Tank Issues

[JR 137]

I hate to post this because I think it'll sound like I'm bashing Halo. I genuinely don't want this to turn into a what I've seen other threads turn into in different areas of ECF...

I've been having a ton of issues with the Triton tanks lately. I have about 8 tanks. The least annoying inconsistency - draw has been inconsistent between tanks. Some are very tight, others are great. I haven't had one too airy yet, so maybe I like a draw most consider airy? A few tanks have a draw I like, but after 2-3 drags, the draw tightens up way too much. Maybe heat is causing stuff to expand?

By far my biggest issue, and the reason for this post...

I'm having severe taste issues with Menthol Ice in my tanks. It's not the juice, as it tastes the way it's supposed to in the mini tanks and cartos. I've had the same issue to a much lesser degree with Kringle's Curse.

I keep getting this odd taste that's hard to describe. It's always the same, but sometimes I think it tastes like black pepper is added to the juice, other times I think it's a plastic taste. Whatever it is, it makes my tongue and throat itch like black pepper flakes are stuck to them. Sometimes it's so bad that it gives me hiccups the way I get if I get some hot wing sauce stuck in my throat. It's not a PG sensitivity thing IMO because I'm assuming this would happen with every juice in every delivery device.

I'm not sure if Menthol Ice is breaking down the plastic in the tanks? I'd think the same thing would happen with the mini tanks though. Maybe Menthol Ice is breaking down something in the wicks? What's throwing me off is that it's not an every single drag thing. Sometimes it happens after a few drags, but usually when it happens it's right from the start. How much juice is in the tank has no effect. A full tank that's been sitting overnight is just as susceptible as a tank I've been vaping on all day. The only thing that seems to help, but it's not consistent either, is if I hold the tank and batter at 45 degrees above parallel to the ground when I take a drag. Kind of like if I was drinking out of a bottle.

With a new tank, everything's fine for a few days, then it's the same routine. If I put a new coil in it's the same thing, only less often. I haven't tried an old coil in a new tank to see if it's the coil and/or wicks.

I hear people talking about dry hits with top coil tanks often, and hear about swirling the juice, etc. Am I simply experiencing dry hits? This happens regardless of how I vape - long slow drags, short fast drags, taking a bunch of time between drags, etc. Or are dry hits where you don't get anything to come out; basically like when you clean a tank and don't give it enough time to sit after you've filled it? Burnt hits taste completely different, so I know that's not what I'm dealing with.

My best guess is that the menthol is breaking down the plastic, and that's what I'm tasting. Haven't put any other menthol in a tank other than Kringle's Curse (same thing happens but far less severe). HX3 and Tiki have a touch of menthol, but it hasn't happened with them.

Have any Menthol Ice (or other strong Halo menthol) and Triton tank users had this issue? To be honest, it has me ready to scrap the whole Triton system all together. Reason being I can't try other tanks on the Triton batteries to see what works best. I'm unemployed and don't have the money to buy a starter kit from another company just to find out that it'll happen in a bunch of other tanks too. I don't want to mess with adapters.

Just very ticked off here. Menthol Ice is the only flavor that keeps me off cigarettes. At times it tastes so bad that I want to throw everything out and buy a pack of smokes. Other times, it's completely fine.

To add, it's not like I got a bad bottle of juice. It started happening quite often at the end of one bottle, but continued off and on with subsequent bottles. Never had an issue in the cartos or mini tanks. I'd just use those, but they don't satisfy me the way the tanks do when they're working right.

Any constructive thoughts/ideas?

 

[Cinder Ella]

Hi JR,

Ill run this by a few people here and see what I can find out for you.

 

[JR 137]

Thanks, Cinder Ella.

 

[JR 137]

I should have mentioned in my first post that I don't see anything wrong with the tanks, ie cracks.

 

[Cinder Ella]

Hi JR,

The most popular suggestion I am getting (including coming from the owner) is to try the 2.6-2.8 coils. Let me know if that helps any!

 

[JR 137]

I sincerely appreciate your prompt replies. That's a big part of why I love Halo.

I'm pretty certain it's not a coil resistance issue. I get the same effect with the standard coils on my regular Triton battery and twist battery, and with the 3.0 ohm coils on both batteries. I get the same effect regardless of voltage, unless the twist is turned down so low that I don't get any flavor. My typical usage is 3/4 of the way between 3.8 and 4.3 volts on the twist with the 3.0 ohm coils.

