Question: When is a coil finished/done for/kaput

[Ongeslepen]

Today is the first time that i tinkered with the rta of the kanger subtank mini.

There was already a coil in there so all i needed to do was add the wick to it. Now i'm wondering when the coil itself is finished. I figured as soon as the cotton is burned, you change it. Perhaps (or most likely) you'll also change the wick as soon as you change flavour. Does this also apply to the coil? Because a dry burn should do the trick right?

My apologies if the answer is already in here. I just did a quick search and couldn't find the answer. also i just wanted to share that i tinkered with the rta and it is working! and i know nobody to talk/brag too, since all of them are still using the old combustion technique.. lighting up an analog and are not interested in vaping... yet

I also noticed that the airflow is less compared to the standard occ coils. Is that my poor wicking skills or a property of the RTA base? Anyway, it does vape and i'm happy now.

Thx a lot

 

[DavidOck]

Hi RK,

The cotton (or other fiber, e.g. rayon, silica, etc.) is the wick. Hopefully, you've not burned it, although it will get dark and gunked with use. I tend to change wicks on my Kayfuns every couple of tanks. Cheap, easy, and restores a fresh taste to my juice.

The coil itself, unless damaged while re-wicking, can last a really long time. And yes, dry burning after removing the wick will clean off any deposits. Over time, it's resistance may begin to creep up. When it gets to a value you don't want, time to make a new one.

Too tight on the wick can restrict the draw, but too loose and you're liable to have leaking problems. If you consistently use the same ID on your coils, you'll eventually get it "right"

 

[Ongeslepen]

Thx a lot David.

Your answer has temporarily satisfied my thirst for knowledge of the ultimate vape.

 

[b.m.]

Like mentioned,the coil itself can last quite a long time.I have a few rta's that i have been using the same coils in for the last 4-5 months.I just change the wicks every couple days,and dry burn the coils while the wick is out.Good as new.

 

[Ongeslepen]

Thx b.m.

This makes the rta's way more attractive to use. i like to play around with it every once in a while. So this is perfect.

 

[roxynoodle]

I generally change my coils every 1-2 months. I probably don't need to, but I do seem to like gunky juices, and they are pretty discolored by then.

 

[Steelgirl]

I've been on the same coil in my REOs for a year?? maybe not quite a year, but a really long time. Change the KGD cotton every Sat or Sun. Dry burn, then I use one of those "Soft Pick" made by Gum... Like a toothpick, but has soft bristles on it. Basically like a tiny, tiny bottle brush. I gently brush the outter coil too. Dry burn again, wick it, vape it

 

[Alter]

From my experience its the thicker the wire the longer the coil will last. My wife's 32 gauge PT builds I don't even bother dryburning and cleaning since they distort very easily while your getting the crusties off. I just pull them apart and rebuild. I even found 30 gauge to weaken after only a few rebuilds.
I can't really say how long my 26 gauge kayfun builds last but its weeks or if I'm bored and want to change the coil to a different ohm. Now that I'm making my own juice I'm finding how sweet the storebought juices really are, getting 2 maybe 3 kayfun fulls before the wicking poops out then faced with a "cocoon". Now with my DIY juice I can get 6-7 reloads before my wick begins to suffer with the same type of juice and very little cocoon. I'm referring to tobacco juices not other flavors.
I found some stainless dental picks at a warehouse discount store and they work great for getting in, under and around the coils removing crusties.

 

[DavidOck]

Good observations, Alter. Thicker gauge will last longer, but other things also come into play. Thicker wire takes longer to heat (and cool, so it may still be boiling a bit after releasing the fire button.)

And in the case of the PT type builds, there's a physical limit on what will actually fit I do tend to use 32 in those, toss the flavor wick, and don't have problems dry burning them - but don't "touch" them with anything but hot running water.

On my Kayfuns and other rebuildables, I tend to 30 gauge. I don't normally sub Ω, and like the "action" of that size.

And that's one of the nice things about building your own - you can try out different things and find what works best to keep YOU happy and off the cigs.