Heat Activated Cleaner

[Aizen-sama]

So I've been noticing a foul taste in my atomizer recently, along with decreased vapor production. I performed the 510 Atomizer Resurrection Mod, which significantly increased the vapor production. However, the foul taste has remained.

I soaked the atty in IPA for 20 minutes and then rinsed the atomizer in boiling water. I also scraped grime and ash off the heating coil and tried to burn the ash off of it by letting it glow orange for a bit, and then rinsed it again.

Unfortunately, this did not improve the taste. I'm still getting an unpleasant burnt flavor out of the atomizer.

I'm at work, and I just cleaned our ovens with a heat activated grill cleaner. It's got the consistency of VG and it takes a layer of grease and brown crap off of the metal in the ovens just by sitting on it for a minute and being rinsed off--brown crap that would be a pain to scrub off the door with our regular cleaning products.

I've been thinking of putting a drop or two of that onto the heating coil to see if I can improve the flavor with that. Is this a terrible idea? It doesn't mention anything about inhaling the fumes being dangerous, but I wanted to check on here before I do anything stupid. Is it going to get trapped inside the atomizer somehow? Is there a better method that will improve the flavor?

I should also note that I'm vaping Tasty Vapor Blueberry Cheesecake with ~35% VG on a 5v device. Could that be contributing to the taste? I only started noticing this taste issue recently after switching to this juice.

Thanks in advance for your input and for reading this long diatribe.

 

[Sherrick]

I can't say that I know because I don't, but that sounds like a horribly bad idea.

 

[Aizen-sama]

I just thought I'd link to the MSDS to clarify exactly what the product is.

From what I figure, we use it on food contact surfaces so it can't have a particularly toxic residue. Plus, I was going to boil the atty after I cleaned with that to make sure it's all gone before I use it. Still a bad idea?

 

[bobtow]

Is rinsing off the grill after the clean recommended by the producer? Should check on the product label. Then again you are not actually cleaning a coil, Just the grill.

 

[ejoker]

for the cost of a new one i wouldn't take the chance.

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

Not recommended... jeezealou!! If you won't put it in your mouth, please don't put it in an atomizer!! There is no way to guarantee all the chemical is out of the metal mesh under the pot on these.

Try this first http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/greatlakesvapor/51677-510-burn-harsh-taste-please-read.html

Some of the 510 attys have been reported to take on a burned chemical taste that can't be cleaned out. It could be this issue
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...al-issues/66080-burnt-taste-all-my-attys.html

A new atty is cheap... it just isn't worth it to experiment.

Vape safely!

 

[Idaho Ron]

Has anyone tried a sonic jewelry cleaner. Think I saw that somewhere.

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

Sonic cleaner has been tried. Doesn't work.

What works best for most models is PGA or boiling in water. Crest Pro Health mouthwash (heated) seems to help some. I can get EverClear here, so use it.

Other do a dry burn, but IMHO you're asking for a problem where the 510 (at least) has a small plastic piece that controls air flow and it melts shut giving you a hard draw if you over heat the atty. Not something I'm willing to do.

Less is more when cleaning, and I find that a PGA soak does quite nicely. I've never lost a 510 atty by doing that method. Some of mine are 6-7 months old and run great.

 

[Yankee802]

Do NOT, repeat NOT ever put a chemical on your atty that you would not intentionally breath in or drip on your tounge!!

You want to fix that thing? Go here and fix it. It works, it tells you how to cook off that crap in 5 mins.

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

What Hellen said.

Accept the fact that attys are delicate flowers. Keeping them moist and blowing out the gunk will extend their life a bit, but after a couple weeks they need to be given a proper burial.

Spend five to ten bucks for a new one ... and realize that it's a heck of a lot cheaper than analog smoking.

 

[Rocketman]

What Hellen said.

Accept the fact that attys are delicate flowers. Keeping them moist and blowing out the gunk will extend their life a bit, but after a couple weeks they need to be given a proper burial.

Spend five to ten bucks for a new one ... and realize that it's a heck of a lot cheaper than analog smoking.

NO NO NO.
Don't bury your dead atty.
It is a tool, a spare part, there IS life after death, at least for dead e-cig parts (from a modder's point of view).
But Don is right, don't stress for hours over how to revive an atty.
The stress just might drive you to drink, or smoking.
Take some of the money you are saving, and buy a NEW atty.
Bag and Tag the dead parts.

Rocket

 

[Aizen-sama]

I actually had already ordered new atties before posting this thread, and they should be here either tomorrow or the next day. I posted this because I just didn't want to throw this atomizer out, it still produced clouds of vapor. Horrible tasting vapor, granted, but clouds nonetheless.

I do appreciate all of the replies, and I wanted to write back on the results of this little experiment of mine.

I read the MSDS, which unambiguously states that the chemical is not dangerous by inhalation or ingestion. It turns out that the grill cleaning solution only has two ingredients, both of which are food safe and are actually ingredients in food. One of them is VG, which should require no introduction on this forum. The other is potassium carbonate, which was used as a leavening agent in bread before the discovery of baking powder and is also currently used to produce an asian food called grass jelly.

After determining that the cleaner was safe to use/ingest, I applied one drop to the heating coil of the atomizer. I fired the atomizer until it stopped producing vapor, added another drop, fired it again, and then proceeded to use this method to clean the atomizer out before using it.

Upon visual inspection, the heating coil of the atomizer, which had been solidly black, was completely clean. I added a few drops of eliquid to it, fired the atty, and took a sniff. It smelled alright, so I took a puff into my mouth and discovered that...

