Cleaning atomizer

[borjis]

I just ran it on 3 atomizers that don't work.

one is dead, the other 2 just don't produce thick Dura smoke.


the dead one....nothing no surprise, probably a broken coil.

first low smoke producer......WOW! it's brand new again!

second low smoke producer.....nothing. still low smoke.

damn, I'm glad at least one of them revitalized!

I wrapped a paper towel around it really tight (folded into a 1 inche roll to keep fingers from burning. then held it up to the Barista machine steamer
and steam passed through for about 20 seconds.

I did not see any gunk come out though.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

I just ran it on 3 atomizers that don't work.

one is dead, the other 2 just don't produce thick Dura smoke.


the dead one....nothing no surprise, probably a broken coil.

first low smoke producer......WOW! it's brand new again!

second low smoke producer.....nothing. still low smoke.

damn, I'm glad at least one of them revitalized!

I wrapped a paper towel around it really tight (folded into a 1 inche roll to keep fingers from burning. then held it up to the Barista machine steamer
and steam passed through for about 20 seconds.

I did not see any gunk come out though.

I have tried steaming over 30 of these atomizers to no avail--it simply does not work and there is no reason for it to work. Just as boiling will not remove the residual, steam will not either. The only think I can chalk your sucess up to is that that atomizer was flooded and needed a good blowing out with the steam will due--so there is merit for a badly flooded atomizer and the use of steam--Sun

 

[littlewierdo]

Ok, I just bought a pen style e-cig from Jane at electroniccigarettesales . com. Had it for just over a week and it pooped out. Knowing nothing about these blasted things, I stumbled across this little post and while most of it is theoretical at best, the single method that worked was compressed air in a can (the stuff you use to blow hair and dust out of a keyboard - available at Office Depot among other places). Unfortunately, in my case the compressed air didnt work exactly due to the design of the cig I have but by blowing hard thru the inhaling end (so doing the opposite of smoking it) and wiping any fluid that appeared at the other end and doing this until it was dry. Then, attached it to the battery and gave 10 quick inhales in rapid succession to heat of the atomizer and then gave one final 5 second inhale. Then I attached the cartridge, did a few quick inhales again and then smoked as normal. Worked great. I guess the atomizer is drowning/clogging with fluid over time and it occasionally needs to be cleaned out. *sigh*...what a pain in the .... I was getting ready to discount this as the third POC I had bought. Ill bet this is the problem with the first two I have (altho the one I have is damned amazing - it puts out about 2-3 times the amount of smoke that an analog cig does...its so much smoke in fact, that when I exhale in front of the mirror, you cant see thru the smoke).

 

[ted26]

I have just made a device that is running at the moment pumping coke through the atomizer so will report back later to give the results!

 

[e-pipeman]

I have just made a device that is running at the moment pumping coke through the atomizer so will report back later to give the results!

That sounds really useful, Ted. Does it use ordinary household kit or is any specialist stuff needed? I hope there's no use of a soldering iron as I have two left hands...

 

[ted26]

That sounds really useful, Ted. Does it use ordinary household kit or is any specialist stuff needed? I hope there's no use of a soldering iron as I have two left hands...

its just a dialasis pump thing used for pumping chemicals with a 6 volt battery pack fitted, pretty sure a pond pump would do the same job but you need the right size hosing to fit on the atomizer which can be tricky!

Anyway just removed the atomizer after about 1.5 hour and its priming as we speak. I personally think once they go then you cant give them new life but hey its worth a shot.

I'll take the project further if it works but time will tell

 

[borjis]

I have tried steaming over 30 of these atomizers to no avail

you have steamed 30 Dura atomizers?


After smoking that one I revitalized for about 15 minutes it crapped out
again. I'll steam it again tonight hopefully it will work again.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

you have steamed 30 Dura atomizers?


After smoking that one I revitalized for about 15 minutes it crapped out
again. I'll steam it again tonight hopefully it will work again.

Borjis--Not just Dura, but a combination of Dura/RN4072/901's and got no results in all of these atomizers. For a cleaning, sure steaming may help--but as for problems-- I have found it just does not work--The Steamer is great for the tile aroung the pool though!!!--Sun

 

[RjG]

"Cleaning atomizer" is an unfortunate title that all this is posted under, which is attracting posts of two very different issues

Maybe we should reference the Cola treatment as "decarbonizing the atomizer" , which is defined as removing some or part of the hard buildup on the coil, revitalizing the performance (heat related).

