Weird smell, great flavor though from a PT2

[Keeferes]

Been rebuilding the heads now for a while for my PT2's. I generally use an Aerobase on all of them, with the airflow wide open. My builds are 30awg A-1 Kanthal 1.8-2.0 ohm microcoils, with cotton wick. Mostly Peaches and cream yarn these days, but the occasional cotton ball is used. I have never had any trouble. Flavor is great, vapor production is great. When I have had trouble, it has always been my error, and that's mostly with cotton balls. Anyone who builds, knows the troubles so I won't get into that here. Anywho, there's the background info. Here is the new development that has me stumped...

This morning while enjoying my coffee and a tankful of Banana Cream Pie 50/50 24 nic with a broken in 1.9ohm peaches and cream wicked coil in a PT2 on a VTR at 8.0 watts I noticed a burnt smell. It's like a camp fire or wood stove type of smell, and not burnt cotton or the silicone grommet. I have checked both closely. Normally I smell my juice. Which is great by the way. The flavor and vapor production are unchanged and taste great with ample plumes on exhale of a mouth to lung draw. There is literally no change in the experience other than the smell on exhale. Checking my coil, the wick is in great shape. Not burnt, and not "used up" looking. Any one familiar with builds on these know what I am talking about for that last description. Checking the grommet it nice and clean and unmarked in anyway. The juice in the tank has the lovely aroma I am used too, and does not have the "tainted" stink I am getting on exhale. Changing the watts or voltage has no effect on the smell. Adjusting either setting only changes the flavor or vapor amounts. Very, Very strange to me.

Has anyone else experienced this? It's driving me nuts!

 

[Dampmaskin]

It's like a camp fire or wood stove type of smell

Personally I like the smell of a camp fire, as long as I don't have to sit directly downwind from the fire, but I cannot imagine what would make an atomizer smell like that. The closest thing to wood in your atomizer is the cotton, right? But if that's not it, I'm stumped.

 

[Keeferes]

Personally I like the smell of a camp fire, as long as I don't have to sit directly downwind from the fire, but I cannot imagine what would make an atomizer smell like that. The closest thing to wood in your atomizer is the cotton, right? But if that's not it, I'm stumped.

I too enjoy the smell. Actually wouldn't mind replicating it for a few juices I have that smell terrible but taste great. Just can't put my finger on a cause. lol.

 

[Rickajho]

When you refer to "grommet" are you talking about the silicone "cap" on top of the vent tube? Or did you actually pull the coil apart and inspect the positive post insulator? It sounds like you may have a hot leg problem that is singeing the positive post insulator.

 

[Keeferes]

When you refer to "grommet" are you talking about the silicone "cap" on top of the vent tube? Or did you actually pull the coil apart and inspect the positive post insulator? It sounds like you may have a hot leg problem that is singeing the positive post insulator.

I am actually referring to the bottom post insulator. I don't think I would want to try anything hot enough to singe the chimney grommet. That would have to be super hot!

 

[Huckleberried]

I've never run across anything like this, especially if everything is tasting normal. Could it possibly be the smell of the coffee and the vape combined? My coffee pot can put off a strong smell after it's been sitting a bit. It's a weird question, I know. Of course, if this is your normal routine and you don't normally get that smell, then........ I'm at a total loss here.

 

[Keeferes]

Thought that myself, but nope that's not it. Everything is same as every other morning, other then the odd aroma.

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[edyle]

I am actually referring to the bottom post insulator. I don't think I would want to try anything hot enough to singe the chimney grommet. That would have to be super hot!

He's asking if it might be burning on the INSIDE of the bottom post insulator where the coil wire touches the insulator. When next rebuilding that coil, you might notice something there.

If you use nr-r-nr you won't have that problem but you use straight kanthal, anywhere on the wire can become red hot, especially where the wire is dry.

 

[Huckleberried]

Clean your connections?

 

[Keeferes]

I've taken that coil apart. No nothing on the insulator. Looks same as always. I have cleaned everything. It truly is the weirdest problem I have faced to date in vaping.

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[WileECoyote]

Halitosis?? Just kidding. Gotta be the cotton or insulator. Everything else is metal and glass and you said it isn't your juice. Is your wick still pretty clean lookin?

 

[Keeferes]

Wick looks great. Even smelled good like the juice.

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[WileECoyote]

Well crud, this is definitely one helluva mystery!

 

[Keeferes]

I know right! I don't mind the smell. I'd actually like to find out what it is so I can replicate it. Was great this morning, but alas in the search I had to change everything and now it's gone.

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[Keeferes]

Now I feel a bit like doofus... But... I isolated the source of the odd aroma!

At my desk, I have a small ceramic heater placed at an angle beside me on the upper shelf to my right. This shelf is just above my head height while sitting at the desk. Turns out, as I exhale, I blow the vapor up to avoid clouding my laptop monitor or external monitor. It seems the air intake on the back of the heater pulls my vapor in sometimes, and cycles it through the heater. When it does this, it appears as if it it "reburning" the particles of the vapor. Obviously at 750 watts, it's much higher then my PV vaporized the initial juice. I do say burning through the heater, because that's the smell it gives off as the vapor is cycled through. I have no idea why I never noticed until yesterday morning though. Perhaps I unknowingly changed directions of my exhale, or perhaps the air current in my home shifted and now draws it through the heater. I really don't know, but I'm glad I figured it out so I can stop looking all stupid chasing my exhaled vapor around smelling it. lol.