Mesh strip giving random dry hits

[Ionori]

Geekvape Zeus X Mesh hotspot causing burnt hits on dripping wet wick

• Ionori
• Oct 4, 2020

Geekvape Zeus X Mesh wicked

• Ionori
• Oct 4, 2020

I'm using the Geekvape Zeus X Mesh atomizer, and I've been having a lot of dry hits despite the wick being fairly well saturated with liquid. Having gone through about 8 wicks in 2 days, I decided to inspect the coil while dry burning it. A few millimeters above where the mesh was clamped down, I noticed small hotspots (looked like circles about 1mm in diameter) appearing between 1-2 seconds after firing. The hotspots were localised to an area of about 4mm^2. They appeared reliably every time I stopped firing. After replacing the coil, I have not experienced any dry hits like that.

Does anybody know what can cause this?

Edit: Well, looks like I jinxed it, the new mesh strip is starting to give hints of a coming dry hit too. Dry burning the new strip, I noticed a large circular hotspot (~3mm^2). Unlike the previous hotspots, it worked itself out after a few short dry burns, likely some residue from the juice. I rewicked it, let's see if it starts acting up again.

 

[Mordacai]

@Ionori, it sounds as though you're experiencing wicking issues.

If you could post some photos it may help work out exactly where the issue or issues lie, but at the moment I'd say that you'll need to look at the tails of your wicking more. As it seems like you may not be able to exchange air pressure effectively and you end up with a negative pressure building up in the rta, when that happens the liquid isn't able to wick and you can end up overheating the coil and wicking because it dries out and this can cause a burnt taste.

 

[Ionori]

@Ionori, it sounds as though you're experiencing wicking issues.

If you could post some photos it may help work out exactly where the issue or issues lie, but at the moment I'd say that you'll need to look at the tails of your wicking more. As it seems like you may not be able to exchange air pressure effectively and you end up with a negative pressure building up in the RTA, when that happens the liquid isn't able to wick and you can end up overheating the coil and wicking because it dries out and this can cause a burnt taste.

Added a picture. The browning on one end of the wick is a persistent phenomenon, I'm guessing it's due to the way I tilt the tank to vape + the wick contacting the chamber.

I cut the wick parallel to the end of the atmoizer (so the wick length is ~25mm).

 

[Mordacai]

It looks as though you could loose a little on the length of your tails, but not much. But you could stand to thin the tails a fair amount, as it looks as though you have more than necessary.

Add these issues together with cotton wicking @Ionori, and when the cotton is saturated it swells and when it swells this chokes off the wicking so much.

And you could definitely use more wicking under the mesh, because if it's not fully in contact with the mesh it will form hotspots where it isn't being kept cooler by the evaporation of the liquid.

And darker on one side more than the other is fine, it's just where the liquid has been flowing the most.

 

[Ionori]

Normally I take a square cotton pad, remove 1 or both outer layers and roll it into a wick for the Zeus X Mesh, but this time I used the last Geekvape wick that came with the tank. So far I've had no issues after installing the last Geekvape wick. Maybe I'm making my wicks the wrong way? Are you sure the stock wick is insufficiently large? I guess the necessary size of the wick depends on where you clamp the mesh strip, this time I tried to clamp it as as close to the edge as possible.

 

[Mordacai]

One thing that I do know is that mesh can be awkward to wick, I'm still trying to work it out myself with the Steam Crave Aromamizer Plus V2 with the mesh deck.

But you have to keep the wicking decently tight under the wicking, but that means that you end up with lots of bulk left in the tails.

So what I'm thinking is that the tails are plugging up the channels somewhat and the RTA isn't able to wick properly. Then you start toasting the wicking and mesh slowly.

But take notes and photos every time you wick your X, as it'll help nail the wicking down.

And if cotton doesn't work for you, you could try using Rayon for the wicking. Whether it be Grahame's Cellucotton Rayon or Tidi Non Sterile Rayon Balls.

 

[Ionori]

Well, the 2nd wick (stock Geekvape) started giving me dry hits too, so I rewicked with my own wick, removing both outer layers, gently rolling it into a cylinder and cutting the ends diagonally (shorter at the top) so that only the bottoms of the wick are long enough to reach inside the juice wells. I half-expected to flood the deck, but that hasn't happened. We'll see if the wick being less dense in the wells will help with eliminating dry hits.

 

[Mordacai]

Here's to hoping @Ionori.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

<I know nothing about mesh coils.>

But about those "hot spots" you're getting, is it possible that sometimes mesh might need to be "strummed" or brushed like you do with round wire?

I have these brushes that I use for various things.

Maybe even try washing your mesh with VERY light soap and a child tooth brush before installing.

