Breaking in new clearos - fustrating!

[ckim111]

Hello everyone,

I have always had issues with breaking in new clearomizers - from stardusts, to iclear 30s, aspire bdc, etc. Some are definitely worse than others where they give off an awful metallic taste. More times than not they almost always give off a muted or odd flavor for the first tank, or first two tanks. I have tried to clean them thoroughly and dried them completely but I still have to go through the break in period.

The only clearo that was an exception was the kanger t2 top coil. These would give fantastic flavor after the first 5 pulls.

I really hate having to waste a tank or two of juice before I can really start to enjoy my juices.

Does anyone have tried and true methods to speed up this breakin process? As I said sometimes the flavors are very metallic (I believe this is a direct result of the kanthal coil needing to be broken in), definitely always muted flavor or just very odd flavors. In some clearos like the i30s, it's impossible to take the wicks out of the metal casing to even try to run it under a lighter or something to see if that would help.

Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!

 

[athens]

When you get a brand new tank, its always good to wash it out first. I have a handful of evods and other tanks, and my first evod worked fine out of the box, while the others gave me a metallic odd taste. I now wash my tanks out before first use. If you get a metallic or burnt taste, and just switch out the coil, the taste may still be in the tank and mess with your new coil. I learned this when I got my mini unitank. Was a shame to waste all the juice since it was from a 7ml sample bottle I got, but had to dump, clean and start anew.

Yesterday, I replaced a coil in my evod and it was fine. I took a super long drag and I may have burnt the coil so now if I take a pull over 2-3 seconds its burnt. Im just using the rest of the juice in short puffs until its empty and I can start with a fresh coil.

Sometimes coils can be bad. I got 2 packs of coils from this one place and they only last a few days, whereas I have coils from other places and they last 2 weeks. It sucks I mixed up the good with the bad in my vape gear box. I hear fasttech has crappy coils.

summary: with a brand new tank, wash it out before first use. If you burn out a coil, you need to wash out the tank before putting in a new coil or the juice may taint a new coil. When you replace the coil, give 4 or 5 dry pulls before you fire it.

Overall the evod and bct's similar to it are fairly easy to use unlike carto tanks.

 

[ckim111]

Hi Athens,

Thanks for your reply and happy new year!

I should have clarified that I do wash them out before using. So I fully disassemble everything, and rinse in warm water. Probably not the best way but I don't have any alcohol at home to soak it in vodka. Is there another method that you use?

I still feel like the off taste is not avoidable as the coils and wicks need a break in period. So I guess I'm looking for ways to speed up this process quickly so I don't waste my precious juice Thanks!

When you get a brand new tank, its always good to wash it out first. I have a handful of evods and other tanks, and my first evod worked fine out of the box, while the others gave me a metallic odd taste. I now wash my tanks out before first use. If you get a metallic or burnt taste, and just switch out the coil, the taste may still be in the tank and mess with your new coil. I learned this when I got my mini unitank. Was a shame to waste all the juice since it was from a 7ml sample bottle I got, but had to dump, clean and start anew.

Yesterday, I replaced a coil in my evod and it was fine. I took a super long drag and I may have burnt the coil so now if I take a pull over 2-3 seconds its burnt. Im just using the rest of the juice in short puffs until its empty and I can start with a fresh coil.

Sometimes coils can be bad. I got 2 packs of coils from this one place and they only last a few days, whereas I have coils from other places and they last 2 weeks. It sucks I mixed up the good with the bad in my vape gear box. I hear fasttech has crappy coils.

summary: with a brand new tank, wash it out before first use. If you burn out a coil, you need to wash out the tank before putting in a new coil or the juice may taint a new coil. When you replace the coil, give 4 or 5 dry pulls before you fire it.

Overall the evod and bct's similar to it are fairly easy to use unlike carto tanks.

 

[DocTonyNYC]

I'm also a big advocate of washing tanks before using them (I know that OP does this, but it bears repeating!). I wouldn't eat off a dish, or drink from a glass, before washing it. . . why would I vape from a tank without washing it?

