Possible Stinky Grommet Replacement

[jistjul]

I know it's a month or more later, but what a great read this has been!! Bookmarked. Thank you to Generic Mutant, Spazmelda, Tracye and MacTech. I hope I didn't miss anyone. So much information here between all of you. I'd love to get you guys around a table and just sit and listen. And vape.

I'm not crazy about the ones from lightning vapes and the AGA ones at Kidney Puncher aren't working well for me, so far.

I recently purchased an original Kangertech mini protank II and it came with an actual silicone grommet. The shape is exactly like Lightening Vapes grommets, but they are much more pliable and more iridescent than the "old" stock grommets and the replacement grommets from LV. Also, they do not give off the nasty taste that both the "old" stock grommets AND the LV replacement grommets do. Just to see if I was absolutely nuts (not outside the realm of possibility) I rebuilt a couple of attys with the LV grommets. The only variable that changed between the attys I made was the grommet. The LV attys taste absolutely horrible. Exactly like burned rubber. So since I cannot seem to build an atty that doesn't burn the grommet, until the "new" silicone grommets Kangertech is using are available for replacement grommets I will stick to the tubing.

 

[Huckleberried]

Thanks jistjul, I got some, too. I did soak the LV ones in baking soda and water overnight, rinsed really good and it did help some. I'm highly interested in this tubing now, though. I wish I'd found this thread sooner, but what great teachers you've all been!

Edit: So are all of you still really satisfied with the tubing?

 

[beckdg]

tubing is working out great for me. when i use my protanks, that is.

with a reo grand, a couple new mechs with RDAs on them, a couple provari on the way, mvp IIs in the house, a bunch of ibtanked carto tanks, AGA T2, pyrex RSST, kayfun, etc., it's hard to pull myself to want to fill a kanger product these days.

heck, if we didn't all love tank cracker juices around here, the iclear 16Bs might have been the end of kanger love in this house.

 

[Huckleberried]

Holy vapes Batman, that's some stuff! Jeez Luigi, I'm sitting here thinkin I''m happy with my MVP, my little egos and kanger tanks. Nice.

 

[beckdg]

thanks. preparing the family for the vapocalypse.

 

[TafkanX]

Purchased the Kanger Aero and it has silicon grommets and has the airflow moved from the 510 connection to a dedicated airflow control in the base. No more burned grommets, no more choked off airflow due to grommet flaring. #winning!

 

[MacTechVpr]

Purchased the Kanger Aero and it has silicon grommets and has the airflow moved from the 510 connection to a dedicated airflow control in the base. No more burned grommets, no more choked off airflow due to grommet flaring. #winning!

Well I appreciate that observation on the flaring because it's been a seriously annoying problem with both the original and aftermarket replacements I've found. But since I realized the significant likelihood of 510 shorts with incidental ground and moisture faults I haven't experienced the burned grommet syndrome with any frequency. That's what motivated me to join Metalhed's thread in the first place and focus discussions on build and termination symmetry. So in a manner of speaking having an insulator that masks that, although seemingly desirable from a taste point of view, would also tend to hide build inefficiency. And of course that effects flavor in it's own way…it mutes it.

Just a thought Taf because we tend to ignore what we can't see, taste hear, etc. if you know what I mean.

I got my first silicone assembly this past week and haven't built it yet. Trying to see if I can get to it tonight.

Good luck.

 

[jistjul]

I am happy with the tubing, but I would also like to learn how to eliminate the problem with my rebuild that causes them to burn the grommet in the first place. I don't want to get into the MOD or RBA world, I have a collection of ego 510 threaded batteries. Most pass through, one not, some variable voltage, some steady and they range from 650 mah to 1300 mah. That said, I have a very sensitive sense of taste and cannot abide the rubber. I use Kanger's in the first place because I prefer the flavor of my liquids in glass over plastic. I am unsure if heating up plastic or rubber causes any chemical reaction so I would just rather avoid it altogether. I just ordered some new kanger attys (I need to build up my stock of "bodies") and sincerely hope they have some of the actual silicone grommets in them.

 

[Huckleberried]

I did the same, got them from Discount Vapers. They're silicone, 2.2 ohm. I'd read in a couple other threads to cut off the top lip of the grommet..... the one that goes in first to the base, not the bigger lip. I've done that with some of them and no problems yet. Some say that dry burning cause all the problems. Makes sense.

I'm still very interested in the tubing if these all start flaking out on me.

 

[MacTechVpr]

I am happy with the tubing, but I would also like to learn how to eliminate the problem with my rebuild that causes them to burn the grommet in the first place. I don't want to get into the MOD or RBA world, I have a collection of ego 510 threaded batteries. Most pass through, one not, some variable voltage, some steady and they range from 650 mah to 1300 mah. That said, I have a very sensitive sense of taste and cannot abide the rubber. I use Kanger's in the first place because I prefer the flavor of my liquids in glass over plastic. I am unsure if heating up plastic or rubber causes any chemical reaction so I would just rather avoid it altogether. I just ordered some new kanger attys (I need to build up my stock of "bodies") and sincerely hope they have some of the actual silicone grommets in them.

