General maintenance/cleaning

[Dr. Russell Fell]

So, what other ways are there to maintain/clean your ecigs? I've already read/used some methods like using alcohol and some cotton swabs to clean the connectors between the atomizer and battery, and I've yet to try the boilling/steaming/washing methods for clogged atomizers. Any others we should all practice daily/weekly/monthly?

 

[sigarett]

Hi,

After my first atomizer seemed to have given up the ghost just after one week ; no smoke with a new battery and cartridge and a burnt taste ; instead of throwing it away I did an experiment.

I put a couple of drops of lighter fuel on the mesh covering the atomizer filament and left it to drip atomizer-side down overnight onto a tissue. It seems the lighter fuel dissolved whatever was clogging the atomizer, dripped down/evaporated the rest during the night and next morning I had a working atomizer again! No foul taste from using the lighter fuel either since it seems that it didn't leave fuel residue on the mesh/filament.

Note: I DID try to burn up the lighter fuel immediately the first time before I let it drip overnight by drawing through the dummy cartridge but I don't recommend it as it tasted like I had swallowed a gallon of petrol yuck!),
but leaving it overnight to drip/dry seems to have done the trick.

I'm not recommending this to anyone (you would be doing this at your own risk) but it seems to have worked for my atomizer. Like alcohol, lighter fuel is also used as a hobby cleaner/grunge dissolver and since the fuel is volatile I had nothing to lose trying it out, since the atomizer seemed dead anyway.

P.S. Could those who use alcohol please tell us what type of alcohol you use? I mean, is it just some drinkable spirit or pure yucky tasting cleaning alcohol?

Thanks.

 

[Kate]

I use isopropyl alcohol and it rinses away fine, leaves no after taste.

 

[bribri]

Would anyone believe that NOT cleaning the atomizer (As I only drip straight onto the cart, not the atomizer) will become a health risk (Mold? fungus? something?)...

 

[tribalmasters]

I'm no expert tho I wouldn't think so, usually they just stop producing vapor so good or the draw gets pretty hard or a nasty burnt taste.

 

[sigarett]

I use isopropyl alcohol and it rinses away fine, leaves no after taste.

Kate,

When you say "it rinses away" do you mean that you just let it evaporate on its own or you do something else like really rinsing the atomiser in some other, cleaner, stuff (ex. water)?

 

[sigarett]

lol 11th post

 

[Kate]

Congrats Sig, you'll be able to start threads outside the newbie board soon.

I soak my atomisers overnight in isopropyl alcohol, give them a shake now and then and then take them out and rinse under the tap. Just rinsing with water seems to do the trick, I haven't tasted alcohol from them yet.

 

[Dr. Russell Fell]

Kate, I'll have to give that a try and report back tomorrow with the results.

 

[dc2k08]

from reading some thread awhile back, it seems a "steamer bee" works magnificently but i haven't tried it yet. guess im still brooding over my ultra-sonic jewelery cleaner ha! dont want to get hurt twice

 

[baalel]

I've been planning on using the steam-jet on my expresso machine to clean my atomizer when the time comes.

Anyone tried this yet?

 

[edisme518123]

I've been thinking about trying the same thing but I'm not sure if the pressure from the steam will snap the filament inside the atomizer...

I've been planning on using the steam-jet on my expresso machine to clean my atomizer when the time comes.

Anyone tried this yet?

 

[Dr. Russell Fell]

OK so I finished with washing out the atomizer. I set it overnight in some alcohol, then rinsed it out with some water about five or so times and then set it cart-side down overnight to dry. Started puffing on it this morning with a fresh cart, and vapor production is about the same. Not getting huge hits like I used to when it was new, but it's better than nothing.

 

[Nazareth]

Blow in the LED end and do so until small wisps of vapor come out other end- do this for abotu 4 seconds. This will 'burn off' the crud. Don't overdo this as you'll get an awful burnt taste/smell. You have to blow quite hard to get the vapor to come out. What this does is essentially act like hte 'self-cleaning' that is programmed into the battery chip- but you control the amount of 'burn' that is done doing it manually, and can avoid the burnt taste/smell, but still get the 'clenaing' that the auto-'clean' produces. I've had several atomizers that were basically useless, and was able to revive them using htis method

 

[Dr. Russell Fell]

Nice! I'll give this a shot if and when mine dies on me.

By the way, an update on my atomizer using the method previously mentioned: it's working like new pretty much. I was so impressed that I went ahead and did it to my other atomizer that was giving me problems.

