Pro Tank II coils not working very well after a day or two at most. HELP please!

[xdunlapx]

Hi, everyone! Long time no see! Ok, so my new setup as of about 3 weeks ago is an eVic and a Pro Tank II. Same juice as always. Ok, so, I've gone through about 7 coils in 3 weeks. I'm not sure what is going on but the vapor production significantly drops off after a day or two. I'm really upset because I just bought 20 coils!

I vape at 3.9v on 2.5mah coils. I am using the genuine Pro Tank coils. Wattage at this level is auto-set to 6.6w. Current resistance of the coil I am using is 2.3ohm. When my eVic is held straight up the juice is about 1/4 inch or less below the top silver part. I don't keep it topped off since the whole reason I bought a tank was to not have to do that. I used to use cartomizers (for the last 3.5 years, since I started vaping) and was sick and tired of refilling them so freaking often. I vape a heck of a lot throughout the day. My juice of choice (I'm super picky) is Vapor4Life Wow Butterscotch 24mg. It's the only juice I vape and have stuck with it for at least 2.5 years now since I couldn't find any other vendor or flavor I liked more. Yes, I am boring when it comes to flavors. LOL

Ok, if you can help me figure out what is going on I'd greatly appreciate it. I have 20 coils that are sitting here waiting for me to use but I DO NOT want to go through them as fast as I have gone through these 7. I do notice that when I take out the coil, wipe off the juice from the wicks, and put it back in, let it sit for about a minute and then vape I get near normal vapor production. Then very soon (within a few minutes or so) the vapor production suddenly drops to minimal again. I'm taking longer and longer drags yet not getting any more vapor. I need to get my usb cord so I can download the data and really look at it. It's in my car and I haven't used it since the 3rd day I had this setup.

Please PM me or reply back with any suggestions.

I do prefer to keep it at 3.9v because 4.0 and higher seems to burn the juice. I tried vaping at different wattages and I did not notice any difference at all between the lowest wattage and the highest. So I very quickly switched it back to voltage.

 

[crxess]

Switch back to Watts - it simply does the math for you. You can still make adjustments to the output. You can also monitor both readings on screen at the same time in 1.2 or above. You really cannot detect changes in settings Fast. A flooded wick can take time to cook clean. A burnt taste can take time to clear up.
Vaping cheap e-liquids or my DIY 50/50 blends. I can run 6.8w to 8watts with almost all.

Time is irrelevant - Volume is important
Person (A) gets 5 days from a coil
Person (B) gets 2 days from a coil
However, Both persons went through 10ml
Hmmmmm......... Get my point?
2ml per day is quite a bit less use than 5ml a day.

You didn't say when or why you finally replace a coil.
After (X) number of Tank fills?
When it just won't work anymore?

Suggestion:
Gather all 7 used heads
Acquire 1 bottle of grain Alcohol and 1 small Tupperware bowl with lid
Place all the coils in the bowl and fill to cover. Let set for 10-30 minutes. Pick up and swish bowl a few times and let stand for another hour. Remove the coils and flush under hot running water. Pat off excess water and place on a paper towel to dry over night.

Most, if not all should be useable again.

For extended life, replace the coils at least ever other tank and soak the removed coil to clean.
Learn how to clean/dry burn and replace flavor wicks(cheap and simple) for very extended use. Youtube is full of good tutorials.

ETA Lower temperatures will cause a coil to fail faster than highest un-burnt temps.
If liquid is slow boiled it tends to collect and gunk up on the wick/coil. That is also where most burnt taste comes from.(gunk on wick)

 

[Scarey]

I dry burn my coil almost nightly. I clean the whole tank every 3rd day or so. A little boost after the dry burn, and back to factory after I do a full clean. The protank coils seem to just need regular maintenance.

 

[xdunlapx]

Switch back to Watts - it simply does the math for you. You can still make adjustments to the output. You can also monitor both readings on screen at the same time in 1.2 or above. You really cannot detect changes in settings Fast. A flooded wick can take time to cook clean. A burnt taste can take time to clear up.
Vaping cheap e-liquids or my DIY 50/50 blends. I can run 6.8w to 8watts with almost all.

Time is irrelevant - Volume is important
Person (A) gets 5 days from a coil
Person (B) gets 2 days from a coil
However, Both persons went through 10ml
Hmmmmm......... Get my point?
2ml per day is quite a bit less use than 5ml a day.