I'm with you on the taste. I just met a client at a workshop I was doing with similar blessing/curse as I experience. I have not had a serious concern with hot leg grommet burn since I started my research on symmetry. It is primarily due to hot leg, high end turn issues. Only really tight build and termination can correct that. Hand winds don't even come close to addressing it. And builders from novice to experienced, not as taste sensitive as you and I, mask it by overpowering the short and call it great. It may be to them, I don't know. I DO KNOW it's not efficient. It wastes juice and battery, both power and longevity. It frustrates users with unpredictable performance typically flooding. There you go. Time and money. We can waste it or opt for the bubble gum fix. Or…we can go for the great vape. I chose the latter and that's the method I'm passing on in alternate threads here on ECF (see my blog for links).

I spoke above about another worsening problem with silicone and that is skewing which wrecks your build and resistance. So if you have varying res issues a leg hanger likely. But if not torquing it down may have skewed the grommet and your build. That's what I just saw repeatedly with this one test build I'm working with. Any dampness which is inevitable in a 510 if you vape it at all hard…skew. So I am considerably disappointed as I had the prospect that Kanger's silicone composition would help.

However, I'll ad I was just speaking to Lance Wallen, owner of Steam Monkey, at the Tampa vapor's convention earlier today on this very issue of silicone in 510's. And he pointed out an obvious fact that we're all overlooking. Silicone is only heat resistant to something just over 560 deg F. So what is all this reliance on silicone grommet being fine because it's food grade. It's inadequate in this application. And it burns off without detection!!! How is that a solution???

We need to do better research as consumers. Myself included, in this instance.

Build better!

Just sayin'. LMK if I can help.

Good luck.

 

[MacTechVpr]

I did the same, got them from Discount Vapers. They're silicone, 2.2 ohm. I'd read in a couple other threads to cut off the top lip of the grommet..... the one that goes in first to the base, not the bigger lip. I've done that with some of them and no problems yet. Some say that dry burning cause all the problems. Makes sense.

I'm still very interested in the tubing if these all start flaking out on me.

Not exactly. I've done many hundreds of builds on the Kanger line. Dry burning does not cause grommet burn. But it can happen during a dry burn. The origin of the short is non-optimal coil geometry or termination. Dry burning oxidizes the surface of Kanthal coils which makes them resistant to shorts. It's better than annealing by torching in that it's uniform where manual annealing can be uneven and actually damage the coil if overdone.

Dry burning can hide such electrical sins as shorts deriving from uneven spacing in a contact coil or loose turns running hotter than the rest. And you still have the same inefficient performance. It may still go hot if overpowered and test fine when cool. Lot's of variations which do not replace a good tight properly terminated build and the great vape we're lookin' for.

Good luck all.

 

[tombaker]

The burn taste on the rebuild is definitely the rubber grommet for the pin.

1. one way to fix or help the issue is to cut the lip off the end that gets pushed back into the coil. If you do this and dry burn after the coil replacement, you should not smell rubber at all. Dry burn as a pulse, vs a long heat up also.

2. The replacement silicon grommet will solve the problem also. From some sources they are very expensive about 60% of an entirely new coil fully built. The replacement silicon is too expensive by themselves, I don't blame the people selling them, because it such a low profit item, they have to sell them at some price that makes it worth their time. This site has them at 20 cents each, before shipping, so if you are buying anything else from them.....its a good deal IMO AGA Series Positive Post Insulators - 10 pack - Kidney Puncher

3. Kanger has switched to silicon grommets on their New coils. There is tons of inventory out there with the older rubber ones, so if you mail order, you are not sure to get a new one. There may be some mailorder vendors you can ask to take a look. If you look at the new Kanger coil while still in the sealed package you can clearly see the frosty white transparent silicon vs the older rubber one that is not clear, and more of yellow color.

4. I bought from a local vendor where I was able to easily confirm the silicon without opening them. The 10 dollar for 5 local price was great all things considering.

Recommendation: So buy some new Kanger with Silicon, then keep on using the silicon on your rebuilds from there. The cutting off of the lip works well enough also, but the rubber is still there.

PS fingernail clippers work great for precision coil leads clipping

 

[Huckleberried]

I got some of the new ones from Discount Vapers so I could have an emergency pack in my purse. I don't carry anything other than my PVs with me.

The insulators from KidneyPuncher, for me, were a pain to work with in a Protank, at least. VERY hard to get it in, then of course, it bulged badly and needed to be shaved down. I got the kind that Lightning Vapes carry, too. Perfect size, cut the lip off, which works great!...... they had a really bad taste after rinsing. I soaked them overnight in baking soda water and it helped tremendously.

 

[jistjul]

UPDATE: Lightening Vapes has added silicone insulating grommets to their line. They never admitted it, but I KNEW those first ones were not silicone!! Resistance Coil Insulator 10 Pack (CE Type Atty's, eg. Protank, Evod,T - Lightning Vapes

 

[jistjul]

I ordered these, and they are exactly like the stock grommets. Which is great for someone who doesn't have an issue with the burnt grommet taste, but I seem to be like Tracye. I can taste rubber only THINKING about burning! They are definitely NOT silicone.

UPDATE: Lightening Vapes is NOW offering silicone grommets (still no admission that the previous ones were never silicone (they advertised them as silicone) but hey, close enough.

 

[jistjul]

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Here is a place I found you can order 1,000 of them for $120 making them $0.12 per piece. This means that Lightening Vapes makes $4.80 profit for every pack of 10 they sell. $480 in PROFIT for every gross that's a 400% profit! Genius. Perhaps I will invest the $120 but not to make profit for myself, but to sell them on ebay and offer the deal to my fellow vapers...charge just enough to pay for my initial $120 investment. Hmmm