Dark Colored E-Juices

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jdevlin

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Sep 4, 2013
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Has anyone had any problems with darker colored juices causing coils to get burned / dirty faster then the lighter colored liquids? I was using Timmy's Double-Double a while ago with a Protank and was finding a coil replacement needed every 2-3 days, I even tried cleaning the coils but it didn't much help :(
Anyone know if its the coloring used that's causing this?
Darker colored coffee flavored juices seem to really cause havoc with coils I have noticed.. I suspect its the coloring used but I could be wrong.
 

Katya

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Everybody experiences that. Everybody who vapes thick, dark, sweet juices. Everything added to the juice that doesn't evaporate like PG and VG ends up as coil goo--sweeteners, coloring and flavoring. Many NET (naturally extracted tobaccos) juices also tend to drop more particulate than synthetic tobaccos.

There's really nothing one can do about it but clean the coils religiously. A good soak in PGA or vodka will dissolve some of that gunk, but not all. Only dry burning will turn all that deposit into ash. but dry burning can also weaken or even pop the coil.

I try to choose clean and clear juices with as little additives as possible, but, of course, it is not always possible.

You'll just have to live with it--keep your coils clean and change them often.

Good luck and welcome to ECF!
 

Rickajho

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You're on the right track. Conventional wisdom is that very dark and/or very sweet flavors gunk up coils quickly. It has nothing to do with the PG/VG ratio of the liquids. Certain flavors will gunk up a coil quickly no matter if it's in a high PG liquid or high VG.

Have you started dry burning coils to clean? I know some people swear by soaking coils in all sorts of stuff. Personally, I find dry burning is the only really effective way to clean a gunked up coil.
 

Rickajho

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You're on the right track. Conventional wisdom is that very dark and/or very sweet flavors gunk up coils quickly. It has nothing to do with the PG/VG ratio of the liquids. Certain flavors will gunk up a coil quickly no matter if it's in a high PG liquid or high VG.

Have you started dry burning coils to clean? I know some people swear by soaking coils in all sorts of stuff. Personally, I find dry burning is the only really effective way to clean a gunked up coil.
 

sakis7

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Everybody experiences that. Everybody who vapes thick, dark, sweet juices. Everything added to the juice that doesn't evaporate like PG and VG ends up as coil goo--sweeteners, coloring and flavoring. Many NET (naturally extracted tobaccos) juices also tend to drop more particulate than synthetic tobaccos.

There's really nothing one can do about it but clean the coils religiously. A good soak in PGA or vodka will dissolve some of that gunk, but not all. Only dry burning will turn all that deposit into ash. but dry burning can also weaken or even pop the coil.

I try to choose clean and clear juices with as little additives as possible, but, of course, it is not always possible.

You'll just have to live with it--keep your coils clean and change them often.

Good luck and welcome to ECF!

Bottom coil tanks gave me that after 10 minutes of vaping. Since i don't know if its safe i throw it.
 

Katya

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Bottom coil tanks gave me that after 10 minutes of vaping. Since i don't know if its safe i throw it.

Your juice must be really bad... :) I don't think you can get a lot of actual buildup in 10 minutes. In my experience with all kinds of coils, top and bottom, it takes hours to gunk up the coil even with the darkest of juices. Staining is a different matter. White silica (or whatever material you're using,) will stain on contact. That's perfectly normal and safe. It's just the stuff that was added to your juice to begin with--somewhat cooked and condensed, perhaps. :D

Here's my favorite video! I've done it myself several times when I was testing wicks. You can see for yourself how that gunk just disappears in the flame. Dry burning accomplishes the same thing--gets rid of all the gunk on the wicks (flameproof only) and the coil.

 

sakis7

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Your juice must be really bad... :) I don't think you can get a lot of actual buildup in 10 minutes. In my experience with all kinds of coils, top and bottom, it takes hours to gunk up the coil even with the darkest of juices. Staining is a different matter. White silica (or whatever material you're using,) will stain on contact. That's perfectly normal and safe. It's just the stuff that was added to your juice to begin with--somewhat cooked and condensed, perhaps. :D

Here's my favorite video! I've done it myself several times when I was testing wicks. You can see for yourself how that gunk just disappears in the flame. Dry burning accomplishes the same thing--gets rid of all the gunk on the wicks (flameproof only) and the coil.


I use only Tottaly wicked DYI products
 

jdevlin

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Sep 4, 2013
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Victoria BC
Its not a huge deal, in-fact this was the reason I took the time and learned how to rebuild the protank coils with some Wick and Kanthal. but yeah it does make sense that dark thick liquids may tend to burn a bit worse than others... my other tank which has Root Beer in it (which is a light yellow-ish color) the coils lasts for a month or better
 

jdevlin

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Sep 4, 2013
16
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Victoria BC
You're on the right track. Conventional wisdom is that very dark and/or very sweet flavors gunk up coils quickly. It has nothing to do with the PG/VG ratio of the liquids. Certain flavors will gunk up a coil quickly no matter if it's in a high PG liquid or high VG.

Have you started dry burning coils to clean? I know some people swear by soaking coils in all sorts of stuff. Personally, I find dry burning is the only really effective way to clean a gunked up coil.

Dry burning coils, is that to mean that you take away the liquid and just fire up the coil and let the gunk just burn itself off? much like how a self-cleaning oven works? cause I have thought of that but was worried I would just end up burning the wick itself to the point that it would just taste burned from that point on.... though I'll give it a go when my next coil starts getting bad build-up.
 

Katya

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Yup! Just like a self-cleaning oven. High temperature of a dry coil will burn off all the residue. Please see the video I attached--the last seconds, after torching the wicks, show the dry burning of the coil itself.

Depending on the atty you're using, there are slightly different steps you need to take to dry burn, but the idea is always the same. There are many good videos on the YouTube demonstrating dry burning process for different atomizers. Well worth watching.
 

Rickajho

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People mess up Kanger BCC stuff very quickly when they run it too hot, faster than the wick can take up more liquid and all that's left is residue to crud up the coil before it can take on more liquid. These things have small coils with small wicks and they just don't need or like high voltages. Don't need high voltages either to work properly.
 

jdevlin

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Sep 4, 2013
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Victoria BC
well after reading posts here... I have found that simply pulling the wick/coil out, holding the kanthal wire using some pliers and using a bic lighter I was able to burn off almost all the crud from some pretty bad looking wicks. just hold the Glass Fiber to the flame until it glows red hot and you will know the scum is burning off.. it will leave some ash behind just knock if off with whatever is handy, just be warned the glass fiber and the kanthal wire will remain hot for about 30 seconds
 
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