At wits end! Endless dry hits on Lemo please help!

[ohmrekt]

Happy Holidays and greetings ECF forum, I'm new here as you can tell.

This Lemo is giving me nightmares, when I first received it the lemo ran like a dreamo with the stock coil and wick.

It started tasting funny after three days so I rewicked but kept the same coil at 1.1 ohms, that was my mistake.

Dry hit city here we go!

I've rewicked more times than I can count, different thicknesses and lengths of cotton.

I even ordered japenese organic cotton pads! To no avail. I get dry hits if I pull for more than 4 seconds, from 4-6 volts and 16-30watts.

I don't get why this is happening even with 60/40 juice.. It's frustrating since it worked perfectly at first and now I can't get a satisfactory vape.

Please help!

 

[illustratedmann]

Happy Holidays!

Since every coil/build is different, try different cotton placement. Maybe try using a thick enough piece that gives a little "tug" when you pull it through. Maybe use a little less so it's not too tight inside the coil which may lead to burnt hits. If you'd like to post a pic of your build we might be able to give better help.

Maybe someone else can give more specific advice, but my only recommendation is to try rewicking a few times, and only add a few drops of juice to the tank so in case it's not right you don't have to empty or waste much.

 

[BlkWolfMidnight]

Howdy,
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Dry hits, so many memories of them I have myself. First I suppose is to figure out what system your running and as I ask those I build for "What kind of vape experience are you looking for" (aside from dry burn).

Cotton is a great wicking material, I personally don't put stock in to it for 2 reasons. Dry burns are beyond horrible and I'm allergic to cotton in my atomizer.
Moving forward, a dry burn happens when the wicking material is not providing the juice fast enough for the coil. I noticed that your running a 1.1 ohm coil so unlikely that is the case, however...try firing it without the wicking material in the coil, does one loop heat up faster then the rest, if so bingo, there is your issue. Poke it till it evens out and should be alright. Micro coils and normal spaced coils will burn essentially the same, from the center out in a nice, even pattern.

Wicking material, you have a lot of choices for this one. I'd like to bring back up the material of Silica (don't shoot me on this one). Yes, its fiberglass, yes you might possibly inhale a small tiny fraction of a bit however your body see's it as a foreign particle and expels it. It wicks well and dry burns are not so painful that mouthwash and a prayer are required to recover from them.

Juice
Yup, I'm going there, 60/40 is kind of high on the VG side, remember that VG is pretty much syrup on a cold day in January where as PG is a little thicker then tap water. The mixture may be an issue but shouldn't be, I wouldn't put stock in to that bet but is something to try/tinker with as a possible fix.

I'd say rebuild, don't "Constrain" your cotton wick, it should be in there but not super tight. Try maybe Silica and see if that works out differently (I'm more then sure someone at your local Vape Shop has some available). Head on up there and let them check it out, most places near me are descent at rebuilding but as usual take that with a grain of salt ( its ok to ask questions and evaluate the quality of the builder, it is after all your vaping experience).
Oh, forgot to add, Clean, clean and more cleaning, make sure your feed holes aren't blocked, make sure that nothings pinching or too tight. clean up everything from the threads on down just to ensure that its not mechanical failure (not likely, but a precaution).
Lastly is the E-Liquid, like I'd mentioned I wouldn't put stock in that being the issue, but hey...try everything and something is bound to work.

Welcome to ECF

 

[ohmrekt]

That's the thing though, I've rewicked AT LEAST 20 times with different amounts of cotton and length of legs.

Last night I took it apart and didn't hold the tank tight against the o-ring on the right side and I spilled the whole 5mls

Thanks BlkWolfMidnight!

I meant 60pg 40vg though so that's why I don't understand the problem, but I hate rewicking on this its such a hassle and you waste so much juice I'll deal with the dry hits through this tank almost done with it just gotta take shorter pulls.

So frustrating, I almost bought a new Lemo just for the coil. But having an extra tank for a different juice would be nice too.

 

[philoshop]

I don't own a lemo (yet) and know nothing about them. That said, you might try backing off the power to see if things improve. You might just get some magic at a lower voltage. Knock it down to 3.4v and see if it helps, and work back up from there to find the sweet spot for the way you vape. I have 3 mods in front of me right, including one with a Magma dripper, and none of them are pushing more than 3.7v because that's where they work for me.
Welcome to the site, BTW. You'll get it worked out when you find your own sweet spot.

 

[Warpigs]

With the VV/VW sometimes you have to start at lowest setting and work your way up to your sweet spot to vape.

 

[BlkWolfMidnight]

With the VV/VW sometimes you have to start at lowest setting and work your way up to your sweet spot to vape.

Well said actually, something that I had to learn myself was start low and move to high, not visa versa. Though you would think on a .4 ohm coil high wattage would be better but currently I'm running 20w and that's plenty enough power to get those puppies glowing red hot quickly.

Just like wattage "Size isn't everything, its how you use it" I once was told, no worries she dumped me later on, life lessons I guess.

