Can i fix this eGo-C (replica) atomizer? {newbie question}

[platinum70]

Hi,

Apologies if this is not the correct forum for this question {english is not my first language}

A couple of weeks ago, my first e-cig; an eGo-c replica has arrived and i have begun my journey as a vaper rather than a smoker into healthier life.

as this is my first device, i guess i might not used it properly. i felt its performance degraded (went bad) with time {i lost vapor and taste significantly} and i had no idea why until yesterday i've noticed there is no rope/string in the atomizer {the material used to soak(??) the liquid}

I've replaced the atomizer with one of the spares which were included in the starter kit and the vaping is now great like it is an e-cig just taken out of the box.

i've looked at the atomizer and found it's easy to disassemble it, i took it a part and took some pictures while playing with the thought i can fix it rather than throw it away. i'm not cheap, just like the DIY approach and like to fix things.

as you can see in the pictures, the thin "rope" got short and doesn't look well. the black part inside which i assume is the heating element looks very black and not nice.

is it repairable? what is this "rope" made of? how can i replace it? how can/should i clean the black element?
should i just give up and throw it away?

I'll appreciate your feedback

 

[speedjason86]

dry burn can clean the black stuff
I dont get how can the wick get short

 

[Sicarius]

They are easy enough to rebuild if you have the 'wick' and 'resistance wire'. These are available from a couple of vendors.

Below is a small one I rebuilt (ceramic cup is 5.5mm wide) and it vapes like a champ. Good for dripping.

 

[platinum70]

Thanks for your reply, can you explain what is the 'resistance wire'? and what do you mean by "good for dripping"? i'm too much of a newbie i'm afraid

I understood that what i called "rope" is called wick and found wicks for Zippo lighters for sale (cheap) in many places, would these fit?

 

[Sicarius]

The Zippo will work, but I think it is fibreglass and turn brittle very quickly. The wick is usually made of high content silica and can withstand higher temperatures.

Resistance wire is usually a Nickel/Chromium (Nichrome) alloy that has a certain resistance per meter. It is sometiimes referred to as Kanthal, but they are different and my preference is Kanthal-A1.

Dripping is exactly that ... you drip your juice directly onto the coil and vape. Better taste and vapour. You don't have polyfill or a tank to hold the juice so you drip some on, vape until its finished, drip some more on, etc.

 

[platinum70]

Thanks again,
one last question with you permission; how should i attach the new wick to the old one (or the atomizer body) for the best result?

 

[Sicarius]

Looking at your third picture it looks like the positive (green wire) is soldered to one side of the coil (must use lead free solder) and the other side of the coil is completing the circuit through the metalwork of the housing (can't see).

I normally use the metal from springs (straightened out) to make attachment posts and then rely on touch contact (I don't like solder much). The one spring goes through the air hole (positive) and the other spring somewhere on the metal casing (negative).

Hope this helps

 

[platinum70]

thanks again, you have referred to the electric aspect while i meant the wick (rope) which leads the fluid. sorry if i wasn't clear enough

 

[Sicarius]

If I understand your question then the wick that the coil in wound around needs to go through the oval tube (the spikey one) and be cut off at the 45 degree angle part.