Prevention is better than cure
There are many reasons why an electronic cigarette might not work as expected, and almost all of them are avoidable.
Stay in the know! Below is a comprehensive list of all of our most common faults we experience. We pride ourselves on customer satisfaction, so if you cannot find a solution to your problem in this page then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to help you.
General FAQs
The History of the Electronic Cigarette
The primitive concept of an electronic cigarette can be traced to an idea by Herbert A. Gilbert, who in 1963 patented a device described as “a smokeless non-tobacco cigarette” that involved replacing burning tobacco and paper with heated, moist, flavoured air.
This device heated the nicotine solution and produced steam.
In 1967, Gilbert was approached by several companies interested in manufacturing it, but it was never commercialized and disappeared from the public record after 1967.
Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist, is widely credited with the invention of the modern electronic cigarette. In 2000, he came up with the idea of using a piezo electric ultrasound-emitting element to vaporize a pressurized jet of liquid containing nicotine diluted in a Propylene Glycol solution.
This design produces a smoke-like vapour that can be inhaled and provides a vehicle for nicotine delivery into the bloodstream via the lungs. He also proposed using Propylene Glycol to dilute nicotine and placing it in a disposable plastic cartridge which serves as a liquid reservoir and mouth piece. These inventions are the basis of the present-day electronic cigarettes.
The device was first introduced to the Chinese domestic market in May 2004 as an aid for smoking cessation and replacement Therapy. The company that Hon Lik worked for, Golden Dragon Holdings, changed its name to Ruyan, literally meaning “Resembling smoking”, and started exporting its products in 2005–2006 before receiving its first international patent in 2007.
What are Electronic Cigarettes?
E-cigarettes, also known as electronic cigarettes and vaporizer cigarettes are devices that emit doses of vaporized nicotine that are inhaled. The device is battery-operated and can also emit non-nicotine vaporized solutions. Manufacturers say they are an alternative for tobacco smokers who want to avoid inhaling smoke. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 different chemicals, many of which are hazardous for human health.
Manufacturers and a significant number of users say the e-cigarette provides a similar sensation to inhaling tobacco smoke; however, there is no combustion (no smoke).
The electronic cigarette first entered the market in China in 2004. In 2003, Hon Lik, a pharmacist from China invented the device. Golden Dragon Holdings, the company Lik worked for, started exporting into major markets in 2005-2006. Golden Dragon Holdings changed its name to Ruyan.
The E-cigarette has various components
Every electronic cigarette has at least three main components inside – the battery the tank, and the atomizer. It is the atomizer that turns the liquid into a vapour, but sometimes there is another component between the liquid and the atomizer. This can be either a clearomiser or a cartomizer.
Batteries have rechargeable Li-Ion batteries, whether it’s internal, or removable, the battery is needed to power the atomizer.
The battery unit, has a computer chip and a little silicone flap connected to the contacts that activate it, the computer chip also shuts down the battery if you have taken a draw longer than 10 seconds or if the voltage is low and it needs recharging (with most, though there are other variations as well).
Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) Vs Direct-Lung (DL) Inhale Explained
We have a written a full explainer for this topic here: Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) Vs Direct-Lung (DL) Inhale Explained
E-Liquid FAQs
What is E-liquid?
E-liquid is the fluid that fuels the Electronic Cigarette. It is what provides the nicotine solution and the flavouring to your Electronic Cigarette. It creates the vapour in which you exhale that mimics the traditional smoke from analogue cigarettes.
What’s in E-liquid?
E-liquid uses base ingredients to create a smooth flavour. This base can consist of PG (Propylene Glycol), VG (Vegetable Glycerine) or both. Most of our e-liquid have mixes containing 70% PG/VG 30% to 50% PG/VG 50%. PG and VG are combined with natural or artificial flavours such as vanilla or apple which creates unique and satisfying recipes.
What is PG or Propylene Glycol?
Propylene Glycol is used as a flavouring carrier in food products, as an ingredient in food colouring and also used as an additive in various medicines. A combined base of PG/VG blend is much more smooth then 100% PG base. Propylene Glycol is non toxic.
What is VG or Vegetable Glycerine?
Vegetable Glycerine is a sweet, thick, vegetable based liquid. 100% VG base is very thick and hard to smoke effectively. A combined PG/VG blend is recommended. Vegetable Glycerine is non toxic.
