils rather than vaporising smoothly. Instead of turning into a fine vapour, the pooled liquid pops like hot oil in a frying pan, shooting droplets up the mouthpiece.

Spitting vs Leaking vs Gurgling

It is important to distinguish spitting from other issues, though they often happen together:

• Spitback: Hot droplets of liquid shooting into your mouth when you fire the device.
• Gurgling: A bubbling sound caused by airflow pushing through excess liquid (see Why Is My Vape Gurgling).
• Leaking: Liquid escaping the tank and running down the outside of the device (see Why Is My Vape Leaking).

Top Causes of Spitback and How to Fix Them

1. Over-Priming the Coil

When you install a new coil, you apply drops of liquid to the cotton to prime it (as covered in our Coil Priming Guide). If you apply too much liquid directly down the centre chimney of the coil, it sits directly on the heating element. When you press the fire button, that liquid boils and pops.

The Fix: Flick the device sharply downwards over a sink or piece of kitchen towel to eject the pooled liquid from the chimney. Then, fire the device for 1-2 seconds without inhaling to burn off any remaining excess.

2. Vaping at Too Low a Wattage

If your wattage is set lower than the coil's recommended range, the coil does not get hot enough to vaporise the liquid as fast as the cotton is drawing it in. The liquid pools and boils instead.

The Fix: Check the wattage range printed on the side of your coil. Increase your wattage by 3–5W within that range. A higher temperature vaporises the liquid instantly, stopping the popping effect.

3. Using the Wrong E-Liquid Ratio

Thin e-liquids (like 50/50 ratios) flow very quickly. If you put a thin 50/50 liquid into a high-powered sub-ohm tank, the cotton absorbs it too fast and floods the coil chamber.

The Fix: Match your e-liquid to your device. Sub-ohm tanks require thicker High VG liquid (70/30 or 80/20). MTL pod kits require 50/50 liquid. Read our 50/50 vs High VG guide to ensure you are using the correct liquid for your hardware.

4. Drawing Too Hard

If you inhale very forcefully on a restrictive MTL device, the negative pressure pulls liquid into the coil faster than it can be vaporised. You are essentially sucking liquid through a straw.

The Fix: Take slower, gentler, and longer draws. Let the battery and coil do the work of creating the vapour, rather than relying on lung force.

A Quick Fix: The Tissue Roll Technique

If you are out and about and get sudden spitback, twist a piece of clean tissue paper into a thin point and push it gently down the mouthpiece until it touches the top of the coil. Hold it there for 3 seconds to absorb the excess liquid, then remove it. This instantly clears mild spitback issues without needing to dismantle the tank.