You didn't say when or why you finally replace a coil.
After (X) number of Tank fills?
When it just won't work anymore?

Suggestion:
Gather all 7 used heads
Acquire 1 bottle of grain Alcohol and 1 small Tupperware bowl with lid
Place all the coils in the bowl and fill to cover. Let set for 10-30 minutes. Pick up and swish bowl a few times and let stand for another hour. Remove the coils and flush under hot running water. Pat off excess water and place on a paper towel to dry over night.

Most, if not all should be useable again.

For extended life, replace the coils at least ever other tank and soak the removed coil to clean.
Learn how to clean/dry burn and replace flavor wicks(cheap and simple) for very extended use. Youtube is full of good tutorials.

ETA Lower temperatures will cause a coil to fail faster than highest un-burnt temps.
If liquid is slow boiled it tends to collect and gunk up on the wick/coil. That is also where most burnt taste comes from.(gunk on wick)

I vape about 2-4 tanks per day. I haven't ever counted. I know I fill it probably twice most days. Should I vape it at 6.6w? I really have no idea.

How do I know if my coil/tank is flooded? Would I get a gurgly sound? I have never had a gurgly sound. I finally replace a coil because there is so little vapor production even with taking a 4 second drag. My drags on a new coil is usually 2-2.5 seconds.

Ok I'll have to try the grain alcohol cleaning regimine. I don't even know what grain alcohol is. Is vodka grain alcohol?

Regarding lower temperatures: I don't know what you mean by "highest un-burnt temps." Can you elaborate? I really don't know much about the mechanics of vaping. I've been vaping since late January/Early February 2010 but didn't get into VV until probably mid or late last year. I've always been late to adopt new technologies mainly because of the cost involved. I don't understand how electrical things work and wouldn't know how to learn).

What is a "flavor wick?" Is it just the white wicks in the coils? I can't pry open the coil assembly, I've tried. I don't have the finger strength or manual dexterity. Would making the wicks a little longer help or hinder wicking of the juice?

Thank you for trying to help me. I really appreciate it. I look forward to your reply.

 

[KjAthena]

I soak and rinse my protank coils every evening and do a vodka soak and wash once a week...I have never done a dry burn or added removed flavor wicks on my protank coils (I ahve a PT1,PT2 and a PT mini) I vape my juices at 3.7 to 4.2 on my spinner and use between 3ml to 5ml juice every day split between 3 set ups....none of my juices are real sweet or dark. In 7 weeks I have yet to replace a coil but I know the time will come

 

[optsmk]

I don't have a Protank II, but I do have a protank and I ad the same problem when I started using it. I ended up just rinsing out the tank and coil under hot water. Once its good and clean I put it all back together and fill it with juice. IT usually takes a few hits before it starts working again, but after that it's like new again.

 

[xdunlapx]

I soak and rinse my protank coils every evening and do a vodka soak and wash once a week...I have never done a dry burn or added removed flavor wicks on my protank coils (I ahve a PT1,PT2 and a PT mini) I vape my juices at 3.7 to 4.2 on my spinner and use between 3ml to 5ml juice every day split between 3 set ups....none of my juices are real sweet or dark. In 7 weeks I have yet to replace a coil but I know the time will come

Soak and rinse with water nightly? I'll have to try that with my current coil tonight. Should I put the coil under running water to help flush out the juice and/or gunk first, then soak it? How long should I soak it? Should I do like crxess said and like 30 minutes, swish the water/alcohol around and then soak for an hour? I really hope I can get this working for me. I'm so bummed. I love my pro tank II, except for this coil issue.

 

[xdunlapx]

I don't have a Protank II, but I do have a protank and I ad the same problem when I started using it. I ended up just rinsing out the tank and coil under hot water. Once its good and clean I put it all back together and fill it with juice. IT usually takes a few hits before it starts working again, but after that it's like new again.

I'll try that right now. Thanks!

