Wick Turned Green After Vinegar Bath?

[Quin]

Hey fellow vapers... I have a problem...

So, last night I went to clean one of my EVODs (which is notably not a genuine Kanger product... fyi) - threw all of the pieces, including the coil into a vinegar bath because I wanted to clear the cheesecake out of the tank.
I took it out, didn't really take any time to look at it, put it out to dry, and came to it this morning... and the wick turned green! Not just a pale green, but bright turquoise!

This is the second time this has happened. Needless to say, I threw the coil into my stack of spent coils for rebuilding, rather than risking whatever the hell has made it green.

The coil is a genuine Kanger coil (the EVOD is not).


Any idea what caused this? Perhaps I should toss the tank because maybe it's the culprit?
The wick wasn't green before the vinegar bath (as obviously I wouldn't have used it if it were), and nothing else turned green, just the wick.

 

[crxess]

Are you rinsing these well with HOT water after soaking?
A good rinse should be the last step before setting aside to dry.

It sounds like mineral discoloration from the coil.

 

[Bunnykiller]

who told you that vinegar was a good thing to use to clean metal parts?? Vinegar is an acid, acids and metal dont work well together.... the acid in the vinegar did a number on the coil and released some of the metal into the the wick ( thus the pretty color)

if you want to clean a wick/coil, Everclear is the top choice as far as a solvent to clean out the gunk....

 

[Amy87]

Once a week I soak mine in vinegar diluted with hot water for about an hour and then rinse super thoroughly. Mine are evod single coil. Been using the same coils over and over this way for months and no discoloration of the wicks. I have all the stuff to rebuild them with, but have never had to, using this cleaning method seems to keep them working like new.

I have heard the vinegar is not good for them, but I never have alcohol in the house, and I always have vinegar so I gave it a try. Works just fine.

 

[TheJakeBailey]

I'm not saying I know everything, and not by a long shot. I've just never heard of somebody using vinegar before. Ever clear,vodka, isopropyl, but never vinegar. Anybody else?

 

[crxess]

I'm not saying I know everything, and not by a long shot. I've just never heard of somebody using vinegar before. Ever clear,vodka, isopropyl, but never vinegar. Anybody else?

Well, vinegar is known as a good cleaner - When Diluted! but mostly for removing Calcium deposits.

 

[Quin]

who told you that vinegar was a good thing to use to clean metal parts?? Vinegar is an acid, acids and metal dont work well together.... the acid in the vinegar did a number on the coil and released some of the metal into the the wick ( thus the pretty color)

if you want to clean a wick/coil, Everclear is the top choice as far as a solvent to clean out the gunk....

The person who got me switched to Ecigs told me they clean theirs with vinegar.

I'm a recovering alcoholic, so I'd rather not have alcohol in the house. Several sources online I saw suggested either vinegar or hot water.
But other sources said hot water is bad for the coil, so vinegar or alcohol is a better choice if cleaning the coil.

I'm beginning rebuilding... maybe I should just rebuild rather than trying to cleanse it and reuse it?
I was working on my DIY skills on my RDA before rebuilding my kanger coils because they're a pain in the arser - as I have a couple kanger coils left, which will last me through this month.

Perhaps I should rely more on rebuilding and less on reusing them? (-if there's no good option besides alcohol)

 

[M3CH M0D M4DN355]

Hi Quin, if you wish to rebuild your Kanger coil heads you can buy a pack of 50 premade coil/wicks from FastTech for a couple of bucks, make rebuilding the heads a breeze!

Here is the link: $2.26 Pre-made Wires and Wicks for Atomizer (50-Pack) 50-pack - 33 AWG / 1.8ohm / 1-wick at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

They are 1.8 ohm but other resistances are available there

 

[Quin]

M3CH, that's not rebuilding coils, that's just buying pre-built coils and mounting them.

I appreciate it though.

 

[M3CH M0D M4DN355]

Sorry I meant rebuilding the coil head, and you meant actually building a coil I got the wrong end of the stick, my bad

 

[bluecat]

Take a small piece of kanthal or nichrome and stick it in some tap water. Let it sit and check it each day. See how long it takes for it to rust. Do the same with vinegar.

I have always rinsed my coils with hot tap water and blow bottom end first while covering the air hole at the top. Sometimes I even use dish soap and rinse well.

Heck I even rinse my cotton wicks. I am getting too lazy to stick more cotton in.

 

[Quin]

No prob! Since I've had such an annoying issue with rebuilding kanger coils, I might be interested in that - so I appreciate the link.

Do you know if that's just the resistance for the coil (hooked up to something else, it'll be a higher ohm?) or is that was it reads on a base?


I've been enjoying my RDA at 2.2ohms 11wats, but my tanks have not been so good with so much wattage.

I'm kinda putting off rebuilding kanger coils because they're more complicated then RBAs, but I rebuilt one to 2.4ohms but that was before I got my torch, so it was mostly about seeing if I could do it.... and tinkering.....
I didn't use it because I couldn't cleanse the coil.


At this point I'm considering just buying a RTA and tossing the kanger tanks so I don't have to deal with them. But I like the form-factor of the EVODS, they're good for when I'm out and about....
My Aerotank and dripper are big enough that they off-set the weight of the battery and it's a little uncomfortable how they hang off the lanyard.

I love the big tanks..... just not great for walking around town.