Wish me luck.. Cleaning 3 atomizers for 1st time

[kinabaloo]

The coils are loose? Higher than before (longer visible legs)?

There is a spot of glue where the wires pass out through plastic cap at bottom of inner atomizer; seems that was affected.

I think gentle simmer or heat in place (drip then activate atomizer) are better than boiling. 30-80C is hot enough to get the cleaning chemicals working efficiently.

edit: i just noticed you said inner core rather than inner coil. How do you notice it as loose?

[Catanonia]

The coils are loose? Higher than before (longer visible legs)?

There is a spot of glue where the wires pass out through plastic cap at bottom of inner atomizer; seems that was affected.

I think gentle simmer or heat in place (drip then activate atomizer) are better than boiling. 30-80C is hot enough to get the cleaning chemicals working efficiently.

edit: i just noticed you said inner core rather than inner coil. How do you notice it as loose?

When I suck on the atomiser to feel pressure I can feel and see the inner workings of the coil pack move up and down the tube.

Happens on all of the ones I boiled. It is as if the heat expanded and broke the seals holding the unit inside the tube of the atomizer.

They still work as still connected to battery terminals, but the shifting has displaced something restricting the air flow so making drawing very difficult.

[kinabaloo]

I understand. Although i don't recommend boiling, or drying in an oven, I'm still surprised this happened.

edit: I was thinking to offer to try fixing them as you are also in the uk, but it's not easy for me to open them non-destructively. It might however be possible to use a cottonbud stick to dab a glue to hold the inner part in place. With the metal bridge at its highest point - i.e. upside down - glue to hold that position with one small blob to the edge (not too much). But the airflow problem would remain. I wonder if some released deposit is blocking the air flow somewhere. Perhaps try cola,lemon or vinegar to try to dissolve it?

[Catanonia]

Just taken the worse one apart.

From my limited experience this is what I can deduce

The cermic part of the heating element has 4 holes to allow air flow.

This air flow is passed up the heating element metal casing to the top of the atomiser where it can pass through the air hole in the atomizer casing.

What seems to have happened is that the exit holes at the top of the heating element (battery end) have melted and sealed so blocking the air flow.

[Catanonia]

Some pictures.

My Macro photography aint to good with a DSLR Sony A700


Highlighted are the entry and exit holes. In the top view, they are sealed over so restricted airflow.

From looking at this one I took apart, I would say they are unrecoverable to increase airflow. The only way would be to dismatle and rebuild, waste of time. Looks like they have melted their plastic surrounds and sealed the holes up.

2 still work, but very restricted draw on them, will keep them for projects.

[Sun Vaporer]

When I suck on the atomiser to feel pressure I can feel and see the inner workings of the coil pack move up and down the tube.

Happens on all of the ones I boiled. It is as if the heat expanded and broke the seals holding the unit inside the tube of the atomizer.

They still work as still connected to battery terminals, but the shifting has displaced something restricting the air flow so making drawing very difficult.

Catanonia--What model atomizer did you boil?--Thanks--Sun

[kinabaloo]

That's where the pastic part is. where the wrires exit to go to the battery connector and the air goes in.

You might possibly be able to use a needle to rescue the other two.

It perhaps was the oven that was too hot or the atomizer was touching the saucepan bottom. Warm / hot non-boiling solution would be safest and a simple blow dry.

Thanks for the pictures.

[bizzyb0t]

You know, if you're going to boil, use a metal strainer. It cannot be good for the atomizers to sit at the bottom (hottest) part of the pot. The bottom of the pot when boiling is much hotter than the water. Use a metal strainer, or one of those steel mesh balls used for making tea and keep the atomizers an inch or more above the bottom of the pot. That way, you don't get direct heat transfer to the atomizers from the flame/heating element.

Ever boil pasta and not stir? The pasta that touches the bottom of the pot will stick and burn before the rest of the pasta is cooked. And this is even with copper bottom/core pots.

[Catanonia]

Not sure of the exact make of 901. Sold in UK by Zigs and seems to be the 901 with the microprocessor in the battery type.

Yes good points about resting on bottom of pan, exactly what I did and shouldn't have. Also oven may have been a bit hot too, around 200.....

no way of getting to this part unless you know a way of removing the battery thread to access it without ripping the inerts out and also ripping out connections.

Oh well, live and learn. Hopefully others will see these pics and be more careful