How to avoid burning wick?

[SoulFool]

Since getting my Triton about month ago, I've replaced the standard coil 3 times.
The first was the standard 2.2-2.4 coil assembly that came with the kit.
The other two were the 2.6-2.8 replace coils.
On all three occasions I noticed one or both of the wicks were extremely burnt when I went to clean them. Oddly enough I was not experiencing a burnt flavor on this last coil as I had with the previous 2 so I was not expecting to see another burnt wick tonight when I went to replace it. However this wick is burnt just as bad (see attached photo) This is my 2.6-2.8 replacement coil and it looks as burnt as the first 2.2 standard.

My question — is anyone else experiencing this? And what can be done to avoid it?
I only vape a combo of Menthol Ice, Mystic and Subzero in these tanks. And I never let them get below 2.0 ml before I top off. I use the same tank for a week before I replace the wick so I don't think I'm drastically pushing the normal life expectancy of the wick. I thought I figured out why it was happening the first time - that it was due to the rubber sleeve being too far down, applying too much pressure of the wicks. But after comparing the location with my few packs of replacement tanks, it's in the exact same position.

 

[stevegmu]

The wicks are silica, so I think what is happening is you are burning juice onto the wicks, as silica has a very high combustion threshold. Are you letting a freshly filled tank sit for a while before using it immediately? The wick may not be wet enough and you are dry burning juice onto it.

 

[SoulFool]

The wicks are silica, so I think what is happening is you are burning juice onto the wicks, as silica has a very high combustion threshold. Are you letting a freshly filled tank sit for a while before using it immediately? The wick may not be wet enough and you are dry burning juice onto it.

Oh yeah, at the very least an hour or two before first use. And I always give it a swirl to circulate the juice before every vape break.

 

[JR 137]

Very odd. I vape Menthol Ice and Mystic almost exclusively and haven't burned a wick like that yet. I get a little bit of brown on the bottom wick right where the coil sits. I use the standard coils in my regular Triton and the either the standard one or the 3.0 ones in my twist. Mine typically last about 3 weeks, and I don't clean them as often as I should.

When I get a burnt coil with these juices, I get an odd baked taste, not a charred taste.

Your wicks look like my Tiki Juice wicks. I'd burn them like that or worse after a couple vape sessions. Then everything would taste charred and the juice would darken. I somewhat solved that by removing the top wick.

I'm not discounting your obvious experience, just stating mine. Maybe you got a bad batch of coils/wicks? Maybe your battery is putting out too much voltage? Just throwing things out there.

Do you have a twist battery? If so, is this happening with that one too? If not, you may want to look into one. Not really due to the wicks (although it may help), but because it helped make my juice taste so much better.

 

[PeteC2]

There will almost always be a little burned/discolored area on the wick where it meets the coil. When I clean out a tank, I take the top loose wick off and gently rub the discolored area between my fingers under running warm water, and that gets rid of any build up.

Generally, I get well over a month out of a coil, keeping in mind that I have a number of tanks and mini tanks, so we aren't talking about constant vaping on one tank.

Never try and remove the bottom wick, btw, as the coil is wrapped around it!

One thing to try on a coil that fires, but gives off poor taste/vapor (and I only do this when that occurs, not a normal cleaning):

Remove the coil, pop off the little metal cap at the top of the coil, remove the silicone sleeve and remove the top wick. clean the top wick under warm/hot water gently rubbing out the build up where it meets the coil.

Hold the coil assembly under warm/hot running water, gently shake and blow the water out. While still damp (not soaked!), screw on the coil without re-assembling the top wick and metal end cap. Without screwing the drip tip back on, put the coil on your battery, using a LESS THAN FRESHLY CHARGED battery (Safer with a slightly reduced voltage output). fire it for no more than 2-3 seconds. At first, youshould get bothe steam and some smoke from the residual caked on ejuice burning off. After a couple of cycles, 2 things should happen: 1. The smoke goes away. 2. The coils should start glowing. This is what you want. Another 2 or three 2-3 second cycles, making sure that the ENTIRE coil glows orange-red. Let it cool, blow vigorously to remove any loose surface char, and the coil is ready to reassemble and use.

If this does not work, then yes, the coil probably needs replacement, not too much else to do at that point. Again, I do not do this for every cleaning, normally a thorough rinse will suffice, but when I just am not getting either a good hit, or there is aftertaste, this has extended the life of my coils.

BTW, some ejuices absolutely are tougher on coils than others, being more likely to leave residue. Clearer ejuices, and thinner, tend to burn cleaner, but sometimes that is just the price for a given flavor!

 

[jefsview]

PeteC2 -- you sure you haven't been doing this for a decade Great advice... and you beat me to it!

 

[PeteC2]

PeteC2 -- you sure you haven't been doing this for a decade Great advice... and you beat me to it!

Thanks, but nah, I'm a relative newbie. I do vape a lot though, so I had to learn a few things. Most of it is when I want to fix something, or try something new, I read up a lot and ask a lot of questions.