Tank cracking juices....my thoughts

[pennysmalls]

First I want to say that I love vaping and have no plans on quitting vaping any time soon if ever. I enjoy it way to much. Something has happened though that has caused me to give what I vape a lot more thought.

I had vapers tongue and couldn't taste a damn thing. I was desperate to taste my vape so I came on here looking for a good strong vape. I read lots of comments about how (deleted) is very strong tasting, for some to the point of being unvapeable. Perfect, so I ordered. It came and I opened and Ugh, it smelled like Listerene to me. I went ahead and filled my protank with it thinking it might taste better than it smelled. Nope, couldn't stand it. I put the protank in my storage bag with my other tanks and let it sit. I went back to it 5 days later and tried it again. Nope, still don't like it at all. So I dumped the juice and proceeded to wash the protank. Now these tanks are supposed to be good for using the stronger juices, pyrex shouldn't crack, that's why I used this tank for that juice. That juice frosted the glass on that tank after 5 days. I know I let it sit in the tank for 5 freaking day right? But that's missing the point.

I got to thinking about this. My lungs, which have been abused by cigs for the past 28 years, are a lot more fragile than a pyrex tank. If that juice can frost that tank what would that juice do to my lungs? Even a healthy set of lungs? This is scary.

I love vaping though so I've decided to buy only juices that won't frost or crack tanks. I figured even a flimsy plastic tank is stronger than my lungs so any juice that can do any damage to any tank will not be vaped by me. I know, personal choice and I would never get all preachy about this and run around ranting about the dangers of some of these juices. I don't know if my concerns are based on any facts anyway. Just assumptions.

I do wonder if others have similar concerns or thoughts.

 

[mattiem]

My thoughts exactly. Thank you for this post. I know some of the juices that crack/melt tanks are tasty but I avoid them for this very reason. After 45 years of abusing my lungs I am now trying to allow them to heal as much as possible.

 

[pennysmalls]

Better to be safe than sorry until we know for sure. I hate to knock vaping in anyway cause I don't want to do any damage to the image of vaping but we know there are a lot of unknowns at this point in the game.

 

[MrSelf Destruct]

I avoid those juices as well. There are so many to choose from that, for me, there is no reason to risk it for a particular flavor. I'll just vape something else.

 

[Worzel]

I agree with this also. I love me some cinnamon, but not if they can melt a tank, o-rings, and even the drip tip! Now, the only tank cracking juices I love are orange and clove, but I dilute the orange, and mix the clove with juices I don't care much for to make them vapable.

 

[RoseB]

I find it highly disturbing that a juice could frost & crack a glass tank. You got any pics? If so could you please share?
There's nothing wrong with being cautious. If you're worried maybe check into DIY e liquid. On a side note...yes, our lungs are delicate. However e liquids with pepper mint oil, citric acid, and cinnamon have a tendency to crack tanks. Mint is one of my favorites, and I use pepper mint oil in my DIY. For years I would fill a pan with water, mint oil drops, and camphor. Then let it simmer. Great for cold and flu season. Especially when I smoked and got pneumonia

 

[Zipp]

It's not as if it's some sort of super-acid that eats through anything. It's a chemical reaction. Certain plastics don't mix well with alcohol or certain oils. It doesn't mean that it's going to do the same thing to your lungs. Of course that doesn't mean that inhaling the stuff isn't bad for you - they're meant to go in our stomachs, not in our lungs... But these are all safe, non-toxic substances that the FDA has approved for human consumption. The way they react with our tanks is specific to the type of plastic being used, and is completely unrelated to what happens when you inhale them.

 

[Baditude]

Something's weird about this. I have heard of no flavor that could affect pyrex or glass in this way. I'm certain that others are using this very flavor in glass tanks and I have not heard of this issue with that flavor, or any other flavor. There must be another explanation for what happened to that tank.

 

[pennysmalls]

I find it highly disturbing that a juice could frost & crack a glass tank. You got any pics? If so could you please share?
There's nothing wrong with being cautious. If you're worried maybe check into DIY e liquid. On a side note...yes, our lungs are delicate. However e liquids with pepper mint oil, citric acid, and cinnamon have a tendency to crack tanks. Mint is one of my favorites, and I use pepper mint oil in my DIY. For years I would fill a pan with water, mint oil drops, and camphor. Then let it simmer. Great for cold and flu season. Especially when I smoked and got pneumonia

No I didn't take a pic, wish I had thought of it. I have been reading a little about DIY liquid, would love to save some money, but I don't think I'm cut out for it. It sounds very difficult. I'll have to find a video of it to get a better idea of what's involved, I'm the visual type. If you know of any good vids please let me know.

 

[Zevyn]

This would be considered a very serious issue, and I highly doubt it's gone unnoticed since 2007, so it's very likely that the lack of public service announcements and the fact that vendors have not discontinued selling acidic juices is a sign for me personally that there are no concerns to be had here.

