How To Extract Oil From A Vape Pen

Vaping is still the fastest way to get CBD effect into your body. With more people turning to CBD vapes, vapers are becoming eager to know how to extract oil from a vape pen. With different vape cartridges available in the CBD market, vaping has become an easy ride.

Whether you accidentally broke your vape pen cartridge or perhaps you want to replace the vape liquid flavour or spectrum, extracting oil from a vape pen is very much possible and easy to do.

Vape pens and their cartridges can still have problems today despite the fast growth the CBD market is enjoying. Some vape devices are of high quality others are not. It also depends on how you use it, regardless, even if you got your hands on the wrong vaping device or not, we’ll show you how to extract oil from a vape pen.

This article is the perfect guide to all the information you need to extract oil from your vape pen. To help you optimise your vape experience to the fullest, you’ll also learn:

• What is a vape cartridge
• Why extract oil from a vape pen
• How to extract oil from a vape pen
• The safety of extracting oil from a vape pen

What is a vape cartridge

A vape cartridge is a tiny container that holds the oil you vape. They are small and discreet and may come in bottles or plastic which can be disposable (pre-filled) or refillable.

Pre-filled cartridges are sold already containing the vape liquid and are quite easy to use. By merely pressing the power button to switch it on, you can already start enjoying the effect of CBD vape. After using up the liquid, you dispose of the empty cartridge. While refillable cartridges require a 510 rechargeable battery. It may come empty and allow you to top up the vape liquid whenever you want to vape. giving you a wide choice of flavours to choose from.

Still, these vape cartridges could easily have problems. Since they’re quite fragile any mishandling could deprive you of using the vape oil contained in them. The good news is, there’s the option of extracting the oil from a faulty cartridge.

Why extract oil from a vape pen

Different reasons exist why people may want to extract oil from a vape pen. Vape pens are made of atomizers which are the heating element, a battery that powers the device, a wick, and a cartridge that holds the vape liquid. These parts could start giving you problems as you use them.

you may also want to extract oil from vape pen cartridges if;

1. The cartridge is clogged- with a clogged cartridge you won’t be able to get a puff when you take a draw on the vape. The tiny hole for airflow can be clogged due to the oil residue stuck in it. This may be because of the thickness of the vape oil or constantly over-filling the cartridge

2. The atomizer is burnt- Overheating could burn the atomizer in your vape pen. Some vape pens have temperature control which allows you to regulate the heat level as you vape. When you set the temperature too high the atomizer may exceed its heat level and burn. you shouldn’t exceed 165°c

3. The cartridge is broken- Glass cartridges of Pre Filled vape pens are usually so thin that any drop would easily crack it. which will lead to oil leakage. If this happens, all you would be thinking of is how to save the oil.

Aside from these, extracting oil from your vape pen;

• Allows you to refill it with another flavour or spectrum
• Allows you to extract the oil and reuse it in another cartridge.

How to extract oil from a vape pen

Extracting oil from a vape pen is easier than many vaping enthusiasts thought. Even if you’re not a professional vaper, there’re ways to save your vape oil from waste.

Some cartridges have tops and bases that are quite easy to fiddle with. Some vape pen mouthpieces may come with a metal plate underneath. If that’s the case with yours, simply use a tooth floss to gently pull the metal plate off. For some, you may only need to unscrew the mouthpiece to release it.

Steps to extracting oil from a vape pen

1. Remove the mouthpiece from the vape pen
2. Insert a clean syringe that can fit into the cartridge
3. Now draw out the oil by pulling the syringe
4. Fix the mouthpiece back

It’s always best to use a syringe as pouring the oil directly from the cartridge is difficult and can get quite messy, leading you to waste the oil. You may also find that the oil is too thick to come out of the cartridge. In this case, you can use a hairdryer to heat the oil.

To do this,

• Place the cartridge on a safe surface
• Direct the hairdryer at low heat on the cartridge at a little distance away

If you don’t have a hairdryer you can also,

• Place the cartridge in a ziplock bag
• Warm-up some water and transfer the bag into the water for some minutes

The heat will warm up the oil and loosen it for easy extraction. Remove the cartridge and extract the oil using a syringe.

These steps will help you extract oil easily from your vape pen. Nonetheless, it’s important to know what safety rules apply before you start extracting.

Safety of extracting oil from a vape pen

Before extracting oil from your vape pen first things first, your safety. Is it safe for you to extract oil from your vape cartridge?

How safe it is depends on the quality of your vape pen and the content of the oil. Usually, vape liquids contain cannabinoids, terpenes, thinning agents like vegetable glycerin (VG) and flavours. With the safest extraction method Co2, which may not require a thinning agent to be added to it. some may also be distillate.

Be sure to know what your vape oil contains before you attempt to extract it from a cartridge.

If the vape oil is pure Co2 liquid, it’s safe to directly heat it and extract the oil. This may be one of the reasons why Co2 filled vape cartridges are most sought after.

But if it contains propylene glycols (PG), polyethylene glycols (PEGS) or glycerols, it’s unsafe to open and heat it directly in an open flame. When PG and glycerols are heated it may change the state of the chemical and produce a toxic compound known as formaldehyde. This formaldehyde can irritate the skin and lungs

Some manufacturers may use cheaper ingredients and solvent extraction which may be harmful when heated in an open flame.

Any ingredient and extraction process used in the vape oil will normally be stated on the product label. Make sure to check it before deciding to extract oil from your vape pen.

Conclusion 

Vapers are becoming eager to know how to extract oil from a vape pen. With different vape cartridges available in the CBD market vaping has become an easy ride.

Whether you choose a prefilled or refillable cartridge, there may be a need to extract the oil from your vape pen. Even if you have accidentally broken your vape pen or just want to change the flavours or spectrum, following the simple steps in this article will help you save your precious vape oil.

But remember that before you start extracting the oil from a vape cartridge, you must be sure it’s safe to do that. Always check the ingredient list to be on the safe side.

Q and A

Q. Can I extract oil from a pre-filled cartridge as well?

Ans. Yes. it’s not only a refillable cartridge that oils can be extracted from. You can safely extract the oil from a prefilled cartridge and refill it into another one.

Q. Can a pre-filled vape cartridge be reused?

Ans. No. Pre-filled cartridges are also called disposable cartridges. You are meant to use them and throw the empty cartridge away. There is no point in keeping it for reuse as it is almost impossible to refill it plus, it may not be safe to start fiddling with its parts. The wick can also burn out as you vape the oil depending on the number of vape times available in the cartridge. What’s best is to get a refillable cartridge.

Q. Is there a way to recycle vape cartridges?

Ans. If you have been using disposable cartridges you may be thinking there must be a way to recycle them. Vape pens and their cartridges both have parts that are made of different materials which may make recycling difficult.  And the cartridges are so tiny, cleaning it may be too difficult. It’s not very common yet but there are a few recycling programs available in Canada now.

Reference

• Safety of extracting a vape oil

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6076960/

• Recycling vape pens

https://www.terracycle.com/en-CA/brigades/tweed-vapes-en-ca