bringing atomizers back to life

[chefkeith]

Dry burning is key no matter what other steps you take, imo.

 

[-Redd-]

Are you rinsing with water or just letting the alcohol evaporate off? So far, I've had zero success cleaning and reusing these attys.

I left them to air dry on a bit of kitchen paper and let the alcohol evaporate,

 

[ccm2000]

Dry burning is key no matter what other steps you take, imo.

When I take it apart to dry burn, the wick is always stuck to the coil and rips apart. Replacing the wick is where I fail.

 

[Landshark]

not worth my time or energy trying to clean them when they are $4 each. tried once, still not the same as a new one. in the time wasted trying to clean them i could work an hour of overtime and buy a handful.

 

[chefkeith]

not worth my time or energy trying to clean them when they are $4 each. tried once, still not the same as a new one. in the time wasted trying to clean them i could work an hour of overtime and buy a handful.

Conversely, you could could earn an hour of (tax free) overtime while working at home! JK, I know where you're coming from.

 

[AndriaD]

I am definitely going to follow this technique, I'm convinced that the atomizers have a lot of life in them.

Been soaking them in 70% rubbing alcohol (non-drinker, no vodka handy). The soaking gets rid of any burnt taste, but it makes sense that a more thorough cleaning would be more effective. Gonna try putting one in an ultrasonic cleaner at work, see what happens ...

Thanks to the OP for posting a detailed method !

This works ok, with rubbing alcohol? My house is likewise grain-alcohol-free, and will be staying that way. Someone told me they put their eRoll atomizers into boiling water for a few minutes, do you know if that's effective?

Andria

 

[patkin]

Not something I would do. Used to clean cartomizers that way when I used them and the wires can snap, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter number of times, boiling. An alcohol soak accomplishes the same thing without the risk. Isopropyl works but if not VERY well rinsed can leave a temporary bitter taste. 80 proof Vodka doesn't. I don't drink alcohol but haven't found it a problem if done right... meaning a good soak/rinse with several bathes of hot water. Whenever I've forgotten to do a couple of dry pulls to evaporate any remnants, I've tasted it a tiny bit but no more than I have with a juice that has alcohol-based flavoring in it when not steeped with the cap off long enough for it to evaporate. Its not like one is risking drunkenness or anything.

 

[AndriaD]

Not something I would do. Used to clean cartomizers that way when I used them and the wires can snap, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter number of times, boiling. An alcohol soak accomplishes the same thing without the risk. Isopropyl works but if not VERY well rinsed can leave a temporary bitter taste. 80 proof Vodka doesn't. I don't drink alcohol but haven't found it a problem if done right... meaning a good soak/rinse with several bathes of hot water. Whenever I've forgotten to do a couple of dry pulls to evaporate any remnants, I've tasted it a tiny bit but no more than I have with a juice that has alcohol-based flavoring in it when not steeped with the cap off long enough for it to evaporate. Its not like one is risking drunkenness or anything.

That's true, but the mere fact of HAVING grain alcohol in the house is a risk for a recovering alcoholic; I may be sober for 21+ yrs but I never underestimate the power of an alcoholic's insanity, and not only do I never want to go down that road again, I don't want to come anywhere near that road -- I'd buy all new atomizers for every use, rather than risk that. In fact, I think that probably is my best option; use the atomizers till they're "used up," then replace. It's not that I think that alcohol in a bottle is going to pour itself down my throat of its own volition, but spending money on something like that might give my alkie brain all the justification it needs to drink some of it, or resentment that I can't, and that latter, the resentment, is just a come-hither to the former, the rationalization. There's nothing at all rational about this disease.

Andria

 

[patkin]

I deal with it in a few inlaws... recovery that is both from drugs and alcohol (think its genetic actually though Hubby doesn't seem to have those genes as we don't drink at all)... but, anyway, they all say "Some are sicker than others." One of them has told me of someone who won't even have rubbing alcohol in the house. None of my inlaws are are like that but they all seem to have their "things"... I guess personal triggers... but most are of the "people, places and things" variety. However, I guess the best example of sobriety is one who works for AA Central here and routinely visits bars on call. He says its "spiritual armor" that protects him going into that environment. I talk with him a lot because I'm dealing with a serious medical issue in Hubby. He has a degree of serenity that helps me deal with the fears from time to time. I guess alcoholics in or out of recovery deal with a lot of fear because he always knows just what to say. Congratulations on 21+ years away from "spirits."

 

[chefkeith]

You should at least attempt a dry burn and a water rinse before tossing the attys - it takes two seconds and might extend the life a few weeks. Also, keep the old ones a while before discarding. You never know when you might need them in an "emergency."

