high elevation/e-cig leakage?

[juskiddin]

Hi all,

Wondering if high elevation could cause both my eGo ones to leak.

Stopped for a break from driving on the way to our destination. The area's elevation was quite high; 5000 feet at the summit before dropping down again to reach our destination.

I whipped out my eGo ONE to have a quick puff and both my little rigs had leaked...as in quite badly. Yuck.

Luckily everything returned to normal for the duration of my getaway...no leakage.

Drove back today, reaching 5000 feet again at the summit. Pulled out one of my eGo ONEs once we'd reached sea level again...same thing. Both had leaked quite badly.

I've never had this leakage problem - they're both fine now that I'm home ("regular" elevation).

Could the high elevation have caused the juice to act "crazy"? Both were full btw.

Interesting...

 

[suprtrkr]

Short answer, yes. And for the same reason they leak on airplanes. The juice is held in the tank by air pressure in the vape chamber balanced against vacuum in the tank. Increasing altitude lessens the air pressure in the chamber and forces juice past the wick. If you had filled it at the top of the pass, it wouldn't have done it because it would have balanced at the pressure it was filled. Going down would have forced air into the tank, not juice into the chamber. The way to beat it is to make sure the tanks have a bit of air in them (partially empty) and storing them upside down. This puts air instead of juice at the fluid holes of the wick and such pressure differential as may exist equalizes with air and not juice.

 

[edyle]

Pressure.

When you go high elevation, the pressure outside the tank is lower than inside the tank, so air inside the tank pushes out eliquid to balance the pressure.

keep the tanks upside down when travelling varying altitude and it won't leak.

 

[juskiddin]

Short answer, yes. And for the same reason they leak on airplanes. The juice is held in the tank by air pressure in the vape chamber balanced against vacuum in the tank. Increasing altitude lessens the air pressure in the chamber and forces juice past the wick. If you had filled it at the top of the pass, it wouldn't have done it because it would have balanced at the pressure it was filled. Going down would have forced air into the tank, not juice into the chamber. The way to beat it is to make sure the tanks have a bit of air in them (partially empty) and storing them upside down. This puts air instead of juice at the fluid holes of the wick and such pressure differential as may exist equalizes with air and not juice.

As always, suprtrkr, I appreciate your speedy and wise reply

Thank you!

 

[juskiddin]

Pressure.

When you go high elevation, the pressure outside the tank is lower than inside the tank, so air inside the tank pushes out eliquid to balance the pressure.

keep the tanks upside down when travelling varying altitude and it won't leak.

Thanks so much, edyle.

I thought it was a sign from the Vaping Gods to stay at sea level

Cheers

 

[suprtrkr]

As always, suprtrkr, I appreciate your speedy and wise reply

Thank you!

Any time. Thank you for asking one I could answer

 

[juskiddin]

Any time. Thank you for asking one I could answer

Ohhhh, me thinks you can answer a truckload of queries

 

[suprtrkr]

Ohhhh, me thinks you can answer a truckload of queries

Lol, one or two. It's pretty amazing what a little engineering will teach you. But not all of them. No, not hardly

 

[K Stub]

I do lots of road tripping, including up and down the Rockies. I use an Aspire Atlantis, and have learned that it's only the change in elevation that makes it leak. I f I open the tank a few times as we drive up/down the steeper areas to equalize the pressure, it does just fine. When we camp and ATV at about 10-12,000', it works just the same as when I vape at home at 6000', or on the beach at sea level Took a few trips of juice everywhere and some cursing before I figured it out, lol!

 

[Baditude]

JFYI, extreme temperature changes causes the same thing. Going from air conditioning to 90+ degree heat can cause tanks to leak.

 

[Bramers]

Intresting, do you think it is the liquid which is affected or possibly shrinkage of the cottons in the atomizer?

 

[NancyR]

It is the liquid, as we had the same problems back before cotton was ever used and silica doesn't shrink.