Cleaning Attys - Who's Right?

[pbusardo]

There should be some interesting reponse to this question.

What is the best way to clean an atty?

So far I've heard:

Coke
Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
151
Vinegar
Boiling
Overheating
Draining
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

I've asked several people and everyone I've talked to has given me a different answer. So, I'll ask again and let's see the responses.

What is the best procedure for cleaning an atty?

Since I'm at it, I'll ask another question to see what the responses are.

I've noticed that when I'm vaping a flavor and I switch carts, the last flavor doesn't go away very quickly.

Does anyone have a quick clean process they use to get rid of the last cart's flavor?

Thanks! Looking forward to reading the responses.

 

[maryjo]

I don't really clean my atty. When I change flavor I spray the atty out with compressed air, wipe it out with a q-tip. Been using the same atty for 10 weeks.

 

[dedmonwakin]

You are a thread making demon aren't you!lol

As said, I don't solvent clean my attys and never will. If I can get a minimum of 3 weeks on one atty. It isn't going to kill me to purchase another atty. They are only 5-6 bucks!

edit: As you've stated. You've read and seen many different responses...what will make this any different?

 

[Kent C]

There should be some interesting reponse to this question.

What is the best way to clean an atty?

So far I've heard:

Coke
Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
151
Vinegar
Boiling
Overheating
Draining
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

I've asked several people and everyone I've talked to has given me a different answer. So, I'll ask again and let's see the responses.

What is the best procedure for cleaning an atty?

Since I'm at it, I'll ask another question to see what the responses are.

I've noticed that when I'm vaping a flavor and I switch carts, the last flavor doesn't go away very quickly.

Does anyone have a quick clean process they use to get rid of the last cart's flavor?

Thanks! Looking forward to reading the responses.

Lots of thread on this subject here:

Experiments with equipment - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat

One esp. good one there:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cleaned-simple-cheap-effective-method-18.html

 

[surbitonPete]

Well I tried absolutely 'every' single idea that everyone recommended and never had an atomizer last me more than a week of good vaping...then I tried doing a daily dry burn from new and now I had one last me for over a month....and now my second one of doing the dry burn has lasted nearly three weeks so far and seems to be going to do the same.
I would certainly recommend trying the dry burn method for anyone who is having the same luck with atties that I had.

 

[breakfastchef]

I would certainly recommend trying the dry burn method for anyone who is having the same luck with atties that I had.

SB, I think you are on to something here. Most auto e-cigs have a cleaning cycle, and even a few months back, folks were talking about stopping that process by removing the atomizer. Common thought, at the time, was the cycle would burn up the atty. We know this is not true and your cleaning method demonstrates that.

I received an email from Ruyandirect today about a question I posed to them about my DSE601 atomizers. They recommended a dry burn every day or two to extend the useful life of an atomizer.

 

[kinabaloo]

I received an email from Ruyandirect today about a question I posed to them about my DSE601 atomizers. They recommended a dry burn every day or two to extend the useful life of an atomizer.

Interesting. Same as my thoughts. Every day or two, from new. It's a preventative clean.

Some pics here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ean-method-pics-new-discovery.html#post373044

 

[ashworth]

I tried the Coke method this weekend for the first time on my Blu atty and was pleasantly surprised. It worked awesomely. But it wasn't Coke. It was Shasta's generic version of the Coke recipe (Shasta Cola or something like that). After soaking for roughly 8 hours, took it out, rinsed under tap, blotted dry a bit and blew on it hard to clean out excess water.

Then I rinsed again with isoprophil alcohol and let it air dry for a few minutes. Minutes later I was essentially vaping on a new atty again. Today I'm on the same one with no lag in the draw of air or anything...works great.

I'd imagine this works for all atty's and not just Blu. In a week or two I'll try it on my new M401 I received today as another test.

I'll say this. I tried Totally Wicked eLiquid for a few weeks. I think it's too thick or something. That might have been what was clogging my atty's so fast. Got some Johnson's Creek liquid today and it's working WAY better for the Blu.

Thought I'd pass it on. Good luck!

