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Serpent SMM leaking

DonBaldy

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I'm sure it's user error. Put in a new coil and cotton and now I'm getting leaking out of the airflow. Not sure what I'm doing wrong especially since I enjoyed a week of no leaking since getting it and building for the first time. This is my first RTA. I though this was dang near leak proof through airflow because of how high it is.

Doesn't too much cotton cause leaking?

Frustrated but not giving up.
 
I'm sure it's user error. Put in a new coil and cotton and now I'm getting leaking out of the airflow. Not sure what I'm doing wrong especially since I enjoyed a week of no leaking since getting it and building for the first time. This is my first RTA. I though this was dang near leak proof through airflow because of how high it is.

Doesn't too much cotton cause leaking?

Frustrated but not giving up.
Not enough cotton will make it leak.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

DonBaldy

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Probably not to short, as long as its through the holes in the deck, but if the holes do not have enough cotton in them the juice can leak past and fill the chamber where the coil is, then leak out the airflow.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Thanks. When I finish the juice in this tank I'll rewick.
 

DonBaldy

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Well shit. Now I think it's too much cotton. Not leaking but also not wicking. 1st time perfecto. 4 times after wrong!
 

DX9

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
As long as the cotton can move a little freely in the holes you should be good to go. If there is no play touching it with tweezers it's stuffed in too much

Sent from my Galaxy S8
 
Well shit. Now I think it's too much cotton. Not leaking but also not wicking. 1st time perfecto. 4 times after wrong!
Pop the wicks back out of the holes and comb them out a bit, you want just a little play in the holes

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

DX9

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Let it sit a bit also. Today I put new cotton in. First half hour wasn't great but the wick saturated more and then back to usual with an awesome Flav the SMM produces

Sent from my Galaxy S8
 

apexkingjusto

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
I got my serpment mini in the mail yesterday, reworked it 4 times and about to do my 5th! First 3 I kept getting dry hits. 4th, finally no dry hits but nownits leaking. Totally get that it's a balancing act now. Tons of vids and guides online about it. Just gotta get a better feel for it I guess.
 

DX9

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
For some reason I never did well with the Serpent Mini. The new Serpent SMM has been stellar each time I've wicked it. I vape alot so I do my wick every 3 days.

Sent from my Galaxy S8
 

apexkingjusto

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
For some reason I never did well with the Serpent Mini. The new Serpent SMM has been stellar each time I've wicked it. I vape alot so I do my wick every 3 days.

Sent from my Galaxy S8
Hmm maybe I'll need to check out the SMM, is it much bigger then the mini? I guess if I can get wicking perfect on the mini I'll be able to get it perfect on almost any other RDA/RDTA. Seems a lot of people struggle w wicking mini.
 

DX9

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Hmm maybe I'll need to check out the SMM, is it much bigger then the mini? I guess if I can get wicking perfect on the mini I'll be able to get it perfect on almost any other RDA/RDTA. Seems a lot of people struggle w wicking mini.
I had the Serpent Mini 25. The SMM is a nice compact size

Sent from my Galaxy S8
 

Letitia9

Citrus Junkie
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Challenge Team
I had a terrible time with Serpent Mini. Loved everything about it. Especially look and size. Boxed it up, never could figure out wicking. Always leaked from press fit seam. Had same problem with Bachelor. One of the best flavor rtas IMO.Love the SMM since I figured out how reduce noise. Real pleasure to vape.
 

DonBaldy

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I'm beginning to think that some of my problems with this RTA may have been with Cotton Bacon. IT works great in my RDAs but it took me 4 tries to get it right. Today there has been no leaking to speak of but wicking has been inconsistent. I'd been vaping fine all day, but all of a sudden I was getting dry hits. Since there was now burned cotton taste and flavor went to shit I picked up some native wicks and some other organic cotton from the local shop. using the Native now and wicked up perfect. Wicking is keeping up and no leaking at all. Further testing is needed before drawing a conclusion.
 

516_vaper_li

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I think it has to with amount of cotton. Cant be too much or too little. Enough to block the coil and enough cotton that pokes through the holes. Comb out the cotton a bit more so the ends can get saturated from the juice easier. I usually close the bottom airflow before I fill just from habit. I've been going with The Cotton Candy collection. I favor it over native wicks & cotton bacon.

You'll get it
 

cap2666

Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
for all the people that have really leaking problems,no matter how you wick it...they are factory defective,I actually coverd the wick holes...put the juice and was still leaking without liquid even entering the deck...so must be somewere beneath the deck..
 

