New user advice for the Kanger Subtank
Sub Ohm Vaping has well and truly entered the mainstream, what was once a niche and almost unspoken word in the vaping world is now one of the most talked about and used ‘buzzwords’.
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by Dan Willis
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The high power race combined with the rising popularity of vaping videos on YouTube have spawned a new breed of Sub Ohm vaper, one who may not even necessarily know how to coil, but can ‘chuck’ clouds with the best of them with very little skill required. The old-skool ‘grizzled’ Sub Ohm vaper is not best pleased. New iterations of these Sub Ohm tanks are popping up almost weekly and one of the most popular of these is the Kanger Subtank, arguably the most talked about Sub Ohm tank on the market at present. Coming in three different variations (nano, mini and full size), the Kanger Subtank has well and truly taken the vaping world by storm.
It has not all been plain sailing however, an increasing number of users have reported issues in getting these tanks working nicely for them - and this is what I am going to be looking at today. 
Most importantly, before you get going with your brand new Subtank, please do read up on Ohm’s Law and battery safety. There are plenty of great in-depth guides on the forum. Ensure that the battery you are using is capable of handling the amp draw from your coil. Purchase batteries from a trusted supplier - be aware that there are a lot of fakes around. Regulated box mods will provide you with some degree of safety; however you are not totally immune. Ignorance can cause you serious injury! These guides will provide you with invaluable information-
Electricity and Ohm’s Law
Battery Safety and Charging
We have seen a lot of questions regarding the Subtank on the forum over the last few months and a lot of them are of the same nature. So, I have listed the most common issues below, and how to easily fix them!
1.) Check your o-rings are positioned correctly and forming a tight seal around the tank sections. If you have cleaned all the sections, wait for them to dry and the moisture to evaporate otherwise this will prevent the o-rings from sealing your tank and equalizing the pressure, then you will have a leak.
2.) PRIME YOUR COIL. 2-3 drops of e-liquid onto the coil, screw it in (not too tightly), fill the tank up, let it sit for 30 seconds to a minute, then start off low on the power, aim for about 3.7v on a regulated mod then work your way up to a comfortable level. If you are using the RBA section look up 'Iteo' and 'Pancake' wicking for effective, leak and dry hit free wicks.
3.) When filling your tank, screw it all back together (don't overtighten the sections or screw it into your mod too tightly), then turn the tank upside down and back up a few times, if you can see air bubbles rising to the top your coil is not wicking the juice correctly. Keep repeating this until it stops.
4.) When using the stock 0.5ohm coil or a sub ohm coil on the RBA section don't be surprised if you are getting leaking when you are putting 10-15 watts through it with high VG juice. You want to start off with an absolute minimum of 20 watts for the 0.5ohm OCC coil and slowly ‘break’ the coil in by gradually increasing the power. This will also potentially increase the longevity of your OCC coil.
5.) One of the most common leaking issues can be caused simply by the o-ring at the bottom of the tank being upside down. One side is round whereas the other is slightly square shaped. If this is upside down, the pressure in your tank will not equalize and you will have a leak. If this does not work, switch the o-ring for a spare in the box. The Subtank mini comes with a full set of spares in the box, and many of the latest revisions of the full size model also come with a set of spares. Many vendors have now started stocking these, so if yours does not contain the spares kit don’t panic!!
6.) Horrible taste in the tank. You need to clean it thoroughly as there is more than likely machine oil residue present. Use an ultrasonic cleaner, I would not recommend putting the glass tank section through it nor your o-rings for any extended period of time, or if you do not have access to an ultrasonic cleaner get a toothbrush and some warm soapy water, put the o-rings to one side and get scrubbing. Thoroughly. As far as I am aware, the Subtank is sold ‘ready to vape’ (i.e already cleaned out), however a few have slipped the net. You may also want to check your coil for hotspots and wicking issues if you are using the RBA base.
7.) If there is a slight gap in the metal on the outside just above your AFC but slightly under the deck this is NOT causing your leaks, it is underneath the build deck and has nothing to do with your leaking issues. E-Liquid will escape from there during a leak because it is part of the air flow section and the likeliest place for E-Liquid to escape if your tank is leaking.
8.) Check your chimney isn't bent. This is usually caused by an inexperienced user applying too much force when screwing sections back together. If yours genuinely came bent, it is faulty and your vendor should refund or replace it.
9.) Don't force everything back together and screw everything back too tightly. You do not need to ram everything together, just enough pressure so that there is a seal. Do not overtighten the tank into the 510 connector on your mod, as you will damage that too and be left with a useless mod as well as a useless tank. If you have done this, you may notice the resistance jumps all over the place, because the mod and atty are not making a solid connection. If you do that with a mech mod and then proceed to fire it, you will be lucky if it doesn't blow up.
10.) When using the RBA section ensure your coils aren't touching anything. If they are, you have a short. If you then put this on a mech mod and fire it, you are asking for trouble, as this can likely put your battery into thermal runaway.
11.) Don't put wick in the juice channel unless your favourite juice flavour is 'dry-hit'.
12.) Close off your airflow when carrying the tank around. Tanks do leak when carried around on their side, and this can help prevent this (and also prevent a pocket full of juice!)
99% of the issues from what I have seen and heard are down to complete user error and inexperience. Mine has never, EVER leaked a drop (and I am used to leaks from rebuildables), used and maintained correctly this is an excellent, leak-free, flavourful, cloud blowing tank when operated correctly and as a hardened rebuilder it has changed my outlook on prebuilt coils massively.
Follow the tips above and reap the rewards from a tank that really does give a lot of the more established rebuildables a run for their money!
Dan Willis
Writer at POTVDan was an early adopter of vaping as a way to quit smoking and has seen and done pretty much all there is to see and do in the vaping world! From Ego batteries to mechs and from rebuildables to pods there isn't much that Dan hasn't tried.
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