 

[AndriaD]

I deal with it in a few inlaws... recovery that is both from drugs and alcohol (think its genetic actually though Hubby doesn't seem to have those genes as we don't drink at all)... but, anyway, they all say "Some are sicker than others." One of them has told me of someone who won't even have rubbing alcohol in the house. None of my inlaws are are like that but they all seem to have their "things"... I guess personal triggers... but most are of the "people, places and things" variety. However, I guess the best example of sobriety is one who works for AA Central here and routinely visits bars on call. He says its "spiritual armor" that protects him going into that environment. I talk with him a lot because I'm dealing with a serious medical issue in Hubby. He has a degree of serenity that helps me deal with the fears from time to time. I guess alcoholics in or out of recovery deal with a lot of fear because he always knows just what to say. Congratulations on 21+ years away from "spirits."

Thanks. It's true, some really are sicker than others! I don't think I could handle visiting the bars even to help others; I'd be no help to anyone if I succumbed myself -- in fact I once sponsored someone getting off drugs, and when she went "back out," it made me so mad I decided that sponsoring is just not for me -- I make myself available for phone calls for those who need a lifeline, especially those in my own family (it really does seem to run in families, but mercifully it also seems to be a recessive trait), but trying to talk sense into addicts of *any* kind is something I just don't have nearly enough patience for. Serenity is another thing I could definitely do with more of, but, slowly, slowly...


Andria

 

[rico942]

Quit drinking in 1991, after 25 years of being really good at it, maybe too good ...

Did it by promising myself that I could start again when I'm 70. But I probably won't, it lost its appeal ...

Having alcohol around doesn't bother me, I kind of like the smell, but never liked the taste ...

 

[AndriaD]

That's cool.. I quit in '92, but after only about 13-14 yrs, but DAMN I was good at it! Nobody but my husband had ANY idea how much I drank; when I told my mom, she was shocked, and she's an alcoholic herself. She was always one of those high functioning kind though, never missed work, so she got away with it for a lot longer... till she got cirrhosis. When they told her that, she quit immediately, about 5 yrs ago, but hey, closing the barn door after the horse is gone. Now between that and the diabetes, she's not in good shape at all. That's why I thought maybe maybe vaping sweet stuff at zero nic might help her, get her off the sugar so she has an appetite for actual healthy food, maybe she could get a little healthier.

Andria

 

[Dominique Hoogduin]

noticed some performance issues on the eroll..

Nettoyage atomiseur Joyetech / Cleaning Joyetech atomiser - YouTube

cant understand the french but it worked. big vapors again. Note: for the dry burn just suck or blow on the batt.. it will fire after a while

 

[AndriaD]

Here's what I'm wondering. What if you're far too clumsy and poor of vision to even THINK of taking those bitty things apart? Can you just soak them, to "bring them back to life?" I have no grain alcohol, as noted, and never will have any, so it's either isopropyl alcohol or water, or a mix, as someone else noted. 70% alcohol/30% water? How long do they take to dry out? How can you tell if they're dried out?

And I don't get this "dry burn" thing at all... just put the whole thing back together, but with nothing in the tank? how long do you draw on it, and how would you know if you'd f'ed it up, or done it right?

I'd really be most inclined to just throw 'em out when they're "done," but I'm not even sure how to tell if they're "done," and I'm not rich either, so I figured it's worth a try to salvage them for a bit more use; but I am in fact extremely clumsy, and have very poor up-close vision -- just filling the eRoll's tank is a real chore, with vision like mine, though I'm getting better at it with these needle-topped bottles. so, how do you know when an atomizer needs "soaking," or when it's really done? And someone please give me some really specific details about this dry burn thing; I'm brand new at all this, I don't know the first thing about a dry burn, how to do it, how long to do it, and how to know if you've messed it up, nor even how to know if an atomizer could benefit from soaking, or just needs to be discarded.

I have some new ones on order, so once I get them, I could try this soaking business with the 4 I have now, but I really need more details, without reference to either taking them apart, or grain alcohol. If I take them apart, they're very likely just trash, because I *really am* clumsy, and I have no idea if I could even get them back together again. And if grain alcohol is ever in my house, then I've got a lot bigger problem than eRoll atomizers.

Andria

 

[AegisPrime]

Simplest way of looking after your eRoll attys is this:

1) Soak them in some hot water for 15mins in case the wicks are stuck to the coil.
2) Prise them apart gently with a jeweller's screwdriver.
3) Burn the black gunk off the wick on a gas hob (should be white-ish when clean - leave the wick in the 'spike' and hold with pliers).
4) Take the coil end and stick that back on the eRoll battery with the 'cone' and blow gently into the end.
4a) Do this preferably looking in a mirror so you can see what's happening.
4b) Only blow for 3 seconds or so at a time - eventually you'll see the coil glowing.
4c) Keep blowing until no more smoke comes off the coil.
5) Rinse everything, let it dry, reassemble.
6) Add a few drops of e-liquid to the spike to soak the wick then you're good to go.