 

[PatriciafromCO]

I've only tried something I've read when I feel one of my atties are close to death any way lol.. Tried the warm water and the coke bath,, can say it didn't kill my atties, but didn't like having to work so hard to get them dry again, even letting them drain and using a blower... always ended doing a burn off and to dry them out,, and well none of them are dead and I am still using them.. I like burning more then anything after a full day of dripping and flooding on them... put them away with a few drops of liqiud fully expect them to die some time in the future no matter what...

 

[ashworth]

I agree. You can only get so much life and abuse out of the atomizer before the coil dislodges or breaks or something. Eventually, the mechanical piece of hardware will fail.

 

[DC2]

If anyone ever comes to a solid conclusion about this issue, please PM me.
Thanks in advance!!!

Edit: I dry burn every night and soak in cola once per week
Edit: But I haven't been doing this long so I have no feedback
Edit: Well, other than I am not killing them by doing this

 

[pbusardo]

You are a thread making demon aren't you!lol

As said, I don't solvent clean my attys and never will. If I can get a minimum of 3 weeks on one atty. It isn't going to kill me to purchase another atty. They are only 5-6 bucks!

edit: As you've stated. You've read and seen many different responses...what will make this any different?

No different really. Just wanted to see everyone's solution in a single place. I was hoping for some my method if better than yours brawls, but it's been pretty calm so far

 

[wv2win]

Those advocting the dry burn, it would help if you were more specific.

1. How long do you hold the button and heat the atomizer?
2. Is it different for different atomizers?
3. How frequently do you dry burn? daily?, every other day?

Thanks

 

[ned Zeppelin]

Nothing really works. We've all tried pretty much every which way. Sometimes we think we've found the answer and then it always backfires.
We must treat these electronic cigarettes as all disposables because that's what they are.

 

[surbitonPete]

Those advocting the dry burn, it would help if you were more specific.

1. How long do you hold the button and heat the atomizer?
2. Is it different for different atomizers?
3. How frequently do you dry burn? daily?, every other day?

Thanks

Well I am doing the dry burn once a day from brand new and I am only holding the button until I can see the coil glow red. I don't keep it glowing for more than a second. It's still hard to know what would be the perfect method but my idea is that there is no point in continuing the burn once you see the red glow. I have found that if I don't do it for a couple of days it seems to take a lot longer to burn off the crud and reach a red glow. That's why I have decided every day is probably better.

 

[Taylor]

I don't recommend a dry burn with a 510 atty. Not while they still have that fiberglass wicking material in there. It does burn and tastes awful. HUGE design flaw IMO.

 

[surbitonPete]

I don't recommend a dry burn with a 510 atty. Not while they still have that fiberglass wicking material in there. It does burn and tastes awful. HUGE design flaw IMO.

I would suggest the awful taste must be something else (more likely a bit of polyester cart material getting melted onto the coil....I have put that fibreglass wicking material into the hottest part of a Bunsen burner flame and all it does is 'clean' it.

 

[breakfastchef]

I don't recommend a dry burn with a 510 atty. Not while they still have that fiberglass wicking material in there. It does burn and tastes awful. HUGE design flaw IMO.

If you burn anything, it will taste like cr*p. Just blow it out, add a few drops and skip the first few inhales and the taste will come back quickly. I highly doubt the wcking material in the heating coil is fiberglass.

 

[jeffakamax]

I think the key here may be dry burns FROM NEW. I have found that once they get pretty gummed up & nasty that the dry burns kill them. My assumption is that is done regularly from new, the minimal deposits from a day's vaping can be easily burned off. Once they get caked up and that nichrome wire is 3x it's normal thickness, the dry burns never really burn it off. The thermal expansion from that chunk of resin around the coil causes the coil to break.

So if you are going to do dry burns, once a day from new. If the atty is over a week old and you have never done them, don't start.

Anyone else find this to be true?

 

[breakfastchef]

Those advocting the dry burn, it would help if you were more specific.

1. How long do you hold the button and heat the atomizer?
2. Is it different for different atomizers?
3. How frequently do you dry burn? daily?, every other day?

Thanks

DSE601/801 atomizers: 10-15 second burn, wait to cool and repeat. Doing this two to three times per week.