Vivi Nova bad aftertaste?

[Bob92985]

So I've been trying to use my Vivi Nova (3ml tank) more now that I've got a mod (just didnt like the look of it on an eGo). But I keep getting this weird aftertaste. It's not exactly a burnt taste but is sort of similar. It almost tastes like plastic... No matter what juice I use I keep getting it. I've tried 3 diff heads or so (all 2.4 ohms and I vape em at 6-8 watts) but its all the same. I even tried soaking them in hot water for a day and a half thinking that maybe it's primer fluid. I even took em apart to see if maybe that little sleeve thing thats on the inside is getting burnt by touching the coil.

I just cant figure it out and I know theres people out there that love these things. I can under stand getting a bad head, but several? I'm stumped.

 

[DaveP]

The Vivi Nova has one drawback and that's wicking performance, especially with the 3.5ml tanks. The 2.0ml tanks use a smaller diameter tube that keeps the wicks in the juice a little better. That said, unless the tank is almost full you have to turn it horizontally and rotate it from time to time to saturate the wicks in the juice.

I don't get plastic taste, but I know what you are talking about. CE clearos were notorious for that. What I do experience is a drop off in taste with a burnt undertone at times if I crank the voltage above 4v or let the wicks get a little dry. Some have described the under saturation of a Vivi Nova as a "green grass" type of taste. It's a little bitter if the wicks are on the dry side.

 

[Jibbu]

Everything DaveP said is what I was gonna say. So I'll just add this - rinse everything off in your favorite manner because they're still useable if wicking was your problem. But come right back if tipping and rolling doesn't help. FYI I often vape with my rig parallel to the floor, which manages to keep one side wet in case I forget.

 

[Bob92985]

Ok so its worth mentioning that This is happening even when the tank is full. As a matter of fact, the tank is usually on the full side because i keep putting it back down and using my pro tank because of that nasty taste I'm getting. I do use the tip method to make sure the wicks are wet. I'm actually kinda .... about it and tip it even if its still pretty full. I even fluffed up the wicks a bit because I heard that helps them wick better.

But the real reason I know wicking isnt the problem here is because I posted this thread right after trying to vape it while there was 2ml in the tank and it has been sitting on its side on my table since I put it down yesterday afternoon. : (

Is is something with the type of wicks used? I heard somewhere that certain wicks need a break in period or something like that. PBusardo mentioned something like that on his Taifun rebuildable tank review.

 

[DaveP]

I get better wicking from the thick rope wicks. The 4 skinny rope wicks seem not to feed juice as well. About the only place I've seen those lately is GotVapes. I know that they are the "old" version of the wick, but they seem to work better for me. You'd think that 4 smaller wicks would present a greater cross-sectional area to the juice, but not in my experience. I've tried unraveling both type wicks to help the feed with some improvement. Both perform, but I like the single rope better.

 

[gthompson]

Unraveling the wicks will give you a definite wicking improvement.

 

[DaveP]

Unraveling the wicks will give you a definite wicking improvement.

That, and making sure the wicks aren't compressed by the silicone tube that interfaces with the mouthpiece.

 

[the_vape_nerd]

I'd say to dial down the voltage on any top coil, but you are saying 6-8 watts now which seems reasonable.

I don't buy the larger vivi nova tanks. I think this is the issue most people have. They buy the big ones and the write the device off. The minis are better at wicking and better at not leaking.

The other thing I've noticed is I only get dry hits with high pg ratio juice like 70% or above. If you can put 50/50 in there you will not get many dry hits or burnt taste.

 

[Bob92985]

Right on guys thanx for the tips. Im wondering if the silicone tube on the top might be too tight. The juice that I'm trying to vape atm in it is Dragons Breath from HHV at 70/30. I'll fiddle with it and see if I can't fix it. Ive got 4 heads left with this thing but after that I'll prolly just discontinue using it. I have a 2nd pro tank on the way and I love them : )

 

[DaveP]

After you fill and replace the silicone tube on top of the head, check for any contact with the wick where it goes through the slots on each side. There's a flange above that point that's supposed to prevent the tube from making contact and pinching the wick. When you screw the cap on, pressure is put on the tube. So far, I haven't seen any noticeable interference between the wicks and the tube.

