Troubleshooting A Vape Pen: Why Is My Cannabis Vape Pen Not Working?

Troubleshooting Your Cannabis Vape Pen: Is It The Battery? 

To remedy issues with your weed vape pen, first start with the charger or battery. Charge your pen fully and remember, pens that are “pull to draw” with no button are technically always “on.” If that doesn’t work, consider the following: 

• Is the pen off? Button batteries typically require 5 clicks to turn on.
• Is it flashing? Another sign to give it a charge! 
• Is it a hold to draw? Try pressing down on the button and inhaling.  
• Does the battery need to be cleaned? There could be residue from the cannabis oil which can be cleaned with a little bit of alcohol on a Q-tip. 
• Is it damaged or rusted? In this case, your battery would need to be replaced but look for these signs before getting rid of it. 
• Try a different charger! You’d be surprised how many of our Massachusetts cannabis customers find their trusted charger simply had its day and burnt out.  

Troubleshooting Your Cannabis Vape Pen: Is It The Oil Cartridge? 

If troubleshooting the battery didn’t get your cannabis vape pen up and running, it’s time to look at the cartridge. The most common issues are oil settling, a clogged cartridge, or oil leakage.

• Oil settling: If your weed pen is stored somewhere cold, the oil can become stiff and settle into a corner of your cartridge. Heating the pen will loosen the oil. You can easily do this with a hairdryer or steam from a boiling pot of water.
• Clogged cartridge: It’s very common for residue to build up in the mouthpiece. To remove, gently blow into the mouthpiece or use a safety pin or toothpick to poke the mouthpiece and allow airflow back in. 
• Oil leakage: To avoid oil leaking into the mouthpiece tip or other parts of the pot pen, avoid storing your device sideways or upside down.  

Troubleshooting Your Cannabis Vape Pen: Is It The Atomizer? 

Finally, the atomizer, which is the heating element of the cannabis vape pen, could be faulty. Our friends over at Happy Valley outlined a handful of reasons that could create this error: 

• Over-tightening: “If you tighten the atomizer with too much force it can sever the connection with the device. If the connection is intact but still isn’t working, there may be an issue with the center pin 501 connector.” According to Vape Authority, if your device doesn’t come with an adjustable or spring-loaded center pin, you can pull your pin up a bit by prying the pin just a bit with something small, such as a precision flathead screwdriver.   
• Chipset problems: “Another culprit may be the chipset, an electronic part that controls features like wattage, temperature, and other variables. If the chipset is broken, you’ll need to replace it.”
• Shortening issues: “If your coil is coming in contact with the sides of the tank, it may be shorting your coil. Make sure your atomizer is situated in the center, without touching the sides, and adjust it if it’s not.”

We hope you found one of these suggestions to be the solution to getting your weed pen up and running, and if it’s time for a new one, come visit any of your local Temescal Wellness dispensaries in Framingham, Hudson, or Pittsfield, MA. 

If you want to read more about cannabis vape pens, check out the following blogs: 

• Everything you need to know about vapes available at Temescal Wellness cannabis dispensaries 
• The difference between rosin and distillate cartridges ‍
• Learn more about our VSPR cartridges 

For more information on preparing to visit the best nearby Massachusetts dispensary, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page, and make sure to follow Temescal Wellness on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on what’s happening at our three Mass cannabis shops. You can also check out our online menus to find what is available at your favorite cannabis dispensary in Massachusetts!

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