Aqua clone dry hits

[Gonzi]

No matter what I do, I can't keep my Aqua feeding right. I've tried about 4 or 5 different builds, latest one is dual 30 gauge micros around 5/32", metering at .8ohm with cotton wick. I get a few great toots, then nothing but dry burn the **** out of my throat. I've tried silica, ekowool and cotton, different amount of wicks, different resistances, juice control wide open, closed, air adjusted almost closed, can't get it to wick right!!!!

I have a brass Origin clone that I bought just for the Aqua and I'm to the point where I'm about to post both in the classifieds.

I'm not new to this, I've been rebuilding for about a year and a half and into kayfun types since November. I'm currently running a dual micro at .8 in one of my kayfun lite clones with incredible results, I just can't figure this one out.

 

[BobC]

have you opened the juice control?

 

[muzichead]

Pics go a long way when trying to diagnose a problem such as you have. Have you searched for answers in the big Aqua thread, http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...497805-its-happened-aqua-has-been-cloned.html? You might find a fix to your problems in there... As I already mentioned, pics go a long way here. You're problem may just be something trivial like too much cotton in the channels...

 

[Gonzi]

have you opened the juice control?

Yes I have, up to the point that it makes the tank too wobbly for my liking. I've also tried different amounts of cotton, from very little to enough to loosely fill the channels.

 

[BobC]

Try posting a picture of your setup, if you're using cotton through the coil, usually dry hit are caused by too much cotton in the coil, choking it

 

[bce22]

Pictures help alot for sure.

I used such a small amount of cotton in mine. I kept removing cotton until it fit perfectly. Also, I pushed the cotton against the deck so that when the chimney is in place no cotton is visable. The juice can freely make it under the chimney inside the horizontal juice channel.

I have only build it once but it worked great from the get go, unlike my russian clone which has given me nothing but dry hits. My aqua is a Tobeco clone.

I used this video for help with cotton density:

Aqua Atomizer Step by Step Build - YouTube

 

[KurrptSenate]

Sounds like too much cotton to me. You ID of your coil is huge. I only use a 5/64ths drill bit to wrap my micros on

 

[BobC]

Sounds like too much cotton to me. You ID of your coil is huge. I only use a 5/64ths drill bit to wrap my micros on

should make no difference

 

[KurrptSenate]

of course it would

if you coil has a larger ID, then you would use more cotton for that kind of coil. unless he drilled out his juice channels, it would be too much cotton stuffed in the little channels

 

[VaPreis]

Perhaps you meant 5/64"? I build my Aqua coils just a hair larger then at 2.2mm and wick with cotton. Last build was 8 wraps of 26ga at 2.2mm (a piece of coat hanger) and wicked with cotton, for a resistance of @ .4Ω total.

For this one, I like to keep the cotton wispy. It fills the coil, but pulls through easily in either direction without bunching. I also don't run the cotton all the way down the channels. Close, but not the full length. I always wet the cotton with liquid and then form it into the channels.

I vape 50/50 in my Aqau and I can't get a dry hit out of it, and I run the "juice control" fully closed, air flow wide open. Being a chain vaper, if it was going to dry hit, it would have done it.

I'd suggest that perhaps you're using to much cotton in your current build and it's choking.

EDIT: Thought I'd add that my Aqua is the $20 Fasttech version with the red o-rings.

And here's a pic of my current build I'm vaping on. I apologize, I really meant to take a picture of it wicked, but got to excited and forgot.

 

[bce22]

Here are two pics of my setup that I have been using. The juice is nicoticket creme brulee so the wicks are pretty dark. I used the flash on the second one so you can see how my wicks are placed in the channels easier. They are crappy photos taken on my work desk with my crappy phone so I apologize in advance for that. This was my first setup in this tank and seems to be working great.

 

[steel bender]

Personally, I thought 3/32 was too large of a wick to be crammed into those channels. I switched to a 1/16 microcoil and it's wicking much better. It's crazy how little cotton it needs. Also, I believe in todd's review of the aqua, he mentions it's not recommended to put the wick past the vertical channel, because you may get dry hits. Of course, then he did it anyways and said it's working great, but I guess it's possible.