 

[BlkWolfMidnight]

I'd say purchase a new head for it, can't go wrong with that.
Having 2 tanks around especially if you like that atomizer is a must. I'm not saying it happens frequently but stuff breaks, replacement is always good to grab n go rather then wait for snail mail or hope your local vape shop has it in stock (yup, been there, done that).
Micro-coils are a PIA (Pain in the ....) to get just right, and to wick just right, typically I think this is why they use silica and not cotton or another material. I personally will not thread cotton through anything smaller then 2.0 mm as the chances of burning to ash is pretty high.

Just some thoughts on that one. But yah can't go wrong having an extra especially if you like the atty.

 

[mbzdyk]

I'd say purchase a new head for it, can't go wrong with that.
Having 2 tanks around especially if you like that atomizer is a must. I'm not saying it happens frequently but stuff breaks, replacement is always good to grab n go rather then wait for snail mail or hope your local vape shop has it in stock (yup, been there, done that).
Micro-coils are a PIA (Pain in the ....) to get just right, and to wick just right, typically I think this is why they use silica and not cotton or another material. I personally will not thread cotton through anything smaller then 2.0 mm as the chances of burning to ash is pretty high.

Just some thoughts on that one. But yah can't go wrong having an extra especially if you like the atty.

Lemo comes with a 3mm coil

 

[novamatt]

Wicking the lemo can be a little tricky - I've been a Kayfun user for almost a year, and it's taken me a good two weeks or so to get it sorted out. Some of what seems to be good for it is a little counterintuitive. Here's what has been working for me:

- Use a lot of cotton. I'm running 1/8" coils, and my cotton is thick enough that it tugs at the coil when I pull it through. You want to have to twist it a little as you're threading the coil in order to get it through. Less is more with cotton in most things, but more is more in the Lemo.

- Leave it a little longer. I pull the tails up, put the chimney on, and the. Cut it about 3mm above the top of the chimney, so you've got a little more length to tuck in.

- Don't clear the juice channels. You want to tuck your cotton down into the chimney so that the ends where you cut it are pointed down, just resting right on top of the channels.

When you get it right, it almost looks like you've filled the wells on either side of the deck with cotton.

I hope that helps a little. Keep trying and good luck! Once you get this thing dialed in, it's amazing. You'll get there.

 

[BeerGolfClouds]

Maybe it's a different issue altogether. If you cover the airholes and suck through the drip tip, is it completely closed off or do you still get some air through it? If you get even a little air, you have a bad seal somewhere and juice won't wick properly (works on a vacuum principle). Replacing the o-rings and not over-tightening parts is the solution if this occurs.

 

[K_Tech]

Wicking the lemo can be a little tricky - I've been a Kayfun user for almost a year, and it's taken me a good two weeks or so to get it sorted out. Some of what seems to be good for it is a little counterintuitive. Here's what has been working for me:

- Use a lot of cotton. I'm running 1/8" coils, and my cotton is thick enough that it tugs at the coil when I pull it through. You want to have to twist it a little as you're threading the coil in order to get it through. Less is more with cotton in most things, but more is more in the Lemo.

- Leave it a little longer. I pull the tails up, put the chimney on, and the. Cut it about 3mm above the top of the chimney, so you've got a little more length to tuck in.

- Don't clear the juice channels. You want to tuck your cotton down into the chimney so that the ends where you cut it are pointed down, just resting right on top of the channels.

When you get it right, it almost looks like you've filled the wells on either side of the deck with cotton.

I hope that helps a little. Keep trying and good luck! Once you get this thing dialed in, it's amazing. You'll get there.

^^ Agreed. It takes a little tweaking to get it just right, but when you do, it's a great performer.

My problem with my first few attempts was not enough wick, and I was flooding a lot the first day. I do a 2.64 mm coil now (just under 7/64") and enough cotton that when NOT twisted up it produces a little drag when pulled through the coil, pushed down but NOT stuffed around the juice channels.

That works for my Lemo and my Lemo Drop.

Best of luck!

 

[slacker83]

What novamatt said, works for me everytime

 

[WeirdWillie]

Calm down the Lemo guru is here
Your problem is in fact poor/improper wicking and possibly vacuum issues and not the thickness of your juice as someone absurdly suggested nor is it the fact that you are using cotton for wicking.
I now own 6 Lemo's and have owned one since before PB even did a video on them and run them with a wide assortment of juices and ratios from 70/30 to 20/80 pg/vg
all running using shiseido japaneese cotton and run them anywhere between 30 and 80 watts with not so much as a hint of dry hit or leaking,

First thing is SLOW DOWN
take your time whenever you rebuild/rewick your Lemo rushing and halfazzing will always lead to trouble.
Think of it as building a vaping masterpiece.

novamatt gave you good sound wicking advice and it will work, more is better with the Lemo, but DO NOT pack the wick into the lower deck.... gently lay it in there across the entire lower deck.

Next, clean, clean clean all mating surfaces, upper and lower gaskets, and upper chimney o-ring, make sure they are all in good condition if in doubt replace them.

Lastly, adjust your air flow as I have said I own 6 of them and all are adjusted differently even with the same pg/vg ratio I find they all have their own personality and require slightly different air flow, remember these are vacuum fed too little airflow and you'll flood the chamber you'll have to find the right air to juice ratio
make sure all sealing surfaces and gaskets/o-ring connections are tight and leak free, minor leaks here are potential big chamber vacuum leak issues.