Nicotine
Liquid solutions containing nicotine are available in differing nicotine concentrations to suit user preference. Dosing nomenclatures are not standardised and vary by manufacturer, but tend towards the following rough figures:
Liquids said to contain “low” doses of nicotine tend to correspond to a nicotine concentration of 6–8 mg/ml (milligrams of nicotine per millilitre of liquid).
- “Midrange” or “medium” doses tend to correspond to a nicotine concentration of 10–14 mg/ml.
- “High” doses tend to correspond to a nicotine concentration of 16–18 mg/ml.
- “Extra-high” doses tend to correspond to a nicotine concentration of 24–36 mg/ml.
Actual numerical nicotine concentration ratings are usually printed on liquid containers. Often, the standard notation “mg/ml” is shortened to a simple “mg”.
Generally the higher the nicotine content, the stronger the throat hit, which is the sensation the user experiences at the back of the throat upon inhalation from their electronic cigarette device.
Our e-liquids are offered in 5 different strengths.
- “None” – 0mg Nicotine
- “Extra Light” – 3mg Nicotine
- “Light” – 6mg Nicotine
- “Regular” – 12mg Nicotine
- “High” – 18mg Nicotine
- “Extra high” – 24mg Nicotine
WARNING: Bitandpieces Vape Ltd makes no claims that the electronic cigarette will cure a smoker’s addiction to nicotine; the electronic cigarettes it sells serves the same purpose as a tobacco cigarette – it delivers its user nicotine. If you do suffer from the disease of Tobacco/Nicotine Dependence Syndrome and want to take steps to give up smoking or cut down the quantity of cigarettes you currently smoke. We recommend you visit your health care provider to discuss NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) or a nicotine harm reduction programme.
Please Note: We are not a pharmaceutical company and we do not produce medical products.
E-Cigarette & Battery FAQs
My electronic cigarette is not working
Battery not working? If your battery is not working there are several things to check and try:
Make sure it is turned on:
Most eGo batteries come with a 5 click on and off feature and are shipping in the default state of “off”, to turn on rapidly click the power button 5 times to turn it on. It can be tricky! Keep trying.
A brand new battery usually comes charged to 70-80% capacity. Remember to charge it fully before use.
My battery will not charge or fire a clearomiser?
You may have a compressed centre pin. This can happen when a clearomiser or other device is tightened too far down on the battery causing the pin to compress and no longer make contact with your device or charger.
There is a simply fix, use a nail file or something similar to pry up the centre pin just slightly (no more than 1 mm) This will sometimes bring your battery back to life.
Please note, we do not cover depressed pins under warranty, we can tell by looking at the o-ring if something is depressed. Try lifting the centre pin, it might help.
Discoloured or soaked o-ring seal: My Electronic Cigarette / E-Cig Battery has liquid in it
If lifting the pin does not help you may have liquid in the battery housing that has shorted your battery, if you have a leaky clearomiser this can ruin your battery.
Clean out the top of the pin with a clean and dry ear bud and let it sit for a day. This can dry out any liquid inside and may bring it back to life (rare but it can happen), we do not cover batteries shorted by leaking cartomizer, when your battery is opened if there is liquid inside it, it will not be covered, please check your clearomisers often for signs of leakage.
My Electronic Cigarette / E-Cig Battery has liquid in it
You may have liquid in the battery housing that has shorted your battery, if you have a leaky clearomiser this can ruin your battery.
Clean out the top of the pin with a clean and dry ear bud and let it sit for a day. This can dry out any liquid inside and may bring it back to life (rare but it can happen), we do not cover batteries shorted by leaking cartomizer, when your battery is opened if there is liquid inside it, it will not be covered, please check your clearomisers often for signs of leakage.
My electronic cigarette / e-cig battery is blinking on and off
This usually means a battery has been shorted. But if it blinks 10 or more times it’s usually means it needs to be charged, do that first.
If it doesn’t charge that means it’s shorted or dead. Steps to try:
- Turn it off with the 5 click, let it sit for a hour, put it back on the charger. When fully charged, turn it back on and use.
- Try to turn it on again, sounds silly but I myself have accidentally turned off batteries! 5 Clicks!
- Try to back off on the cartomiser/clearomiser a half turn, the device might be shorting your battery.
