Frozen Tank Aftermath

[vaperature]

Well you don't need me to tell you that this winter has been brutal. I've found myself on a few occasions out in sub-zero degree weather with a protank or evod in the chest pocket of my coat and this is what I've noticed happens.

The tank vapes fine while I'm out in the cold.

When I come back in and the tank thaws out it starts to leak and flood horribly, just gurgling and seeping at least half a ml into the drip tip.

What's more, the taste of the juice ends up getting ruined. First it just tastes like the nasty silica wick and burns the nose. Leaving it sit for a while, even days doesn't do anything--the nasty wick taste is still there.

Rolling it around, shaking it and otherwise trying to get the ingredients that probably separated due to the cold helps a little but the juice never really recovers. The best it gets is just flavorless without the nose burn.

I was wondering if there were any scientific types in here that might be able to explain this phenomenon. Why would cold temperatures ruin a tank of juice like that? I've had entire bottles of juice out in the cold in transit during shipping that ended up just fine after they came back to room temperature, so what does it being in a tank do that could ruin it like this.

Anyone else notice this frozen juice scenario?

 

[Rossum]

My guess: It leaks and floods because the liquid and/or air in the tank is expanding when the temperature increases. Try leaving it upside-down while it's coming back to room temperature; that way the air pocket will be at the ports to the fire chamber allowing the pressure to equalize without pushing juice in there.

 

[Grimwald]

I've noticed the same thing in my cold weather...like expansion and contraction of different parts and liquids.

Frankly I've been more worried about getting my lips and tongue stuck to my metal drip tip. Go ahead...I double dog dare you!

 

[UncleChimney]

Yeah, I've noticed this the last couple of days too. If I come back inside and occasionally take hits from it, it seems to avoid this phenomenon. I've never noticed the juice tasting different, just the leaking.

 

[vaperature]

Do you think it has something to do with vaping it while in the cold, like it's burning off the ingredients separately and leaving parts of it unvaped?

 

[Sundodger]

I learned ice fishing to keep them very warm, or they don't work very long. Almost need to bring a pack with incase, but haven't so far. Fishing sucks anyway right now. Should just stay where it's warm.

 

[Grimmda]

It happened to me with the leaking. I can tell u you probably burned your wick in that coil. As you press the button it heard what is on the wick. But as the tank freezes the wick doesn't get wet cause the juice is frozen. If you press the button again on a wick with no juice: bam burnt taste you can't get rid of. Pitch the coil it save it for parts if you rebuild your own.

 

[Christopherja]

It will have to be based on the properties of the vacuum inside the tank, but other than that, I'm afraid I can't add much.

That said, my personal observations are that, because cold climates thicken juice, wicking ability is lessened - usually causes dry hits for me, even with cotton. Of course, if you're working with a glass tank, you can always use a bit of friction (hand-rolling) to warm-up the juice.

 

[vaperature]

I learned ice fishing to keep them very warm, or they don't work very long. Almost need to bring a pack with incase, but haven't so far. Fishing sucks anyway right now. Should just stay where it's warm.

Looks like I won't be vaping outside on Monday then.



Nope, that's not the seven day forecast for the Antarctic. That's Chicago.

 

[Sundodger]

Looks like I won't be vaping outside on Monday then.

View attachment 298592

Nope, that's not the seven day forecast for the Antarctic. That's Chicago.

Ya, Monday here going to be -8 and over night -21, add wind chills, well I've seen worse. I burn corn to keep my tanks warm, and the house, will need to refill the barrels in the basement tonight so I don't have to haul it in from outside this coming week.
I did notice out in the cold if I'd fire the PV now and then without drawing on it, just for a second, that seemed to help keep everything warmer. That was on bottom feeders so I don't know if a top coil would work the same in the cold. I guess battery charge would be shorter but it seemed to work better if I did that now and then.

 

[vaperature]

Ya, Monday here going to be -8 and over night -21, add wind chills, well I've seen worse. I burn corn to keep my tanks warm, and the house, will need to refill the barrels in the basement tonight so I don't have to haul it in from outside this coming week.
I did notice out in the cold if I'd fire the PV now and then without drawing on it, just for a second, that seemed to help keep everything warmer. That was on bottom feeders so I don't know if a top coil would work the same in the cold. I guess battery charge would be shorter but it seemed to work better if I did that now and then.

