Only getting vapor when my Protank is very hot

[Rokey]

This has just started happening to me recently. I'm using a Protank 2 with 1.8 ohm coils. It used to seem like I could take a hit any time and get vapor, but now I have to really heat it up before anything comes out.

I cleaned and dry burned all my coils and it helped at first, but within a couple hours it wasn't producing vapor until I heated it up again (holding the button for a couple seconds a few times). When the bottom of the tank gets really hot, then the vapor starts coming out again.

What could be the cause of this? Is it time to throw out my coils?

 

[gregamite]

if you have another coil head i would try putting that on and see if it works any better for you. get back to us and let us know how it goes from there

 

[Rickajho]

Did you remove the top wicks? If you do you risk flooding the coil with more liquid than it can handle and vapor production drops. To compensate for that you either have to crank the voltage up, or do what you are doing and have to run an extended time to get the excess liquid to turn into vapor.

 

[weare138]

blow in and out until the gurgly sound it gone. remove the coil so you can check to see if its wet and gently dry it with a napkin. the coils were flooded.

 

[Broncbox]

It sounds like the head is the issue. Even with dry burning eventually the build up around the coils and in the wick may not all clean out and you will have to rebuild or replace them. If you have a new unused head you can try that. If the issue clears up then the old head may need to be rebuilt. There are plenty of threads on here explaining how or even youtube videos. Also many brick and mortars are offering rebuild services that are cheaper than replacing if you want to go that route. I would still suggest at least watching one video so that you know what your paying for.

Usually when my protanks are flooding I will hear a gurgling sound while taking a draw on the head. My first response then is to take off the head and blow in to a napkin/paper towel from the bottom so the liquid comes out the tip. I will then use a corner of the paper towel to clean out the tip and try vaping again. If I quickly get a gurgle again the head is the issue and I will replace it with another.

 

[Rokey]

It isn't a flooding issue. I've had plenty of experience with my coil flooding! I put a new head on it and it worked fine at first, but by the end of day one I had the same issue. I ordered more, and have a new one in right now and it seems to be ok.

As far as the flavor wicks, I replace them with a 1mm silica every time I rinse and dry burn the coils. I'm thinking they have just run their course. I've looked into rebuilding them but I have shaky hands and they are too cheap for me to want to mess around with that.

I'm pretty sure it is just the coils are too old. I've gotten plenty of use out of them by cleaning and and replacing the flavor wicks. Maybe it is just their time to go. I just want to make sure there aren't any other possible causes that people have experienced.

 

[RegalsCenter7]

sounds like its time for your coil to R.I.P. If u have any experiance rebuilding the heads do that. i havent bought a new head for my PT in over 7 months. cant justify spending $5 at b&m when ive experianced cotton wicks

 

[Rickajho]

How many times have your dry burned? You are right - over time the kanthal does degrade. If I don't kill a coil first, about the longest they are good for is six weeks before 'not right' sets in.

 

[Ryedan]

I'm pretty sure it is just the coils are too old. I've gotten plenty of use out of them by cleaning and and replacing the flavor wicks. Maybe it is just their time to go. I just want to make sure there aren't any other possible causes that people have experienced.

Yup, if you've cleaned and dry burned enough times they will give up. Sometimes it amazes me how long they last!

 

[Amberina]

I have this same problem when it is time to change out the coil head. I use my Protank 2 as my main tank ( I have 3 of them). I always know when it's time to change the coil heads out when they stop producing vapor (unless like you said, it gets very hot) and it starts to gurgle a lot. Just change out the coil and blow everything out and you should be good to go!!
Good Luck!!

 

[Train2]

I only get that "slow response" when the coil is dying - a nice fresh coil and things should perk right up!

 

[Broncbox]

Sounds like you have a handle on the issue and what you are going to do about it. Like I said sense you're not interested in rebuilding them your self you might want to try out a local b&m they might be willing to rebuild them for you at a lower cost than replacing them.

What cleaning do you do in between dry burns. Sense I use cotton I don't dry burn but I do rinse out the head with hot water after every tank. Seems to minimize the build up between rebuilds and helps the head last longer.

Best of luck.

 

[heroinesick]

What kind of juice are you vaping? It sounds like you are vaping 100% VG juice, which is known to gum up coils pretty quick.

Also, what kind of battery are you using?

 

[Katya]

Is it time to throw out my coils?

Most likely. You didn't tell us what kind of ejuice you're using and how many times you have cleaned your coils, but I suspect that you've done it too many times. Those coils are disposable--that's why they are sold in 5-packs. Yes, you can clean them a few times, but they do deteriorate with time. And dry burning is very harsh and can severely stress the coils--they are made out of very thin wire. The wicks deteriorate too--from vaping and from too much cleaning and manipulation. I don't dry burn them anymore--they are inexpensive and should be replaced as soon as their performance goes south.

I generally just soak them in PGA every couple of days and then I toss them. I also vape unflavored (PG/VG blend or just pure PG) between flavor changes--PG and VG are great atty cleaners and they are gentle on the coils.

The darker, sweeter, more intensely flavored your juice is, the more often you'll have to change your coils. Those additives gunk up the coils very fast. If you're using clean and clear juices, your coils will last longer. PG and VG don't leave any residue on the coils--it's all those sweeteners, colorings and flavorings that do that. Some NET juices can also be hard on coils.

 

[Rokey]

I'm using 50/50 or 65/35 Hawk Sauce from Mount Baker. I'm not sure what flavorings are in it (I'm a picky eater so I don't detect flavors well). It doesn't look dark in the bottle, but it does in the tank for some reason. For batteries I have a pair of eGo-Ts and a VV passthrough. I've had a Vamo 3 in mail limbo for the last couple months so I'm not going to replace these batteries.

I clean the coils when the flavor turns by soaking them overnight in water. Once dry, I replace the flavor wicks with silica (tried cotton from a Q-tip but didn't like the flavor and they quickly started tasting poorly). I used to dry burn them every cleaning, but now only when cleaning isn't enough to get the burnt flavor out or the production decreased. I've had these things for a while now so I'm not surprised that they are at the end of their life.