Atomizer cleaning (510/eGo-t)

[skorpios1027]

I'm kind of stumped...

Here's my story:

I was given a KR808 based PV for Christmas and liked it - mostly. None of the batteries seemed to last long enough and the cartomizers would get nasty tasting after about the second filling. We decided to give the Riva a go and I really liked it. It is what actually got me off the analogs. After a while, I tried dripping - all I can say is that is the ultimate, except for the constant attention. Next, we got the eGo-T - great concept and almost as good as dripping without the hassle.

Now comes the part that has me so stumped. When I first got the Riva, I would only clean the atomizer once a week by running hot water through it. The atomizers only died when I tried dry-burning them without really knowing what I was doing. Now, I can't seem to get an atomizer to last more than a few days before the draw gets tight. I can't verify this with the 510 atomizers, but have pulled the piercing plate on the T atty and the coil looks more like a solid piece of charcoal (this is after only 3 days). I'm using the same juice as I've always used. I know that a dry burn is supposed to burn off the caramelized juice, but I'm now afraid to do that. I can see the glow in my T atty without the piercing plate, but on closer inspection, it is more like the glow of a charcoal briquette, not the actual coil. I've lost 3 T attys trying to get the coil clear, so I'm reluctant to keep dry burning them.

What is the best way to rid the coil of the caramelized juice, short of a dry burn? I've tried putting piece of the charcoal encrusted coil that I pulled from a dead atty in PGA (for a week), there was no change. I have an ultrasonic cleaner and a steam cleaner, but have not really seen much better results with them.

 

[dormouse]

I do not have an Ego-T but try soaking in near-boiling water. While you have the plate out - Boil some water and put it in a bowl. Put the atty in and with a tongs tilt it to make sure all air bubbles are out. Let it sit for 10-15 minute then scoop some of the water through it and see if it looks better.

Some people actually boil attys but I am not bold enough to do that. Some attys like some 901's actually have some plastic in the coil compartment.

 

[Justice]

I found cleaning my ego t with iso alcohol gave me the best and fastest and easiest results. Just be sure to give it an hour or two before using. I have used a fan heater to speed up the dry time. But like I said make sure it's dry first the iso alc is horrid tasting maybe even worse than a dry burn.

 

[dizzyasthaycome]

I have cleaned my ego-t 3 times with vodka , than a hot water rinse and finally a heavy blow threw.. let it dry for as long as u can but over night should be enough .. also drip a few drops of PG on down the wick and your good..

 

[maurice]

I just wash it with water and dry burn it.

 

[ahyan]

my cleaning routine = soak with alcohol for around 15 mins then burn it. works like new atty always.

 

[woolgather]

You guys have a ton of great methods. I used vodka and all the drying, etc, but it didn't seem to work well. I want to not have to buy atty's so much.

Inside the atty is the metal coil that dips down.. what is the "wick"? And you drop some liquid right on that, into the atty and that doesn't harm it?

 

[woolgather]

ahyan, when you say alcohol, you mean like rubbing alcohol?

 

[newplague]

I hardly ever clean my 510 atties. Maybe a blow through every other week or so. I've killed 2 atiies in a little over a year of vaping. One LR510 and a standard 510. I get at least a couple months of use out of an atty before I retire them.

 

[jazdale]

Inside the atty is the metal coil that dips down.. what is the "wick"? And you drop some liquid right on that, into the atty and that doesn't harm it?

The metal coil is a cap over the wick.
There is no harm in dripping juice on the cap/wick.
In fact, that is what is happening when you use it.

Instead of cleaning, I found it easier to finish my night by vaping a tank of vg/pg only.
No nic dreams and it seemed to clean the atty for tomorrow.

 

[pothole]

I recently had two totally "dead" 510 attys which refused to work even after soaking in alcohol. I remembered how as a kid I would put old pennies in cola overnight to shine them up, I've even cleared clogged drains this way since. I soaked the 510's overnight then rinsed them in hot water to clear any possible sugar out of them. They BOTH worked perfect.

 

[melloyello]

I do not have an Ego-T but try soaking in near-boiling water. While you have the plate out - Boil some water and put it in a bowl. Put the atty in and with a tongs tilt it to make sure all air bubbles are out. Let it sit for 10-15 minute then scoop some of the water through it and see if it looks better.

Some people actually boil attys but I am not bold enough to do that. Some attys like some 901's actually have some plastic in the coil compartment.

maybe you havent boiled them for a reason. i boiled my LR atty yesterday (hard boil for about 10 mins) and this morning it poofed....i dont know if they are related(but like you, im not gonna boil another atty to find out lol)

 

[francis_a]

I've used both steam cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning with vodka. Both work well for me.

Steam clean once or twice during the week and ultrasonic cleaning on the weekends.

 

[alexinovici]

my cleaning routine = soak with alcohol for around 15 mins then burn it. works like new atty always.

Watch out for explosions

 

[Cage024]

All I've done so far is blow them out. Been over a month since i got my kit and still on one atty.

 

[skorpios1027]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was able to ressurect my most gunked up T atty by running it throught the ultrasonic (with the piercing plate off) for 30min, then hitting it with the steam. It now is working better than new.

 

[seftonde]

dumb questoin: I am also experimenting with cleaning my atty's - now I'm using Totally WIcked's Tornado Tank low resistance attys. I love that system!

ANyway, do you blow them out from the battery end or from the tank (cartridge) end? I've tried both and they both seem to work but I was wondering if one was better than the other.

Thanks!
d

 

[TroopX]

Don't clean often, but when blowing the juice out doesn't work- I'll do a vodka bath followed by hot water flush and dry. I'm on the fence on this one- as it seems some atty's haven't come back to full function. Could just be the atty going bad. ?

 

[Justice]

Isopropyl alcohol. It's cheap works and it dries real fast. Why screw around with hot water, ultrasonic thingamajigs, etc etc just soak it in the alcohol for little while blow it out and let dry for hour or so. A little heat can help vie had mine ready in as little as 20 minutes.

 

[ram007]

or just buy the biggest syringe you can and also a cheap delrin plastic driptip. put the the driptip on atomizer and insert syringe end on the driptip, get a glass of water and fill the syringe then pump out the water. a cheap high pressure cleaner.

ps dont forget to hold both atomizer and driptip otherwise it might fly off and try covering the large hole at the bottom of your atomizer (forgot what its called) to get rid of the juice on the smaller holes (the ones where air gets sucked in).