Finally!!! I have a clean atomizer...
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vape" data-source="post: 210890" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">vape said:
For the benefit of UK experimenters, Maplin have a useful looking bench top power supply on special offer (£25 off) right now: 1-20V 0-5A Slim Bench Power Supply with LCD Screen > Maplin - looks perfect for this kind of experimenting.
You know when you're addicted to vaping when you seriously consider buying one of these purely to test $5 atomizer coils. Oh no, that was another thread
I'm very tempted though.
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This 'burning off the crud' is used by a few people I think,
apparently it's actually in the instructions in some e-pipe manuals.
My problem, like surbitonPete, is the hard ash left behind.
I use the burn as a step this cleaning method:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...er-cleaned-simple-cheap-effective-method.html
(third picture down)
The H2O2 fizzes violently & seems to lift the ashed gunk
(also cleans/bleaches the left-over juice/dirt)
That burn was done with a 1200mA limited multi-voltage charger,
set at 4.5V.
Estimate 750 mA was drawn (bright cherry red),
(cos I measured 500 mA draw at the 3V setting = dull red heat),
but probably a bit less due to higher wire temp,
which would have raised the nichrome's resistance.
When say you did a Nucalgon soak, was it diluted, and also did
you rinse it out before the burn or was it acid during the heat ?
Either way that's probably a significant part of the success I would guess.
PS this current topic also has similar info
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...sion/13172-revived-dead-901-atomizer-wow.html
PPS
just now using an opened-up 510 atomizer for gunk removal testing,
it draws 850mA at 3V (I assume that's the 510's run hotter thing),
so a burn-off current would also depend on the model I guess.
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Exogenesis - I had forgotten about your post "Atomizer Cleaned ! Simple Cheap Effective Method." Great pictures! You definitely show that heat WILL get rid of the carbon. I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention to this before, but your method is the real deal.
I didn't have that much ash left over, because my atty wasn't in that bad of shape. In fact, I just blew it off with some compressed air.
Anyway, I think you've got the best plan so far.
Thanks!
I still keep meaning to go into town to get some h202 and use exo's cleaning method ....unless we can find something that really dissolves the gunk I think that is probably going to be the best cleaning method of all.
Sorry Tin Cup, I wasn't intending to imply any competition or anything else
.Really just adding some voltage/current info like you wanted.
Maybe any physical method that can get at the coil,
like your air-blast, will knock the ash off, after a burn.
Please, do Pete (89p for the bottle won't break you I hope),
would love to see if you succeed, since somehow you seem to
have the most intransigent gunked coils
Great thread, TC did you say if you deluted the Nu-Calgon? Also, what about using the ol USB power (5v amps?)?
I didn't dilute anything, but I'm getting convinced that the soaking doesn't have anything to do with it. If you look at the great post from exogenesis, he burnt off the residue without any pre-soaking.
Dunno about the USB, I never checked it out. The key is having the current limited, which it probably does. Maybe someone else can give some input...
Sorry Tin Cup, I wasn't intending to imply any competition or anything else
Really just adding some voltage/current info like you wanted.
Hey, Exo - No competition here, we're on the same team - we're both convinced that heat is the answer, not chemicals. Keep up the good work. You're getting awfully close to the answer.
TC
You have to prime the atomizer when doing this right? Wouldn't doing it dry kill it?
I got the 9volts from an old power supply that was marked 7.2 volts DC @ 400ma, but I measured the voltage at 9.67volts.
I know much has been said about this already but I would like one more. I had to requote the original post and add this:
Every power supply has an internal resistance - yes, even a battery. When you connect a load to your power source, the voltage will always go down from what it was measured at no load. The lower the resistance the load is, the greater the drop in voltage measured at the power supply will be. My NJoy NPRO atomizer has a resistance of 3.6Ω (ohms) when working properly.
TC, I would like to also know the resistance of the atomizer you tested and the voltage of the power supply when it is connected to the atomizer. Then we can properly calculate the actual Wattage consumed by the atomizer.
Power = V²÷R
The reason I suggest this method is so the internal resistance of the power supply does not affect the calculation.
The reason I ask TC for this information instead of doing it myself is because I think his power supply is right in the "sweet spot".
With this calculation, anyone can repeat his experiment.
Hi, 80063r - I wish it were that easy. It sounds like you know Ohm's Law & how power reacts in a circuit, so I'm sure you know that the resistance of the atomizer will go up when it's heated. Since the voltage drop across the atomizer will change along with the resistance, it makes it difficult to make a constant "law".
I'm away from home for the next few days, so unfortunately I can't give you the info you're asking for. I would guess that the voltage (under the 400mA load) would be around the 7.2 volts listed on the charger.
Another guess is that 4.5 volts from batteries is the right voltage, because that's what these atomizers run on. A normal cleaning cycle is about 20 seconds, so that should be about right, too.