 

[KjAthena]

I run the hot water from my sink over the coil in a small glass and then just turn the water off and let it sokk for about 10 mins them shake them off and blow the water out of the tube and set them on a dish towel to dry...the next night I put them in my tank and repeat the process with the ones that were in my tank today. If I switch flavors during the day I rinse the coil off blow the water out of the tube and replace the coil....I will them let the full tank sit for about 6 minutes and do a couple of priming pulls before I hit the fire button. The protanks are my favorite topper because of the ease of cleaning and care....good luck

 

[crxess]

ok, lets knock out a few things
1)Vodka will work fine - Grain is probably cheaper
2) Change your Coil Every evening or if you notice a drop in performance - which ever comes first.
Remember to soak the old one.

If you are using a standard 2.5 about 4.2 volts should work well on a properly primed(wet) coil. That is roughly 7 watts.
Simplest thing is set to about 6.8 watts. Vape a bit. If all is good, bump up .2 watts to 7 watts.
Nice thing about the eVic is tight control. If 7 watts is still good, try 7.2 watts.
Continue this until you notice a slight burnt or odd taste. Back off .1-.2 watts, take 1-2 un-powered draws to re-prime the wick and try that setting. you should easily find the Sweet Spot where you will get full flavor, maximum vapor and best vaporization without burning from being to hot or gunking from being to cold. Remember you will need to take a few draws at any point to stabilize things and get true results.

You only need to concentrate on 2 things. How warm can I vape without burnt taste and recognizing flavor drop for coil swaps. With proper heat control your coil swaps should become less frequent.

 

[xdunlapx]

ok, lets knock out a few things
1)Vodka will work fine - Grain is probably cheaper
2) Change your Coil Every evening or if you notice a drop in performance - which ever comes first.
Remember to soak the old one.

If you are using a standard 2.5 about 4.2 volts should work well on a properly primed(wet) coil. That is roughly 7 watts.
Simplest thing is set to about 6.8 watts. Vape a bit. If all is good, bump up .2 watts to 7 watts.
Nice thing about the eVic is tight control. If 7 watts is still good, try 7.2 watts.
Continue this until you notice a slight burnt or odd taste. Back off .1-.2 watts, take 1-2 un-powered draws to re-prime the wick and try that setting. you should easily find the Sweet Spot where you will get full flavor, maximum vapor and best vaporization without burning from being to hot or gunking from being to cold. Remember you will need to take a few draws at any point to stabilize things and get true results.

You only need to concentrate on 2 things. How warm can I vape without burnt taste and recognizing flavor drop for coil swaps. With proper heat control your coil swaps should become less frequent.

Ok thanks! I just checked my coil resistance since I changed it a moment ago. It's not 2.5 it's 2.2ohm.

I changed it to 6.5 watts and even with this new coil which I primed quite a few times after letting it sit a few minutes is not performing well. The battery is at 29% Could that be the problem? I am vaping at or slightly longer than 4 seconds per puff and still not much vapor. Could my evic be defective? Ok, well I went through the settings and didn't see anything odd. And when I started vaping again it seems to be producing more vapor but still not by much.

6.7w seems to be much better. And I'm feeling the nicotine more (head rush kind of thing). I'm not sure going higher than that would be good since it's currently at 3.92v and higher than that tastes burned.

 

[optsmk]

maybe your voltage is a little low too. I'm vaping at 4.5 volts with a 2.5ohm coil.

 

[crxess]

Ok, lets get you up to speed on the eVic. I've had mine (2x) for 9 months

What Firmware version are you using? (I've stuck with 1.2 for now - no performance advantages in 1.3,1.4)
First, in watts mode it can be set in micro adjustments, .1 watts(.03v) at a time. Nothing can be tighter or more accurate.

Even eVic cannot make power that is not there. 29% is very low and the output will start to fall off. With a short tube and 18350 batteries eVic will cut off often at 30-35%.
A spare battery and External charger is a good investment.
Swapping batteries at 40% when possible is a better choice to maintain same vape quality.

Remember - eVic or any other power source is just supplying energy needed to operate the coil. Everything in production of flavor/Vapor beyond powering the coil is dependent on what is happening in the e-liquid device on top.

Any device that cannot set to 1.8 volts above coil ohms reading needs attention.
i.e. coil reads and Volts minimum
1.8ohm - 3.6 volts
2.2ohm - 4 volts
2.5ohm - 4.3 volts
3.0ohms - 4.8 volts
All of these are minimum the coil/wick/device should be able to handle and all would be at or above 7 watts

Also remember this - If you vape at to low a voltage gunk starts to build up. If you THEN raise the Voltage/Wattage you will likely get a burnt taste. This is not a Liquid burning issue. This is the Gunk burning off and quite often will stop after a few stiff draws. Then suddenly you have a warmer and more flavorful vape going on.

