Maintenance that works

[Jfweeench]

Originally Posted by Fnlit

Seems like a good thread to ask my newbie question.

Wondering how long typically should I wait before tossing the atomizer in the trash? Are most people replacing monthly, weekly?

Only been vaping for a couple of weeks, and I'm sooooo close to quitting analogs. Just needing a few helpful people to turn me into a pro.

Thanks for reading.

*Currently using a 510/Titan*

A guy I came across in the forums said he actually used a new atomizer weekly. He just preferred the vapor production from the first week of use, and he logically argued that he's still saving money over cigarettes. To each his own.

Personally... I still use atomizers from when I started vaping a few months back. My atomizers perform like they're newly broken-in, so why not?

[Jfweeench]

Originally Posted by surbitonPete

I don't know why but 'none' of the advice anyone gave me made me have an atomizer last for more than two weeks. The dry burn method has been the only one that works for me. ......I can only think it must be something to do with the way some of us vape but at least the dry burn method does work for people like me, who do not have any luck with atomizers. The dry burn will often kill atomizers if the gunk has been allowed to build up but if it's done daily from new then it doesn't seem to kill them.

I think that a dry burn ruins atomizers because there is no heat dispersion. The heating element would get a good deal hotter without liquid. If I'm wrong, call me out on it so I can get the information straight.

Nothing comes to mind that would justify a daily dry burn! While yes a dry burn will destroy anything on it, doing so risks your atomizer. I mean, this should be a last resort IMO.

[chad]

Originally Posted by Jfweeench

A guy I came across in the forums said he actually used a new atomizer weekly. He just preferred the vapor production from the first week of use, and he logically argued that he's still saving money over cigarettes. To each his own.

Personally... I still use atomizers from when I started vaping a few months back. My atomizers perform like they're newly broken-in, so why not?

Well, if you got money to burn (so to speak) I guess that's ok. Personally, I run mine until the quit and that's not too often. I do most of what you originally suggested with respect to attys.

[surbitonPete]

Originally Posted by Jfweeench

I think that a dry burn ruins atomizers because there is no heat dispersion. The heating element would get a good deal hotter without liquid. If I'm wrong, call me out on it so I can get the information straight.

Nothing comes to mind that would justify a daily dry burn! While yes a dry burn will destroy anything on it, doing so risks your atomizer. I mean, this should be a last resort IMO.

Well after taking apart 'many' failed atties.. I have found that the crud builds up on the coil 'very' quickly and within a few days there is enough crud to form a thick insulation jacket around the coil and if you 'do' try to do a dry burn at that point, then you are far more likely to burn the coil out than to see a red glow from it. I had originaly thought the dry burn was a useless idea because that's exactly what happened when I did try to dry burn a poor performing coil.......then someone suggested that it should be done daily from brand new to prevent the crud build up in the first place and since I have started to use that method to clean my atties I have had no problems at all with loss of performance from atties and even had one last for over forty days. I am finally happy and not spending a fortune on atties.

Some people have atties lasting months with no maintenance at all or by various other cleaning methods...I can only say that wasn't my experience and I tried every other suggested method with no luck at all and this is the only method that has worked for me.

Read this thread ...Getting Annoyed : This is an effective method of prolonging atomisers

[Jfweeench]

Originally Posted by surbitonPete

Well after taking apart 'many' failed atties.. I have found that the crud builds up on the coil 'very' quickly and within a few days there is enough crud to form a thick insulation jacket around the coil and if you 'do' try to do a dry burn at that point, then you are far more likely to burn the coil out than to see a red glow from it. I had originaly thought the dry burn was a useless idea because that's exactly what happened when I did try to dry burn a poor performing coil.......then someone suggested that it should be done daily from brand new to prevent the crud build up in the first place and since I have started to use that method to clean my atties I have had no problems at all with loss of performance from atties and even had one last for over forty days. I am finally happy and not spending a fortune on atties.

Some people have atties lasting months with no maintenance at all or by various other cleaning methods...I can only say that wasn't my experience and I tried every other suggested method with no luck at all and this is the only method that has worked for me.