 

[novamatt]

...pushed down but NOT stuffed around the juice channels.

Can't believe I forgot to mention this. Yes, definitely. This part is HUGE. Don't cram it in there. Just gently fold over and tuck it down.

Thanks, K_Tech!

 

[ohmrekt]

Dude novamatt thanks, I haven't tried any of those things you listed.

So close to finishing this tank, I'll try those when I'm done.

Nice combo istick/lemo btw, and happy holidays.

 

[ohmrekt]

Calm down the Lemo guru is here
Your problem is in fact poor/improper wicking and possibly vacuum issues and not the thickness of your juice as someone absurdly suggested nor is it the fact that you are using cotton for wicking.
I now own 6 Lemo's and have owned one since before PB even did a video on them and run them with a wide assortment of juices and ratios from 70/30 to 20/80 pg/vg
all running using shiseido japaneese cotton and run them anywhere between 30 and 80 watts with not so much as a hint of dry hit or leaking,

First thing is SLOW DOWN
take your time whenever you rebuild/rewick your Lemo rushing and halfazzing will always lead to trouble.
Think of it as building a vaping masterpiece.

novamatt gave you good sound wicking advice and it will work, more is better with the Lemo, but DO NOT pack the wick into the lower deck.... gently lay it in there across the entire lower deck.

Next, clean, clean clean all mating surfaces, upper and lower gaskets, and upper chimney o-ring, make sure they are all in good condition if in doubt replace them.

Lastly, adjust your air flow as I have said I own 6 of them and all are adjusted differently even with the same pg/vg ratio I find they all have their own personality and require slightly different air flow, remember these are vacuum fed too little airflow and you'll flood the chamber you'll have to find the right air to juice ratio
make sure all sealing surfaces and gaskets/o-ring connections are tight and leak free, minor leaks here are potential big chamber vacuum leak issues.

Awesome, thanks man. I love it with the airflow 'WIDE OPEN' and high wattage for a 'WARM DENSE VAPE'.

Happy Holidays!

 

[RandyF]

Awesome, thanks man. I love it with the airflow 'WIDE OPEN' and high wattage for a 'WARM DENSE VAPE'.

Happy Holidays!

What BeerGolfClouds said is definitely something you want to be sure on.

Your statement quoted here though could be your biggest issue. The Lemo is a vacuum system, "wide open" means less vacuum, so less juice is drawn into the wicks. Couple that with "high wattage", burning more juice faster, and you are setting yourself up for dry hits. That doesn't mean it can't work, just that you are setting the stage for it to happen.

That being said, the Lemo is pretty versatile, which is why it is a popular RTA. I'm sure you will find the balance, but in the meantime, here is a couple suggestions.

1. Only fill your tank 1/3 full the first time, then if it isn't right you you don't have to power though a full tank, or worse, lose the juice.
2. If it isn't quite right and still isn't wicking fast enough, prime the wick every couple of draws. Cover the air holes and take a short puff (primer puff) without firing the device. You should see an air bubble from the channel. This draws extra liquid into the wicks, but be careful not to draw too much in or you can flood it out.

 

[ohmrekt]

Wicking the lemo can be a little tricky - I've been a Kayfun user for almost a year, and it's taken me a good two weeks or so to get it sorted out. Some of what seems to be good for it is a little counterintuitive. Here's what has been working for me:

- Use a lot of cotton. I'm running 1/8" coils, and my cotton is thick enough that it tugs at the coil when I pull it through. You want to have to twist it a little as you're threading the coil in order to get it through. Less is more with cotton in most things, but more is more in the Lemo.

- Leave it a little longer. I pull the tails up, put the chimney on, and the. Cut it about 3mm above the top of the chimney, so you've got a little more length to tuck in.

- Don't clear the juice channels. You want to tuck your cotton down into the chimney so that the ends where you cut it are pointed down, just resting right on top of the channels.

When you get it right, it almost looks like you've filled the wells on either side of the deck with cotton.

I hope that helps a little. Keep trying and good luck! Once you get this thing dialed in, it's amazing. You'll get there.

Dude, YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER.

I stuffed the sunuva..... with cotton, I had to force it through the coil it was so thick, did exactly what you stated and guess what..

NO MORE DRY HITS! I can take her up to 6 muthafuggin volts with no dry hits, not even a sizzle after I let go of the button.

I'd kiss ya if I could, but I doubt many would want a kiss from my dictator mug

THANKS A MILLION,

 

[WeirdWillie]

Dude, YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER.

I stuffed the sunuva..... with cotton, I had to force it through the coil it was so thick, did exactly what you stated and guess what..

NO MORE DRY HITS! I can take her up to 6 muthafuggin volts with no dry hits, not even a sizzle after I let go of the button.

I'd kiss ya if I could, but I doubt many would want a kiss from my dictator mug

THANKS A MILLION,

Ain't the Lemo a wonderful thing once you have wicking sorted out.
Now obtain a DNA40 and some Ni200 wire, and the learning process starts anew LOL