I'm using stainless steel wicks now but I'm still using the two coils that came with the eRoll back in December - pretty darn resilient!

 

[AndriaD]

Simplest way of looking after your eRoll attys is this:

1) Soak them in some hot water for 15mins in case the wicks are stuck to the coil.
2) Prise them apart gently with a jeweller's screwdriver.
3) Burn the black gunk off the wick on a gas hob (should be white-ish when clean - leave the wick in the 'spike' and hold with pliers).
4) Take the coil end and stick that back on the eRoll battery with the 'cone' and blow gently into the end.
4a) Do this preferably looking in a mirror so you can see what's happening.
4b) Only blow for 3 seconds or so at a time - eventually you'll see the coil glowing.
4c) Keep blowing until no more smoke comes off the coil.
5) Rinse everything, let it dry, reassemble.
6) Add a few drops of e-liquid to the spike to soak the wick then you're good to go.

I'm using stainless steel wicks now but I'm still using the two coils that came with the eRoll back in December - pretty darn resilient!

Well, I don't have a gas hob -- electric range here. I can soak them. Given my extreme clumsiness and fumbly fingers and tendency to drop things, as well as my poor up-close vision, I'm extremely leery of disassembling something that small and fragile, in order to get to something even smaller and more fragile -- to be honest, I'll have to take your word for it that there's a wick in that small hole in the atomizer, because I can't really see it; I see something that more or less looks like a black blur. I guess what I need to know is, how long to let them dry, after I soak them? Obviously just the soaking is not the optimum for trying to revive them, but maybe I can get just a *little* more out of them. the 4 I have seem to still work, but -- and this is another thing I really need to know -- how will I know when they're no longer working well? Will it taste funny, or just not vaporize?

I ordered an iTaste today, so the small size thing won't really be an issue, with that device. For people my age, smaller is not always better.

Andria

 

[AegisPrime]

Sadly soaking them alone (in water) won't do much - as for drying, 15 mins or so on something warm (I stick them on my Internet router) does the trick.

It's not as fiddly as you might think and the eGo attys are actually pretty robust so long as the wick isn't glued to the coil (hence the soaking). If one dies completely on you try dismantling it so you can see how they work. Some people use a chef's torch to clean their attys or re-coil devices if that helps.

You'll know they're getting gummed up when the flavour/vapour starts to diminish or if they're no longer providing a satisfying nicotine hit (you'll be puffing on them more often) - using thinner (more PG) e-liquids can extend the life of your attys since they'll get less burnt residue building up on them.

 

[AndriaD]

Sadly soaking them alone (in water) won't do much - as for drying, 15 mins or so on something warm (I stick them on my Internet router) does the trick.

It's not as fiddly as you might think and the eGo attys are actually pretty robust so long as the wick isn't glued to the coil (hence the soaking). If one dies completely on you try dismantling it so you can see how they work. Some people use a chef's torch to clean their attys or re-coil devices if that helps.

You'll know they're getting gummed up when the flavour/vapour starts to diminish or if they're no longer providing a satisfying nicotine hit (you'll be puffing on them more often) - using thinner (more PG) e-liquids can extend the life of your attys since they'll get less burnt residue building up on them.

Ok... I could use an isopropyl alcohol/water mix to soak them... I think someone said that if you let them get fully dry, there's no bad taste. I should be ok for a bit, with that info RE: the PG vs VG; all the e-juices I have are at least 70/30 PG/VG, and some of them even higher in PG, because I dislike the sweetness of VG, and I want as much of a throat hit as I can get, at 6mg.

The only type of "fire" I have is my cigarette lighter, which is probably going to last a long time, as little as I'm using it nowadays (only 1 smoke today!!). My router is presently covered with about 3-5 layers of misc paper and junk, at the back of my desk, and I just felt of it, and it's really not all that warm. I'd use the telephony cablemodem, except it's a lease from Comcast. However, I keep a pan of water going, on "low," all day, for my tea, so the top of my stove is always somewhat warm; that should do nicely.

I appreciate all this; this small-size thing is just one of the major reasons I decided to go ahead and get that iTaste; the wicks in the iClears are BIG, even I can see them! And I'm also going to be getting a couple of ARO pyrex glassomizers, which I expect will also present far less of a problem than these itty-bitty atomizers in the eRoll; I think they may even be rebuildable, if I get brave enough.

Thx!!
Andria

 

[AegisPrime]

The only type of "fire" I have is my cigarette lighter, which is probably going to last a long time, as little as I'm using it nowadays (only 1 smoke today!!).

Yeah, I wouldn't use a lighter to try and clean wicks - been there, done that and they just end up a black, sooty, foul-tasting mess

Isopropyl will certainly dissolve some of the crud out of an eGo atty though so that's worth a shot. Good luck!