Problems with Subtank Mini

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VaperZen

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Is anyone else having problems with their Subtank Mini?
Mine is burning up the store bought coils as well as coils in the RBA section. I know there is something wrong with the bottom assembly of the tank, isn't that where something would be that kept shorting out my coils? I have gone through a box of coils in a months time plus about 6 coils I made. I even had my local Vape shop that specializes in RDA'S and high wattage devices build one for me. Some of you may have heard of them, Coval Vapes, anyway it blew a coil they built in the rba section as well. After that I'm positive that something it's definitely wrong with this tank. When I first bought the Subtank Mini it worked well but over time, 3 months, it quit working right.
The place I bought it from says it only had a 30 day warranty and to contact Kanger directly. Kanger said to contact my vendor and they would replace any parts that my vendor used to fix it. My vendor, Kanger wholesale USA, said sorry your out of luck.
Has anybody had this problem or know how to fix it? It would also be helpful to know where, if anywhere, I could buy just a replacement bottom assembly, assuming that's the problem. If anybody could help I would be very grateful!
Please help. I don't have the money to be wasting it on an expensive Subtank Mini that doesn't work!
 

KattMamma

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What are the symptoms, other than burnt coils?

My first ST Mini was defective - I never figured out what was wrong but it had some sort of pressure problem and refused to wick juice. I should have returned it right away, but I was a newb and kept thinking it was something I was doing. Finally gave up and bought another one and it's fine, except that the stock OCC soils suck. I have gotten so many bad ones it's not funny. Finally bought a 5pk that seems to be good - got 6 days on my last coil, which is the most I've EVER got out of a stock OCC coil.

Starting to hate Kanger...
 
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dhood

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Not sure why it would short out RBA coils unless the legs on the coil extended beyond the edge of the build deck. There is VERY little clearance there. Anything that sticks out will touch the side of the chimney when it is installed. Once you have your coil installed and the chimney screwed down, what does your ohm meter read the resistance at?
 
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jseah

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What are the symptoms, other than burnt coils?

My first ST Mini was defective - I never figured out what was wrong but it had some sort of pressure problem and refused to wick juice. I should have returned it right away, but I was a newb and kept thinking it was something I was doing. Finally gave up and bought another one and it's fine, except that the stock OCC soils suck. I have gotten so many bad ones it's not funny. Finally bought a 5pk that seems to be good - got 6 days on my last coil, which is the most I've EVER got out of a stock OCC coil.

Starting to hate Kanger...
It has been the opposite for me. I haven't had any issues with the OCC coils. I only use the Subtank about half the time and my last stock OCC coil (0.5 ohm) lasted me 3 weeks. In fact, the nickel OCC coils last me even longer. I just swapped out the first nickel OCC coil that I used the other day and I started using it over 5 weeks ago. I do tend to run it fairly low, at only between 20 and 25 watts, even with the nickel coils. And the coils tell me that they need changing when I start getting dry hits.
 

VaperZen

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Not sure why it would short out RBA coils unless the legs on the coil extended beyond the edge of the build deck. There is VERY little clearance there. Anything that sticks out will touch the side of the chimney when it is installed. Once you have your coil installed and the chimney screwed down, what does your ohm meter read the resistance at?
Hi, most of the time I can't get the store bought coils or coils in the rba section to read on anything. When they do and you vape it all you get is a tank full of burnt liquid and a horrible taste in your mouth, so bad that, brushing your teeth and then using Listerine, is the only way to get it out! That's saying something coming from me because, I HATE!! Listerine!!.......
 

VaperZen

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Not sure why it would short out RBA coils unless the legs on the coil extended beyond the edge of the build deck. There is VERY little clearance there. Anything that sticks out will touch the side of the chimney when it is installed. Once you have your coil installed and the chimney screwed down, what does your ohm meter read the resistance at?
Thanks dhood, but the coils never have extended past the build deck. Thank You for the input.
 

VaperZen

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Apr 27, 2015
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What are the symptoms, other than burnt coils?

My first ST Mini was defective - I never figured out what was wrong but it had some sort of pressure problem and refused to wick juice. I should have returned it right away, but I was a newb and kept thinking it was something I was doing. Finally gave up and bought another one and it's fine, except that the stock OCC soils suck. I have gotten so many bad ones it's not funny. Finally bought a 5pk that seems to be good - got 6 days on my last coil, which is the most I've EVER got out of a stock OCC coil.

Starting to hate Kanger...
Hey KattMamma,
I have an Aspire Atlantis and the stock coils last me weeks! That's one reason I am so upset about the Kanger Subtank not working. The Kanger Subtank Mini was supposed to be, all that! And was most certainly not!
 

VaperZen

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Thanks dhood, but the coils never have extended past the build deck. Thank You for the input.
dhood,
Yes sometimes it will read it but my iStick 50w almost always reads it. I have trouble with the Vapor Shark reading it, but it has trouble reading most things. I only vape at 3.8 volts and never above 24.2 watts.
 

