I have been using 3 Mini Pro tanks for 32 days now. I've learned a little about them in that time, and thought I'd share what I have learned.
Here are my "Top 5" tips:
Good luck to all and happy vaping!
Michael
Here are my "Top 5" tips:
#1 - After you vape on them for a little while, you will notice that you start getting less vapor. I call this vapor lock. The part of the tank where the fluid is only has 2 small openings (through the coil wick holes, and up the "chimney"). As you vape, air enters the 3 little air holes in the base, up throught he bottom of the coil, and out of the drip tip. As the airflow passes the wick holes, it causes suction (venturi principle), which pulls the juice into the coil. As the juice gets pulled out of the tank, it forms suction above the fluid. It also compresses the 2 silicone tank gaskets. This suction, will overpower the venturi suction that is trying to pull juice into the wicks. When the amount of vapor starts to diminish on you, simply loosen the top cap a little until you see a small bubble or two come up from the bottom. Loosening the top cap causes additional suction, which pulls the air bubbles through the wicks (unscrewing action elongates the tank and decompresses the gaskets). After the bubbles come up, snug the top cap back down without compressing the gaskets too much. You might need to do this 2-3 times per tank full, but you can vape every last drop of juice this way. Just be careful not to vape past the last drop. You can also turn the tank so that the drip tip is pointing down and loosen the bottom (dark colored) base to allow air into the tank if you want. To me, loosening the top cap is easier.
#2 - Clean and dry burn your coils as soon as the part of the flavor wicks that you can see without disassembling anything looks dark brown. Everclear works the best, but unflavored vodka also works. I pull the chimney, grab the flavor wicks with hemostats, and stick them in a shot glass with the alcohol. I also soak the rest of the coil for a bit. I pull the flavor wicks out every couple of minutes and use my finger to press them onto a piece of toilet paper. It usually only takes 2-3 cycles to get them white again. Then, I remove the coil base from the alcohol and run it under warm water before mounting it in the base and dry burning it on the battery. Never dry burn with the flavor wicks in. Clean them seperately, and then put them back in after dry burning the coil. I have used the same 3 coils for about 3 1/2 weeks now, and they are still vaping strong. I don't know how much farther they can go, but cleaning them certainly does make them perform like new again.
#3 - If you continue to get dry hits after relieving the vacuum in the tank, "fluff" your flavor wicks. I use a push pin for a bulletin board. Remove the coil, and use the push pin to "disturb" the fibers of the wicks that stick out of the base. I usually just turn the coil so that one side of the wick is facing right at me, and use a side to side motion brushing the pin through the ends of the wick. Turn to the other side, and repeat. If I still get dry hits after that, I lift the silicone cap and stick the end of the push pin right into the ends of the wicks. Only push the tip of the "pin" into the coil base about as deep as the metal of the base is thick. Try NOT to hit the coil, all you are doing is opening up some space between the wick fibers to allow better juice flow to the coil.
#4 - Watch those o-rings, particularly on new tanks. They like to stick to the glass instead of the end caps at first. I almost lost one down the drain that way. After you use the tanks a while, the o-rings seem to stay put in the end caps.
#5 - Gurgling or dry hits - the problem is always related to the coil. Period. There isn't anything else to mess with. If you are getting gurgling, either you need additional flavor wicks, the coil is not making a seal where it connects to the base, the silicone cap is not sealing the chimney connection (above the coil), or you need thicker juice (additional wicks can fix that). Dry hits are either vapor lock, too many flavor wicks, or you need thinner juice.
#2 - Clean and dry burn your coils as soon as the part of the flavor wicks that you can see without disassembling anything looks dark brown. Everclear works the best, but unflavored vodka also works. I pull the chimney, grab the flavor wicks with hemostats, and stick them in a shot glass with the alcohol. I also soak the rest of the coil for a bit. I pull the flavor wicks out every couple of minutes and use my finger to press them onto a piece of toilet paper. It usually only takes 2-3 cycles to get them white again. Then, I remove the coil base from the alcohol and run it under warm water before mounting it in the base and dry burning it on the battery. Never dry burn with the flavor wicks in. Clean them seperately, and then put them back in after dry burning the coil. I have used the same 3 coils for about 3 1/2 weeks now, and they are still vaping strong. I don't know how much farther they can go, but cleaning them certainly does make them perform like new again.
#3 - If you continue to get dry hits after relieving the vacuum in the tank, "fluff" your flavor wicks. I use a push pin for a bulletin board. Remove the coil, and use the push pin to "disturb" the fibers of the wicks that stick out of the base. I usually just turn the coil so that one side of the wick is facing right at me, and use a side to side motion brushing the pin through the ends of the wick. Turn to the other side, and repeat. If I still get dry hits after that, I lift the silicone cap and stick the end of the push pin right into the ends of the wicks. Only push the tip of the "pin" into the coil base about as deep as the metal of the base is thick. Try NOT to hit the coil, all you are doing is opening up some space between the wick fibers to allow better juice flow to the coil.
#4 - Watch those o-rings, particularly on new tanks. They like to stick to the glass instead of the end caps at first. I almost lost one down the drain that way. After you use the tanks a while, the o-rings seem to stay put in the end caps.
#5 - Gurgling or dry hits - the problem is always related to the coil. Period. There isn't anything else to mess with. If you are getting gurgling, either you need additional flavor wicks, the coil is not making a seal where it connects to the base, the silicone cap is not sealing the chimney connection (above the coil), or you need thicker juice (additional wicks can fix that). Dry hits are either vapor lock, too many flavor wicks, or you need thinner juice.
Good luck to all and happy vaping!
Michael
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