Cleaning atomizer

[Janet]

Image:Teapot P1100116.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ought to shed some light into this. It's just a sort of chamber where hot steam exists from one hole.

Placing atomizer inside plastic funnels "throat" and pressing(with plenty of force) that against boiling water works best so far. Some hot water actually starts sparkling of the top...
Somewhat water proof gloves and clothes are a must with this.
Some types of plastics might start melting. Oh, and you might loose the paint job on your atomizer.

@SmokingInTexas: Oh dear.. locomotive..

ahhhhhh. OK. Looks kind of dangerous to me. What keeps the atomizer from falling into the spout? Don't you have stoves where you live?

 

[Janet]

Sorry jigtg, didn't read close enough and missed the funnel part. Thought you were talking about the spout on the teapot. Now I understand. Good idea you got there. I still want a steam cleaner though <grin>!

 

[TropicalBob]

Just a note on boiling to clean: Worked with some e-cigs I use, so tonight I put the e-cigar, my second purchase, back in January, in a pot of boiling water. The atomizer is in the e-cigar's main tube, and I had removed the battery, cartridge and mouthpiece. When I took it out after a minute or two, I found that the battery compartment has a plastic lining that had melted and warped. It would no longer take the battery. My e-cigar is history.

 

[Kate]

Yay, I won the ebay penguin. Can't wait to try it out now.

 

[KatyS]

Kate, I should get my steam cleaner tomorrow, can't wait. Who would have ever thought 8 months ago I would be excited about getting a steam cleaner lol.

 

[Kate]

I know, it's funny. I'm not much of a cleaning type person, I can't imagine using it much apart from on atomisers and defrosting the freezer, lol.

Have you been esmoking for eight months Katy? That must make you a veteran if you have.

 

[KatyS]

oops, Kate meant six months. My last analog cig was April 14th. Amazing after 45 years of smoking!!! The e-cig has helped so many folks regardless of the problems. Imagine all the people out there that aren't on the forum who have benefited one way or another. It would be interesting to know just how many e smokers there are.

 

[leaford]

I know, it's funny. I'm not much of a cleaning type person, I can't imagine using it much apart from on atomisers and defrosting the freezer, lol.

Ooooh, good one. I didn't think of that!

 

[Kate]

Well done Katy, quitting after 45 years is no mean feat. Esmoking has done a lot of us a favour, it would be interesting to see how many have benefited.

It wasn't my idea to use the steamer to defrost the freezer Leaford, it was Rubys. She says she has plenty of uses for a steamer so I'll maybe pick her brain when mine arrives.

 

[Ruby]

YAY Kate!

It's a cute little thingie too. Like it better than my bee! The nozzle looks good for atomiser cleaning too.

If you are up for being a non domestic goddess these little steamers are good for cleaning windows, mirrors, mouldy shower grout (will still need an initial cleaner if vile), tiles, the oven and grill. Glass on picture frames, car windows and hubcaps. De-wrinkling curtains, removing spots on the carpet. Freshening up & cleaning the fridge. All requires some graft but it's easier than arm power alone!
Good for decreasing clothes but be cautious with delicate fabrics. And of course great at cleaning the atomisers. Be sure to prime them by dripping afterwards & use a topped up cart as it makes the coil ultra thirsty.

Also - if you have tongs to grip the atomisers with make sure they have rubber of felt or some kind of buffer on the gripping parts. I used a steel one and made some nasty scratches on my atomiser by mistake - luckily my cheap one, but it means I'll have to strip all the paint off it as it looks tatty now!

Let us know when it arrives how it works!

 

[Ruby]

Katy that's amazing. Well done.

 

[KatyS]

Thanks you guys, it helps to have a forum like this with great fellow members!!!

 

[llfco]

Good tip, will try this mite save my stock a bit

thanks

 

[Kate]

My penguin arrived today but I haven't tried it out yet. It looks just right for cleaning atomisers, it has a good nozzle and is pretty compact. Thanks for all the tips Ruby, I can't see me doing much cleaning with it but it's good to know anyway

Just a note on boiling to clean: Worked with some e-cigs I use, so tonight I put the e-cigar, my second purchase, back in January, in a pot of boiling water. The atomizer is in the e-cigar's main tube, and I had removed the battery, cartridge and mouthpiece. When I took it out after a minute or two, I found that the battery compartment has a plastic lining that had melted and warped. It would no longer take the battery. My e-cigar is history.

I guess this is what would happen if I tried to steam clean my bling?


Lifco, are you thinking of cleaning NEW atomisers? Don't they have a factory prime? You would clean that out. I thought if they weren't working from new it wasn't because they needed cleaning, they can't be gunked up yet

 

[Ruby]

I don't know about risking a bling - don't know if I would be brave enough. I use my steamer on my upvc window frames with no melt down but maybe the bling plastic is weaker.
Let us know if it revives your cigs though.

 

[Kate]

I think you're right, it's too much of a risk for the bling. I'll stick with isopropyl alcohol with that until it doesn't work anymore and then maybe experiment with the steamer.

I'll let you know about the ecigs when I get around to cleaning them.

 

[SmokingInTexas]

(What I have found...)

For me, cleaning (boiling, I can't afford those fancy steam thingies if I want the latest e-cig stuff lol) is the next-to-the-last resort...so far.

If I notice a drop in vapor, I first drain the atomizer. Sometimes I over drip. And sometimes I put too much juice in it too I then replace the battery with a fresh one. As a last resort, I manually do an auto-clean using the Janty manual switch. These so far have ALMOST always corrected the vapor issue. If they haven't corrected the issue, then I boil it (and always expect the loss of an atomizer, but so far, so good).

The other front is the draw. When the draw gets too heavy, I first drain the atomizer by blowing on the battery end after plugging the center hole. In a great number of cases, that solves or improves the draw. If that fails, I then again resort to boiling.

I think cleaning has it's place, but I doubt it's the "miracle" cure or that it should be the first line of defense. And as always, (for me anyway) go into that level of cleaning with the expectation that it may be the last bath the atomizer may ever get. (On a side note, that does suck about the plastic stuff melting.)

So far (And I just KNOW I'm jinxing myself...) I have survived a month and a half on 5 atomizers, and they are all still performing really well.

 

[freddo]

As a last resort, I manually do an auto-clean using the Janty manual switch. These so far have ALMOST always corrected the vapor issue. If they haven't corrected the issue, then I boil it (and always expect the loss of an atomizer, but so far, so good).

How do you do this? I'm thinking of getting a steamer too, how do you use them to clean?

 

[Ruby]

Hi Freddo

You put the nozzle on the end of the atomiser and give a burst of steam or three until no gunk comes out. Then you do the same from the other end. Give it a few mins and they should be ready to go again.

If you use tongs to hold the atomiser be sure you have rubber ones or wrap it in a piece of paper towel first - I used metal tongs and it scratched off the paint on one of mine.

 

[SmokingInTexas]

The auto-clean is a function of the battery, and it occurs every ???? puffs. It essentially applies power to the atomizer for about 20 seconds (I think). I can manually do this using the Janty button and battery. The difference is, I can be sure there is sufficient juice in the atomizer when I do it and I can control how long it stays on. In a real auto-clean, if the atomizer happens to be at the end of a cart and dries out, it COULD burn up the coil in the atomizer. I think 20 seconds is a bit long too.

As far as boiling, I just drop it in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Let it dry, drip juice to prime, and then slowly puff away until it starts cranking the vapor again. I haven't used the steam method, but i hear very good things about that approach also.