How to see if your atomizer is truly dead with a Voltmeter

[klm]

WOW, Thanks 4 that infor!

[acezzz]

If you have followed all the cleaning recommendations in these forums for attys and it still doesnt work, then it is truly dead. I really dont think an ohmmeter is going to help. But if you like to play with them it cant really hurt anything. If you get an atty that is doa when you get it, then send it back immediately.

[LameBMX]

ohmmeter is easier than time spent cleaning. It isnt hitting so test it, infinite ohms == open ckt == no current flow == no heat == no amount of cleaning will save it.

Proper (or close)resistance == closed ckt == current flow. it may just be worth the effort to clean away.

[Frostmonkey]

After reading all this and testing a 510 Joye atomizer, I'm still a bit confused. I know how to use a Voltmeter (roughly), I'm using an old needle style Craftsman 82401 model and I'm getting a 0 reading from my atomizer. Even when I adjust the base level up to one, I touch the probes to the atty and the needle jumps to one.

I don't have another to test right now as I'm waiting for a batch of replacements. So, does that reading mean the atty is dead? If so, why does it still vape? The atty is a month old and definitely doesn't produce the vapor it did so I was expecting some sort of read...

[LameBMX]

After reading all this and testing a 510 Joye atomizer, I'm still a bit confused. I know how to use a Voltmeter (roughly), I'm using an old needle style Craftsman 82401 model and I'm getting a 0 reading from my atomizer. Even when I adjust the base level up to one, I touch the probes to the atty and the needle jumps to one.

I don't have another to test right now as I'm waiting for a batch of replacements. So, does that reading mean the atty is dead? If so, why does it still vape? The atty is a month old and definitely doesn't produce the vapor it did so I was expecting some sort of read...

If it is still producing vapor, it should read something. It has been ages since I have used an analog meter, so i am no help there.

[goodolick]

So my atomizer died and I did the resistance test. My atty outputted a resistance of 13 kOhms. I figured this was better then a completley broken circuit, so I thought that it might just need to be cleaned. After a 2 hour soak in rubbing alcohol, I then dried it up with some canned air. The atty still would not fire and I then tested it again. Now it seems to be a broken circuit because I am reading 14 MOhms. Any ideas? Can you take one apart and fix the short? I am far from someplace I can buy a new one and dont want to go back to analogs.

[Frostmonkey]

So my atomizer died and I did the resistance test. My atty outputted a resistance of 13 kOhms. I figured this was better then a completley broken circuit, so I thought that it might just need to be cleaned. After a 2 hour soak in rubbing alcohol, I then dried it up with some canned air. The atty still would not fire and I then tested it again. Now it seems to be a broken circuit because I am reading 14 MOhms. Any ideas? Can you take one apart and fix the short? I am far from someplace I can buy a new one and dont want to go back to analogs.

Unless you have a soldering table, something to dissolve the glue holding everything together, glue to put everything back together, no. It's dead. Even if you were to take it apart and reset the connections on the coil resistance would still be high as most likely the coil itself it what has degraded.

I might be wrong, if so someone please correct me ...I just have never seen or heard anyone restore an atty without the use of harsh acids and the replacement of wire connections.

I did read somewhere (here I think) that hooking up an atty to a 5v power source and burning hydrogen peroxide can restore an atty. If you try it, well, try to find that thread first, and make sure to flush very well.

*If you haven't read this thread also Sattec's atty cleaning test thread

[LameBMX]

So my atomizer died and I did the resistance test. My atty outputted a resistance of 13 kOhms. I figured this was better then a completley broken circuit, so I thought that it might just need to be cleaned. After a 2 hour soak in rubbing alcohol, I then dried it up with some canned air. The atty still would not fire and I then tested it again. Now it seems to be a broken circuit because I am reading 14 MOhms. Any ideas? Can you take one apart and fix the short? I am far from someplace I can buy a new one and dont want to go back to analogs.

14 MΩ is basically an open circuit (air gap circuit, which we don't employ here)
And the best theory I have heard so far for a 13KΩ reading, is your reading the resistance of gunk and juice in the atty, the nichrome heating element itself is open, but the gunk completes the circuit.

and for the record of this thread ... I got a bunk 510 atty thats at 4.9Ω It is not functional at all.

[LameBMX]

If you understand resistance welding (or soldering weird metals), have access to jewelers tools and a jewelers steady hands (or the time and patience). It appears most of the time the nichrome wire (heating element) and copper wire (element to connector) solder connection fails. Rebuilding may be possible. There is already a thread devoted to that.

[ZorbaTheGreek]

I had a atty today that after a bath it stopped working. Just totally dead. I didn't bother to check resistance, but I did check continuity. Liquid/juice in the atty was completing the circuit. This would keep the atty from doing anything at all. Seeming dead. So, I heated the thing up, held it in some pliers and warmed it. Not too hot, didn't want to damage anything, but hot enough. Did this a couple times and it's up and running again