What Happens if You Drop a Disposable Vape in Water?

Accidents happen, and with vapes being so easy to fall out of pockets or bags, it's hardly a surprise that your vape may come into contact with water. But this doesn't necessarily mean the end of your vaping experience. 

Instead, you can learn how to salvage your device if it's fallen into water, and when buying a new disposable vape is best.

If your vape has been in contact with water, it’s possible to salvage most of the device’s functioning by allowing it to dry thoroughly before you try using it again. 

Many vapes aren’t waterproof. Disposable vapes will differ in their ability to work after getting wet — and it’s possible your disposable vape will pose safety risks after being exposed to water. 

Below we’ll cover some of the aspects of your disposable that can be impacted by water exposure:

It’s essential to consider the battery of your vape if it’s a rechargeable device. The batteries are lithium-ion, not alkaline, meaning the recharging risks differ. 

Suppose you accidentally submerge the batteries in water. Lithium-ion batteries might work only if the contact with water is brief and the battery has been dried thoroughly and quickly before reuse or recharging. 

However, if the disposable device was in the liquid for long enough or submerged deeply enough, the water might cause corrosion of the batteries. The difficulty with these devices is there’s no way to remove a battery, so you can’t dry it. 

Another electronic component to consider is the chipset. The little chips regulate the output of vapes, such as the automatic draw, LED light, and overall experience. Much like a battery, if the chipset gets wet, the problem lies more in it not drying.

However, you can’t remove the chipset in a disposable vape, making it challenging to get this component dry.

In the disposable vape, an absorbent filler material soaks in the vape juice. Should the vape get wet, the water could get through the filler material and mix with the fluid, diluting the e-liquid. 

While e-liquid is miscible in water, this will ruin its purpose as a vape liquid. 

Maybe you don’t mind the e-liquid being diluted. However, the water will vaporise at a lower temperature than the other chemicals, meaning you’ll be boiling water inside the disposable device. Whenever people or circumstances tamper with vapes, and even when not, dangerous accidents can occur.

If water mixes with the e-liquid, the chances of pops and mouth burns increase. 

If you’ve dropped your disposable device in liquid, then the likelihood is that it will stop working. Vaping comes with a range of risks, and if the liquid damage does affect the battery, it could cause the device to leak or catch fire.

The truth is, depending on how the exposure affected your vape, it may now be dangerous to use. Continuing to use a disposable vape after it’s been exposed to water can pose safety risks.

It’s possible that if the chipset and battery can still work once wet, the disposable device will carry on working. 

If you dropped the vape only briefly and it was in shallow liquid, you could try to clean the device correctlyand save it as long as it wasn’t fully submerged. Some tips to keep in mind include:

• Dry the device thoroughly
• Don’t charge or vape on the device until it dries

Only try to salvage your device if you drop it in clean, shallow water, and it isn’t fully submerged.

Remember, a vape that’s been exposed to water can pose safety risks. If in doubt, it’s safer to get a new vapeand dispose of the water-damaged device. 

If the water didn't fully submerge your vape and it only came into contact with clean water, it may still work. It’s best to allow it to dry thoroughly before trying to use it, but the device may pose safety risks after being exposed to water. Remember, buying a new vape will be safer than using a damaged one.

A splash of water doesn’t have to mean the end of your disposable vape, but this depends on various factors. Always remember to put your safety first after your vape falls into the water. 

If in doubt, dispose of your old vape and get yourself a fresh disposable vape device. Browse our collections available at RELX today!