 

[DaveP]

I'd say to dial down the voltage on any top coil, but you are saying 6-8 watts now which seems reasonable.

I don't buy the larger vivi nova tanks. I think this is the issue most people have. They buy the big ones and the write the device off. The minis are better at wicking and better at not leaking.

The other thing I've noticed is I only get dry hits with high pg ratio juice like 70% or above. If you can put 50/50 in there you will not get many dry hits or burnt taste.

That's interesting. I vape 100% PG and have to do the rotate thing when the tank isn't full. If 50/50 works better, maybe the wicks are draining thinner juice downward when the tank is sitting upright.

 

[317Vapers]

I Vape 70/30 & 50/50 and I have to do the "Tip N Twirl" the same on both juices exactly at the half way mark or it dry/burnt taste

 

[the_vape_nerd]

I Vape 70/30 & 50/50 and I have to do the "Tip N Twirl" the same on both juices exactly at the half way mark or it dry/burnt taste

I'm not saying I never have to twirl them but it's pretty rare. One twirl i can take 8-10 drags with no dry hitting. If you guys are using vendor made juice I'm not sure it's a true 50/50 because I know the juice vendors are often using pga or vinegar sometimes to thin it. I'm making my own.

 

[Rat2chat2]

I've read where people talk about cleaning and a dry burn. Could this be cause by gunk on the coils? Just wondering. I've got so much to learn.

 

[the_vape_nerd]

I've read where people talk about cleaning and a dry burn. Could this be cause by gunk on the coils? Just wondering. I've got so much to learn.

I clean and dry burn vivi novas all the time...the heads last forever if you keep a decent cleaning regimen up. This one I'm using today is 4months old.

 

[Unforeseen]

Moved to Assorted PV Topics - Tanks

 

[DoogieTony]

I had this same issue when I first received my novas. I tried several things including taking out the silica sleeves. The taste was from either machine oil from manufacturing or primer, but it was soaked into the rubber sleeve.
The way I fixed it was to soak and scrub all parts in high % isopropyl alcohol then wash and scrub in hot water and repeat until I could only faintly smell the rubber odor.

 

[Bob92985]

I had this same issue when I first received my novas. I tried several things including taking out the silica sleeves. The taste was from either machine oil from manufacturing or primer, but it was soaked into the rubber sleeve.
The way I fixed it was to soak and scrub all parts in high % isopropyl alcohol then wash and scrub in hot water and repeat until I could only faintly smell the rubber odor.

Awesome I'll try that thank you.

 

[DoogieTony]

No prob! That taste really bugged me too and I couldn't find anything on here about it.
If your mod has short circuit protection and and ohm check I'd highly recommend learning to rebuild your heads, its not hard to do and really improves the vivis.

 

[DaveP]

Gravity plays a part in Vivi Nova wicking. It's a good habit to roll it horizontally several times between vapes. Keep it more than half full and you don't really have to do that as much.

Dry burning is a good way to make heads last longer. If you happen to pop a coil, then you would have had to change the head anyway, so what's the harm in dry burning.

Just remove the head and wash it under hot tap water to get most of the juice out and then dry the wicks with a paper towel. Then install the head back into the Vivi Nova with the tank tube removed and go to a darkened corner of the room where you can see the glow during the dry burn. Press the fire button. You will hear the water sizzling in the head but won't see a glow. This step is boiling the water in the wick and loosening the caked on crud. Once the wick begins to dry out you will start seeing a dull red glow. When this happens, start pulsing the fire button to control the glow on the coil. Continue this until you see a glow across the entire coil. It's clean at that point. Reassemble and vape.

I've only popped one coil in years of dry burning. That was on a low resistance dripper atty.