New to ECF & the icare solo

[Kam83]

Hey all,

Finally got around to registering rather than just lurking.

I smoked for around 17 years, from the age of 14. I averaged a pack a day and tried just about every way to quit without success. Despite losing 8 teeth to smoking and watching both of my parents develop smoking related illnesses, I didn't want to stop smoking - I just knew I should stop.

Started vaping about a year ago and made the switch completely about 6 months ago. Currently use a coolfire ace/mini while away from home and an MVP 4 at home. I relied on cigalikes at work because I rarely get a break on a 12 hour shift and rely on stealth vaping when visiting stock cupboards etc. They were annoying, and pod systems were expensive. The icare mini was PERFECT for me, but it started autofiring in my pocket all the time after a month or so.

Just a few weeks ago I found the icare solo which really was perfect for work. No annoying autofires as it has a button. Snapped 3 up from different sources. Problem is, about a week after I got them, 2 of them started getting quite warm on the opposite side of the 'mod' body - directly behind the button/next to the USB charging slot/about 1/2 inch below the coil. On a 3 second MTL pull without chain vaping, it's surprised me a few times because it's verging on hot. The heat begins to dissipate immediately after releasing the button and is totally gone within 2 seconds. One of the solos doesn't do this, and none of them did it when new. They haven't been dropped / mishandled in any way and are genuine products. I guess I'm wondering whether this is something or nothing to worry about, whether it's normal for the icare solo or whether this is a fault / short somewhere? Quite inexperienced with this kind of mini starter kit. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks for reading

TL;DR: Started vaping, use icare solos at work and worried they may be faulty / shorting 'cos they get hot. Don't want my face damaged.

 

[oplholik]

Welcome Kam, congratulations on getting off cigs. I have a Solo also, got it yesterday. Having a fire button makes a big difference. I had a couple of the 16's and they just didn't work for me so I got rid of them. The only problem I'm having with the Solo, is it's wanting to flood itself. Getting juice in my mouth, gurgling, and reduced vapor, so may be giving up on this also. I hope you get yours sorted out. .... luck.

 

[Kam83]

Welcome Kam, congratulations on getting off cigs. I have a Solo also, got it yesterday. Having a fire button makes a big difference. I had a couple of the 16's and they just didn't work for me so I got rid of them. The only problem I'm having with the Solo, is it's wanting to flood itself. Getting juice in my mouth, gurgling, and reduced vapor, so may be giving up on this also. I hope you get yours sorted out. .... luck.

Thanks for the welcome! I had these issues with all of my icare solos using the stock coils. They were all dreadful! Bought a pack of coils before I threw them out and they worked much better. I've had stock coil problems with a few eleaf devices, perhaps they're stored differently to the coils you buy separately? The coils are screwed in pretty tight to work right, too.

I've found that thick juice floods the coils really quickly. 50/50 occasionally wouldn't boil off well enough because of the tiny coil, causing spit back and flooding intermittently. 70/30 pg/vg works really well for me and some 80%pg I had lying around is amazing in the icares.

I do find that some juice collects on the chimney, so I wipe it off a few times a day to stop it building up, otherwise I've ended up with a mouth full of juice once or twice. I've also heard people say that holding them horizontally while vaping helps, but I've not needed to try that.

I guess I'll keep trying mine and see if anything else changes with the hot spots.

 

[djsvapour]

Welcome.
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
I wonder (in all seriousness) if some of these products are a race to the bottom; trying to make really cheap stuff and kind of forgetting these things need to work.
I stealth with Pico & mini Nautilus. I double my strength and reduce my watts. Very little cloud.
Personally, I feel pod and closed systems are a disgrace so I applaud you escaping these greedy companies. The trouble is if the basic hardware from the vape co's is bad, then the only reliable option is a modest mod with gentle MTL tank.
Just to ask - how often do you change the coils? Small coils get gunked up quick and overheating easily. I've heard more than a 'coincidental' amount of vapers swapping out the small eleaf coils much sooner than we'd expect. I know an iCare user that puts in a new one every 5 days, regardless.

