Cold Pen-Style Atomizers. Broken wiring? NOPE!

[ApOsTle51]

well if i get no more dead atomizers ,what the heck am i gonna make my adaptors from....

I have a small collection of wimpy atomizers in various guises I'm just have to try this out.
I've tried boiling and steam cleaning ( with some success ) but not coke. Interesting concept, but not a new one

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/1192-dr-lois-cleaning-solution-my-modification.html#post22845

 

[parapo]

I have quit the pile of dead atomizers here. I tried the Coke for a hour or so the other day then blew em out with compressed air and there was no change. This is making me think tough...cola in a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, I dunno if they are actually utra anything but I know I have seen those little jewelry cleaners that work by vibration and I'm thinking that may just do the trick in worse case scenarios. I'm going to see if I can find one in the next few days,,,,

EDIT: I just went back and read the entire thread and someone had mentioned this. Has anyone tried yet?

there are older threads with ultrasonic cleaners.
the success rate with this device wasn't high though.

 

[parapo]

I'm ECSTATIC to see that so many people are getting good results with this. We know that there will be some atomizers out there that are just dead and beyond any help. For those that aren't quite dead, though, this method seems to be the best way of reversing the aging process and bringing them back to like-new performance.

I'm also going to recommend this as a regular maintenance process...I will give you that this method WILL eventually destroy the atomizer - due to decomposition - but I also submit that if it lasts longer than it normally would, it's well worth it.

i have tried everything that has been suggested in this forum.....steam,boiling,isoprop/alc,acetone..... not even one atomizer had a noticeable difference after cleaning.

i havn't tried this method yet,but i hope this will make a difference.

 

[ainako]

i have tried everything that has been suggested in this forum.....steam,boiling,isoprop/alc,acetone..... not even one atomizer had a noticeable difference after cleaning.

i havn't tried this method yet,but i hope this will make a difference.

my sentiments exactly, I haven't seen RC cola in years so I will go with pepsi instead.

 

[ninjapuff]

I'm ECSTATIC to see that so many people are getting good results with this. We know that there will be some atomizers out there that are just dead and beyond any help. For those that aren't quite dead, though, this method seems to be the best way of reversing the aging process and bringing them back to like-new performance.

I'm also going to recommend this as a regular maintenance process...I will give you that this method WILL eventually destroy the atomizer - due to decomposition - but I also submit that if it lasts longer than it normally would, it's well worth it.

Thanks Terraphon! Thanks to you I figured out how to get rid of the burnt taste I had on 2 Pilot atomizers.

I looked at one of these atomizers under a magnifying glass, and while they didn't have the stuff on them that looks like gooey black tar, they did have a light coating that looked like black soot. I let one of them soak in a shot of Coke for an hour, looked at it and tested it again, and the initial soaking did not fix the problem. I soaked it for another hour, and it still didn't fix it.

Then I got the coil bright and hot by attaching the Pilot battery (but not the cartridge) and blowing on the LED end of the battery, then dipped just the tip of the atomizer in cold water. I could hear it bubbling and popping, and when I looked at it under the magnifying glass, it looked brand new. I put some e-liquid on it and let it sit for a while before trying it out. I took a puff, and no more burnt taste!

I completely skipped soaking it in Coke with the 2nd atomizer that had the burnt taste. I just heated it up, dipped it in cold water, problem solved, and it hardly takes any time at all.

I also think I may have figured out how it got the burnt taste in the first place. I was direct dripping on the atomizer, and I know I was putting too much on it once in a while. When I put too much on, I could hear it boil and pop. I don't think the e-liquid is ever supposed to touch the outside of the coil. If it does, it will just boil off, leaving a residue. Now I'm just topping off the cartridge, and it's working like a champ, no burnt taste.

 

[8-Ball]

Will diet Pepsi work...?

 

[Sun Vaporer]

Will diet Pepsi work...?

B-Ball --Yes--That will do!!!---Sun

 

[Gravity_Tester]

New information.

I have been reminded that there is a fairly significant level of phosphoric acid in cola. I knew this but didn't even consider it because, for some reason, I was tunnel-visioned on carbonic acid. Now...this particular acid is actually stronger than carbonic acid AND more adept at breaking up oils and biological materials so it's probably this that's doing the trick.

