A Veteran Needs Help - Protanks

[Rocketpunk]

So recently I decided to give Protanks (any iteration) another try. So far, not so good.

I'm not into rebuildables (repeat: NOT INTO REBUILDABLES, the advice I seek is not applicable to rebuilding... please don't post if your reply concerns rebuilding in any respect.)

So, why am I finding such inconsistency in the stock heads? (NOT INTO REBUILDABLES). Out of a pack of five, only one is working. The other four had a burnt taste immediately that didn't go away. The only tinkering I did was to remove one flavor wick.

The one head that did work is working wonderfully. The other four found their way into the trash.

Pertinent info:

Stock heads are standard 2.2 ohm.
They are genuine Kangertech replacement heads.
Removed one flavor wick.
juice ranges between 50/50 pg/vg and 60/40 pg/vg. No menthol, no citrus, no cinnamon.
Used them on an MVP2 and an SVD at 8 watts. In voltage mode, at 4 volts.
Dry fired (sucked without pressing fire button) to help saturate wicks.
Instant burning. Doesn't go away. "Broke" the atty in.

Advice?

This is why I hesitate with clearos. Inconsistent performance. I want to like them, I really, really do... But so far, it's still a flawed delivery device.

 

[Harlen]

Did you rinse them before installing ?
Did you let them sit for 3 minuets before using after filling them ?
Do you know what ohm they where ?

 

[Rocketpunk]

1. I was unaware and never heard of people rinsing them before using. Typically I advise people not to use a wicking system if it's been rinsed with water until it is air-dry. Are they like dripping atomizers that come with primer? I never noticed that before... ever.

2. I did.

3. 2.2 ohms.

EDIT: Just glanced at a thread here and wonder... rubber grommets? But it's not a burning rubber smell, it's purely an electronic burn taste.

 

[Talyon]

Yep sometimes and can never know ahead of time, they need to be cleaned first just as a rule.

My personal exp is that 8 watts way to high, I usually run any protank 1-2-3 at 6-7 watts, on a variety of Dekang to hooligans to Ave liquids. I don't rebuild either, but I do remove the flavor wick, and replace with ecowool.

I also prefer the 1.8 ohm coils. Not pertinent though lol.

I've found that just like a Carto once the coil wick gets burned I toss and replace.

Hope I helped a wee bit

 

[Rocketpunk]

My personal exp is that 8 watts way to high

Hrm. For a 2.2 ohm coil, 8 watts is too high? Gah! All those equations and formulas no longer apply? I always thought the rule of thumb is, if your resistance is 2 ohms, you can tack 2 onto it and use it at 4 volts (or 8 watts). And I always considered that the low-spectrum of vaping.

This old dog needs to learn more new tricks.

EDIT: Does it have something to do with silica being the wicking material, whereas cartomizers use that "who knows what it is" polyfill?

 

[Talyon]

Yep I believe your right about the silica, but since u don't rebuild but a cotton would be better for wicking etc this I'm sure u know.

I don't use charts just whatever wattage works, I'm assuming the higher the watts the more heat is applied to wick ergo burning it.

So I'd try a new washed head, at 6-7 watts and see if that performs better for yah.

I love my protanks and they perform very well, but as you know they are still not the best delivery system, but can be very satisfactory for most.

Also for using more watts above 8 etc, I believe u would want a micro coil etc.

 

[Trayce]

So recently I decided to give Protanks [...] So, why am I finding such inconsistency in the stock heads? (NOT INTO REBUILDABLES). Out of a pack of five, only one is working. The other four had a burnt taste immediately that didn't go away. The only tinkering I did was to remove one flavor wick.

The one head that did work is working wonderfully. The other four found their way into the trash.

[...]

This is why I hesitate with clearos. Inconsistent performance. I want to like them, I really, really do... But so far, it's still a flawed delivery device.