I'm assuming you guys/gals are assuming I've overpowering the juice. When I over powered it in the past, I've gotten too much throat hit and or burned my coil. This tastes completely different from both.

I've got one new tank left. Gonna boil it along with a 3.0 coil for a few minutes. Maybe there was some manufacturing residue left over on the older stuff? I think it would have gone away if that were the case after 2-3 weeks of 1.5 ml per day being vaped. The tanks aren't brand new, but they're not more than a month old.

I'm just dumbfounded by this. Only happening with Menthol Ice and slightly with Kringle's. maybe that's just coincidental.

 

[jefsview]

Since both of these flavors use peppermint/menthol which intensifies throat hit with the nicotine. That peppery/acidic feeling is a sign of irritation. I would recommend lowering the nic level on those mentholated/minty liquids (try diluting it with some VG, available at pharmacies).

Just my thoughts. As I've mentioned in other threads, the 2 menthol smokers I tried to convert, neither could tolerate the Menthol Ice at 12mg. I'm used to 24mg myself, and that 12mg Menthol Ice is pleasant even though I'm not a menthol smoker.

Like I said, just my thoughts.

 

[JR 137]

I appreciate your thoughts, jefsview. I have some 18mg Menthol Ice on hand that I'll try.

I'm not convinced its that or irritation from anything, as it's not every time, and it's been fairly recent (last few weeks out of 2+ months). I could be wrong; wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last time.

 

[Myth Sammich]

I'm of the opinion that a dry hit on menthol is much harsher than a dry hit on other fluids. Also, in a tank many of the fluids (thus the flavors) tend to concentrate toward the end of a tank or a tank that has been refilled without rinsing. When this happens in a mentholated fluid, I believe the menthol gets stronger. You may have noticed that the fluids are thicker in the end. I combat this by topping off a low menthol tank with a non-menthol fluid. It prevents the super menthol harsh and gives you the opportunity to do some flavor blending. If you don't want to mux flavors, just rinse the tank and wicks in between refills(or every-other refill), but you may be sacrificing the last .3 mLs to keep it consistent.

 

[JR 137]

I washed everything with a little soap and water, then boiled for a few minutes. The one I vaped on after about 10 min after filling up tasted exactly like it should. Then I let the tank sit upright for an hour or so before vaping. Same thing all over again, only not as bad. But once that taste gets in my mouth, it only gets worse no matter what I do.

I'm now vaping it tilted at about 45 degrees upward (like I'm drinking a bottle of Sierra Nevada Porter), and it's completely fine. Maybe it is dry hits. The wicks are saturated either way, and I'm over 2ml. I'd store the tanks upside down when not in use, but I get a little fluid dripping into the cap after an hour or so.

Hopefully vaping it this way and throughly washing is all it takes. I give everything a good rinse weekly, but maybe I've got to go a step further.

It's just odd how this has been relatively recent. Maybe I'll get an adapter and try some bottom coil tanks. Hopefully Halo looks into bottom coil tanks in the mean time.

 

[JR 137]

I've been vaping Mystic all day. For those that haven't tried it, it's a lighter version of Menthol Ice. If Menthol Ice is a Newport, Mystic would be a Newport Medium/Light (Cool Mist would be Newport Light/Ultra Light).

Even though I've been putting my Triton on its side for about 10 minutes before I vape, I still get an occasional dry hit or two. However, the dry hits are far less harsh than with Menthol Ice. Laying down the Triton with Menthol Ice helped too, but those dry hits are still too harsh.

The only problem is Mystic doesn't have as much of that sweetness that Menthol Ice has. I'm fine with the menthol amount, but want a touch more sweetness. Guess I'm going to have to do some mixing. I'm thinking 2:1 Mystic to Menthol Ice and take it from there. I knew I was hording empty 30ml and 7ml bottles for a reason.

 

[Myth Sammich]

A significant portion of my decision to try Halo's juices was because they use the cobalt blue 30 mL bottles. They are damned sexy; I shall be displaying them proudly even after they are empty.

 

[JR 137]

2:1 Mystic to Menthol Ice is working pretty good for me. I'm probably going to mix up a 3:2 batch too, just for comparison's sake. I can always dilute it or make it stronger if need be.

I'm getting significantly less dry hits lately. Not sure if it's the juice, thorough cleaning, or the way I'm holding the Triton while I vape. Probably a combination of all of them.