</I know nothing about mesh coils.>

 

[Spydro]

double post ... delete

 

[Spydro]

@Ionori,
About 2.5 years ago I switched to mesh atty's only, and have 27 of them. There was a bit of a learning curve on how to wick what they wanted on the first two brands I bought for squonking (3 Vandy Vape Mesh RDA's/9 Digiflavor Mesh Pro RDA's). Get it wrong and they could be fire breathing dragons; get it right and they were easily tamed. At first I used pulled and rolled Cotton Bacon Cotton in them, and it had to be the right amount of it to be sure all of the mesh was always in contact with it, and the tails worked best if layered/groomed to get a consistent flow of juice to the mesh. Later I switched to Vapefly Firebolt Cotton that made the wicking job way easier to get it right every time. Then along came the Wotofo Profile Mesh RDA's with their spring loaded deck, and even a noob to mesh could get their first build perfect if they followed the advise given by us mesh users in several threads on this forum for all three of those atty's. Finally I bought 6 Wotofo Profile Unity Mesh RTA's for use on TC mods that also have a spring loaded deck. By far the most trouble free RTA's I have ever owned. Anyway, a search here by the names of those atty's ought to bring up the treads about them that went into detail on how to wick them. HTH

Pictures of some of mine when I first got them... I prefer the Wotofo RDA's first on mech squonk mods, the Wotofo RTA's next on regulated followed by the Digiflavor RDA's also on regulated (they came with both a solid positive and squonk pin), and with 24 of those in hand I retired the Vandy Vape RDA's.
Vandy Vape

Digiflavor

Profile RDA

Profile Unity RTA

 

[Seiggy]

I have the Zeus X mesh and I have three- 3mm shoe string cotton for a total of 9mm of cotton in mine. I install my mesh then two-3mm lengths of cotton. Then I take the third 3mm cotton and press down on the Spring-Loaded Center Cotton Support.... and pull it in from below the other two. This help put pressure of the cotton against the mesh. I trim that third 3mm in line with the Spring-Loaded Center Cotton Support (its just there to prevent gaps against that mesh). The first two I trim for length and thin as normal. Hope this may help as I get no hot spots or dry hits. Just soak it good before you put your juice in or you'll be able to watch the juice level in you tank drop. Fun to watch thou......

 

[Ionori]

@Mordacai I've uploaded an image of the atomizer base with the new wick to the first post, to me it looks like the wicking is almost perfect, as it is just about fully saturated, but the hotspot at the top of the mesh strip is causing burnt hits. Thoughts?

@Spydro that's quite a collection, but I don't think the issue I'm having is the wicking. The mesh strip looks pristine, but the hotspot appears in the same spot every time I rewick after vaping a few tankfuls of juice. Have you had any experiences like that?

@Seiggy interesting technique, but a bit too expensive for me, I like to use big bags of square cotton pads for my wicks. I also don't think wicking is the issue, but rather burnt hits from the hotspot.

@UncleJunkle mesh strips are quite easy to deform, which can lead to hotspots, so I don't think that's a good idea. The strip glows nice and even when I dry burn it, and I use running water to rinse off any residue.

 

[Mordacai]

@Ionori, the hotspots will be forming where the wicking isn't contacting the mesh with the same force.

Try more under the mesh next rewicking.

 

[BillW50]

@Ionori, the hotspots will be forming where the wicking isn't contacting the mesh with the same force.

Try more under the mesh next rewicking.

Exactly! I saw those pictures that is what I saw right away. The wicking has to touch every single area of mesh or you can get dry hits. Not only touching, but tight against the mesh, this is very important. This isn't to say tails and wicking ability isn't also important, because they are too. And if you think cotton is tricky to get tight, try rayon. As rayon shrinks when wet and it really has to be super tight against the mesh.

Btw, I absolutely feel in love with Geekvape Zeus X Mesh tanks. My whole stock of atomizers became obsolete overnite and nothing else is worth vaping on anymore.

 

[Ionori]

@Mordacai thanks, just installed a huge wick (barely fit even as I was pushing it down along with the spring-loaded ceramic block), hopefully that's enough pressure.

@BillW50 Agree on the Zeus X Mesh, my collection of single coil and dual coil atomizers, including the Zeus X with dual coils, don't come close, just need to figure out the hotspots. Kinda interested in the new Wotofo mesh offerings, since they seem to have a lot more surface area, but ever since I got my first single coil Geekvape Zeus I don't want to use anything other than a top airflow RTA.

 

[MacTechVpr]

@Ionori, the hotspots will be forming where the wicking isn't contacting the mesh with the same force.

Try more under the mesh next rewicking.

A very very good postulate you allude to, i.e. uneven heat distribution as the cause of over or under-vaporization.

Just sayin.

Twisted Lead Parallel

• MacTechVpr
• Nov 21, 2017
• 1
• tensioned microcoil twisted lead parallel

Good luck.