Cleaning Atomizer

[Sun Vaporer]

All of my atomizers die because the coil connection pops off on one side. I think it's probably a function of too much gunk, vaping it a bit dry sometimes, and general wear and tear. One theory of mine is that washing it with water might accelerate corrosion, and so I'm a but skeptical of using acids to clean it.

I just ordered an ultrasonic cleaner from Amazon, so I'm eager to see how well it works when used on a regular basis. My hope is that it'll be gentle enough to get all the crud out, but my fear is that it'll shake the coil connection to the point of breaking.

Has this happened to anybody?

Caywen--This theory has been confirmed that the residue builds up to the point that it snaps the coil at one of the two connection points. After taking apart many of these--that is always the issue that I have found. As for the ulrasonic cleaner--I ddi not have any luck with it and I can tell you, that absent putting a harsh solvent in there--it does not clean the residue off the coil at all---but it is good for a cleaning for taste and clearing flooding issues-----Sun

[Kendra]

Hi Sun,
Well, I'm still here after soaking my atomizers in coil cleaner with phosphoric acid last night. I rinsed really really well, brought to an almost-boil in the pot for a minute, rinsed and rinsed again. THen I blew out the water with my mouth, set them to dry and bravely vaped.

Of course the acid is poison, but if you rinse, it seems to work. The acid really does dissolve or at least break up and dissolve the coil residue. I just rinsed and rinsed and rinsed. The solvent is a liquid. It will rinse away if you run it under the water long enough.

I had black particles in the solvent this morning and I'm running the atomizer on my new SD which really must work the atomizer hard since there's a larger battery and more vapor. So, I am very pleased. Before I cleaned it, it tasted horrible and was starting to draw difficultly. But, now, it's really like new.

[surbitonPete]

I can confirm that all my dead atomizers have been broken off at the soldered connection as well.......they could easily solve that problem at manufacture simply by taking the soldered part of the connection down below the atomizer coils pot.

[Sun Vaporer]

Hi Sun,
Well, I'm still here after soaking my atomizers in coil cleaner with phosphoric acid last night. I rinsed really really well, brought to an almost-boil in the pot for a minute, rinsed and rinsed again. THen I blew out the water with my mouth, set them to dry and bravely vaped.

Of course the acid is poison, but if you rinse, it seems to work. The acid really does dissolve or at least break up and dissolve the coil residue. I just rinsed and rinsed and rinsed. The solvent is a liquid. It will rinse away if you run it under the water long enough.

I had black particles in the solvent this morning and I'm running the atomizer on my new SD which really must work the atomizer hard since there's a larger battery and more vapor. So, I am very pleased. Before I cleaned it, it tasted horrible and was starting to draw difficultly. But, now, it's really like new.

Kendra--So glad to see you made it--I was worried--LOL--Seriously though, Yes these cleaners do work--I showed that with the ice maker solvent experiment and I think that it does rinse off. But I can not reccomend it to the mainstream due to the possible toxic residue. There is no way to tell if the solvent rinses clean--That is why these are just experiments and we are in the experiment thread.

We do not want people using things that we do not know are in fact safe and getting hurt. That is why We never advocate its use and anyone that does try any type of toxic solvent does so at their own risk. Our position is to not try it at all and to wait and see if we can find a solvent that is indeed safe. That is the offical stance that this Forum takes. So those that read in the experiment section--Heed to the warnings --as they have been given repeatedly and do not use toxic solvents!! Anyone that does, Like Kendra, and others are doing so at their own risk and not advocating that anyone else do these experiments---Sun

[surbitonPete]

Kendra--So glad to see you made it--I was worried--LOL--Seriously though, Yes these cleaners do work--I showed that with the ice maker solvent experiment and I think that it does rinse off. But I can not reccomend it to the mainstream due to the possible toxic residue. There is no way to tell if the solvent rinses clean--That is why these are just experiments and we are in the experiment thread.

