Bad Battery cleaning advice on youtube?

[Atomised]

Hi everyone

I've been vaping for a week now and it's been going great until I followed this guy's advice on youtube: the video is called Cleaning Ecigarettes and the guy has a knit cap and nose ring (just for the purpose of idntification - I'm to o new on this board to post urls)

He recommends soaking atomisers AND standing batteries contact end down in hot vinegar (the LED flashes while doing this - "that's from the vinegar gasses he says"- he put as link to this site and made it sound like it's and accepted way of doing this. After following his instructions to the letter, letting everything dry and cleaning off the vinegar with water as he recommended, the batteries were totally useless - no light from LED no functionality, nothing, in both batteries I treated using this procedure. Read in the comments later that at least 3 others had the same experience. Do people need to be warned off this video - What is the proper way of cleaning batteries?

 

[vconrad]

I wont be trying that one!

 

[JustJulie]

Oh, my.

Batteries generally do not need to be cleaned except to wipe around the threads where the battery screws into the atomizer.

Now, it is possible with automatic batteries for liquid to ooze from the atomizer into the battery. This can result in a gummy battery with a sticky internal switch so that it either doesn't come on properly or doesn't shut off properly. In such cases, folks generally recommend a variety of things to dry it out, but to the best of my knowledge, it doesn't involve adding liquids.

The cool thing about YouTube is anyone can post pretty much anything . . . the scary thing about YouTube is anyone can post pretty much anything.

There are some awesome e-cig videos on YouTube, and most of the really good ones are referenced here on the forum. The best advice I have for you is if something sounds potentially problematic, like putting a battery in a liquid, then check on the forum before attempting.

As for warning others, well, from what you've said, there are comments about folks trying the method and killing their batteries. I can't think of anything more effective than that.

 

[hittman]

I don't think I would have tried that no matter what somebody said on youtube. That really sucks though that you lost two batteries because you listened to them. Also being a newbie, I can sympathize with you. If you have questions, I would ask them on this forum. The people here are very helpful and friendly. I hope you have better luck in the future.

 

[Atomised]

One thing about the video is that he puts up a link to e-cigarette-forum as though he got his info here (though a commenter points out "they" (e-cigarette forum) never said to dunk the batteries. Also the video has a 5 star rating that lent credibility. I just wish I read more pages of the comments before trying this and losing expensive batteries

 

[JustJulie]

Well, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over this. Let your batteries dry another day or so . . . some folks have reported doing really heinous things to their batteries (totally by accident, I should add), like dropping them in toilets or running them through the washing machine. In some cases, the batteries work again when totally dried out.

 

[Atomised]

Well, okay, I won't toss them in the bin just yet - though I did just order 2 new ones at £6.75 each
actually not a bad price here in the UK

 

[Fud]

Like dip and soak your atomizer in coca cola. That doesn not make sence to me with phosphoric acid in it at all. Someone else said use vinegar. Again that is an acid and metals do not mix well with them. It's just a fact metal corrodes under acid period.

Imagine gong to a doctor and they rubbed your arm first with cola or Dr Pepper first?

So far as far as i can tell rubbing alcohol polypropylene is safe and never damaged any of my computer equipment ever. Then again i never dumped a video card or any parts in alc just cleaned them with it dry basically.

Now if i doused my tower case the innards with cola or vinegar then of course it's going to fail. Like there there is an extra bay and put in a car ash tray in there, not a good idea right?

My only advice is if you need to clean contacts you can use rubbing alc on it with a qtip but not drenched to soak it if it's a battery.

 

[KreeL]

Never listen to anyone in a jimmyhat wearing a nose ring.

 

[yknotagain]

I wrecked a battery even trying a spray on electronic cleaner attempting to fix a sticky switch a couple months ago. Shappens.

 

[wv2win]

Ah, yes, the joys of the auto switch batteries! With manual batteries these issues disappear.

 

[yknotagain]

I need the use of both hands for much of the work I do, so my manuals sit on my desk. I have only had problems with one auto switch so far and it was my fault.

 

[Tori]

I wont be trying that one!

Hey I was born in Clearwater and my gramma lives there now... cool

 

[JustJulie]

Ah, yes, the joys of the auto switch batteries! With manual batteries these issues disappear.

Oh, I don't know . . . I'm thinking that even our magic manual batteries might have a hard time standing up to a warm vinegar bath.


The really sad part is if you look at the video, there are indeed many comments talking about how following the instructions resulted in destroyed batteries . . . and the guy who posted the video basically said that it works for him, and until it stops working for him, he's going to leave the video up.

 

[Fud]

Fine go put up a youtube clip or whatever it's a free country sitll i think, Some idiot put up a vid of a roman candle up his ... and it exploded. Dumb kid it probably ripped open his blow hole.

Listen to people here not some video with beavis or whatever that guy is is. The folks here will steer you in the right direction more often than not.

Never listen to anyone in a jimmyhat wearing a nose ring.

 

[Elendil]

Just run them through the dishwasher like I do. Squeaky clean!

 

[Atomised]

Well an important issue here is that the only info he put on his video is a link to e-cigarette-forum which makes it look like this forum endorses his ideas.

 

[Atomised]

Just run them through the dishwasher like I do. Squeaky clean!

You put your batteries in the dishwasher - your joking, right?

 

[JustJulie]

Well an important issue here is that the only info he put on his video is a link to e-cigarette-forum which makes it look like this forum endorses his ideas.

I doubt there's much that can be done about that.

And on a bright note, maybe it will encourage some poor guy who ruins his battery to come here to complain . . . only to find tons of information and support. In my opinion, that would be worth the cost of a couple of ruined batteries.

 

[JustJulie]

You put your batteries in the dishwasher - your joking, right?

We keep telling Elendil not to mess with the newbies because their B.S. meters often aren't quite as finely tuned as some of the old timers around here.

And on the off chance you were serious, yes, he's kidding.