 

[Floss1962]

Yeah welcome. Personally I wouldn't trust the products. Shop around and use this forum to find something that will suit your needs and is reliable.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Kam83]

Welcome.
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
I wonder (in all seriousness) if some of these products are a race to the bottom; trying to make really cheap stuff and kind of forgetting these things need to work.
I stealth with Pico & mini Nautilus. I double my strength and reduce my watts. Very little cloud.
Personally, I feel pod and closed systems are a disgrace so I applaud you escaping these greedy companies. The trouble is if the basic hardware from the vape co's is bad, then the only reliable option is a modest mod with gentle MTL tank.
Just to ask - how often do you change the coils? Small coils get gunked up quick and overheating easily. I've heard more than a 'coincidental' amount of vapers swapping out the small eleaf coils much sooner than we'd expect. I know an iCare user that puts in a new one every 5 days, regardless.

I think you're right about the race to the bottom. There seems to have been an influx of sub par starter kits lately.

I wish I could use a decent little mod like you do while I'm at work. The issue I have is that I'm an RN and the only place I can carry a vape is in a small pen pocket and people tend to dump keys in / grab things out of my scrubs pockets all day... including my boss, who prohibits us from carrying PVs.

I'm using 3 icare solos in rotation for work, so I've only had to change one coil in about three weeks. They seem to last longer in the Solo than the original icare and mini. I guess because it cuts out the possibility of auto firing ruining a coil. But it's still far from problem free

 

[oplholik]

I'll try it with some 70/30 and see if it's any better. It has gotten better, maybe a break in time is needed with the coils? I didn't have this problem with the iCare 16's.

 

[lil_buddy]

If the device becomes uncomfortably hot, don't risk it.

That being said, it is normal for atomizers to become hot. The resistor in the coil and the surrounding fluid heat up during operation. An icare solo is very small. A small amount of fluid heats up faster than a larger amount and there's less mass between the coil and your fingers. It seems logical that the user would notice an iCare getting hot.

 

[BrotherBob]

Finally got around to registering rather than just lurking.

Welcome and glad you joined. Sorry I can't help you. I started on carto 's might be worth a look.
http://www.vaporkings.com/category-s/14124.htm
Might like to read:
vapetown
http://www.vaporauthority.com/pages/learn
http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/a...tte-college-guides-tutorials-information.html
One Stop Reference Shop For New and Experienced Vapers
Beginner – Guide To Vaping
http://www.smokingvapor.com/blog/2016/05/
http://vapingcheap.com/vaping-101/
(10) Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder with Egos and Mods | E-Cigarette Forum
(1) Proper Terminology - Is it a carto, a tank, or what? A Guide to Juice Attachments. | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[Cosmic_Glaze]

Thanks for the welcome! I had these issues with all of my icare solos using the stock coils. They were all dreadful! Bought a pack of coils before I threw them out and they worked much better. I've had stock coil problems with a few eleaf devices, perhaps they're stored differently to the coils you buy separately? The coils are screwed in pretty tight to work right, too.

I've found that thick juice floods the coils really quickly. 50/50 occasionally wouldn't boil off well enough because of the tiny coil, causing spit back and flooding intermittently. 70/30 pg/vg works really well for me and some 80%pg I had lying around is amazing in the icares.

I do find that some juice collects on the chimney, so I wipe it off a few times a day to stop it building up, otherwise I've ended up with a mouth full of juice once or twice. I've also heard people say that holding them horizontally while vaping helps, but I've not needed to try that.

I guess I'll keep trying mine and see if anything else changes with the hot spots.

These are the new coils for icares and solos.. They are for higher Vg liquids... they should work with all liquid technically...in theory.. have not used them yet but they are next on my list when I run out of my others.
Eleaf iCare SC Coils (For High VG) $4.95

 

[Kam83]

These are the new coils for icares and solos.. They are for higher Vg liquids... they should work with all liquid technically...in theory.. have not used them yet but they are next on my list when I run out of my others.
Eleaf iCare SC Coils (For High VG) $4.95

Thanks for that! Good to know. I'll order some when I start running low on coils, too.

 

[Cosmic_Glaze]

There is a thread called " All things icare" you may find additional help there.