Quick Answer
Most clogs are cooled oil. Oil pools over the intake holes or hardens inside the center airway, and the cart stops pulling. Warm the cartridge with low, dry heat for 20 to 30 seconds, then take a slow, easy draw. If air still will not move, clear the mouthpiece with a thin tool. Force is what cracks glass and floods coils, so every step stays slow.
how to fix a clogged cannabis cart
Why Carts Clog
Distillate and live resin get thick when they cool. A cart that sat in a cold car, a pocket, or a drawer overnight can push oil into the airway. A battery that runs hot makes the problem worse by thinning oil so it leaks past the coil and re-solidifies in the tube. Clogs also form when you pull hard on a low battery, since the oil moves before it vaporizes.
how to fix a clogged cannabis cart
Before You Start
- Paperclip, toothpick, or a blunt-tip needle
- Hairdryer with a low heat setting
- Cotton swab and 91% isopropyl alcohol
- A flat surface where the cart can stand upright
How to Fix a Clogged Cannabis Cart
- Unscrew the cartridge from the battery and set it upright on a flat surface.
- Run a hairdryer on low heat about 6 to 8 inches from the glass, moving it for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Take a slow dry pull from the mouthpiece with the cart off the battery to test the airway.
- Insert a paperclip about 2 to 3 millimeters into the mouthpiece and twist once to break the oil plug.
- Wipe the mouthpiece and the 510 threads with an alcohol swab and let them air dry for one minute.
- Reattach the cart and set the battery to its lowest voltage, usually 2.4 to 3.2 volts.
- Press the button for two seconds, release, then take three short draws instead of one long pull.
- Stand the cart upright for five minutes between sessions so oil drains back toward the coil.
What Not to Do
Do not put the cart in a microwave, oven, or boiling water. Do not push a paperclip past the mouthpiece into the coil, because the wire and wick bend and the cart will taste burnt after that. Do not blow into the mouthpiece. Air pressure pushes oil into the battery contact and ruins the connection. Do not keep hitting a cart that gurgles, since that sound means oil is already in the airway.
When to Stop and Replace the Cart
Some clogs are not fixable. Replace the cartridge if oil keeps leaking from the bottom, if the glass is cracked, if the mouthpiece is loose, or if the taste turns burnt after two sessions. A cart that clogs three times in one day usually has a bad seal at the intake holes, and no amount of heat will correct that.
Cannabis Cart Not Hitting After Being in Cold: What to Do?
Prevention
- Store carts upright in a cool, dark place between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Keep the battery at the lowest voltage that still produces vapor.
- Take short, steady draws instead of long, hard ones.
- Cap the mouthpiece when the cart is in a bag or pocket.
- Avoid leaving carts in a car, near a heater, or in direct sun.