I've actually had the juice in the tank freeze solid so that if you turned it upside down it just stayed there in whatever shape it was in. I would imagine if it's thinned with water that would help it freeze and probably would separate the water from the other ingredients, so that maybe if you're vaping out in the cold, you're vaping away the stuff that's not frozen, leaving the water, so that when you come inside you end up with totally watered down juice. Just a theory.

 

[navigator2011]

Well you don't need me to tell you that this winter has been brutal. I've found myself on a few occasions out in sub-zero degree weather with a protank or evod in the chest pocket of my coat and this is what I've noticed happens.

The tank vapes fine while I'm out in the cold.

When I come back in and the tank thaws out it starts to leak and flood horribly, just gurgling and seeping at least half a ml into the drip tip.

What's more, the taste of the juice ends up getting ruined. First it just tastes like the nasty silica wick and burns the nose. Leaving it sit for a while, even days doesn't do anything--the nasty wick taste is still there.

Rolling it around, shaking it and otherwise trying to get the ingredients that probably separated due to the cold helps a little but the juice never really recovers. The best it gets is just flavorless without the nose burn.

I was wondering if there were any scientific types in here that might be able to explain this phenomenon. Why would cold temperatures ruin a tank of juice like that? I've had entire bottles of juice out in the cold in transit during shipping that ended up just fine after they came back to room temperature, so what does it being in a tank do that could ruin it like this.

Anyone else notice this frozen juice scenario?

It is the trapped air in the tank that keeps the juice from gushing out immediately. The amount of juice that goes into the wick, or beyond, is controlled by what the trapped air is doing. When the tank is vaping correctly, say outside in the cold, the trapped air and the juice are close to thermal equilibrium, and just enough juice goes into the wick without gurgling and flooding. But when you go back inside where it's warmer, the trapped air rapidly expands due to the warmer environment and that expansion pushes the juice out all over the place. Next time, try turning the tank upside down, so that the wicks are exposed to the trapped air. This should allow the expanding air to vent through the wicks and minimize any flooding when the air expands. Take some tissues with you just in case.

As for the burnt taste, I have been told that once that happens, the whole wick and all the juice needs to be replaced, and the tank washed out.

 

[vaperature]

It is the trapped air in the tank that keeps the juice from gushing out immediately. The amount of juice that goes into the wick, or beyond, is controlled by what the trapped air is doing. When the tank is vaping correctly, say outside in the cold, the trapped air and the juice are close to thermal equilibrium, and just enough juice goes into the wick without gurgling and flooding. But when you go back inside where it's warmer, the trapped air rapidly expands due to the warmer environment and that expansion pushes the juice out all over the place. Next time, try turning the tank upside down, so that the wicks are exposed to the trapped air. This should allow the expanding air to vent through the wicks and minimize any flooding when the air expands. Take some tissues with you just in case.

As for the burnt taste, I have been told that once that happens, the whole wick and all the juice needs to be replaced, and the tank washed out.

So that's two votes for turning the tank upside down so far. Will have to do this.

 

[navigator2011]

Yeah, with the tank right side up, there's nowhere for the expanding air to go, so it has to push some of the juice out the bottom.

 

[Wow1420]

Do you think it has something to do with vaping it while in the cold, like it's burning off the ingredients separately and leaving parts of it unvaped?

Interesting theory.

Keeping the tank upside down as it warms up may help the air pressure equalize without forcing liquid out via the wicks.

I switched to a small carto tank for outside/driving in this weather, or sometimes the top coil iclear 16, no trouble with either of those in this stupid weather.

 

[catalinaflyer]

+1 ^^^ on the carto for cold weather. The past couple weeks I have been outside in sub-zero temperatures for a few hours each day and my tankless carto's just keep on working.

 

[Eranda13]

I just keep my hand wrapped around the tank when I'm outside. Even with gloves on, it keeps the tank warmer and I have no negative effects. Works for me, YMMV.