Atomizer death - a new theory

[breakfastchef]

My experience has been that the solder joints are fine. Upon inspection of my last atomizer that died, the break was in the coil amidst the stuff we call the 'hardened black gunk. This particular atomizer was killed on my 801 Magnum mod in one day. I just had a second atomizer die on my Magnum yesterday. (Surgery on the 2nd atomizer will be today)

I Although I like the extra power of 2 CR2 cells, I may have to throttle down to one CR2 cell so I am not cooking the coil to a premature death.

[surbitonPete]

I must say all the broken coils I have examined are 'snapped' off at the point of soldering....it is literally a clean break and it us the wire that is broken the soldered joint is still strong and containing the actual soldered part of the wire. I guess it's possible that the heat of the soldering could have weakened the nichrome at that point.

[Caesarea]

I suspect my USB passthrough has killed 2 penstyle atties in 24 hours. I'm using it more cos not at work.

Drain em every day, but have not tried boiling/lemon juice etc. No point now they're dead I guess. Wicks are not black. No gunk visible. Could the em field change the plating chemistry?

Scientific ignoramus here.

Are they worth boiling?

[surbitonPete]

I suspect my USB passthrough has killed 2 penstyle atties in 24 hours. I'm using it more cos not at work.

Drain em every day, but have not tried boiling/lemon juice etc. No point now they're dead I guess. Wicks are not black. No gunk visible. Could the em field change the plating chemistry?

Scientific ignoramus here.

Are they worth boiling?

If have a circuit tester and know how to use it caesara..then you could find out if they are worth boiling ....but at the same time if they don't even get warm they are probably dead.

[Caesarea]

Oh oh .... well.....what a waste.... requiescant in pace. Shall bury them with teabag ceremony

[surbitonPete]

Oh oh .... well.....what a waste.... requiescant in pace. Shall bury them with teabag ceremony

Lol ....hope you have plenty of spare atomizers for the rest of the Easter break if you are going to be vaping away.

[Caesarea]

Lol ....hope you have plenty of spare atomizers for the rest of the Easter break if you are going to be vaping away.

Yep, SP, should be OK, *thanks lucky stars and Smokester!
but at this rate of attrition ()
think I shall disconnect the usb passthrough - I run it off a USB mains adaptor, perhaps it delivers too much punch.

Besides I just love to vape all day on low or zero. If I went back to High, I'd put the pen down more. hmmm dilemma....

Time for a cuppa - nowt to do here Easter and town is dead.
*Puts kettle on and watches steam wistfully...

[kinabaloo]

Pete - I am not saying the solder disappears; it will probably look the same to the eye, but that if weakens just a bit at the point where the nichrome enters for it to slip out. That could look like a break. If the one you saw was definitely snapped, fair enough but it would be easy to mistake the two.

Here's a picture of a very badly gunked coil where the gunk reaches down to the solder joints; but I think this is really extreme:


Ceasaria - if they are quite new, soak in a hot not boiling wash with some lemon juice or vinegar. Rinse, dry, reprime and try for a few minutes; nothing to lose.

[Caesarea]

"Ceasaria - if they are quite new, soak in a hot not boiling wash with some lemon juice or vinegar. Rinse, dry, reprime and try for a few minutes; nothing to lose. "

OK will try. Thanks, Kinabaloo!

[kinabaloo]

A new report with photo by breakfastchef just arrived (http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/for...tml#post192900).



Sun / Terraphon has the theory that the wire often snaps about that location because the gunk buildup eventually pulls the gunked coil upwards until the wire breaks.

However there is another possible explanation: that location is likely to suffer the highest average temperatures as it is away from the solder blob and copper wire and also away from the coil (which most time is cooled by the juice (about half way between the two).