Do you have problems with RDA screws coming loose?

[Kleinman]

After a couple of drips I notice one side of my cotton dries out faster than the other.

I am anal about the coils heating up at the same time evenly. So usually I can re-tighten the screws and one is loose and it is fine again.

Is this a common problem?

What causes it? I crank them all down as far as I feel is safe without stripping them out.

 

[Zamazam]

Common, heat expands, cooling down contracts. I check my screws every time I re-wick.

 

[Kleinman]

I don't rewick very often. I am only back home with my RDAs Friday through Sunday.I am more likely to rejuice.
I try to dry out my wicks before I leave for the week.

So maybe that is my problem not keeping track of built RDAs.

 

[PaulS]

You immediately know when the screws are getting loose because your RDA loses power. I check my coils when I rewoick. I clean them, see if the screws are okay then re-wick. I re-wick after each day's use of moderate to heavy vaping - also if I change juices. My mech mods require constant attention. I am vigilant because I do not want issues.

 

[OneBadWolf]

One thing I've discovered is that not all screws are equal. I always use a magnifyer to check the very bottom of the screws to ensure they are perfectly flat. If they are not, I use a small file to make sure they are flat. This seems to make a big difference in both ensuring equal contact, and lessening the tendancy to loosen. Nothing worse than pulsing and primping a coil, only to find that you have to redo it due to changing contact at the post. About 80% of the screws on my attys needed filing. It also greatly lessens the chance of partially cutting through a wire when you tighten up your buid on the posts. It is bad enough to cut a wire tightening, but at least you know there and then, you need to make another coil. If it partially cuts the wire, it is a latent failure that after an unknown number of expansion and contraction cycles, will fail, usually directing all the power to your remaining coil and incinerating your wick, giving you the less than delightfull dry hit from hell.

 

[Zamazam]

I tend to replace my RDA and RTA screws with SS Hex head screws...

 

[Number3124]

I tend to notice that regular crown top screws will back out quite a bit. Grub screws, of whatever type, tend to stay in place.

 

[BoomStick]

I tend to replace my RDA and RTA screws with SS Hex head screws...

Me too. Phillips screws suck. For those wanting to replace their constantly loosening screws with something that works much better, fatdaddyvapes.com sells stainless steel hex head screws for cheap. You get 6 each of three different sizes for $5.