KFL + Wicking Help, + Pictures.

[Silense]

Hello ECF!

So recently I purchased a KFL + after hearing how amazing they are and always wanted one so I pulled the trigger.

I am having wicking issues... I get the occasional dry hit and I do a harsh draw and it's fine for another 3-5 draws, so it's still manageable, but annoying. I have watched tons of videos on how to set them up properly as the whole design is completely new to me. I'm mostly a rda guy but I refuse to give up on the KFL +. This is where I ask some vets for help...

I currently run the KFL + with a 1.0 Microcoil with 26 Gauge kanthal with MNKE 18650's on a Nemesis. The current set up on the KFL + I tried to replicate was RipTrippers video. I do have the air hole screw out as I prefer a airy draw with good vapor. This may be the issue or I may be using too much cotton, but really I felt like I used very little of it. I am just torn on what to do to get this thing set-up right. I posted some pictures below to show you the coil/wick saturated on the atty to maybe give you a better idea of what I am doing wrong.

Thanks for any input and I apologize if the pictures aren't the greatest, am at work and used my Phone Camera. Plus my first time uploading on the site so I hope you are able to see what I did. I took pics of the top and both sides of the atty.



Thanks ECF
vape ON

 

[snow blind]

Doesn't look too bad. I personally run less cotton down the sides of mine as i've found if things shift or expand the cotton can sometimes "clog up" the juice pathways on either side of the block. I'd first try tweezing out a little cotton from each well side. And make sure the wick is nice and airy. Don't want it all rolled tight as that can lead to little compacted areas in the wick that act as slow areas.

Also... how thick is your juice? I know my KFL+ acts differently when I'm using thicker 100% VG juices. I give it more time between vapes.

 

[Silense]

I use strictly 50/50 or ocassionally 75/25 VG. This set up im running 50/50.

 

[dud3r]

I'd bet that the airy draw is giving you a weak vacuum. Wicking isn't able to keep up. Have you tried it just a little tighter?

 

[Paul.K]

I agree it doesn't look too bad but I'd use less cotton. It just looks larger than the coil when wet. Also cotton length is too long. Ib use 50/50 as well and find that on colder days it won't wick well on the first few pulls but wicks well after that. Try less cotton and go from there. Good luck.

Sent from my cotton stuffed microcoiled Android unit.

 

[Silense]

The screw is completely out atm lol, i've heard people doing that and the vacuum still works fine... I may be completely wrong though. When I get home i'll screw it back on and try to just tighten a little bit I guess.

 

[betterthanyou]

I would use significantly less cotton than what I am seeing in the pictures you posted. Cut off the ends of the cotton right as they reach the channels on each side. You want each strand of cotton to be sitting very slightly to the side of each channel.

 

[betterthanyou]

And if you're filling from the top cover the airhole with one finger, and turn the device upside down as you screw the top cap back on.

 

[Ben C.]

I used to use a lot less cotton than that and it worked fine but had occasional leaking. For the past few tanks I have used more than you have in those pics, and have had zero wicking problems and zero leaks (w 50/50). Airflow wide open. I'm looking at those pics and am a bit stumped unless the cotton was rolled 'tightly' into a wick so juice just isn't traveling in there as it should.

 

[betterthanyou]

I used to use a lot less cotton than that and it worked fine but had occasional leaking. For the past few tanks I have used more than you have in those pics, and have had zero wicking problems and zero leaks (w 50/50). Airflow wide open. I'm looking at those pics and am a bit stumped unless the cotton was rolled 'tightly' into a wick so juice just isn't traveling in there as it should.

You don't want highly saturated cotton wick blocking the channels as he has done in the pictures posted. The cotton should be positioned to either side of the channels and close in proximity, but not blocking.

 

[Ben C.]

You don't want highly saturated cotton wick blocking the channels as he has done in the pictures posted. The cotton should be positioned to either side of the channels and close in proximity, but not blocking.

Not true. That's what we hear over and over again. It's like a mantra. And I too was scared off of trying anything that would anger the KFL manual.

I have 6 KFLs (3 of them are +'s, and all are authentic) and was about to give up on them because of the occasional seeping / leaking / etc. that most people have experienced from time to time and that a select few vow has never happened to them. I was actually just about to give up on them and got back into RDAs (which was a nice side-bonus). Well, I remembered how, back when these types of devices came out, all the reviewers would just jam wick material in there. Nothing going DOWN the channel, but totally covering them. I always chalked that up to their stupidity, because I was snooty about 'proper KFL wick placement'. Well, 4 tanks later, all Mr Good Vape Moon Sugar (which is actually 70VG/30PG, not the 50/50 I mentioned by mistake above), and perfect wicking with no leaking. I'll say that again - perfect wicking and no leaking. Here is a pic of my rewicking on Sunday:

Went through two more tanks, and just like the prior fat wicks... no wicking problems, no leaking, airflow wide open. No 'primer puffs', no 'covering the airhole and taking a quick pull', no gurgling, no burning. Nothing - just great, hassle free vaping.

 

[Ben C.]

I should note that unlike the OP's stats, for this KFL+ I have been using 30g Kanthal, 10 wraps, 2.2 ohms on a Kicked Nemesis at 8w. Maybe the OP should try doing a higher ohm coil, say 1.8ohms, and see if that makes a difference?

 

[BobC]

Why? What do ohms have to do with wicking, please enlighten me

 

[Ben C.]

Why? What do ohms have to do with wicking, please enlighten me

He is running his coil significantly hotter than I am, so I'm wondering if the wicking can't keep up in his arrangement (1ohm, 16 watts) compared with mine (2.2, 8w). It's sort of a caveat I was making, saying that this arrangement may work for me and not him because in his situation the wick may not be able to keep up.

 

[basc]

He is running his coil significantly hotter than I am, so I'm wondering if the wicking can't keep up in his arrangement (1ohm, 16 watts) compared with mine (2.2, 8w). It's sort of a caveat I was making, saying that this arrangement may work for me and not him because in his situation the wick may not be able to keep up.

This is exactly what I have found. At 1.8 ohm, it's incredibly easy to get a working build with no wicking issues. At 1.0 ohm, you have very little margin - if the wick isn't perfectly sized to the coil, it won't keep up with the vaporization.

 

[Silense]

I appreciate all the feedback. I will try to cut ends and use a little less. It is not twisted in the coil at all. I may bump my ohms up a little bit if I cant get working right. I think its just tinkering at this point.

 

[Ben C.]

Best of luck - there is some trial and error to get it perfectly working the way *you* want it to vape. I'm sure you'll get there!

 

[jrs99]

I'm having the same problem I think. Not getting really burnt hits but there's definitely a slight burnt cottony taste.
I'm also running 9 wraps of 28g for around 1.0ohms. My wick looks pretty much like the OP.

 

[Silense]

I rewicked it with less cotton. Seems working better but not perfect yet. Once I run thru this tank of CLS I will recoil to 1.3 1.4. Think that will be the magic spot. I also ordered another kfl + for the gf and will try the set up on her pro vari like that rad looking set up by ben.

 

[BobC]

He is running his coil significantly hotter than I am, so I'm wondering if the wicking can't keep up in his arrangement (1ohm, 16 watts) compared with mine (2.2, 8w). It's sort of a caveat I was making, saying that this arrangement may work for me and not him because in his situation the wick may not be able to keep up.

I'm runnin a couple of these with sub ohm coils, if you wick correctly, you won't have a problem, most newbes get in trouble using too much cotton, it chokes the coil and voila, dryburn (personally, I use hemp fiber in a vertical coil, so nothing through the coil, just around it)