Sub-Ohm Vaping Help/Transitioning to VG

[LunyAlex]

Hey there, vapers!
I come to you with a humble request for assistance.

I personally don't vape (nor smoke, though I've had a few e-cig puffs and have to say these e-liquid flavors are pretty tasty), but I recently convinced my mother to transition from smoking to vaping.
After some research I concluded that the best bet for a beginner would be a starter kit. She settled on the Halo Cigs Triton Starter Kit.
She liked both the flavors and the hit enough that she essentially forgot about cigarettes altogether.

Unfortunately after a few weeks she started having mouth sores and getting dizzy. She stopped the vaping, the sores and dizziness went away. She's started again and they came back.

After doing a bunch of research I understand that the best bet to counter an allergic reaction is to use e-liquids that don't contain PG. But because VG liquids are much thicker, you need a more powerful setup, called a Sub-Ohm setup.
[Btw, I apologize if my terminology is off. I've been looking into the scene for a few days, but it's a lot to take in at once.]

So, from what I gather, you need:
- A Sub-Ohm Mod/Battery
- A Sub-Ohm Tank
- Sub-Ohm Coils (?)
- VG Liquid
...Right?

I have a few questions:

1. Can you use a Sub-Ohm setup with regular coils/e-liquid? Or can you mix a regular tank with a Sub-Ohm Battery?
Or is your Sub-Ohm setup only good for Sub-Ohm vaping of thick VG-centric liquids?

2. How safe are these devices? I've read articles saying that modern batteries have good fail-safe systems, while other say you've got to be careful not to set your house on fire.
Does anyone have any resources for Vaping and Sub-Ohm Vaping Safety?

3. Could anyone recommend a solid solution that doesn't break the bank? Can you get a decent setup for under $100-$150?

I'm in Eastern Europe, but we seem to have a decent vape-gear import scene. I've found local places that sell brands like Kanger, Subox, Eleaf iStick, Joyetech, EVIC and more).

Which leads into:

4. Does anyone know if there's an established counterfeiting scene for these devices? Should I be weary of smaller shops selling import products?
I'd like to be as careful as possible, and if it's best to buy and ship from the manufacturer, I won't hesitate to do so.

Any tips,opinions, input, advice and insight would extremely appreciated!
Thank you!

 

[Douggro]

Is this the kit you got for your mom?

 

[LunyAlex]

Yep. Yes it is.

Also ordered a variety of E-Liquids from them, doesn't seem to be a difference in reaction.

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum @LunyAlex. Glad to have you here!

Perhaps you should read this first: A list of symptoms when quitting tobacco and changing to an ecigarette

Dizziness is usually an indication of too high of a nicotine level.

A "general guideline" for nicotine concentration in e-liquid to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. If you are subohming (resistance under 1.0Ω) cut these nicotine levels by at least 50%.

06 mg = 10 cigarettes or less
12 mg = 20 cigarettes
18 mg = 30 cigarettes
24 mg = 40 cigarettes

 

[Douggro]

As @Susan-S pointed out, the dizziness may be from too high a nicotine level. But the mouth sores are probably either a VG/PG or flavoring reaction. There is a chance that it could be from the dehydrating effects of vaping as well - I consume 2+ liters of water a day while vaping.

With that said, I would hesitate suggesting going into the sub-ohm field at this point. There are some other kits, like the Kanger Subtank Mini or Nano or the Joyetech VTC Mini, that are capable of sub-ohming but also have coils in the 1.2Ω - 1.5Ω range that will be more like the Halo kit for the vaping experience. There are other pen-style kits that I'm not versed in that would also be more capable that the Halo unit. And there's also tanks like the Nautilus Mini that would fit onto the Halo battery that have coils capable of wicking high VG percentage juices. (You can always add drops of distilled water to high VG juices to thin them and aid wicking as well.) I vape 80% VG juices in my Aspire ET-S clearos on 1.6Ω coils without issue.

If you do go the new mod/tank route, the safety risk is extremely low with regulated mods. Problems are usually attributable to user error or a defective or damaged device.

As far as cloned gear goes, yes, it's out there. Well-established and reputable dealers will usually specify it as a clone or "-styled" item.

 

[ReigntheGamer]

The sores can also be caused simply by quitting cigarettes many former smokers report getting mouth ulcers afterwards.

 

[LunyAlex]

Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone!

I'll tell her about the nicotine level/withdrawal and water intake.
And thanks for the kit recommendations.

Now that she's looked into it, she seems pretty interested in trying to build a more comprehensive setup with Sub-Ohm capabilities, regardless of the symptoms.

Any other recommendations in terms of mods/tank/etc. as well as further tips would be appreciated.
Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Douggro]

Either of the units I mentioned are in kit form and capable of sub-ohm and Temperature Control. Just set my sister-in-law with a VTC Mini as a starter, in fact. Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[Hans Wermhat]

I'll second the recommendation for the Nautilus. It's a great tank, the coils are cheap and you can find them everywhere (here in the states at least...). I also vape 80% VG in mine @ about 17W with no problems. The airflow on it is adjustable so she can tune in her preferred draw. It will run on an eGo (pen style) battery, but works better in something like a 30 - 50W iStick. It will run on a smaller iStick, but the battery on the bigger ones will last a LOT longer between charges. Not sure what's available there, but online here you can get a Nautilus, 50W iStick, and a 5 pack of coils for around $50 or less.