how often do you replace your coils

[abby1]

I'm using a PT2 and 30/70 (pg/vg) dark, steeped, desert juice. Sid runs at 3.7 volts. My coils last about 4 days, if I'm lucky. I do not have the patience right now to fool with re-building coils and re-wicking. I need plug and play to avoid stressing out which increases my desire to smoke cigarettes - lately, anyway.

 

[Unforeseen]

Moved to Assorted PV Topics - Clearomizers

 

[Fizzpop]

Now that's brilliant! Well, even if everyone else already knew it, it's still brilliant to me.

I hate rebuilding coils. I just hate it. It's not that I can't do it. I just don't have the eyesight or the patience I used to have in my younger life to wrap a new coil and get it mounted without significant cursing and frustration. The work is just too small, and it's further complicated by having two coils to build in my PT3 rather than one.

BUT, if I never have to mess with removing the coils themselves within the coil body, and instead simply do what Fizzpop says - remove wicks, dry burn and thread in new cotton, I could get the effect of "recoiling" without having to do the frustrating, tiny, microscopic part of the job.

When the coils themselves need replacing, I would still just toss out the whole coil unit and replace it with a new one. Like I do now, except instead of once every 8-10 days, I'd be doing it once every 60+ days. Longer if Fizzpop is a heavier vaper than I. (I process about 3mL per day.)

So all I need to do is buy some sterile cotton (which I was going to do anyway) and wait for my flavor and/or vapor density to go funky, then just un-wick, dry burn and re-wick the coils.

I never figured less than $2 per week in coils was an unreasonable expenditure, but it'd be worth doing it for more than just the cost savings. I could "rejuvenate" my coils more often if I wanted, while still greatly extending the life of each coil unit.

Brilliant, I say. Thanks, Fizzpop. I think you just made my life a bit easier.

I primarily use a Reo with an RM2 topper, but I've successfully made micro-coils for my wife's mini Davide (very similar to the PT2). She uses the same technique and just swaps out her cotton every few days. Works like a charm and results in great flavor with her Davide tank.

You will want to use a heavier gauge wire for your micro-coil. I've found 28AWG is just about perfect.

 

[serenity21899]

I have RBAs, but I don't bother rebuilding ProTank2 coils. They are too small and just not worth the bother to me.

 

[dielonnn]

Is there a special kind of cotton I should buy, im guna give this a go as im pretty sure my ....s losing flavor right now im and I bought it on saturday I think mybe sunday. And how big of a differance would you say seitching to cotton makes, is it very noticable or just a small bit better

 

[CastleRat]

I have been using the i30 for over 2 months. I have not had a coil fail yet but the wicks get a little thread bare from cleaning after a month.

 

[Alter]

I get a few days when I was rewicking with cotton before my wicking would poop out and loose performance. Using hemp fiber I am getting up to and over a week before I have to change wicking. I have no idea how long a coil lasts since I have many on the go and just recoil when I deem necessary. Its been almost a year since I've used a stock head in my protanks so I can't really say much on their quality but I doubt kanger QC has changed much.
I found 30 gauge kanthal lasts longer, doesn't distort when rewicking and heats up better than 32 kanthal so I've been using 30 gauge for several months now and happy with its performance.
I'm another lucky canuck who lives in the middle of nowhere but I have a slight advantage of living 6 minutes up from the Idaho border so I can indulge in buying US gear but I refuse to bring juice over the border since its still such a grey area with customs.

 

[MJ12]

<snip>So all I need to do is buy some sterile cotton (which I was going to do anyway) and wait for my flavor and/or vapor density to go funky, then just un-wick, dry burn and re-wick the coils.<snip>

That's about the size of it, yes. Easy, peasy!

 

[chellemmm]

How do you get the cotton through the coil???

 

[CKCalmer]

You roll the end of a strand of cotton between your fingers to render it into a point. Then simply feed it though the coil and out the other side. Pull the cotton strand through, then trim off both ends to the desired length to provide effective wicking potential (the length will vary depending on your device). Wetting the cotton with a bit of e-juice can make the threading of it through the coil easier to accomplish.