We do not want people using things that we do not know are in fact safe and getting hurt. That is why We never advocate its use and anyone that does try any type of toxic solvent does so at their own risk. Our position is to not try it at all and to wait and see if we can find a solvent that is indeed safe. That is the offical stance that this Forum takes. So those that read in the experiment section--Heed to the warnings --as they have been given repeatedly and do not use toxic solvents!! Anyone that does, Like Kendra, and others are doing so at their own risk and not advocating that anyone else do these experiments---Sun

Hey sun ....I agree that I am a bit reluctant with the phosphoric acid even if it does work......it is very hard to get the taste of any cleaner we use out of the atomizer afterwards......I am still hoping to find something that I feel safer about.

[wardjo1]

this is prob not the forum to ask this ques but im a newbie and couldnt figure out how to start a new one.... ok, i just got my ecig in the mail from greencigarrette.com i love the idea and hope it becomes a safe alternative for me. i havent been useing it alll that much because the kit came with some nasty taisting stuff.

QUESTION, y when i puff on a completly empty cartridgde i still blow vapor? or why if i
blow on the atomizer without a cartridge even attached to it still has some
kind of smoke or something?If all I am inhaling like the all ecig retailers claim is
that safe glycerol and pure nic, then what the heck is that other stuff?????!?!!

[breakfastchef]

QUESTION, y when i puff on a completly empty cartridgde i still blow vapor?

The metallic material wrapped around the atomizer is saturated with smoking juice. Even if your cartridge is dry, there is still juice available to be vaporized by the atomizer.

[Kendra]

Yes, makes perfect sense. And, I agree, this is something I feel comfortable doing but I guess I won't recommend it to others. And, I do agree that since it's more viscous than water, it may remain on the atomizer. That's why I thought I should boil them briefly, too.

But, again, I agree with you. Not recommended for everyone. . .

Kendra--So glad to see you made it--I was worried--LOL--Seriously though, Yes these cleaners do work--I showed that with the ice maker solvent experiment and I think that it does rinse off. But I can not reccomend it to the mainstream due to the possible toxic residue. There is no way to tell if the solvent rinses clean--That is why these are just experiments and we are in the experiment thread.

We do not want people using things that we do not know are in fact safe and getting hurt. That is why We never advocate its use and anyone that does try any type of toxic solvent does so at their own risk. Our position is to not try it at all and to wait and see if we can find a solvent that is indeed safe. That is the offical stance that this Forum takes. So those that read in the experiment section--Heed to the warnings --as they have been given repeatedly and do not use toxic solvents!! Anyone that does, Like Kendra, and others are doing so at their own risk and not advocating that anyone else do these experiments---Sun

[mhuffington]

Hey sun ....I agree that I am a bit reluctant with the phosphoric acid even if it does work......it is very hard to get the taste of any cleaner we use out of the atomizer afterwards......I am still hoping to find something that I feel safer about.

Has anyone tried coffee pot cleaner, citric acid or apple cider vinegar? I put citric acid in my water softener so I know small amounts are not toxic the other two should not be toxic as I know people use them often.

[tonyorion]

Phosphoric acid is not considered toxic when diluted with 50% water and is found in many foodstuffs as well as being used as part of a cleaning solution in poultry processing plants to control salmonella (as well as many other applications such as cleaning ice making machines). Since it is very soluble in water, a quick rinse will get it all out. Its normally a powder and the standard liquid solution is 85%.

Coffee Pot cleaner is designed to remove calcium and don't know what effect it will have on cleaning an atty.

Because of its outstanding properties as an oxidizing agent, I think that it is the best for cleaning attys-especially when combined with an ultrasonic bath. I got one with a heater from Harbor Freight at a huge discount during one the frequent super sales.

I have experimented with almost all of the methods mentioned here, but found that this takes out all of the particles and gunk which not only accumulate on the coil but in the rest of the atty.

Even after the famous HP dry burn, my solution turns color when I toss my attys in there.

Some of you de-bridge and de-wick because you drip, so a wash and burn might be all you need-especially with 306 style attys.

On some of the newer style attys with the closed bridge, it is almost impossible to see the coil and you risk popping your atty.