No matter what brand of drop-in coil you're using (ie. GeekVape, innokin, eleaf, etc.) gradually developing a nasty, bad taste when using the same coil for a while...means you need to install a new coil. The old one is getting full of black gunk. The more sweetener and flavoring there is in the eliquid you're using, causes it to happen earlier...rather than later.
Some flavors are better than others, but no flavoring or no nic can change the game. “Longer lasting coils” is generally BS though. They all last about the same amount of time. They can do a month or more, but they get filled upo after about 5 days. There were som cleanable ceremic and glass wicks for a while. They had other problems though.
Coil cartridge or rebuildable. It’s all about what you are willing to put up with. The thing that matters is the wick. Wires themselves last a highly variable amount of time. Thick wires can last a year. Really thin ones a week or two. Mesh is about the same. With rebuildables you often dont replace the wire, just the wick, and it’s so incredibly cheap you can do it daily if you want to. Some do.
I'm asking because I wasn’t sure if I should fill my next tank and let it sit for several days before I’m ready to use it. I don’t want my wick to start degrading if it sits for a long time before using it. Sounds like I need to wait a few minutes after filling my pod until Im ready to use it. I might try the wick replacement if it’s really easy. I have a disability that limits my ability to use my right hand, so it must not be too difficult, but it does sound like something I will consider. I will Google mesh because I don’t know the difference between mesh and wick. I'm using 25mg flavorless salt nic, so it sounds like that might help me some. Great info, thanks for your help.
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As others have mentioned:
- coils WILL get "gunked up". How fast/slow is dependant on the makup of the juice used, temperature and surface area of the coil
- wicks will get degraded, some faster than others depending on material used
If the PRIMARY reason for vaping is NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) UNFLAVORED juice gunks up coils & wick the slowest
If 'factory' coils&wick are your only option, again unflavored can allow these silly expensive parts to last the longest
If your vaping for FLAVOR then rebuildables are highly recommended in drippers, squankers and other devices
g.
- coils WILL get "gunked up". How fast/slow is dependant on the makup of the juice used, temperature and surface area of the coil
- wicks will get degraded, some faster than others depending on material used
If the PRIMARY reason for vaping is NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) UNFLAVORED juice gunks up coils & wick the slowest
If 'factory' coils&wick are your only option, again unflavored can allow these silly expensive parts to last the longest
If your vaping for FLAVOR then rebuildables are highly recommended in drippers, squankers and other devices
g.
The wick won’t degrade in juice. Several days is arguably steeping time though so you may see a flavor change. RBA coils don't need to be soaked, as on can apply juice directly to the wick. Cartridge coils do though. Time to completely soak depends on the design, but is very rarely more than 20 min.
Wick replacement on rebuildables is easy but can be a bit messy. There are also a few tools needed. Travel cases with the stuff are available Tweezers help a lot. A nail care kit with tweezers works. You can replace a tool with a wire brush if you want)
First one removes the old wick (or bits of wick if it was burned or over used)
Then one removes the crud from the wire coil itself. This can be done with a small wire brush, dry burning (in which you fire the mod without a wick to heat the coil and burn away the crud) or a combination of both.
Then you take a piece of cotton (i genrally use organic cotton balls. One bag for a few bucks is a multi year, possibly lifetime supply, though Japanese organic cotton pads and rayon fluff, bought as a wound dressing are also used. They’re all pretty cheap in the long run. I use about 1/4-1/3rd of a cotton ball per use depending. With mesh its a bit more) and form either one or both ends into a point and thread it through the central opening in the coil (coil cartridges generally do vertical coils with the cotton on the outside. With RBAs it’s generally horizontal and on the inside, but it makes little difference) and trim it with sharp scissors. The trim length on every model is different. I suggest watching a video on the atty you get
So scissors (nail clippers also work) some tweezers, and maybe a small wire brush. I get my brushes on amazon
Steel Cleaning End Brushes Pen 20 Pcs, 1/5″ X 1/8″ Wire End Cleaning Brush Metal, Extended Small Wire Brush Rust Paint Removal Bits Polishing Rotary Tools Accessories Amazon.com
This is also a possibly lifetime supply.
Then put some juice on the new wick to wet it (there is wick inside the coil) and go.
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I have read enough here and on the web to determine I don’t want to get into rebuilding my coils. I will take solace in my DIY unflavored salt nic juice. There are many different calculators available that allow me to mix my own within my limitations. Thank you for all the help, it is much appreciated. I just took my first few hits on my newly installed coil, and I'm amazed by the difference. Almost no throat hit or taste compared to the old one. This time, I will keep track of when I started this new coil. Its good to know there will be no issues with a new wick just sitting idle with my salt nic. I better understand that many different variables can cause the wick or coil to fail. Rebuilding can look easy on some sites, but I feel I would be better served sitting this one out on the porch.
As you wish. The only possible issue with “salts” is they often don’t tell you *which* salt it is. 2 are the most common, but there are hundreds. Basically everything that is mildly acidic. You can develop an allergy to a given salt. (Some are poisonous to start with) so knowing what the actual salt is is useful. If you do develop an allergy you can either change the salt or go unprotonated. Unprotonated juice will degrade a lot faster, but in a freezer lasts practically forever.
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