How to Unscrew a Cart from a Dab Pen

Are you having trouble unscrewing a vape cart from a dab pen? You’re not alone. This is actually one of the most common issues that people experience with vape pens and dab pens, and we’ll explain why in a moment. The reason why your cartridge is stuck is because it has most likely leaked, causing the oil or wax to flow out of the air holes and contaminate your dab pen’s threading. When the leaked oil cools down, it thickens and becomes almost like glue. Suddenly, the threads on the bottom of the cartridge no longer turn – and that’s why you’re having trouble unscrewing it.

In this guide, we’ll share some surefire tips that can help you unscrew a cart from a dab pen. It all comes down to ensuring that you have a good grip and applying a bit of heat to loosen the oil if necessary. Before we get to that, though, we’d like to discuss a couple of very important things that you need to know.

Why Do Vape Carts Get Stuck?

The reason why so many dab pen owners have difficulty with stuck carts is because almost everyone puffs too hard when using vape carts for the first time. If you’ve never vaped before, you’re probably going to use about the same air pressure that you would use when smoking because it’s natural to assume that the mechanics of smoking and vaping are basically the same. 

In truth, though, smoking and vaping are very different because combustion requires oxygen for fuel. For that reason, you can puff almost as hard as you want when you smoke; your material will simply burn down more quickly. When you vape, it’s completely different because you’re dealing with a liquid that boils. Puffing harder won’t give you a bigger cloud. Instead, it’ll force extra oil or wax into the cartridge’s coil assembly, and the material will ultimately leak out of the cartridge.

A leaking cartridge is a bad thing if you’re using a puff-activated vape pen because in order for the draw-based activation to work, your cartridge needs to have airflow holes in the threading. So, that’s where the excess oil goes, and that’s why your cartridge is stuck. To avoid a stuck cartridge in the future, puff very gently when you use your dab pen. If you’re using a puff-activated device, it’s easy – when your device’s light turns on, that’s as firmly as you need to inhale.

Use Extreme Care when Unscrewing a Vape Cart

Before we go into detail about how to remove a stuck vape cart, it’s important to understand that there is a risk of damaging the cartridge if you aren’t careful. You need to grip the cartridge from its metal base and not from the glass. If you grip the glass, you could end up separating the top half of the cartridge from the bottom half. The bottom half of the cartridge will still be attached to your dab pen – only now, it’ll be even harder to remove – and you’ll also have a major mess on your hands.

To Remove a Vape Cart, Try Getting a Better Grip

Before you do anything drastic to unscrew a stuck cart from your dab pen, try simply improving your grip. Since a cartridge’s base is fairly small, getting a firm grip isn’t always easy – especially if the cartridge is stuck in place. Here are some tips that can help.

• Try wrapping tape around the tank’s base. Since the tape will have a slightly tacky surface, it might be easier for you to grip the tank’s base firmly.
• Try wrapping a rubber band around the tank. A rubber band gives you an even tackier surface and might work better than tape if the tank is really stubborn. If you don’t have a rubber band, you can also try a silicone jar opener.
• As a last resort, you can try using a pair of needle-nose pliers. You should be very careful with this because if the pliers slip, you may end up breaking the tank’s outer glass. The pliers may also scratch the tank’s base. You can potentially avoid this by putting a rag or paper towel under the pliers.

If the Cart Is Still Stuck, Apply Gentle Heat to the Threading

If you’re unable to unscrew a stuck cartridge from your dab pen by getting a firmer grip on the cart, it’s time to break out the heavy guns. If you apply gentle heat, you can loosen the oil in your vape pen’s threading. Once that’s done, you should be able to remove the cartridge without much trouble. In order of increasing risk, here are some ways to do it.

• If the cartridge isn’t badly clogged and still has oil in it, you can loosen the oil in the threading simply by using the cartridge. Try vaping for a few minutes or use your dab pen’s automatic preheating function if it has one. Once the cartridge has warmed up, try removing it.
• Try holding your vape pen in front of a warm vent for a few minutes. You could do this, for example, with your car’s heater. When your vape pen’s threading is warm, try removing the cartridge.
• As a last resort, wave a hair dryer over your dab pen’s threading for a few minutes. Make sure that the dryer is set to the lowest heat level. A hair dryer can potentially melt plastic components and could even cause the battery in your dab pen to become unstable.

After Unscrewing the Cartridge, Clean It and Your Dab Pen

Once you’ve removed the stuck cartridge from your dab pen, you need to clean it thoroughly to ensure that it won’t get stuck again. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and use it to remove the oil from the cartridge’s threading. You’ll also need to remove the oil from your dab pen’s threading. Before using the cartridge or dab pen again, make sure that both are completely dry.