I feel your pain. When I got clearos (Protank 2 and Aro pyrex tanks) a couple/few months back, it was heaven for the first month as the heads that came in the tanks seemed to work fine. However, once I got into the 5-packs I bought -- both genuine Kanger and genuine Aro heads -- I had the same problem.... burnt taste right off the bat. With all I tried, and I tried about 4 Aros and a couple Kangers. However I had the rubber grommet burny taste, and you are just having what sounds like to me, a silica burn taste. (I'd mention here I rewick all mine with cotton but I am minding your stern warning.) Point is, if I didn't re-wick with cotton instead of a burny grommet taste I would have likely gotten the burny silica taste. Silica just doesn't wick all that well.

I have no idea why some heads perform satisfactorily and others don't. I gave up and put my tanks aside for the time being. And since you are not interested in rebuilding, I'd say the head/tank system isn't for you. Because even with the new heads with no-res legs and a silicone grommet, they still have silica wicks.

I second the idea of a carto tank in your case... no rebuilding involved. And hopefully better consistency with cartos than with heads.

PS I soak all new heads in rubbing alcohol for several minute to an hour then rise well [and rewick with cotton myself but you can just rinse the silica with distilled] before using. The machine oils on those things from the manuf process is HORRID to vape, IYAM.

 

[Talyon]

Bumping for more possible answers.

 

[Jay-dub]

Yep sometimes and can never know ahead of time, they need to be cleaned first just as a rule.

My personal exp is that 8 watts way to high, I usually run any protank 1-2-3 at 6-7 watt

This is EXACTLY my experience as well.

 

[Pocha]

The inconsistency in replacement Protank and Aro heads has annoyed me to no end. I have washed/boiled and thoroughly dried them prior to using and they will STILL regularly taste like garbage straight out of the box. I have almost ZERO interest in tinkering and rebuilding heads so I am now dabbling in the world of carto tanks until I revisit one of these threads and I see the problem is solved.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Nothing will ever beat a tried and true carto tank. I don't know why I dally with clearos. Suckered by their "ease of use".

 

[SAG]

Well I use the PTs (all variations) and T3s. When I get a "good" coil, they're awesome. I don't rebuild either but I do take apart to clean and DB. The bad coils make me crazy. I know it's fiddly. Sometimes if I get a funky taste, all it takes is to slightly adjust how tight the base is screwed onto the tank, Other times I pull the post and check for hot spots again. And other times, there is nothing I can do - it's a dud. When I get a new 5 pack of coils I take them all out of the foil pack, clean them, pull the post and check to make sure all the coils are lighting up. I will tell you that on one of the coils, there was an added bonus of a insulator literally stuffed on the side of the coil. Gotta love good QC!!!!!!

 

[Train2]

Hmmm.

I successfully use ProTanks all the time now, and frankly, your original post sounds like you did everything that usually gets recommended: removing some of the flavor wick, and "dry firing" are all I do to get them running (I don't rinse coils, as someone suggested). And I vape the same PG/VG ratios as you.
I like 1.8's, but they tend to actually measure 2.1. Are your 2.4's really 2.8? Not that it should matter much.
I flip around a bit on power settings. Typical setting are around 3.8 to 4 volts, or 7 to 8 watts.
ALMOST Stumped - but here are a few things to check?

- I WOULD try starting at maybe 7 watts first. It could just be that 8 is a little "hot" for a fresh coil... Actually, I just checked, and I've got a 2.6 ohm coil in, and it's a bit burn-ey at 8. That's probably it...

- Maybe for SOME reason, your PTank is "blocking" the juice flow more than most. Maybe you REALLY need to "prime" the wicks - draw HARD before firing, AND let it sit for a minute.

- Same concept - maybe the rubber tube gasket is cutting off the wicking - some people reverse it - so the it's open end is "up" towards the open end of the tube. I haven't found MUCH difference - but it CAN clear the path to the wicks.

- MAYBE your coils came REALLY overstuffed with wicking. You could remove one more strand...

- Maybe you got a crappy batch of coils!?

I have been having really good luck with them lately, or have gotten really good at using them. LONG life on the coils - I tend to simple hot-water wash every 2 tanks, and they keep going and going. I don't do much dark juice these days - that may be part of it.

I DID get convinced by reading here that it's time to try a cartotank though. IBTanked is on it's way. I hope it's not TOO much better, because I have like 5 ProTanks, and about a year's worth of coils (I don't like rebuilding either).