Atomizer Issues (so what else is new?)

[FawnLeibowitz]

Hey everyone--

I just got an epuffer Super Mini a couple days ago. It was working great (nice vapor, great size and weight)--the only thing I noticed was that the atomizer would get very warm (not burning hot, but hot) after about 10 or so drags. I didn't taste or smell any burn and was using a new cart, which I topped off with liquid.

A few hours ago, however, the atomizer just seemed to conk out. It still gets hot, so I assume it's not broken, but there's almost no vapor. It actually seems like nearly all the holes are blocked, as it's really hard to draw and when I take the short primer puffs I only see one wisp of smoke coming out of one hole, if anything.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I already complained to epuffer via their message system and asked for a new one. We'll see how that goes--they have not been answering any of my open tickets/messages the last couple days. Most importantly, is there anything I can do right now to fix the problem myself (of course the kit only came with one atomizer so I'm stuck).

thanks in advance!

 

[jamie]

I can usually resolve that problem by puffing with a regular mouthpiece (without cart material/filter).

 

[katink]

Possible things you could try:
1. What Jamie said (watch it you don't smoke it dry though). Also try taking short hard sharp inhales inbetween... sometimes this in itself goes through the blokkage, if this happens then do continue to get most of the (big) vapor that then starts coming into a thin trickle before pushing in a filled cart again

2. Unscrew the battery; hold a piece of kitchenpaper or a tissue on the atomizer at the cartridge-end (don't move that paper across the atomizerbridge, that will leave shreds there... just hold it still); then blow hard through the hole at the battery-end, and keep blowing until your tissue stops getting wet. When done, put on one or two new drops of liquid and start smoking again.

3. If all else fails you can try to hold it under a warm tap, of course after unscrewing the battery and taking out the cartridge - rinse it well, then dry it out as much as you can following point 2; then put on some drops of liquid (as much as it easily takes, could be up to 5 drops and for a pen-style even more) - let that soak in for a bit; then start smoking. It can take a while, after washing, before it really starts smoking again, the water needs to get out first - in worst case you might need to leave it to dry further first. Remember, there is some risk to 3, sometimes atomizers don't live through this - but if all else fails, then not much to loose eh...

Hope you get it working again!

 

[FawnLeibowitz]

Thanks, guys!

I don't have an empty mouthpiece (I can't find the original one anywhere for some reason). I did try Katink's suggestion of blowing through the battery-end of the atomizer. Lots of liquid came out. At first this seemed to work, as my first puff got some okay vapor. However, I felt the blockage again right away and the atomizer gets HOT! This is a real bummer.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

Thanks, guys!

I don't have an empty mouthpiece (I can't find the original one anywhere for some reason). I did try Katink's suggestion of blowing through the battery-end of the atomizer. Lots of liquid came out. At first this seemed to work, as my first puff got some okay vapor. However, I felt the blockage again right away and the atomizer gets HOT! This is a real bummer.

Fawn--The cartridge is made up of two pieces---if you ever want to use just a mouthpeice, just pull the white plastic core holder out of the cartridge--it pops right out from the black holder mouthpiece and you now have just the mouthpiece. You can always click the plastic core holder back into the black mouthpiece--Sun

 

[FawnLeibowitz]

Thanks, Sun! I did that and also blew through the atomizer with canned air (nothing else came out).

It's a tiny bit better, but the draw is still crazy tough and vapor production not nearly what it was the first couple of days. V. unsatisfying. Also, the atomizer is still getting crazy HOT after just a few puffs.

I should also add that epuffer continues to ignore me...

 

[OutWest]

it's probably not the case, but worth mentioning - are you sure youre not covering up the hole(s) on the atomizer with your finger(s) while holding it?

 

[FawnLeibowitz]

Nope, I've been holdindg it way down on the white part. I've looked at the atomizer (unscrewed from the battery). Are the round holes supposed to be clear? I see silver metal behind the holes that pretty much block them. I don't know if this is normal or not.

I can get some vapor if I draw and puff super hard (brain squeeze hard), but I get NOTHING on the exhale anymore.

 

[Tasdad]

Nope, I've been holdindg it way down on the white part. I've looked at the atomizer (unscrewed from the battery). Are the round holes supposed to be clear? I see silver metal behind the holes that pretty much block them. I don't know if this is normal or not.

I can get some vapor if I draw and puff super hard (brain squeeze hard), but I get NOTHING on the exhale anymore.

I think I know your problem. You may have over-tightened your battery and spun your atomizer in the casing. This has happened before and I think Dusty mentions it in one of his videos.

Try doing this. Screw in your battery like normal. Then screw it in some more. Hold the atomizer casing solid. What you want to do is spin the atomizer in its casing until it lines up the holes again.

 

[Tin Cup]

Tas - I know this wasn't my question, but it solved the problem i had with one of my atomizers. The outside case had spun, closing the holes.

Thanks!

TC

 

[Tasdad]

Cool! Glad it worked.

 

[FawnLeibowitz]

I have a feeling you're right. Good news: it sounds like something I can do myself. Bad news--I think it's going to be almost impossible to do myself! The atomizer is so small and trying to get a grip is really hard. Any advice/suggestions for tools/etc?

THANK YOU!