Gunky Coil Trick

[Hannypoo]

I like to get as much life out of my tank's replacement coils as possible before rebuilding them, so I always open them up, clean the coil and rewick it with some organic Japanese cotton. The best way I've found to remove the gunky build-up is with my Oral-B Vitality electric toothbrush. (I have a brush head that I use exclusively for coils.) It gets everything clean without damaging the wire at all. Just wanted to pass this little trick on to anyone who has an electric toothbrush in the house.

 

[Katmar]

Hi Hannypoo, what a great idea. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Jethead]

ultrasonic jewlrey cleaners with distilled water in them work well too....heated water works better...

great idea Hannah

 

[NancyR]

ultrasonic jewlrey cleaners with distilled water in them work well too....heated water works better...

great idea Hannah

vodka works even better

 

[Alien Traveler]

Dry burn (without wicks of course). I do not need anything else, it removes contaminants perfectly. It's easiest thing. I use the same trick at work with parts of my equipment which need near-perfect cleanness (parts made from molybdenum or platinum).

 

[Cheechako]

I wil have to give this a try...Thanks!

 

[Cloudmann]

Ditto to the ultrasonic cleaner and vodka. I have a little $10 cleaner that's perfect for this and I actually use some cheap everclear... more alcohol, less other flavoring. Keeps the Kanger OCC heads (including the wicks) cleaner, longer. Approximately 2.5 times the coil life as before. After that, the wick is shot and honestly, the coil resistance has probably increased a bit at this point with the repeated use. Just be sure to rinse the coils out WELL after the cleaning to get rid of any leftover chunks of coil gunk.

 

[Ou2mame]

I just make the coil red hot, and then put it under running water, and repeat. Do it 5 or 6 times and its shiny again.

 

[Liolin]

This post motivates me to floss my coils. XD

 

[Fuzzy Bruce]

Using vodka for cleaning coils is alcohol abuse!

 

[NancyR]

Using vodka for cleaning coils is alcohol abuse!

not the cheap stuff it isn't, as what I use to clean stuff with is not what I would ever drink

 

[Winchester]

I dry burn them and use little wire brush to clean off the real nasty stuff. What a waste of good Vodka! Holy Cow!

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Glad their is a second brushhead involved...

 

[Hannypoo]

So with dry burning, does it make the coils weaken any quicker? Not knowing is the reason I've been manually cleaning them. About how long do they need to be fired?

 

[AlB53]

I use those go-betweens tooth brushes, just the right size for my coils. Plus they remove up to 25% more plaque!

 

[Ou2mame]

So with dry burning, does it make the coils weaken any quicker? Not knowing is the reason I've been manually cleaning them. About how long do they need to be fired?

I haven't noticed any issues with heat. I make it red for a second and while it's still red (but not powered) I let it barely touch the running water. And then repeat til it's shiny. Takes a few doses.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

vodka works even better

And PGA better still.