Contributors of gunk accumulation

[Asmani]

From what I've read, VG/PG ratio and sweeteners/flavors are two main contributors to gunk accumulation, and apparently nicotine level has no role. My question is, how much is the contribution of each component? Which of the following will increase the lifespan of the coils more:

1. Switching from 70/30 VG/PG to 50/50?

2. Switching from flavored juices to non-flavored?

Please inform me if flavors and sweeteners are two different components with different effects. Also, I know there are other factors like priming, wattage, etc that may affect gunk, but I'm specifically asking about juices, meaning other factors held fixed.

 

[djsvapour]

Dark color highly flavored VG juice = bad for coil life.
Light color and less flavored PG juice = better.

 

[EverythingEvil]

Sweeteners and dark colored liquids are the worst offenders. Given the liquid is somewhat light in color and doesnt have any added sweeteners the PG/VG ratio doesnt play a huge role as long as whatever atomizer you have can wick it quickly enough.

 

[bombastinator]

This is an alchemy which is not popularly explored. There are some general rules of thumb but no hard numbers that I know of. It is known that unflavored juice gunks a lot less, but does not reduce the problem to zero.

The solution for most vapers is to not use expensive drop in coil systems and move to an RBA system. This doesn’t lower the gunking, but does lower the cost of wick replacement to near zero.

 

[suprtrkr]

I don't think anybody understands it well enough to give a specific ratio. Certainly I don't. The way I handled the problem was to start coil building and not worry about it.

 

[Myk]

My 100% VG unflavored 18mg had no gunk and did not destroy coils during the time I was vaping it.
If there is no sweetener it's a flavor that's the culprit.

I don't know how many ml of unflavored I vaped but there was enough to say VG alone was not to blame. I will leave it open to it teams up with a flavor to make it gunkier than PG does since I don't use PG to know.

My watermelon was not gunky. Somewhere along the way it became gunky. Possible changes are one or two flavors that are .66% each. Put that on your coil and gunk it.

I agree, build your own coils (at least for the gunky flavors you enjoy) and don't worry about the 10¢ or so you spend on a coil.

 

[Mr. Relentless]

Svrf refreshing is good tasting clear juice. So much sweetener it can kill a coil in one day. I test sweetener levels by holding my nose shut while vaping. You won't taste much flavoring but if it has lots of sweetener you'll taste a strong raw sugar flavor.

 

[Coyote628]

Personally, i like the sweet dark gunky juices. They taste best to me. I realize that coil life is shortened, especially drop ins. And its not really the coil that suffers as much as the wicking. With rebuildables, a quick dry burn cleans up the coil and then freshly wicked an yer vaping again. Drop ins, not so. Technically drop ins CAN be rebuilt and rewicked if someone is so inclined to do this. Gunky coils are as much part of vaping as any other aspect. I wouldnt even consider switching my favorite flavors to something less "gunky". Half of my enjoyment of vaping is the flavors. Coils and wicks are expendable, this is a given and something i accepted as part of the experience. The only real solution is to replace as needed.

 

[chellie]

Personally, i like the sweet dark gunky juices. They taste best to me. I realize that coil life is shortened, especially drop ins. And its not really the coil that suffers as much as the wicking. With rebuildables, a quick dry burn cleans up the coil and then freshly wicked an yer vaping again. Drop ins, not so. Technically drop ins CAN be rebuilt and rewicked if someone is so inclined to do this. Gunky coils are as much part of vaping as any other aspect. I wouldnt even consider switching my favorite flavors to something less "gunky". Half of my enjoyment of vaping is the flavors. Coils and wicks are expendable, this is a given and something i accepted as part of the experience. The only real solution is to replace as needed.

I use "gunky" flavors --vanilla, coffee etc and now that I make my own I just change the coils as needed which is very frequently. I do not dry burn. I did try it only the other day --by the time I go through all that I could have put a new coil on.

 

[Myk]

I use "gunky" flavors --vanilla, coffee etc and now that I make my own I just change the coils as needed which is very frequently. I do not dry burn. I did try it only the other day --by the time I go through all that I could have put a new coil on.

I do dry burn, I'm just cheap. Since going to stainless I do change coils just because but it's usually after at least one dry burn and scraping.

 

[chellie]

I do dry burn, I'm just cheap. Since going to stainless I do change coils just because but it's usually after at least one dry burn and scraping.

I hear you and do watch my pennies. When I first started building - I bought a good amount of wire and a member on here send me some coils and I bought a tin of premade so I've got a lot of wire, premade coils and cotton...lol. I am waiting for supply to dwindle a bit and I am going to try stainless and maybe temp control.

I actually tried twice - first time I destroyed the coil --second time was better.

 

[Myk]

I hear you and do watch my pennies. When I first started building - I bought a good amount of wire and a member on here send me some coils and I bought a tin of premade so I've got a lot of wire, premade coils and cotton...lol. I am waiting for supply to dwindle a bit and I am going to try stainless and maybe temp control.

I actually tried twice - first time I destroyed the coil --second time was better.

I have enough kanthal that I'll never use I could open a toaster repair shop.
I'm sure I could make new SS coils every other day and wouldn't run out for a long time. And there will probably be something new to buy before I run out.

It could be that I work with gold so when I see people wrapping with inches extra to clip and throw away it just doesn't work for my thinking.

 

[Coyote628]

Dry burning uses no extra time. Pull the wicks, and fire the coil. Give it a quick blow an scrape with the back of your tweezers, then rewick. It takes way longer to install another coil setup than to do this. A good coil build will last for weeks and many dry burns before it needs to be replaced.

 

[Coyote628]

I use "gunky" flavors --vanilla, coffee etc and now that I make my own I just change the coils as needed which is very frequently. I do not dry burn. I did try it only the other day --by the time I go through all that I could have put a new coil on.

By the time you go thru all what? Really i dont get what yer sayin.

 

[Myk]

Dry burning uses no extra time. Pull the wicks, and fire the coil. Give it a quick blow an scrape with the back of your tweezers, then rewick. It takes way longer to install another coil setup than to do this. A good coil build will last for weeks and many dry burns before it needs to be replaced.

My problem with SS is I can go so long without rebuilding coils I fall out of practice.
Not as bad as trying to recoil a stainless mesh wick but I still forget a lot of things.

 

[Mr. Relentless]

Dry burning uses no extra time. Pull the wicks, and fire the coil. Give it a quick blow an scrape with the back of your tweezers, then rewick. It takes way longer to install another coil setup than to do this. A good coil build will last for weeks and many dry burns before it needs to be replaced.

Agree. I get them glowing then hit it with some cold water. Takes about 2 seconds and another 60 to rewick.

 

[chellie]

Agree. I get them glowing then hit it with some cold water. Takes about 2 seconds and another 60 to rewick.

Maybe I will try again -- I fried the first coil - the second one was better. Thanks.

 

[chellie]

By the time you go thru all what? Really i dont get what yer sayin.

Well, mine get pretty gunked up so I took the cotton out, then was pulsing it, then brushing it and it was still icky so I kept doing it until it was clear and then rewicked. The first one I fried -it broke. I think it is easier for me to just change them out because I have a bunch of coils that I premade and wicked and that are already attached to the rba --I have a few extras so it is just like changing a coil and then once every two weeks or so I make a bunch more.

 

[Myk]

I have a bunch of coils that I premade

Good idea. I'd probably lose them. I do pre-cut wire...and I lose them. I save time by not pre-wrapping. I should pre-lose them

 

[Chuck64]

Sweeteners will gunk up your coil faster than anything In my opinion.