If you have ever tried to start a car that is flooded the effect is the same. You feel the bucking and fighting to perform until everything balances back out - then it runs smooth as silk.

This is not to say you cannot over power and burn e-liquids bur rather that the opposite can cause a similar effect.
High Vapor output and burned taste is over power(on a clean wick)
Low vapor and weak flavor is Low power not Vaporizing liquid properly.

 

[Claudia P]

ok, lets knock out a few things
1)Vodka will work fine - Grain is probably cheaper
2) Change your Coil Every evening or if you notice a drop in performance - which ever comes first.
Remember to soak the old one.

If you are using a standard 2.5 about 4.2 volts should work well on a properly primed(wet) coil. That is roughly 7 watts.
Simplest thing is set to about 6.8 watts. Vape a bit. If all is good, bump up .2 watts to 7 watts.
Nice thing about the eVic is tight control. If 7 watts is still good, try 7.2 watts.
Continue this until you notice a slight burnt or odd taste. Back off .1-.2 watts, take 1-2 un-powered draws to re-prime the wick and try that setting. you should easily find the Sweet Spot where you will get full flavor, maximum vapor and best vaporization without burning from being to hot or gunking from being to cold. Remember you will need to take a few draws at any point to stabilize things and get true results.

You only need to concentrate on 2 things. How warm can I vape without burnt taste and recognizing flavor drop for coil swaps. With proper heat control your coil swaps should become less frequent.

OK you say grain alcohol is better, can you tell me exactly what you mean by grain alcohol please? I have heard ethanol too and I'm a bit curious about where you would get it. I ask this because I live in a dry county and only get to anywhere that sells hard liquor a couple of times a year and I'm wondering if I could find something closer to home to use.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

Grain alcohol means pure grain alcohol, or PGA, or Everclear. It's the highest alcohol by volume content that you can legally buy.

I think part of the OP's problem may be related to the level of liquid in the tank. Bottom coil systems like the Protank work best when they are half full or better. It's when the liquid level gets low that problems start cropping up, including inefficient wicking and/or leaking and gurgling.

Also, different liquids work with different amounts of energy delivered to the coil. For some of my own liquids, I have to crank up to 8.5 watts to get the same cloud and flavor that another liquid delivers at 7.0 watts.

 

[xdunlapx]

Ok, lets get you up to speed on the eVic. I've had mine (2x) for 9 months

What Firmware version are you using? (I've stuck with 1.2 for now - no performance advantages in 1.3,1.4)
First, in watts mode it can be set in micro adjustments, .1 watts(.03v) at a time. Nothing can be tighter or more accurate.

Even eVic cannot make power that is not there. 29% is very low and the output will start to fall off. With a short tube and 18350 batteries eVic will cut off often at 30-35%.
A spare battery and External charger is a good investment.
Swapping batteries at 40% when possible is a better choice to maintain same vape quality.

Remember - eVic or any other power source is just supplying energy needed to operate the coil. Everything in production of flavor/Vapor beyond powering the coil is dependent on what is happening in the e-liquid device on top.

Any device that cannot set to 1.8 volts above coil ohms reading needs attention.
i.e. coil reads and Volts minimum
1.8ohm - 3.6 volts
2.2ohm - 4 volts
2.5ohm - 4.3 volts
3.0ohms - 4.8 volts
All of these are minimum the coil/wick/device should be able to handle and all would be at or above 7 watts

Also remember this - If you vape at to low a voltage gunk starts to build up. If you THEN raise the Voltage/Wattage you will likely get a burnt taste. This is not a Liquid burning issue. This is the Gunk burning off and quite often will stop after a few stiff draws. Then suddenly you have a warmer and more flavorful vape going on.

If you have ever tried to start a car that is flooded the effect is the same. You feel the bucking and fighting to perform until everything balances back out - then it runs smooth as silk.

This is not to say you cannot over power and burn e-liquids bur rather that the opposite can cause a similar effect.
High Vapor output and burned taste is over power(on a clean wick)
Low vapor and weak flavor is Low power not Vaporizing liquid properly.