I made some modifications to mine, basically messed with the airflow and now, I have the keep the tank almost screwed all the way down (closing off airflow for better suction) with the juice control wide open, but I'm really happy with it now. Well I would be, if I had the clear tank...

 

[Gonzi]

Thanks to all of you for your help. I'll take it appart when I get a chance and take pictures. I'll probably rebuild it with the coils a little closer to the deck and I'll do them 1/16". I don't like 1/16 single micros, they tend to dry up for me, but I'm currently running duel 1/16" in my KFL right now at .8ohm with absolutely no dry hits, super saturated warm vape, so I'll try it in the aqua as a last resort. Right now my coils are about 2.5mm from the deck, right over the air holes of course.

 

[BobC]

of course it would

if you coil has a larger ID, then you would use more cotton for that kind of coil. unless he drilled out his juice channels, it would be too much cotton stuffed in the little channels

Trimming down the cotton for the channels is not a problem, not that I think it's possible to overstuff the channels

 

[BobC]

Thanks to all of you for your help. I'll take it appart when I get a chance and take pictures. I'll probably rebuild it with the coils a little closer to the deck and I'll do them 1/16". I don't like 1/16 single micros, they tend to dry up for me, but I'm currently running duel 1/16" in my KFL right now at .8ohm with absolutely no dry hits, super saturated warm vape, so I'll try it in the aqua as a last resort. Right now my coils are about 2.5mm from the deck, right over the air holes of course.

having the coils closer or further from the base will only affect taste, not cause or eliminate dry burns (so long as they're not touching the base of course)

 

[Gonzi]

having the coils closer or further from the base will only affect taste, not cause or eliminate dry burns (so long as they're not touching the base of course)

Well, my train of thought was: the lower the coil, the more horizontal the wick is before going down the chanels, and would also make the wick shorter, making it for less distance for the juice to travel.

 

[propofokgov]

Trimming down the cotton for the channels is not a problem, not that I think it's possible to overstuff the channels

I'm going to disagree with you on this one. My experience with the Aqua clearly shows that you CAN over-stuff the channels, which it sounds like exactly what's happening here.

Trust me, you'll use less than you think you'll need. Let's put it this way... if you have to stuff it in there tight, it's too much. You should be able to push the cotton into the channel with ease.

 

[bce22]

I agree, I don't think you need a whole lot of cotton to get it to wick well even when chain vaping.

 

[mbliffert]

I'm going to disagree with you on this one. My experience with the Aqua clearly shows that you CAN over-stuff the channels, which it sounds like exactly what's happening here.

Trust me, you'll use less than you think you'll need. Let's put it this way... if you have to stuff it in there tight, it's too much. You should be able to push the cotton into the channel with ease.

I'm going to agree with this here. Less is more in this tank. I cut my wicks so they only go about halfway down the juice channel. I vape with an airy draw and juice control completely closed. Just tested and I can't a dry hit after chain vaping a half tank of juice.

 

[vapdivrr]

looking at the pics i wouldn't go any closer to the deck with your coils. they are close enough and personally (if im getting the correct visual on your coil) i tend to go slightly higher, but not much. i have never had any issues with my aqua at all so i find it hard to believe someone could get a dry hit from one of these tanks. when i first received it i did once get an offish taste and i believe it was from slightly to much cotton in the actual coil but not sure. one thing i see in your pics is the direction of your leads. you seem to run your leads to the outside of the posts unlike in my builds where i connect my leads inside. i wonder if its possible that the leads are drying out the edges of your wick? maybe a long shot, but have you tried reducing the length of the wire leads by connecting to the inside of the posts? it is possible that this doesn't have anything to do with it because im sure a lot of people connect in this manner but once my coil wraps leave the wick there is no more wire touching the wick, in your pic it looks like part of the wire leads after the coil is touching the shoulders of the wick. this just looks funny to me maybe because i just don't do it that way, anyways like i said it may not be this because most of the time its the amount of cotton. also in certain clones the airflow is not very good. i have seen this a few times where the clone has a defect in airflow which definitely causes issues.