Everclear is illegal in Puerto Rico, and I haven't been able to find a higher alcohol vodka than 40%, so I don't use alcohol either. I have been using, with quite a bit of success, denture cleaning tablets. They are available at any pharmacy and they are cheap. Make sure, though, to get the "unflavored" kind. The only problem I've had with them is removing cinnamon flavor from coils--so I make sure to keep those separate.

I am interested in what others have to say on the "break in" question. I'm so frustrated with the iClear 30 that came with my MVP2--that is what brought me to this thread in the first place. I can't seem to go five hits without a burnt/dry hit.

 

[ckim111]

Hey Doc,

The denture tablets sounds like an interesting idea. Maybe I need to give that a shot.

In my experience, the burnt/dry hit is almost always due to the wicks not getting juice flow properly. Unfortunately the only way to fix it is to tinker with the coils to make sure there are no hot spots or that it's not too tight around your wicks. Whenever I come across that situation I usually dump the coil because it's worth more hassle than trying to fix it. Sorry I can't be much more help here.

I know that kanthal wire tends to giev off metallic taste but if I can burn it with a lighter first that does the trick in getting rid of metal flavor. But some of these new clearos make it impossible to be able to light it .

I'mm thinking about maybe dry burning the coils before I fill it for the first time. I think with repetition that may help

I'm also a big advocate of washing tanks before using them (I know that OP does this, but it bears repeating!). I wouldn't eat off a dish, or drink from a glass, before washing it. . . why would I vape from a tank without washing it?

Everclear is illegal in Puerto Rico, and I haven't been able to find a higher alcohol vodka than 40%, so I don't use alcohol either. I have been using, with quite a bit of success, denture cleaning tablets. They are available at any pharmacy and they are cheap. Make sure, though, to get the "unflavored" kind. The only problem I've had with them is removing cinnamon flavor from coils--so I make sure to keep those separate.

I am interested in what others have to say on the "break in" question. I'm so frustrated with the iClear 30 that came with my MVP2--that is what brought me to this thread in the first place. I can't seem to go five hits without a burnt/dry hit.

 

[Ladiekali]

Wish i could help. I have a grave yard box full of clearos i hate.like you the best luck i had was with kanger t2 and t4.
I moved on to smok cartomizers and no more hassle. Who ever said they were difficult is welll..... I shouldnt say it out loud.
I was intimidiated but found some good priced tanks at www.desertvapes.com less than $7 a tank. I now have 8 large smok tanks, 4 small smok tanks and 3 ibtanks. I use smok flanged cartos and life is good.

 

[Requiem33]

I tend to boil my tanks before first use and let them dry. When I first got the iclear 30 it was funky so I boiled it and then it was fine. I used to boil my atty's with my EGO-T system too. Maybe it's bad for them, maybe not I've never had any issue with boiling them. Seems to clean them well and sanitizes. Bewarned with the plastic drip tips though I melted one.

 

[Rancor0681]

Wish i could help. I have a grave yard box full of clearos i hate.like you the best luck i had was with kanger t2 and t4.
I moved on to smok cartomizers and no more hassle. Who ever said they were difficult is welll..... I shouldnt say it out loud.
I was intimidiated but found some good priced tanks at www.desertvapes.com less than $7 a tank. I now have 8 large smok tanks, 4 small smok tanks and 3 ibtanks. I use smok flanged cartos and life is good.

Can I have your graveyard box one man's trash is another man's treasure lol

 

[BigDaddyQ]

Wish i could help. I have a grave yard box full of clearos i hate.like you the best luck i had was with kanger t2 and t4.
I moved on to smok cartomizers and no more hassle. Who ever said they were difficult is welll..... I shouldnt say it out loud.
I was intimidiated but found some good priced tanks at www.desertvapes.com less than $7 a tank. I now have 8 large smok tanks, 4 small smok tanks and 3 ibtanks. I use smok flanged cartos and life is good.