Read this thread ...Getting Annoyed : This is an effective method of prolonging atomisers

Pretty interesting stuff... I plan to try that out when mine dies. I'm sorry to be so hard to appease lol! I'm not being stubborn, but I sell e-cigs and the most common death of atomizers is dry vaping. And, of course, I won't recommend it until I try it

The reasoning behind the method is solid. I will absolutely look into this... I've done very few dry burns, and they were because I was on the go and my menthol was tasting funky.

Thanks for the information Pete! Keep me updated on how well this works for you.

[surbitonPete]

Originally Posted by Jfweeench

Pretty interesting stuff... I plan to try that out when mine dies. I'm sorry to be so hard to appease lol! I'm not being stubborn, but I sell e-cigs and the most common death of atomizers is dry vaping. And, of course, I won't recommend it until I try it

The reasoning behind the method is solid. I will absolutely look into this... I've done very few dry burns, and they were because I was on the go and my menthol was tasting funky.

Thanks for the information Pete! Keep me updated on how well this works for you.

Well the 'keep it wet' advice had always seemed the most logical to me and it was why I was very reluctant to even bother to try the dry burn method of cleaning. But I would have saved myself a lot of money and all the messing about with all of the different soak it in this, blow it out, soak it in that, methods of resurrecting a poor performing atty if I had tried it in the first place.

[SirRealism]

I suppose this is the place to ask this:
I've been vaping for a little less than two weeks, but I've already had two batteries die on me. The first one I figured was a defective unit, but with the second I have to assume I'm doing something seriously wrong. The first one never turns off, ever. If it has power its running. The second seems to be heading this way, staying on longer and longer after the button is pushed and self-activating frequently. I've heard this can happen if you drip with an automatic battery, but I'm using manuals. Can someone help me out?

[Kent C]

Originally Posted by SirRealism

I suppose this is the place to ask this:
I've been vaping for a little less than two weeks, but I've already had two batteries die on me. The first one I figured was a defective unit, but with the second I have to assume I'm doing something seriously wrong. The first one never turns off, ever. If it has power its running. The second seems to be heading this way, staying on longer and longer after the button is pushed and self-activating frequently. I've heard this can happen if you drip with an automatic battery, but I'm using manuals. Can someone help me out?

Which model? How much are you dripping? Do the batteries have holes in the center of the well or is there a round metal piece in the center? Did you get juice on the battery casing? Are you using a PTB mod?

[SirRealism]

Dragon M401.
About three drops at a time, five or six times a day.
They have holes.
What do you mean by casing? There has been juice on the outside of the battery a couple times, but I cleaned it off with a dry paper towel.
I don't know what a PTB mod is, so probably not.

[Kent C]

Originally Posted by SirRealism

Dragon M401.
About three drops at a time, five or six times a day.
They have holes.
What do you mean by casing? There has been juice on the outside of the battery a couple times, but I cleaned it off with a dry paper towel.
I don't know what a PTB mod is, so probably not.

I think they just made the M series into manuals. And they may have just added the switch without sealing the battery. Some 510 manual models were like that. The hole - in the 510 battery at least could be covered with wax or similar substance to prevent the shorting out of the switch when dripping. If the hole is like the 510 it is right in the center of the battery well (past the threads) and you might visit the M series forum to see if anyone else has filled that up and with what etc. It is very likely what happened.

Although I know that some with autos drip all the time, that is still a liability in that it is liable to happen and I have killed off two 510 autos because I was in the habit of dripping a few drops when topping off the cart.

Yes, by casing I meant exactly what you described where you had juice on the outside of the battery. I was thinking that even if the battery is sealed the only other 'entrance' is the switch and if you had juice on the outside of the batt - we all get it from time to time ;-) that perhaps some juice found it's way inside via the switch and shorted it out.

I'm just going over the possible ways that could happen so you know.

The PTB is the Pyramid tea bag that some use instead of the normal filler in the cartridge. Some PTB mods are notorious for leakage, so that even if you're battery might be sealed that juice could get on the outside of the ecig and make its way to the switch... same scenario, just a different source.

Hope that helps... for the future and I'd look into sealing any holes in batteries you might get. Eventually the 510's were modified to cover the hole with a small metal disc.