 

[PeteC2]

I am guessing that it is not the tanks themselves, but rather ejuice caking on the coil that is causing this. Certain flavors are more likely to coat the coil after firing than others and can then impart an unwanted taste.

I don't think that there is a real "cure" for that, however, using a coil at a higher resistance causing a cooler burn may indeed lessen the effect.

The stock 2.2 - 2.4 ohm coils combined with a freshly charged Triton battery can hit pretty hard for the first 5 - 10 draws, so another idea is that when you have a fresh or cleaned coil, fire up a freshly charged battery on something else for a few draws, and then use that battery with the tank with menthol ice.

Along that line: Do you have a Triton vv twist battery? Perhaps changing the voltage (probably lower, but who knows? Experiment) may alleviate that as well.

 

[JR 137]

Following up...

I've had nothing but problems with the tanks and have simply given up. There's been zero consistency with them. When they work right, they're great. Key word being when. The only way I don't get dry hits is if I vape like I'm trying to get the last little bit of beer out of a bottle. Doing that often gets a little juice in the tip and my mouth. The tips also routinely burned my lips. At least once or twice every vape session.

I've currently got 7 tanks filled. Only one of them consistently works well. Change a coil, and everything's fine for a day or two then I'm back to where I started.

I bought a Vamo V3, Evods and a Protank. I'm really enjoying vaping again. Zero issues and hassles so far.

My intent isn't to bash Halo, especially on Halo's own forum. I'm simply reporting my experience. I'm not sure if Halo switched manufacturers or suppliers or not. If not, the manufacturer's QC must have gone significantly downhill. My first few tanks and coils were perfect. They gotten progressively worse in the last 3 months that I've owned them. Maybe the increase demand killed QC; not sure and not my problem any more. Sorry, but that's how I feel.

I ordered an 808 to eGo adapter so I can try my Evods on my Triton batteries. I'm very confident in the batteries and really hope I can use them for when I'm out of the house. The Vamo isn't exactly the lightest and most comfortable thing to have in my pocket.

Hopefully Halo addresses the tank issues sooner than later. Maybe I just keep getting bad coils. Hopefully Halo gets different tanks soon. Until then, I'm done buying their hardware and recommending it. Their juices are fantastic and I'll always buy them (so long as they keep selling my flavors).

Again, genuinely not bashing, just reporting my experience.

 

[VaporClouds]

Following up...

I've had nothing but problems with the tanks and have simply given up. There's been zero consistency with them. When they work right, they're great. Key word being when. The only way I don't get dry hits is if I vape like I'm trying to get the last little bit of beer out of a bottle. Doing that often gets a little juice in the tip and my mouth. The tips also routinely burned my lips. At least once or twice every vape session.

I've currently got 7 tanks filled. Only one of them consistently works well. Change a coil, and everything's fine for a day or two then I'm back to where I started.

I bought a Vamo V3, Evods and a Protank. I'm really enjoying vaping again. Zero issues and hassles so far.

My intent isn't to bash Halo, especially on Halo's own forum. I'm simply reporting my experience. I'm not sure if Halo switched manufacturers or suppliers or not. If not, the manufacturer's QC must have gone significantly downhill. My first few tanks and coils were perfect. They gotten progressively worse in the last 3 months that I've owned them. Maybe the increase demand killed QC; not sure and not my problem any more. Sorry, but that's how I feel.

I ordered an 808 to eGo adapter so I can try my Evods on my Triton batteries. I'm very confident in the batteries and really hope I can use them for when I'm out of the house. The Vamo isn't exactly the lightest and most comfortable thing to have in my pocket.

Hopefully Halo addresses the tank issues sooner than later. Maybe I just keep getting bad coils. Hopefully Halo gets different tanks soon. Until then, I'm done buying their hardware and recommending it. Their juices are fantastic and I'll always buy them (so long as they keep selling my flavors).

Again, genuinely not bashing, just reporting my experience.

Although i do not experience any of the same problems you do, i can respect the honesty in your opinions and experiences. You know halo juice is just fantastic and i have tried like 30 other juice vendors and nothing is as good as halo.

But as far as hardware goes, one thing i thought about is that it could be that you are simply just moving up in the vaping world and there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe you are looking for more performance or a cleaner flavor, whatever the case may be, most people seem to go from eGo style batterys to Variable voltage batterys and mods than to mechanical mods. It doesnt necessarily mean that halos hardware sucks it could just mean that you are vaping harder and faster than you were at first and your draw is much stronger because youve grown accustomed to vaping and the halo hardware just no longer fits your needs. Now what im saying is all just a guess so idk. Maybe youve outgrown the hardware in a vaping sense.