VaperZen

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Maybe I missed it but
what mod are you using ?
and what power?

and you didn't answer dhood's question: what resistance do you get after you screw the fog chamber and chimney on?
Thanks for being so kind edyle!
I have answered dhoods question but as I said it is having some type of electrical problems or shorting out problems so most of the time it won't read on much but when it does and you vape on it, it blows the coils. Thanks again for helping.
 

edyle

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Thanks for being so kind edyle!
I have answered dhoods question but as I said it is having some type of electrical problems or shorting out problems so most of the time it won't read on much but when it does and you vape on it, it blows the coils. Thanks again for helping.

No offence bezen but you have answered none of the questions:

1: What mod are you using?
2: What power (wattage) are you using?
3: What resistance (ohms) does the mod read after you screw on the fog chamber; (does it fluctuate)

I do not know what "it won't read on much" means.

Perhaps you do not know how to check ohms with your mod; perhaps your mods does not check ohms for you.
 

VaperZen

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No offence bezen but you have answered none of the questions:

1: What mod are you using?
2: What power (wattage) are you using?
3: What resistance (ohms) does the mod read after you screw on the fog chamber; (does it fluctuate)

I do not know what "it won't read on much" means.

Perhaps you do not know how to check ohms with your mod; perhaps your mods does not check ohms for you.
I have two mods that I use as I said, an IStick 50 watt and as I said, a Vapor Shark 40 watt. I use between 20 to 25 watts, never higher because I don't build my coils lower than .5ohms. When I get the fog chamber back on and I put it on my ohm reader most of the time it will read .5 , if that is what I built it to be. There are times however that it does fluctuate, I do know that when that happens something is wrong with the coil or the tank. I also have this same problem with the stock coils. No offense edyle but did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?!
BeZen : )
 

edyle

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I have two mods that I use as I said, an IStick 50 watt and as I said, a Vapor Shark 40 watt. I use between 20 to 25 watts, never higher because I don't build my coils lower than .5ohms. When I get the fog chamber back on and I put it on my ohm reader most of the time it will read .5 , if that is what I built it to be. There are times however that it does fluctuate, I do know that when that happens something is wrong with the coil or the tank. I also have this same problem with the stock coils. No offense edyle but did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?!
BeZen : )

Ah, I see where you answered it now; it was just before I posted, thanks.

So how much does it fluctuate by?

If there's something wrong electrically in the base causing wide fluctuations in ohms, I'm thinking VW operation could end up overpowering the coil
 

VaperZen

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Ah, I see where you answered it now; it was just before I posted, thanks.

So how much does it fluctuate by?

If there's something wrong electrically in the base causing wide fluctuations in ohms, I'm thinking VW operation could end up overpowering the coil
When it won't read a straight ohm, it fluctuates none stop. I put it on the ohm reader and it either reads, 8.88, or it never stops rolling through the numbers, when it doesn't read a basic ohm. I always check to make sure nothing came loose on the deck, because that can happen when you have a wiggly wire, all most all of the time they're aren't any wiggly wire.
Like I said above also I've had experts build coils on the rba section and they had the same results. I hate to give up on something that cost $45, I bought it when it first came out, but I don't know what else to do! I just hate basically throwing that much $ away.
 

DavidOck

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Continuously varying resistance indicates a loose connection somewhere. Perhaps the center pin on the base has a squashed insulator, or maybe the mating pin on the head itself. Although since you have the same problem with the RBA and the OCC heads, likely the base.

As said, if in VW mode, varying resistance will cause the mod to vary the voltage to maintain your set watts, and that's likely what's frying your coils.
 

edyle

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When it won't read a straight ohm, it fluctuates none stop. I put it on the ohm reader and it either reads, 8.88, or it never stops rolling through the numbers, when it doesn't read a basic ohm. I always check to make sure nothing came loose on the deck, because that can happen when you have a wiggly wire, all most all of the time they're aren't any wiggly wire.
Like I said above also I've had experts build coils on the rba section and they had the same results. I hate to give up on something that cost $45, I bought it when it first came out, but I don't know what else to do! I just hate basically throwing that much $ away.


The continuous wide variation in ohms is the root cause of the problem.
If you're at 20 watts on a 0.5 ohm coil, your VW mod puts out 3 volts; but if the hardware fluctuates and adds in an extra 0.5 ohm, now the VW automatically raises the volts to 4.4 volts because it thinks its a higher ohm coil.
One simple thing you can do is use VV mode instead; that should at least stop it from burning out your coils.

Something inside that atomizer base is not making good contact; it would be something to do with the centerpin; a good soak and cleaning might help.
 

VaperZen

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Continuously varying resistance indicates a loose connection somewhere. Perhaps the center pin on the base has a squashed insulator, or maybe the mating pin on the head itself. Although since you have the same problem with the RBA and the OCC heads, likely the base.

As said, if in VW mode, varying resistance will cause the mod to vary the voltage to maintain your set watts, and that's likely what's frying your coils.
Then why doesn't it happen to all of my tanks in VW?
 
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