I tried an iSmoka mega once. I found the draw far too tight for my taste. I haven't had any issues with my Aspire BDC tanks and I love my Davide Aspire model. Definitely make sure you wash your tanks first as they can have residues like machine oil and such left from the manufacturing process. That stuff can give you a definite funky or bad taste. As for an alcohol soak, if you can't find Everclear or the like, try plain out Isopropyl alcohol around 90%. Let it soak then rinse with distilled water and you are good to go. Just make sure it's straight Isopropyl and water. Some of that stuff can having oils and vitamin E and the like in it.

 

[Ladiekali]

Can I have your graveyard box one man's trash is another man's treasure lol

I use them as demonstration purposes to new vapers!

I tried pouring some hot boiled water over my aspire bdc's to get rid of the taste and it melted the glue!

 

[Rancor0681]

I use them as demonstration purposes to new vapers!

I tried pouring some hot boiled water over my aspire bdc's to get rid of the taste and it melted the glue!

Wow that Sucks Tis why I like my kanger protank 2 no glue

 

[ckim111]

I moved away away from cartos because I thought the cartos always altered the flavor of the e liquids. And also the thought of breathing in the polyester type filler material always concerned me

Wish i could help. I have a grave yard box full of clearos i hate.like you the best luck i had was with kanger t2 and t4.
I moved on to smok cartomizers and no more hassle. Who ever said they were difficult is welll..... I shouldnt say it out loud.
I was intimidiated but found some good priced tanks at www.desertvapes.com less than $7 a tank. I now have 8 large smok tanks, 4 small smok tanks and 3 ibtanks. I use smok flanged cartos and life is good.

 

[ckim111]

Hi Dave,

So do you first wash with soap and water, and then soak in ever clear? Or is it one or the other? Thanks!

I tried an iSmoka mega once. I found the draw far too tight for my taste. I haven't had any issues with my Aspire BDC tanks and I love my Davide Aspire model. Definitely make sure you wash your tanks first as they can have residues like machine oil and such left from the manufacturing process. That stuff can give you a definite funky or bad taste. As for an alcohol soak, if you can't find Everclear or the like, try plain out Isopropyl alcohol around 90%. Let it soak then rinse with distilled water and you are good to go. Just make sure it's straight Isopropyl and water. Some of that stuff can having oils and vitamin E and the like in it.

 

[Up in steam]

I have posted this on 2 other threads, don't mean to spam, but problem seems to be the same for a lot of people so: I have the Innokin itazte SVD with iclear 30 cartomizer. I was very dissapointed at first, but found a fix. Looked at forums, and it seems that there is different batches of the iclear 30, since some people don't have this problem.

I believe there is actually 3 different sources to the bad taste; machining oil from production, metal in the drip tip that tastes a bit of metal due to the alloy, but worst of all is the black o rings. They are not food grade, not even made of proper nitril. Dissasemble the whole cartomizer (be carefull w the tiny silicone o rings), rinse everything (except the black o rings) in hot water, then rinse it in vodka, replace the 2 large black o-rings with nice food-grade silicone ones, or at least standard nitril, same outer diameter and a little thicker rubber will be good.
(wash the new o rings and taste them, to see if they're ok. Try to stretch, taste and smell the original ones, and you will probably agree that's the problem)
A good advice is also to sand both ends of the tank flat w 400 paper or finer, the thread-ends have some rough spots that can be source of leaks.
And then if you still taste some metal, cover the metal drip tip with "sugru" or something similar, or put on a new tip.

 

[RT88]

i would not like black o-rings in my clearos. alcohol attacks rubber but not silicone. i also would not boil the parts because of the silicone. i use 1 oz isopropyl to soak new clearos or coils. you can see little floaties. i use an old cofffee cup and swish em around in there several times and soak 30 min. then hot tap water for another 15 or 30 then dry. Don't have any chem/oil hits anymore on break in.

isopropyl is stronger and cheaper than vodka which i used to use for this. i've also tried hydrogen perox for cleaning gunked coils. mixed results. it does something but not removal.

 

[RT88]

i dont soak plastic parts in isopropyl, just the base/coil or coil itself. plastic parts can be washed with some dish soap