My clearomizer melt!

[pathetix]

So after starting out with the joyetech Ego-C Kit, I got wiser and started experimenting with clearomizers and tanks.
It was a blissful experience untill this happened! >_<

Can anyone tell me what went wrong?
The plastic drip tip for the clearomizer melt when I took it out for a routine refill.
Had been vaping on RY4 exclusively for this particular clearomizer.

Here's a photo for reference:



A video in case the photo doesn't tell much:

I'm starting to get worried about vaping.

 

[chagrin]

That's strange .. I've never seen that before. It looks like the coil got too hot, but I'm not sure why that would happen.

 

[pathetix]

That's strange .. I've never seen that before. It looks like the coil got too hot, but I'm not sure why that would happen.

Yes I thought so too. But could it be that the RY4 is too 'strong'? Quite worried.
If I never took off the drip tip I would have continued using the same clearomizer till the juice runs out

 

[bnrkwest]

Probably a reaction of the juice to the plastic. Some juice makes clearos and tanks crack as well. bnrk

 

[pathetix]

Probably a reaction of the juice to the plastic. Some juice makes clearos and tanks crack as well. bnrk

Hm ok. So my question is after this incident, is it still safe to vape?

 

[sailorman]

I've never heard of RY4 cracking plastic, and definitely never heard of any juice attacking the drip tip.
The RY4 isn't acidic, is it?
At any rate, try the newer CE4+. The plastic is supposed to be reformulated to not crack like the older ones did.

 

[sailorman]

Hm ok. So my question is after this incident, is it still safe to vape?

If you cleaned it out and put different juice in it, it should be o.k.
I have a tank that's all fogged up from juice I had in it before and it's o.k.
If it still fires up and you dont use the same juice, I don't see what it would hurt.
It depends on how badly the plastic is damage.
I've never seen juice melt plastic like that. Usually, it just fogs or cracks.

 

[Cm7b5]

I've never heard of RY4 cracking plastic, and definitely never heard of any juice attacking the drip tip.
The RY4 isn't acidic, is it?
At any rate, try the newer CE4+. The plastic is supposed to be reformulated to not crack like the older ones did.

All due respect I'm not sure that changing to a tank with stronger plastic is the smartest thing to do. If the juice is strong enough to melt plastic maybe that particular juice, or vaping in general, is not safe? Hiding the damage with stronger plastic or stainless steel might cause you to keep vaping without any feedback until it's too late?

Maybe this is a bad analogy but if this were the Gas Sniffers forum and someone complained that the gas they were sniffing was melting the plastic jug they stored it in, perhaps it would be better for your lungs to stop, rather than continuing by storing the gas in a stronger plastic container?

 

[Clovery]

I remember reading in some thread... someone said a cinnamon flavor made their clearomizer mouthpiece soft and malleable. Other than that, I have little to offer. No doubt it's scary.

 

[sailorman]

All due respect I'm not sure that changing to a tank with stronger plastic is the smartest thing to do. If the juice is strong enough to melt plastic maybe that particular juice, or vaping in general, is not safe? Hiding the damage with stronger plastic or stainless steel might cause you to keep vaping without any feedback until it's too late?

Maybe this is a bad analogy but if this were the Gas Sniffers forum and someone complained that the gas they were sniffing was melting the plastic jug they stored it in, perhaps it would be better for your lungs to stop, rather than continuing by storing the gas in a stronger plastic container?

The reaction of certain juices, cinnamon, citrus, cola and any juice high in citric acid to polycarbonate has been known for ages. There's nothing dangerous about the juice, it's just a known chemical reaction. Somewhere around here, there is a member who is maintaining a list of juices known to crack or otherwise damage polycarbonate.

The new tanks are made with a higher content of polyethylene. Like a milk jug. It is resistant to the acids that attack polycarbonate. There are glass tanks and even tanks made of delrin that owe their existence to the fact that some juice cracks polycarbonate.

It's always possible that the particular juice in this case contained battery acid or something. But the fact that certain juice damages certain plastics is no mystery and says nothing about the safety of vaping high acid juices or vaping in general. If I vaped RY4, I'd try to see if other vapers had a problem with that particular flavor. If no one did, I'd probably find another juice vendor for it. It's a common flavor and lots of juice makers make it. OTOH, citric acid is added to a lot of juices as a preservative. It could be that this one juice maker used it and nobody else does. Still, nothing to worry about.

 

[denali_41]

its the heat of the coil doing that !! i just cleaned a V1 and put it in front of the laptop exhaust to dry,,
pulled it straight from the laptop and assembled it,it just kept turning and never got tight,,pulled it apart and the rubber was all over the mouthpiece just like yours

 

[pathetix]

I've never heard of RY4 cracking plastic, and definitely never heard of any juice attacking the drip tip.
The RY4 isn't acidic, is it?
At any rate, try the newer CE4+. The plastic is supposed to be reformulated to not crack like the older ones did.