Also, I did some research on brands and have discovered that the strongest of all of the soda-pops is RC Cola with a pH of 2.39, then regular Pepsi, with a pH of 2.49 followed by Coke Classic with a pH of 2.63 (with pH 7 being neutral and sulfuric acid having a pH of .7 to .3 depending on concentration).

So.. RC looks like the do-er.

Thanks to Gravity_Tester for the heads up.

EDIT: Changed the winner to RC Cola.

You're quite welcome. Most brew shops or restaraunt supply places should have it (you might even see if you can mooch some "tap cleaner" from your friendly local barkeep. I gotta figure something out-my first atomizer died within 24 hours and my second was dead in 12. Fortunately, the guys at the Smoke Safe are FAST. Otherwise, I would have killed someone whiler I was in the hospital..

 

[Terraphon]

The Smoke Safe??

 

[RjG]

Flitz--Just to clarify ---you need the heat if it is dead. What Terraphon was alluding to was the lack of the need to heat for manitence. Heat with a splash of cold water may be revisited with cold water in some cases like were the atomizer does get hot but will not vape--More tests and hopefully more video to come this weekend----Sun

So did any more tests , or video come about from the weekend?

 

[Recycled]

My month-old Pilot atomizer started getting really really weak. I pop in my brand new back-up and...one cart later...hardly any vapor. Fresh battery. Still nothing. Take off the cart, and under the bridge...Bright Red Glowing Red Volcanic Red--scary. Now it's dead. (...counting on Steve, I've had it 2 1/2 weeks, but it has never been used, gotta be defective.)

Rage, Rage against the dying of the light.

But... Soaked the old atomizer in Coca Cola for about an hour and a half, washed it off. It fired up like it is new! In fact, I don't remember this thing working so well! I guess the slow descent into death was not noticed.

Does this work on a 901?

Thank You, Terraphon, Thank You!

 

[Sun Vaporer]

So did any more tests , or video come about from the weekend?

RjG--Still working on it--Terrapon will have some more info posting very soon---Sun

 

[ApOsTle51]

I completely skipped soaking it in Coke with the 2nd atomizer that had the burnt taste. I just heated it up, dipped it in cold water, problem solved, and it hardly takes any time at all.

Maybe that's due to the fact that when the atomizer coil is quenched in the cold water it contract faster back to it's original size than the deposits can, therefore breaking the seal between deposit and coil.

 

[Terraphon]

I'm not sure of the mechanics / physics of the hot/cold thing but...When I was very young, working as a cook, we used to throw ice on our hot grills when it was time to clean them. The ice hitting the hot gill would literally RIP build up gunk off of the surface.

The same applies to skillets AND my Foreman grill so I figured I'd try it and it seems to do quite a number.

 

[jcgearhart]

I used soda water on the flatgrill to clean it at a restaurant that had a soda fountain. (25 yrs in the kitchens) You heat the grill up full blast to 500 degrees first, then pour a full pitcher over it and spread it around. That would just be carbonic acid. There is definitely something to this method of cleaning atomizers. I have been following these developments knowing you were onto something with the soda.

 

[CellWho]

Why not combine the two processes, and drop the hot atomizer into ice cold cola? Should be best of both worlds

 

[Terraphon]

hmmmm


mayhaps I'll try that.

 

[jcgearhart]

My exact thought. But the sugar could caramelize right on the element. Just plain cold seltzer water after a presoak in cola maybe.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

Terrapon--

Did the following:

I followed the procedures as follows:

1) detergent wash
2) hydrogen peroxide (heaated for 10 minutes)
3) vinegar (heated for 30 minutes)
4) Cold shock with water
5) alcohol (good wash)
6) rinse
7) Dryed
8) prime atomizer with VG
9) fired up with battery box

Was not able to get no heat with all 3.

Upon insection of the disassembled atomizer at all stages with a jewelers 10x magnification there was no change of the build up of the gunk at any stage. All contact points are still solid?????????? --Sun

 

[kinabaloo]

This is worth a try: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/2175-cleaning-atomizer-33.html post #236

Sun: try again after more dry out time and lots of priming. If still no-go, you've proved that there is a point after which an atomiser cannot be restored.

We have ways to clean but not ways to bring back from the dead

Also, it's worth pointing out that restoring an old atomiser by winding a new coil on some firewick and reassembling would not take much longer than a complex clean (RjG has done this and documented it).

I am not saying don't clean, i am saying yes clean, and clean early and often. But there will be apoint where a new one is required. In case a ban does come, don't only learn now to clean, also learn to build!