I think we've all made this WAY too complicated. I think all we need to do is get a manual switch, and "force" a cleaning cycle. The only thing left is this: how long, and how often.
I do it daily, with the odd day out (and have been doing this for a while allready). I use a manual switch usb-passthrough (without a battery in the chord mind you) coming from either a powerpack or an AC in a wall-outlet - both are marked 5V 1A. As to how long, that depends. No longer then about 15-20 seconds at a time; but with cooling inbetween it is possible I repeat this cycle a couple of times. The deciding factor when to stop is, for me, that the coil should light up orange within a few seconds (1-2) of starting to heat - if it takes longer then that before the coil starts to glow, I know it isn't there yet and needs more heat.
Watch it though: closed atomizers like with a pen-model can be covered up by smoke above them in the pipe outwards, not showing just how quickly they are glowing - in these cases you need to blow in the pipe softly to get the smoke away while you are glowing up that coil, so you can actualy see what is happening; else you might be burning it far too long, thinking it is not glowing while it is.
I'm not saying my way is the best way, because in the end (after a few months) my atomizers do fail just like any other - just it takes longer for them to get to their funeral this way. But it might help on the way to get to the final-best-way
Katink, I'm with you 100%!
I just finished going through all 9 of my atomizers, doing exactly what you did. When I was done, I came to the forum. Although I hadn't seen your post before I cleaned the atomizers, you said almost EXACTLY what I was going to say.
With my power supply I use some aligator clips, I hook one on to the shell and then just touch the center piece with the other clip. Dirty atomizers start with a sizzling sound, which is the residue burning off. You also get some smoke, which you have to keep blowing away until it doesn't smoke any more.
I go with about 30 seconds, until the outer shell gets too hot to hold onto. Let it cool, then give it another go until it's clean.
You're right on with the 3 seconds, that's about where I'm happy. If it takes longer than that to get a good glow, I know it needs more cleaning.
Works great, no chemicals, no cost, and it doesn't do any damage to the atomizer - this is the perfect method! I think we need to go into the atomizer cleaning business - LOL!
Congratulations, this really does work great.
TC
I just finished going through all 9 of my atomizers, doing exactly what you did. When I was done, I came to the forum. Although I hadn't seen your post before I cleaned the atomizers, you said almost EXACTLY what I was going to say.
With my power supply I use some aligator clips, I hook one on to the shell and then just touch the center piece with the other clip. Dirty atomizers start with a sizzling sound, which is the residue burning off. You also get some smoke, which you have to keep blowing away until it doesn't smoke any more.
I go with about 30 seconds, until the outer shell gets too hot to hold onto. Let it cool, then give it another go until it's clean.
You're right on with the 3 seconds, that's about where I'm happy. If it takes longer than that to get a good glow, I know it needs more cleaning.
Works great, no chemicals, no cost, and it doesn't do any damage to the atomizer - this is the perfect method! I think we need to go into the atomizer cleaning business - LOL!
Congratulations, this really does work great.
TC
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Waiting for my manual passthrough to arrive to try this out!
Do you prime the atomizer before doing this or the other way around, blow it dry?
Do you prime the atomizer before doing this or the other way around, blow it dry?
I actually rinse mine off in hot water first to get rid of all the juice. Then I blow them dry with compressed air.
Although we're burning the gunk off the coil, if there's juice in other parts of atomizer it might dry out and clog it up. I think it's better to get rid of it all first.
The whole key to all of this is getting the right amount of electricity to the coil - enough to make it glow red, but not enough to fry it.
I can't comment on the pass-through, I don't have one. I hope Katink or someone else can help.
Good luck
Mmmm maybe this will sound weird but, what about using an external source of heat? maybe using one of those butane lighters with a blue flame (or something more precise), if what keeps clean the coil is the heat, then burning out the residue from the outside of it may be good for avoid the coil to snap or burn out.
Thanks for the reply. Seems a little scary to run the atomizer dry! I always keep mine wet so it doesn't fry.
Why would an atomizers fry when it's not primed but not with this method?
I haven't been doing this long enough to have all the answers, but I think it's a myth about frying atomizers from being dry. It's possible (if the battery has too much power), but I tried it on mine and it didn't do anything bad. Since the battery will shut off automatically after about 5 seconds, it doesn't have enough time to get it that hot.
Remember, this is still guess-work, so if you toast an atty, don't blame me for it!
What you are saying here does seem to make a lot of since Tin Cup. The "madog Magnum" uses 2 CR2 batteries and fresh off of the charger they read 3.7v so that is 7.4v total and he says he is still on his first atomizer after 4 months! He never cleans it or anything, just runs the higher volts. you can read about this in the "Magnum Power" sticky(modders section). I like this idea and just got myself a mod that uses 2 x CR2 batteries (the GG) and will see how long the atomizers last with only the burn clean method. I may try your idea of occasionally doing a 20-30 second burn for cleaning.
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