My firmware is 1.4. I use 2000mah AW IMR 18650s (4) and the one that came with the eVic which is 2600mah I think (18650). I changed the battery this morning and it's now at 74% (AW IMR). This is the new coil I put in late last night. Not minimal vapor but lower output than I'd like currently. It's set to 6.7w on the 2.2ohm coil.

I just upped the wattage to 7.0 which is 4.01v and took like 5 stiff non-activated draws and it's working better. Tastes cleaner. Thanks!! I'll keep messing around with it varying it a little here and there with learning what you have taught me. I have hope that it will fix my coil problems.

Ill try to see if I can get Everclear here. I've never bought it so I don't know if it's available here, plus I just moved to a rural community near Las Vegas so I'll keep a look out for it. Is there a generic Everclear? If so, what would it be called? Just Grain Alcohol? Thanks crxess!

 

[crxess]

Pure grain Alcohol - did not say is better, just less expensive. But yes, it can be purchased in higher alcohol content than other liquors.
Rubbing alcohol would leave a nasty residual taste you might not be able to rinse out.

Tank Volume - Sorry but my ProTanks and I both disagree with others.
I typically Vape the Protank, Evods, T3's and mini's dry without having issues with leaking or Gurgling
I Vape mixes from 80pg/20vg to 50/50

Any and ALL Bottom Coil Tanks are effected most dramatically by ONE factor Change in Pressure.
Anything from an Elevator ride to a sudden weather change can effect a BCC Tank.
Short draws and long draws effect a BCC differently
Hard draws and soft draws effect a BCC tank differently.
Top coil tanks are also effected, but the coil resides above the liquid, not submersed in it.

Ever look at a tire on a cold morning and think, hmmmm that looks low? Drive to work and the tire looks normal? Didn't stop to add air. Ahh, pressure change from Heating up.

------------------------------------------------------------------

xdunlapx
Glad it is starting to work better and make some sense out of what is going on. Keep experimanting and if things get confusing, just reference back here.

Hope you can get even more enjoyment out of your gear from here out

 

[xdunlapx]

Pure grain Alcohol - did not say is better, just less expensive. But yes, it can be purchased in higher alcohol content than other liquors.
Rubbing alcohol would leave a nasty residual taste you might not be able to rinse out.

Tank Volume - Sorry but my ProTanks and I both disagree with others.
I typically Vape the Protank, Evods, T3's and mini's dry without having issues with leaking or Gurgling
I Vape mixes from 80pg/20vg to 50/50

Any and ALL Bottom Coil Tanks are effected most dramatically by ONE factor Change in Pressure.
Anything from an Elevator ride to a sudden weather change can effect a BCC Tank.
Short draws and long draws effect a BCC differently
Hard draws and soft draws effect a BCC tank differently.
Top coil tanks are also effected, but the coil resides above the liquid, not submersed in it.

Ever look at a tire on a cold morning and think, hmmmm that looks low? Drive to work and the tire looks normal? Didn't stop to add air. Ahh, pressure change from Heating up.

------------------------------------------------------------------

xdunlapx
Glad it is starting to work better and make some sense out of what is going on. Keep experimanting and if things get confusing, just reference back here.

Hope you can get even more enjoyment out of your gear from here out

I really appreciate your (and everyone's) help here. I do notice that the longer I vape (the hotter it gets) it seems to drop the volume of vapor. But I haven't really paid much attention at trends with it (yet).

Luckily, here where I am in Nevada, the weather seems really consistent for the most part, unlike central Ohio where I lived my whole life.

 

[yoyoyo]

take out the bottom, take out the atomizer, pop the top of the atomizer off, take out the "flavor wick" set is aside and be careful not to unwind the flavor wick or else. (take a sewing needle and poke it in the middle to remove it and set it aside) now take everything and just put them thru running hot water, get a paper towel to dry them off, then take the bottom and put on the atomizer minus the top part, pop them on the evic and start at 3.2 to pulse dry burn it. 3.2 3.4 3.6 pulsing first then longer as you go till the coil is red and all that black stuff is gone from the wick. now put the flavor wick in, pop the top, and put back the rest together. no more bad taste

 

[Fizzpop]

Clean your coils - either vodka or by rinsing and dry burning (my preference). Then go buy some silica wick and kanthal wire and learn to re-build your heads. My wife and I have about 10 heads between us, haven't even touched 5 of them.