I do think if halo offered glass tanks that would be a very good thing as well.

 

[JR 137]

I can see why you're saying that, VaporClouds. It's not the case though. I put one of my Evod heads on my regular Triton batteries and it was fine. It doesn't thread on right and I needed to hold it just so, but it solved the problems. Not a fix by any means, but good enough to try out once or twice.

To the best of my knowledge, I haven't changed anything from a technique perspective. I've always vaped the same way I smoked - 10-15 drags at a sitting 15-20 times a day. I draw a little slower, lighter and longer than with a cigarette, but not much different. It's not like I'm hitting the funny stuff.

The tanks were great for the first month - month and a half. I didn't have any issues. I got two new batches of coils, and that's when it started. Out of the 7 tanks, 1 still works flawlessly. But as with any coil, it's a matter of time till it's done.

I didn't seek out the Vamo because I was looking for the next step up and became critical after I got it; rather, I seemed out a mod and different delivery devices because I was having issues. If every coil/tank worked like the one that's still working well, I wouldn't have bought the Vamo. Maybe I would have down the road out of curiosity, but it wouldn't have truly been worth the upgrade from a financial standpoint.

I won't bash Halo, and I won't take over every and any thread where someone asks about them. I'll simply stay out of it. Maybe I just got a couple bad batches of coils in a row. Maybe I am doing something wrong. All I can say is I haven't had a single issue with what I'm currently using, and have been using it for about 3 weeks. Maybe the honeymoon will end. Hopefully it won't.

I just think Halo should offer different tanks in addition to the current one. The Kanger T2 (which the Triton tank either is an re-branded version of or a knockoff of) is becoming obsolete. It's available in less and less places. If Halo offered an Evod, T3S, and/or Protank, I'd be very happy. I haven't tried a Protank Mini, but that would he really cool if they offered one. Till then, I've got to do what I've got to do. They've still got a life long juice customer in me for as long as I vape.

 

[stevegmu]

My only real complaint with the tanks are some don't play well with certain batteries. I put on a tank and the button on the battery sticks. I try it on another battery and no problem. It isn't a battery issue, as other tanks will work with the same battery. One in about 5 tanks seems to be like this. Not a big issue, as I have a lot of batteries. If I only had a couple batteries and couple tanks and had this problem, I'd probably be looking at other vendors for hardware.
Inconsistency is a huge problem with Chinese manufacturing, but I know they have a price point to meet. I'd be all over a USA made line of Halo hardware- even if the prices were significantly higher.

I always wash out new tanks before I use them. I don't want any residual particles or taste left over from the manufacturing process.

 

[JR 137]

Chinese QC is the real problem IMO, stevegmu. Not just this stuff by any means. The Evods I bought are FastTech's Evod clones. 4 work great, one has multiple issues - it leaks from the side at the viewing window, the coil burnt after about 6 drags, and it threads on crooked. At about $2.50 a piece, I expected an issue or two here and there. Luckily every issue was with one tank.

What really gets me, and maybe it's just me, is that I'd rather spend $10 a piece and have each one be perfect than spend $2.50 a piece and have to QC them myself. I'm far more hung up on the wasted $2.50 than the $10 well spent. Yeah, at a rate of 1 in 4 I'm still ahead money-wise, but I think you know what I mean.

The best price to performance ratio of Chinese made goods comes from when American (or other foreign) companies have their own people in the factories everyday overseeing the production and QC. But I'd gladly pay more for a made in USA product if I could afford it. I'd like a ProVari for this reason, but I can afford $200 for a mod before batteries and delivery devices.

I ordered a couple of Kanger branded delivery devices from a USA vendor. I wonder how much better they'll be. My Protank is very solid, so I hope the stuff coming in will be equally good.

 

[kdb424]

What you could to is buy an 808 to 510 adaptor (very cheep) and a 510 thread tank like the vivi nova (I bought the pyrex one as I vape dangerous juices to triton tanks and needs glass). I'm currently using that on my triton battery, and I'm fairly pleased. I was about to scrap halo all together as I had problems with G6 batteries dying, and the tritons were unable to vape my juices, but I think I'm alright with this setup for a while. I still use my triton tanks for juices that work in them, but I'm using mostly 510 thread tanks now (most of my juices are dangerous). Just a thought. Please PM me if you want to know more about my setup, pictures, ect.