- Try the centre pin lift trick above, if the centre post is severely depressed the positive centre pin will be making contact with the negative shell and causing a short, lift the pin to stop the short.
- Try a different cartomiser/clearomiser/device.
Clearomiser & Atomiser FAQs
A guide to clearomisers
Whether using a top or bottom coil clearomiser, the same filling principles apply. While there is considerably more space between the tube and mechanics of the clearomisers, some care is still required for filling:
A golden rule to making your electronic cigarette / e-cig / vaporizer last longer
The basic golden rule of clearomiser filling, no matter which model you choose, is simple. Don’t get e-liquid down the centre tube. All modern clearomisers have some kind of air tube running down the middle inside the main tank section.
Getting liquid down this tube can cause performance problems by flooding the heating coils with too much liquid, or simply leaking liquid, causing a mess. Taking care while filling is the key. Depending on the design of the clearomiser, it may be helpful to use an e-liquid bottle with a fine tip. This allows for more precise dispensing of e-liquid.
The best way to fill (with or without such a tip) is to tilt the clearomiser and let the e-liquid run down the inside of the tank itself. If there are markings on the clearomiser, avoid filling past the top marking. This will ensure e-liquid does not overtop the centre tube when putting the clearomiser back together.
My electronic cigarette / e-cig / clearomiser is giving me a bad taste
If you use a new clearomiser straight after filling, you may get a burnt taste. To avoid this, let the clearomiser stand for a couple of minutes, or swill the e-liquid around the clearomiser to make sure it is absorbed by the wick before using.
Should you find you’ve overfilled and hear a gurgling sound when using the clearomiser, or find liquid leaking don’t panic. This situation is easily resolved:
- Remove the clearomiser from your battery and place a paper towel over the battery connector.
- Then blow through the mouthpiece stiffly a couple of times to clear the excess liquid from the airway.
My electronic cigarette / e-cig / clearomiser is not working: Tips to fix it
Here are some tips if you find your clearomiser isn’t working at all.
- First, make sure all connections are tight and not cross-threaded. Most leaking issues can be traced back to a poor seal.
- Next, check the fit of the silicone gaskets on the heating coil assembly and other parts. These small white rubber parts have a tendency to shift with time and can cause performance or leaking issues.
- If your clearomiser won’t activate at all, make sure the head is securely screwed into its base. Sometimes the head can gradually come loose with use. It’s a part many people don’t think about and can be a tricky issue to figure out.
- Should you experience an unusual or burning taste from your clearomiser, there may be built-up deposits on the heating coils. These deposits tend to burn causing very unpleasant flavours. Follow the tips in the cleaning section or replace the head to resolve these issues. If the coil appears to be clean, try adjusting the silicone gasket sitting atop the heating coils. They can sometimes block e-liquid flow from the wicks if they are not sitting correctly on the head.
- With dual coil atomisers, an equal amount of electricity is sent to two coils instead of just one coil, producing more heat and more vapour. Once again, dual coil clearomisers use more power, so we recommend using a more powerful battery with our own bottom dual coil.
How Long Do Clearomisers Last & How Do You Know When They Need Replacing?
Replacing heads is a cost-effective way to extend clearomiser life. Clearomisers don’t last forever. In our experience, clearomisers can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on how often you use it. Cleaning may extend the life but eventually you will either need to replace the whole thing if it’s a disposable, or replace the coil/head if it is a rebuildable. You know the clearomiser needs changing when it starts to give a burnt taste, give weaker vapour production or just stop working.
Clearomisers with replaceable coils/heads usually turn out to be cheaper in the long term, since instead of purchasing a whole new clearomiser you can just replace the coil/head on the clearomiser.
How Do You Change the Head/Atomiser and wick on a Clearomiser when an atomiser burns out? Or a wick gets gummed up?
It’s usually much cheaper to buy a new replacement wick for a clearomiser rather than buying a new clearomiser. While models do vary, this is usually a simple process of unscrewing and replacing the head. There are videos available on channels such as YouTube, where people demonstrate how to do this.
Adjustable airflow
Using Adjustable Air Flow Control may sound complicated, but adjustable air flow control is really easy to use with devices like the Aspire Nautilus Mini. Adjustable airflow devices come with a range of different air hole sizes. To use, simply adjust the outer ring to line up with the desired air hole sizes. This allows you to fine tune the amount of air flowing through the device to suit e-liquid with different pg/vg ratios (thickness) or flavour.
