There are a few reasons a mouthpiece becomes sticky or stuck in the closed position, but only you can prevent a stuck mouthpiece.
Reason #1: Buildup on the mouthpiece metal stem and sliding ring.
Overtime, residue will build up on the outside and inside of the metal mouthpiece stem and can begin to cause your mouthpiece to move slow or sluggishly. Unless you regularly maintain your PAX by soaking the mouthpiece and applying mouthpiece lubricant, this will get more severe and your mouthpiece could eventually become jammed in place.
The sliding ring that sits underneath the mouthpiece plastic helps latch your mouthpiece in the OFF position. It’s important to keep this piece clean so that it moves freely or your device may need servicing to remove the mouthpiece.
Try this: The best way to remove a sticky mouthpiece is to gently warm up the residue that's preventing the mouthpiece from releasing. You can try blowing warm air into the top of the closed mouthpiece, leave your PAX in the sun or in your pocket and let body heat do the work for you. Press the mouthpiece down slowly but firmly, wiggling it back and forth, until it slowly pushes itself back out. If you are able to remove your mouthpiece (whew!), clean and lubricate your mouthpiece before reinserting it into PAX. Check out our related FAQ’s below.
Reason #2: Disassembling the mouthpiece.
PAX asks that you never disassemble your mouthpiece. If you have disassembled your mouthpiece at any point and it is stuck in the off position, it will need to be sent to the PAX Pros for service.
Do not try this: Put down the pliers! Please do not ever use any tools to try and remove your mouthpiece as this may cause permanent damage to your PAX, and is not covered under the warranty.
If you are unable to remove a stuck mouthpiece contact the PAX Pros using our Support Request form.