The one I used is this: Upgraded Vision eGo Transparent Clearomizer for eGo (V2,Long Wick). Is this an older version?

Not sure if the RY4 was acidic or not. I thought all RY4 were the same.. lol.

 

[Mark Conway]

Wow, I am using the same clearo's.... never had a problem with them like that!

Where did you get the juice from? Was it from HC as well? You might have had a dodgy batch? I have a RY4 but only used it in my boge... might steer clear of using it in my clearo if it does that!

WOW!

 

[pathetix]

Wow, I am using the same clearo's.... never had a problem with them like that!

Where did you get the juice from? Was it from HC as well? You might have had a dodgy batch? I have a RY4 but only used it in my boge... might steer clear of using it in my clearo if it does that!

WOW!

I got the juice from another retailer, not HC.

Since others are using the same clearomizer, I think it might be the RY4 then. I think I'm gonna try other RY4 and see if the same thing happens.

But yes this is scary.

 

[Bizzar1]

Not all ry4's are the same. They vary greatly in flavor/taste from each vendor. Same goes with a dekang 555 or a simple fruit flavor. I use an ry4 from ECBlend with zero problems in my clearomizer and its one of my favorite ry4's. (cheap too)

 

[LucentShadow]

There are a few threads that have popped up with this type of issue, like this one:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tanks/288473-dct-endcaps-melted.html

I agree with the general consensus here: ditch the juice or use it in something without those plastics.

 

[Striker911]

I have a clear drip tip that has cracks in it from condensation. I too have wondered what its doing to me if it can crack a drip tip. I know first hand that juices can crack tanks. But condensation?

 

[Mark Conway]

Well I have 7 of those clearo's in total from the same retailer (2 short wick and 5 long wicks). I have not had a problem like what you are describing (or like the vid) it would have to be the liquid you are using.

Personally if I had a liquid doing that to plastic I would be turfing it! Maybe I am just being cautious but my thinking would be if it does that to plastic what is it doing to me when I inhale it? Again I could be overcautious but its better safe than sorry!

 

[sailorman]

The one I used is this: Upgraded Vision eGo Transparent Clearomizer for eGo (V2,Long Wick). Is this an older version?

Not sure if the RY4 was acidic or not. I thought all RY4 were the same.. lol.

That's the upgraded one. It's supposed to be resistant to acids. I'm starting to think that it was the coil like Denali said. I never saw juice melt plastic, only crack or fog it. That looks more like something heat would do.

RY4 might be a little different but not tremendously. That particular maker could be using a lot of citric acid. Still, that doesn't explain the melting instead of cracking.

 

[DedTV]

I have a clear drip tip that has cracks in it from condensation. I too have wondered what its doing to me if it can crack a drip tip. I know first hand that juices can crack tanks. But condensation?

The "condensation" contains juice residue and will crack certain plastics the same way juice will. But unless you're made of plastic, it's probably safe for you.

Polycarbonite, which is what most "clear' tanks are made of, is fairly susceptible to damage from esters and very susceptible to damage by Aldehydes

Cinnamaldehyde, which is what gives Cinnamon it's flavor is an Aldehyde. You don't want to use anything with that in it in a Polycarbonite tank. It's safe for you, but it will very quickly and spectacularly destroy Polycarbonite.

Esters are created when you mix a carboylic acid with an alcohol. PG is an alcohol. Acetic Acid (gives Vinegar it's sour taste), Citric Acid, malic acid & tartaric acid are all carbolyic acids used fairly regularly in juices & flavorings which when mixed with PG and heated can create esters which then attack the plastic causing it to fog, soften, "melt" or completely disintegrate (depending on the concentration of esters present and how long they are allowed to attack the plastic).
Esters are prevalent in nature and many natural foods and most are non-toxic to humans. But to some plastics, they're death.

A simple way to check your juices for this kind of reactivity is to take some juice and put it in a small container. Break off a small piece of Styrofoam (polystyrene) and add it to the juice. Set the juice in a warm location (I put it on top of my DVR which is always fairly hot) and leave it for a week. If the styrofoam is unaffected, the juice is probably ok to use in a tank. Styrofoam reacts to most of the same things Polycarbonite does, often much more quickly. If the styrofoam dissolves, you probably don't want to use that juice in a clear plastic tank.
It's not a 100% accurate test as some things that will dissolve styrofoam are fine in tanks and vice versa but, for our purposes it's close enough and better than blindly risking a tank.

That's the upgraded one. It's supposed to be resistant to acids. I'm starting to think that it was the coil like Denali said. I never saw juice melt plastic, only crack or fog it.

They only have longer wicks. Otherwise they're the same as the version 1s. At least according to Healthcabin:
"The upgraded Vision clearomizers with long wicks are made exact same as original Vision eGo Transparent clearomizer for eGo (Short Wick). Same structure. Same material. Same Vapor."