Badfrog

Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Anyone have advice on how to get them to wick faster? I'm only running at 38 watts and the wick just can't keep up. This is with one of the coils they include with the SMM. I fluff the cotton good but to no avail. I've had the cotton snug in the coil and I've also had it at just the right fit in the coil. I don't pack the wicking in the slots and I don't leave it too long. I keep hearing,g that its forgiving but I'm having trouble.

FWIW, I'm using cotton bacon and I'm not chain vaping. Also, my wicks are only lasting 2 days. I pretty much have to vape and then leave it sit for a couple minutes so that it keeps up. If I were to hit it like the guys in the videos, it would be dry hit central. Any tips are appreciated.
 

DonBaldy

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Anyone have advice on how to get them to wick faster? I'm only running at 38 watts and the wick just can't keep up. This is with one of the coils they include with the SMM. I fluff the cotton good but to no avail. I've had the cotton snug in the coil and I've also had it at just the right fit in the coil. I don't pack the wicking in the slots and I don't leave it too long. I keep hearing,g that its forgiving but I'm having trouble.

FWIW, I'm using cotton bacon and I'm not chain vaping. Also, my wicks are only lasting 2 days. I pretty much have to vape and then leave it sit for a couple minutes so that it keeps up. If I were to hit it like the guys in the videos, it would be dry hit central. Any tips are appreciated.

I have no explanation, but I had trouble with mine using CB. Native Wicks worked well.
 

choderfett

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Love the mod.. agree with all the comments about the right amount of wick. Just make sure there some space to put a tweezer pick in.. also wick it long since the deck runs deep.. essential to comb the ends so proper wicking can occur.. when filling make sure you burp it to avoid pressured leaks when recapping..

That's all the stuff I have learned with this SMM RTA.
 

Shaulisbvape

Gold Contributor
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Reddit Exile
Been using smm now for awhile now what' been working for me is bigger id coils 3.5mm to 4mm. I use cotton. Bacon. I take one strip and make 4 even strips and then cut in half. Put cotton. In coil I hold the cotton down over the side and take the scisors blade edge whatever inside between the deck and afc and cut. Fluff out ends and neatly tuck cotton in starting in the middle cotton closest to the deck once through the holes I take a tiny screw driver or coil tool and fan out the cotton that hanging below then I fan out the cotton from post to post to close that off. Also while vaping I take a hit after I fired to clear it out like when you smoke off a water type device. Also I keep afc wide open. I have noticed if it's not i get condensation build up in the airflow.
 

Shaulisbvape

Gold Contributor
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Reddit Exile
I had a terrible time with Serpent Mini. Loved everything about it. Especially look and size. Boxed it up, never could figure out wicking. Always leaked from press fit seam. Had same problem with Bachelor. One of the best flavor rtas IMO.Love the SMM since I figured out how reduce noise. Real pleasure to vape.
Mini is super easy once you get it down. You have to kinda cut your wick to a point and it can't touch the deck. And I also fan it out so that when screwing on the chimney it don't get caught on it once you get it down imo it's super easy and best flavor tank I have. It's equal to most rdas imo
 

Letitia9

Citrus Junkie
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Challenge Team
Mini is super easy once you get it down. You have to kinda cut your wick to a point and it can't touch the deck. And I also fan it out so that when screwing on the chimney it don't get caught on it once you get it down imo it's super easy and best flavor tank I have. It's equal to most rdas imo
Thank you but that seeping little honey is staying boxed.
 

Letitia9

Citrus Junkie
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Challenge Team
:( Maybe you got a defective one. Hate to hear that I have 3 of them no leaking at all. If you ever change your mind I will post pics of how I do it.
I would take you up on that if I wasn't happy with my current rotation. Liked the way it looked on my mods. Still use the dt on one of the drippers.
 
Leaking and dry hits here too. It's true wicking is tricky with this atomiser. Scottish roll, loosening up the cotton as much as possible before rolling worked for me. I found coils that get too hot cause dry hits too. I had a 4 wrap 3mm ID fused Clapton (24gx2+32g) .23 ohms, I believe that one got too hot, dry hits... a 5 wrap at .28 ohms fixed it at 5 watts lower.......all that said, its not true, the claims that its all wicking issues. I had major leaks out the top of the glass, read many posts of others having the same problem. I changed the top o-ring with a thicker one from another 24mm atomiser and its now dry as a bone...I believe it is wrong blaming leaking on the user wicking only, there are design faults in this puppy, but they can be fixed. Maybe Wotofo should be sending O-rings out, as opposed to producing youtube videos that blame the customer.
 
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