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Disclosure: The MLV Phix in this article was purchased from CSvape. You can pick up the starter kit here for $21 with coupon code “CSV4” (expires 6/5/17). It is also available at Vaporider for $29.99. Or, check out all the newest deals HERE.
I decided not to do a full review of the MLV Phix since there are plenty of those already. But, the question that many people still seem to be asking is: Can you refill the pods? How easy is it? The answer, of course, is yes, and it’s really not too difficult once you know what you’re doing. Using this MLV Phix Pod Hack could potentially save you a lot of money because replacement pods aren’t exactly cheap (when compared to buying e-liquid by the bottle). Plus, it allows you to experiment with different flavors, rather than being limited to the line that Brewell has created for this device (which are actually pretty good, IMO). The best part is that the Phix Pods utilize a high-quality ceramic coil, which holds up very well over time. All things considered, you should be able to refill them at least 3-4x before they need to be replaced.
What You Need:
- Flathead Screwdriver (the smallest one you can find)
- Needle Tip Dropper Cap or Syringe
- Paper Towel
- Juice: The pre-filled MLV Phix Pods contain 50mg salt-based e-liquids; the 45mg from Mr. Salt-E is an ideal substitute if you want a comparable vape experience.
MLV Phix Pod Hack and Refilling Instructions
*These instructions are for the bottom-fill method. I have seen videos and read reports of people filling them from the top; they must be using an earlier version of the pods because the ones I have are totally sealed off at the top. Your results may vary.
- Use a screwdriver to remove the metal cap on the bottom of the pod. There are 2 very small square snaps that help hold this in place, so that’s a good place to start. It’s ok to bend the metal a little (this can be fixed later), but try not to do too much damage.
- Next, you’ll need to remove the coil section/deck. This is lightly press-fit into the pod, so just work along the edges until it loosens up, then you can just pull it out. Set aside.
- On the inside of the pod, you should now see the airflow passage/chimney in the center, surrounded by a very thin diamond-shaped layer of cotton. Using the screwdriver, gently lift up a corner of the cotton to expose one of the wicking holes.
- Using a syringe or a bottle with a needle tip, fill directly into the exposed wicking hole. As always, be sure to leave a small amount of air in the pod in order to avoid flooding.
- Fold the cotton layer back into place and reinstall the coil section/deck.
- Before reinstalling the metal cap, be sure to fix any of the bends you created when removing it. The pods have a very precise diamond shape, so you’ll need to maintain that shape as much as possible if you want them to fit properly inside the device. You may need to use a pair of pliers to flatten the edges back out.
- Once fully reassembled, hold a piece of paper towel under the pod and blow into the drip tip to remove any excess juice. This helps avoid any gurgling that may occur after refilling.
That’s It!
After you do it once, it’s actually pretty easy. A full pod usually lasts me about 3 full days, so it’s not something you’ll be doing very often. Hopefully, this MLV Phix Pod Hack helps you save some money by stretching the life of your pods. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading this parent’s guide to vaping!
Jeremy V.
My name is Jeremy and I’ve been writing for VAPE.DEALS since early 2016. Digging for deals is what I do! I’m a former 15-year smoker and will always be grateful that I found vaping when I did. This site played a key role in my journey. It kept me interested and excited about vaping during those first crucial months away from cigarettes. Now, my ambition is to pass along that excitement to others; to help people make the switch and never return to combustible cigarettes. This industry is important and I feel truly blessed to be a part of it. Please feel free to reach out to me if you ever have any questions: [email protected]
Awesome, thanks man!
Have you noticed any leaking from the bottom after doing this?
Hi Shane. Not any more than usual, especially if you purge any excess juice as mentioned in the last step. Something I’ve noticed with ALL Phix pods though (even brand new ones), is that the coils tend to get (slightly) flooded on a regular basis. So sometimes a drop of juice will work its way out of the bottom, or worse, into your mouth =P Nothing excessive, just a drop every now and then.
I finally got around to doing this today and it worked great!
One additional thing I did that I would recommend is to carefully remove / rinse / dry the little piece of cotton and re-prime it with your new juice once it’s back in to avoid any old juice / taste contamination. It’s very easy to tear the cotton though, so be careful!
Hi, T-roy. Sorry for the delayed response. Just for the sake of curiosity, I have completely dissected the coil section before, so I do know what you’re referring to. Those gold dots are the positive and negative terminals, so if the leads aren’t making a solid connection with them, it’s not going to fire. I think it’d be very difficult to get those perfectly lined up again. I would suggest refilling a different pod and just be extra careful when removing the coil section so as not to disturb those connections. I’ve refilled at least a dozen pods, and they don’t ever fall apart like that, so you may have just had one that wasn’t put together all that well. Hope that helps!
That’s too invasive for nerds.
=) And realistically, that would be A LOT more work. It takes about a minute to pop off the cap and refill these once you know how to do it. Besides, I don’t want tiny bits of plastic (and possibly glue) floating around in my pod when I’m done refilling…
i use a nail heated on the stove and held with a pair of pliers to melt a tiny hold into the pod, no shavings from drilling that way.
Thanks for the tip, Jason. Yeah, whatever works for you! I just find that it’s super easy to do this way (only takes a minute) and it doesn’t do any damage to the pod.