When I aquascape an aquarium with rocks I test them with vinegar first. The ones that are not suitable for use will have a foaming reaction with the vinegar. That doesn't mean it's going to tear up my stomach. Chemistry doesn't work like that.

 

[pennysmalls]

It's not as if it's some sort of super-acid that eats through anything. It's a chemical reaction. Certain plastics don't mix well with alcohol or certain oils. It doesn't mean that it's going to do the same thing to your lungs. Of course that doesn't mean that inhaling the stuff isn't bad for you - they're meant to go in our stomachs, not in our lungs... But these are all safe, non-toxic substances that the FDA has approved for human consumption. The way they react with our tanks is specific to the type of plastic being used, and is completely unrelated to what happens when you inhale them.

That makes sense Zipp. And I've heard there is such a thing as flavored oxygen and yet have never heard of anyone being harmed by inhaling flavored oxygen. But this experience with my tank has me a little freaked so I think I'll avoid the juices that are supposed to be extremely strong.

 

[pennysmalls]

Something's weird about this. I have heard of no flavor that could affect pyrex or glass in this way. I'm certain that others are using this very flavor in glass tanks and I have not heard of this issue with that flavor, or any other flavor. There must be another explanation for what happened to that tank.

Maybe. I don't know. It was a clean tank with a coil that had been washed and dried. I had it stored in a black bag for those five days so it wasn't exposed to heat or sunlight. It was exposed to a central air vent. I have no idea. I still have the juice and another protank. I could try and see if it happens again.

 

[hazarada]

organics are much more resistant to chemical decomposition than solid materials. Think about it like this - a drop of low grade hydrochloric acid on your hand would do nearly nothing yet if you wipe it off on your jeans you can be sure to find a hole in them in a couple of days.

 

[pennysmalls]

This would be considered a very serious issue, and I highly doubt it's gone unnoticed since 2007, so it's very likely that the lack of public service announcements and the fact that vendors have not discontinued selling acidic juices is a sign for me personally that there are no concerns to be had here.

I thought of that as well. But my experience is causing me to proceed with caution. And like I said, that's just me stating my personal choice.

 

[ardelleg]

I figure if my lungs could stand up to smoking for 45 years they can stand up to just about anything...

But I suppose if I poured some (deleted) in and left it for 5 days they might not like that.... <

 

[pennysmalls]

organics are much more resistant to chemical decomposition than solid materials. Think about it like this - a drop of low grade hydrochloric acid on your hand would do nearly nothing yet if you wipe it off on your jeans you can be sure to find a hole in them in a couple of days.

That's interesting and I openly admit I don't know diddly about what's safe and not safe to mix and how one thing can react one way with B and another way with C. Would you vape this particular bottle of (deleted) hazarada? Honestly, you wouldn't be worried?

 

[pennysmalls]

But I suppose if I poured some(deleted) in and left it for 5 days they might not like that.... <

I knew that was coming.

 

[RedhatPat]

I wonder what Ocey's take on this will be - she digs some wild stuff. Have you found any less extreme palette cleaner juices since? Again, looking in Ocey's direction on this one.

The only thing I can relate to is the part about leaving the same juice in a protank for 5 days but the glass never fogged up after I rinsed it out.

Not a big menthol fan here or atleast not yet.

RHP

 

[DustyZ]

Something's weird about this. I have heard of no flavor that could affect pyrex or glass in this way. I'm certain that others are using this very flavor in glass tanks and I have not heard of this issue with that flavor, or any other flavor. There must be another explanation for what happened to that tank.

I have to agree here, I have been involved with Pure Essential Oils for a very long time and I had gotten into Steam Distillation for some of the essential oils that I love, I have a lab setup with Condensers, boiling flasks (pyrex and Borosilicate glass) these essential oils are extremely potent and must be diluted with a carrier oil etc, anyway, never have I had an oil frost or crack any of these flask, pipettes, separatory funnels etc. So there in fact needs to be some other explanation. I will state however if the glass isn't cleaned which it always should be after use, some of the components can adhere to the glass such as what you seen in very hard water that leave deposits on your faucets etc.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

Pyrex, which is a borosilicate glass first made by Corning in the early 1900's, is inert. It is used almost exclusively by laboratories. It also resists thermal expansion and breakage from heat, which is why it is so popular as kitchenware.

I know of no chemical with the ability to etch, mar or crack borosilicate glass. Certainly not anything you'd add to a liquid that's intended for human consumption/inhalation.

Something else is going on here. Maybe there is a hardwater precipitate that's adhering to the surface. Or, maybe it's not glass at all, and it's actually a polycarbonate tank.

Take a sharp knife with a very fine point (any good pocketknife or well sharpened paring knife will do), and try to scratch the outer surface of the tank material. If it leaves a scratch or mark, it's a plastic tank.