Blow in the LED end and do so until small wisps of vapor come out other end- do this for abotu 4 seconds. This will 'burn off' the crud. Don't overdo this as you'll get an awful burnt taste/smell. You have to blow quite hard to get the vapor to come out. What this does is essentially act like hte 'self-cleaning' that is programmed into the battery chip- but you control the amount of 'burn' that is done doing it manually, and can avoid the burnt taste/smell, but still get the 'clenaing' that the auto-'clean' produces. I've had several atomizers that were basically useless, and was able to revive them using htis method

 

[edisme518123]

I just cleaned mine for the first time a bit earlier this evening. I was quite surprised to see how much crud was actually stuck in there.

What I did was fill a small cup with burn-your-skin-off hot water and let the atomizer sit in the water for a few seconds. I then took the atomizer out of the water and blew through the battery end. The water in the cup was littered with small black particles as was the bottom of the sink I blew the rest into. I then plugged the battery-side hole and filled the atomizer cylinder with the same water, sloshed around a bit, and then poured out. I repeated this last step several times until no more particles came out. I then blew on the battery end again into the sink... no more particles this time. I'm going to let the atomizer sit cartridge side down on a small piece of tissue overnight to drain the remaining water out. Will drip some liquid and snap in a new cartridge in the morning and see how it went.

I'm really quite surprised how quickly the atomizer got mucked up as I consider myself a very light user and have had it less than a week (Friday morning will be 7 days). I typically only use my cig 4-5 times per day at 10 or so puffs at a time. This will generally empty a cartridge without the need to top off in the meantime. I start each day with a freshly filled cartridge and a fully charged battery. (Battery left to charge overnight)

Edit: Dr. Russell Fell, I just noticed you are also from Florida. May I ask which part?

 

[edisme518123]

Ok... my atomizer's all nice and shiny and ready to go. I dripped a few drips of liquid onto the atomizer and thought I filled up a cart, went to drag and got nothing. Shook up the cart and atomizer briskly and tried again... almost nothing. 1 more try... nearly nothing and the LED starting blinking.

Ok... this scared me a little... but I found out that the way I was filling cartridges didn't work to well. (Dripping right onto the mesh in the cart). So I pulled out the mesh, filled the cart halfway with liquid, replaced the mesh, plugged it into the atomizer, and let both sit atomizer side down for about half an hour. I screw in the battery and take a few drags... vapor is still light, but much improved. A few drags later, it's back to life and the flavor is much improved. I think I'll have to break it in again to get it back where it was, but it's nice to know I didn't kill it. Will post again later today.

Edit: Won't need to post later... a few drags later and it's back to the powerhouse it was before. Me = happy.

 

[Dr. Russell Fell]

Ok... my atomizer's all nice and shiny and ready to go. I dripped a few drips of liquid onto the atomizer and thought I filled up a cart, went to drag and got nothing. Shook up the cart and atomizer briskly and tried again... almost nothing. 1 more try... nearly nothing and the LED starting blinking.

Ok... this scared me a little... but I found out that the way I was filling cartridges didn't work to well. (Dripping right onto the mesh in the cart). So I pulled out the mesh, filled the cart halfway with liquid, replaced the mesh, plugged it into the atomizer, and let both sit atomizer side down for about half an hour. I screw in the battery and take a few drags... vapor is still light, but much improved. A few drags later, it's back to life and the flavor is much improved. I think I'll have to break it in again to get it back where it was, but it's nice to know I didn't kill it. Will post again later today.

Edit: Won't need to post later... a few drags later and it's back to the powerhouse it was before. Me = happy.

Yeah, it does take some time to be broken back into, much like a NEW atomizer!

I'm in Gainesville by the way.

 

[Roxi]

Hi Kate!
How long do you dry them before you use them?

Congrats Sig, you'll be able to start threads outside the newbie board soon.

I soak my atomisers overnight in isopropyl alcohol, give them a shake now and then and then take them out and rinse under the tap. Just rinsing with water seems to do the trick, I haven't tasted alcohol from them yet.

 

[taz3cat]

I have a battery that once a att is attached it never turn off and a bottle of juice I don't much care for.

I soak my att's in achohol 99% pure and air dry them.

I put 2 or 3 drops of juice in att and attach to battery and let it heat up for a few seconds.

Breaks in the Att and I don't have to do all that puffing or I know att is dead.