All the rest... boiling, steaming, compressed air, washing, draining, blowing, sucking, alcohol, flushing etc etc etc etc DO all work in varying degrees for cleaning the atomizer, which should be defined as "removing the liquid and soft buildup in the atomizer, consisting of non vaporizing,thick,yellow, or other undesirable substance in the mesh wicking structure and around the coil (flow related)"

Maybe we can even convince Terra to create a new "Decarboning the Atomizer" thread, instead of "cold-pen-style-atomizers-broken-wiring-nope" which isn't terribly descriptive either, LOL'

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...d-pen-style-atomizers-broken-wiring-nope.html

 

[RjG]

...pretty sure a pond pump would do the same job but you need the right size hosing to fit on the atomizer which can be tricky!...

decarbonizing:

Dang, there goes my new idea, you beat me to it ;-) One of those mini-tabletop-fountain pumps does work great, with a piece of surgical tubing for the connection (stolen off a slingshot) I've been playing with that the last couple days too.

I'll add to it though... Nuke the cola to get it nice and hot before pumping it through. Chemical performance is multiplied at least a couple times by heat.

(note for soakers: better not nuke the cola before a cola SOAK, since that would take the carbonation out - and I think it needs the carbonation to keep the soda moving around the coil)

 

[Faethe]

I tried the oxyclean because I had some here....nothing spectacular. If you have some on hand, it might be worth a try. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

Lu

Thanks for the tip

Next I guess is the Everclear method if what I do fails after a while?

 

[Faethe]

has anyone tried vinegar to fix their atomizers?

Vinegar does seem to work for me. Especially on cakey black stuff that for some bizzare reason builds up on the side of the Pilot atomizer.

 

[ZambucaLu]

Thanks for the tip

Next I guess is the Everclear method if what I do fails after a while?

They'll probably come up with something new by then Faethe

Lu

 

[Terraphon]

We're always coming up with new and better

 

[Dorian_Gray]

Well, let me inform you of my failures and successes with atomizer cleaning.

I killed 3 901 atomizers the first week I had my 901 by oversteaming them. Play the dirge. Since then (about 2+ months) I have been using the same atomizers with great success. I use the steamer method. I put them in front of the steamer with the nozzle pointing down and use 3 quick blasts into the battery side. This not only removes excess liquid, but I find little pieces of black gunk on the rag I have under the steamer. This must be the carbon about which everyone above is talking. So far it seems to be working well. If necessary, a second treatment is done AFTER they have cooled down.

The 401/402 atomizers (only a week older than the 901s) are faring just as well using the same treatment.

 

[rickstar009]

A plain and simple way to clean your atomizers is ...Coke a cola

The acid effects in the coke corrodes the residue build up of E-liquid on the atomizer coil

(1) Wash atomizer(s) in luke warm water
(2) Blow access water out of att
(3) pour coke into a cup or bowl (what ever) and let the atomizer(s) sit in the coke for abit (cart end up)
(4) flush attomizer(s) with water and blow out access water
(5) Let sit until dry, fill with e-liquid....you're good to go


....................................................(Rickstar)

 

[rickstar009]

Ooh Ok somebody already suggested the Coke method..

Well that was a pointless post

 

[ted26]

I pumped coke through my att for 2 hours which cleaned it but made no real noticable difference!

 

[rickstar009]

I cleaned five 901 atomizers with the coke remedy ted ..it did fix one of them but the rest not so much.. well maybe a little

the other four att's must have been to far gone ...still yet to try it on my pen att's

An ultrasonic machine is my next purchase, that method from what i hear is a near fool proof one ...but as with the coke remedy the atomizers can't be at the stage where they are to far gone for it to work....

 

[Sun Vaporer]

I cleaned five 901 atomizers with the coke remedy ted ..it did fix one of them but the rest not so much.. well maybe a little

the other four att's must have been to far gone ...still yet to try it on my pen att's

An ultrasonic machine is my next purchase, that method from what i hear is a near fool proof one ...but as with the coke remedy the atomizers can't be at the stage where they are to far gone for it to work....

Rick--there is the key--the atomizer can not be to the point that they are cold--too much build up on the coil. I sent out Terraphon 3 more atomizers to run some more testing with and some new ideas are coming on board this weekend so be on the watch out for the new videos of the findings and results--Sun