Although it may look like an explosion, especially if the ink is leaking out onto your favorite purse or pair of jeans, “leak” is a more accurate term. There are a few reasons that your gel pen may be leaking. Take a look at the following sections and see if one rings true to your situation. We’ve all had it happen: We take our favorite gel pen out of our purse or pocket, only to find that it’s exploded, leaking ink everywhere. Why do gel pens explode, anyway?
Gel pens can explode for a variety of reasons, including:
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- Extreme heat: causes the ink to thin
- Extreme cold: causes the ink to freeze
- Friction: activates the nib
- Poor quality design: point might unscrew
- Increase in air pressure: This can cause the ink to leak out
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We’ll discuss the reasons that gel pens explode below, as well as how you can prevent it and what to do if it happens to you.
Overheating
The ink in gel pens is very thick and, well, gel-like, which is what gives them their rich, creamy writing style. But when that ink heats up, it thins out. This can be due to:
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- Temperature
- Being near a heating vent
- Body heat
This will often cause a pen to leak from the tip if stored tip-down. In the case of extreme heat, the wax plug on the back end of the pen will melt, causing the pen to leak from the back if stored horizontally or tip-up.
Extreme Cold
If your gel pens are stored in extremely cold conditions, the ink may freeze. Since the ink contains water, the frozen ink will expand, possibly enough to crack the ink reservoir tube. Once the tube is cracked, it’s only natural that the ink will leak out once it thaws out.
Friction Across the Nib
If you carry your gel pens around in your pocket, there’s the potential for the nib to rub across the pocket’s fabric as you move, which draws the ink out in the same way that dragging it across paper does. This is an especially likely cause if you tend to forget to cap or retract your pens before putting them in your pocket or bag.
Poor Quality
Although any pen can explode under the right conditions, lower-quality pens are more likely to do so.
Some describe the way pens work as a “controlled leak,” and this is a perfect image. All pieces must work together in harmony to release ink without leaking.
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- The rollerball must fit inside the nib just right
- The wax plug and pen bottom must be snug
- The tip must remain securely screwed on
A pen with inferior materials, ink, or craftsmanship is more likely to be put together in such a way that the parts don’t fit together as well as they could.
Air Pressure
Although this reason is rarer than the others, it’s still worth including anyway. When traveling by plane or traveling to different altitudes, some people have trouble with their gel pens exploding due to the change in air pressure.
Once the pressure becomes too great, the ink has to go somewhere, and that, unfortunately, means leaking outside of the pen (and often onto your luggage).
How to Keep Gel Pens From Exploding?
Now that we know some of the top causes of gel pen explosions, let’s take a look at what we can do to prevent this annoying inconvenience.
Tighten the Tip
If you have a super inexpensive gel pen, it’s not a bad idea to check every so often that the tip is screwed on tightly, since cheaper pen tips can loosen as you use them. While you’re checking the tip, it’s not a bad idea to give the whole pen the once-over to make sure there aren’t any telltale spots of dried ink around the nib or bottom. It’s never a waste of time to do this with more expensive pens, too, but it’s more of a necessity if you already know the pen isn’t the best quality.
Keep Away From Extreme Temperatures
As we mentioned earlier, extreme temperatures – either hot or cold – can be damaging to gel pens, causing them to explode and leak. When it comes to heat, even a slight temperature rise can cause the ink to thin and leak out.
Common mistakes include:
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- Carrying in your pocket
- Leaving near an open window
- Placing near a heating or AC vent
- Leaving in a hot or freezing car
- Placing on the car dashboard in summer
In general, try to keep your gel pens in temperatures that you would be comfortable in – neither too hot nor too cold.
Store Them Correctly
When it comes to storing gel pens, there are a few schools of thought. Let’s take a look at the different methods and see which one makes the most sense.
Tip-Up
The pros of storing gel pens tip-up are:
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- Prevents leaking from the nib
- Prevents ink pooling in the nib and drying, leading to clumps
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The cons are:
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- (slim) chance of the ink leaking out the bottom of the pen
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Many gel pen enthusiasts swear that storing gel pens tip-up is the only way to go.
Tip-Down
Proponents of tip-down gel pen storage say that it’s ideal for the ink to remain in contact with the rollerball, so it doesn’t dry out.
However, this can lead to clumps and leaking, so many suggest avoiding this storage method.
Horizontal
Some gel pen lovers say that the best way to keep gel pens is horizontal, because:
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- It keeps the ink from clumping to one end of the other
- It reduces leaks since there’s no pressure on the nib
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However, storing pens horizontally takes up more space, and isn’t always practical if you’re on the go.
Carry Them Carefully
When taking your gel pens out with you, the best way to keep them from exploding is to be mindful of what you’re doing.
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- Keep the pen cap tightly on (or retract the nib if the pen’s retractable).
- Transport the pen horizontally or tip-up
- Be careful about dropping or bending the pen
A lot of the time pens that leak do so when being carried around, so just be careful when you take them out with you.
Take Care When Traveling
If you’re traveling by plane, use extra care with your pens and keep them in your carry-on baggage instead of in a checked bag.
Although it’s a misconception that the cargo holds of planes are unpressurized, indeed, they’re usually not temperature controlled, so the pens can freeze and burst.
Can a Pen Be Saved Once It’s Exploded?
Fortunately, pens can almost always be saved fairly easily once they start leaking. To do so, just:
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- Wipe any leaked ink off the pen with a paper towel
- Scribble on paper and wipe the pen again to remove pooled ink or clumps
- Repeat a few times and the pen should be as good as new
If the pen is old or most of the ink has leaked out or dried up, you might want to troubleshoot further, as broken down below.
Check out more about gel pens HERE!
Further Gel Pen Troubleshooting
The following methods will revive gel pens that have dried up due to peaks or long periods of misuse. We’ve also included suggestions for removing gel pen ink from clothing, in case your pen’s leaked on your best duds.
Blow On It
Sometimes removing the pen bottom and blowing into the ink reservoir will push the ink towards the tip, allowing it to flow more freely. If the ink has congealed around the nib, exhaling breath across it will sometimes loosen it up.
Use Warm Water
Soaking the pen nib in warm water can also help to loosen congealed ink, allowing it to clear so the ink can flow out. If the ink is very old and has dried up, try adding a drop or two of warm water to the ink reservoir and shaking.
Try Steam
If soaking the nib in warm water doesn’t loosen congealed ink, you can try boiling water and (carefully) holding the nib in the steam for a few seconds.
Removing Stains
If your gel pen has leaked onto your clothing, you can remove it using a few different methods:
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- Put alcohol-based hand sanitizer on the stain, blot it, then wash it in hot water
- Soak with vinegar and water before washing
- Spray with lemon juice, water, and detergent mixture, then wash
Although it might feel like a disaster at the time, it’s often possible to remove gel ink from clothing if you work at it.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, pens can explode for a variety of reasons, but preventing it from happening is a fairly straightforward process. Making sure to buy high-quality pens and taking good care of them will ensure your pens have long, leak-free lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are gel pens more likely to leak than other pens?
Gel pens are less likely to leak than most other pens, including rollerball, ballpoint, and fountain pens. This is due to the thickness of their ink, which tends to stay put, rather than the more liquid inks that other pens have.
How can I keep my gel pens in good condition?
You can keep your gel pens in good condition by storing them away from harsh lights and extreme temperature conditions. Taking care when storing and transporting them will also prolong the life of your gel pens.
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