for those who own and use orchids (daily if possible)

[defdock]

How are you checking it? The right way is to put it together without liquid and plug the two intakes with your fingers, suck on the drip tip then plug it with your tongue or lip. After 10 sec or so pull your lip away.... was there still vacuum? If not, you're leaking.

yep, thats how i tested it. vacuum is functional - so the leaking has to be due to wicking...

 

[defdock]

odd thing also, when it leaks, it leaks half the tank and stops - EVERY time, no matter the build/wick ive tried so far.


makes me wonder why only half a tank floods out then stops?

 

[duc916]

That's odd for sure, because that was the exact symptom I had when I had a vacuum leak (missing o-ring in the deck's bottom fill screw). Chimney would just flood until the tank was 1/4 full, then stop leaking.

 

[Stosh]

In that it stops leaking when the juice level drops it still sounds like a loss of vacuum. As a test, try emptying the juice and remove the wick. Fill the tank with water and seal the air holes with your fingers, suck and hold the vacuum as long as you can stand it. After a few pulls see if anything at all leaks from the air holes, if not let stand overnight and check for leaks.

A bad wick has caused problems for me, but it was consistent, full, 1/2 full or near empty. Don't see how the wick would change symptoms depending on how much the tank is loaded.

 

[defdock]

That's odd for sure, because that was the exact symptom I had when I had a vacuum leak (missing o-ring in the deck's bottom fill screw). Chimney would just flood until the tank was 1/4 full, then stop leaking.

i always thought it was a bad seal - so i had to do that vacuum test, to be sure.

i even took white plumbers tape to the screw and just "sealed it shut" - sticking to top filling for now. but it still leaks half of the tank...

after filling, i left the atty sitting upside-down for 20 mins before i went to use it, it still leaks....

 

[thewomenfolk]

My Orchid leaks terribly out of every possible hole including the drip tip. I don't quite understand how so many RTA makers can avoid this awful problem and yet it seems every Orchid leaks out of everywhere. I feel like giving up. I just don't want to have to jump thru so many hoops to get to use this thing.

 

[defdock]

between a few builds yesterday, and a lot of thinking - seeing how my wick changes colors ect... - i have finally nailed it!

no leaks, no dry hits.


instead of cutting the cotton "to the edge" of the deck and fluffing the tails over the juice feed - i left them a little longer - instead of tucking the ends under the coil(like an rda) i tucked the ends over eachother,between the post/chimney wall.

the tail "ends" dont sit on the juice holes, the "sides" of the wick do ------ best way to explain it without pictures ATM