A bit more advanced: Ohms and Resistance
A number of clearomisers now come with replaceable atomisers and wicks. Things get interesting when you can use different atomisers in the clearomisers to vary the Vaping experience.
People’s preferences are very different, so a resistance that works for one person might not work for you. To find the best atomiser for you, you will need to experiment with different resistance atomisers.
Lower resistance to produce:
- More heat, more vapour, reduced battery life, stronger throat hit, increased e-liquid usage.
Higher resistance to produce:
- Less heat, less vapour, smoother throat hit, longer battery life, reduced e-liquid usage.
Warranty & Returns
Bitandpieces Vape Returns Policy
Any defective products must be notified to Bitandpieces Vape within 7 days after you’ve received the delivery.
Goods found not defective will remain with ourselves until re-postage fee has been received.
Items will only be held by us for 30 days after we have received the item – after that time the item will be recycled.
Returns should have all of the original packaging and accessories.
The Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 gives you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you have received the item. The item must be in the original packaging, unsealed and unused. You will need an authorization number which you can request from us by email or phone prior to sending back the item. The return of any item is at your own cost.
Warranty - Faulty Items
How long is the warranty on the products?
All kits come with a 28-day parts warranty from date of receipt. Purchasers should be aware that our electronic cigarette atomizers and batteries, although made to the highest quality, may fail or degrade over a period of time. (A disposable or coil replacement electronic cigarette atomizer’s natural lifespan is around 14-60 days and an electronic cigarette battery’s expected lifespan is 2-6 months depending on use and capacity). This is not a guarantee that the Consumer will “like” the Electronic Cigarette, simply that it will function as described within the specified timeframe.
Batteries and Atomizers purchased as “singles” i.e. not as part of a multi-pack are also covered by a 28 day warranty period from date of receipt. Any replacement parts are warranted from the date of delivery of the original order.
How do I return a faulty item?
Before you return a suspected faulty item, you should first contact the customer service team by phone on: 01214577951, or via e-mail: customerservices@bitandpiecesvape.co.uk. We have found that very often a member of our team successfully identifies and helps to rectify a suspected faulty item. Only when you have been given specific instruction should you return a faulty item to us.
Any unauthorised returned items may not be dealt with.
Bitandpieces Vape only offer a warranty on faulty products. This warranty becomes void if the product has been damaged or is not suitably maintained, kept clean and in good working order. We do not offer refund or exchange if you simply do not like any electronic cigarette or shisha pen product due to hygiene reasons. Please check all goods when you receive them as the warranty runs from date of purchase until 28 days after, therefore please retain receipt for proof of purchase.
If you claim your product is faulty you will need to return it to us within 28 days from the date of purchase and allow us 5 working days to accurately inspect the product and respond with the findings.
Returns Address:
Bitandpieces Vape Limited
Returns RMA-(order ID)
1682 Bristol Road South
Rednal
Birmingham
B45 9TZ
Cancelling an order
Can I return an item that I simply do not like?
As the product is an oral product, once used it cannot be returned unless faulty.
Can I cancel my order?
Orders can be cancelled prior to shipping by calling us on 01214577951, quoting your order number. This should be done as soon as possible, as once the products have been shipped they cannot be recalled.
I have changed my mind and no longer want the goods, they are unused. Can I return them?
In the event the customer no longer want the goods, the customer needs to contact customer services to receive an RMA code within 7 days of receiving the goods and full instructions will be supplied on how to send the goods back to us. The customer will be responsible for both the outbound and return shipping costs plus any restocking fee deemed necessary, up to a maximum of 10% of the purchase price.
Bitandpieces Vape Returns Policy
Any defective products must be notified to Bitandpieces Vape within 7 days after you’ve received the delivery.
Goods found not defective will remain with ourselves until re-postage fee has been received.
Items will only be held by us for 30 days after we have received the item – after that time the item will be recycled.
Returns should have all of the original packaging and accessories.
The Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 gives you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you have received the item. The item must be in the original packaging, unsealed and unused. You will need an authorization number which you can request from us by email or phone prior to sending back the item. The return of any item is at your own cost.