The horrible taste is gone. Not only that, it still produces clouds of vapor.

Looks like those spare atties will be sitting in a drawer for a while.

 

[Yankee802]

Glad it worked for you! What was the name/source of the cleaner you used? I mean, if it's only VG and Baking Soda, should be good to go.

Edit: Oh hell, might as well just make our own. Would be nce to know what ratio though.

 

[Aizen-sama]

What was the name/source of the cleaner you used?

It's Sizzle Plus by Kay Chemicals. We get ours from our distribution center, but I'm pretty sure you'd be able to find it online if you want it. It's going to be expensive though, I can guarantee you that.

 

[sjohnson]

Sonic cleaner has been tried. Doesn't work.
...

Ultrasonic cleaning, coupled with the dry burn works a treat here.

With many 510 atomizers you can see about 1/3 of the wick and coil. 7+ months ago, several of my atomizers that still look and vape like new WERE new. What can be seen is clean, gray coil and nearly perfectly white wick.

Regular cleaning with ultrasound/dry burn gives them a fresh, clean taste, keeps the "burnt" accumulation from the coil, and maintains the same vapor production as the day I bought them.

What someone else apparently found didn't work works wonderfully here, without chemicals and with little personal time involved.

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

When you first said you were thinking about a heat activated cleaner... the standard caustic oven/grill cleaners are what everyone thinks you are talking about.

We have to remember to be specific, and cautious with our posts and suggestions, as someone new here could think that EasyOff oven cleaner would be just dandy to clean attys with (NOT!).

One thing to remember when searching for cleaning solutions is that what is okay to eat isn't necessarily okay to put in your lungs. The metal mesh material that encases the atomizer coil/pot can hold on to chemicals and we need to be sure that it is being totally removed with water after a cleaning.

While this product sounds promising, perhaps you can call the company to make sure that there isn't anything else to be concerned with and be upfront with your use, methods and final cleaning to see what they say. Also, proprietary ingredients aren't always fully listed on the sheets so you'll need to ask them if there are other ingredients (they probably won't be specific with you). Safer to check it out. Other than that, it seems that it could be a really good find, although cost prohibitive. I'd rather buy a new atty!

I hope you'll update this thread Aizen?

 

[Aizen-sama]

The metal mesh material that encases the atomizer coil/pot can hold on to chemicals and we need to be sure that it is being totally removed with water after a cleaning.

Are you referring to the metal mesh and fiberglass in the bridge? Or is there more mesh and fiberglass underneath the actual heating coil/pot? I ask because I took the bridge out of the atomizer when vapor production started to cut out despite regular cleaning.

While this product sounds promising, perhaps you can call the company to make sure that there isn't anything else to be concerned with and be upfront with your use, methods and final cleaning to see what they say. Also, proprietary ingredients aren't always fully listed on the sheets so you'll need to ask them if there are other ingredients (they probably won't be specific with you).

It was my understanding that OSHA requires an MSDS to list any ingredients that could present a hazard to people using the chemicals, so I doubt that there is anything else in here that could prove hazardous when exposed to heat since that is the intended use of the chemical.

I can certainly shoot Ecolab/Kay an email to ask them about this specific application. If I do I will definitely post their response here.

One thing to remember when searching for cleaning solutions is that what is okay to eat isn't necessarily okay to put in your lungs.

A fair point. According to the MSDS, though, inhalation doesn't pose a hazard. They recommend moving to fresh air in the event of exposure.

Other than that, it seems that it could be a really good find, although cost prohibitive. I'd rather buy a new atty!

If there was enough demand, I might consider getting a bottle from our supplier and selling 10mL bottles in the classifieds section. Considering that it worked for me with just two drops 10mL could last for a LONG time.

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

Are you referring to the metal mesh and fiberglass in the bridge? Or is there more mesh and fiberglass underneath the actual heating coil/pot? I ask because I took the bridge out of the atomizer when vapor production started to cut out despite regular cleaning.

I'm talking about all the metal mesh in a 510. Here is a terrific thread that has some of the best photos of one that is taken apart
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modders-forum/48467-510-atty-disassembly.html As you can see, there is a bunch more metal mesh than you think in these little things (see the back view picture), and liquids can get easily trapped in there. The ceramic "pot" actually has holes to allow liquid to vaporize from underneath it, which is held in mesh.

Worry is that the mesh is designed to hold a viscous liquid in there and your cleaner is made with a thicker VG as a carrier.

Yeah, the bridge and wicking material under it (which causes the bad taste usually) can be removed and made into a dripping machine. You can ruin an atty that way too (watched a buddy destroy one that had just been bought new off of a Supplier's table... was in his hands for 1 minute pulled off the bridge and the entire atty guts... oops - dead, LOL). When it is nasty, it is a great option if you drip anyway or don't have a back up.

It was my understanding that OSHA requires an MSDS is required to list any ingredients that could present a hazard to people using the chemicals, so I doubt that there is anything else in here that could prove hazardous when exposed to heat since that is the intended use of the chemical.

Well, that is if you have what they deem 'normal' usage I think.

I read at the very bottom of the sheet where it said that the specific chemical identity of this product is being withheld as a proprietary trade secret. So, what does that mean? http://www.concessionstands.com/site/pdf_cutsheets/2592.pdf

I think it is wise to make sure we know exactly what is in it and need to figure out if it is all getting out of an atomizer before using it.

I can certainly shoot Ecolab/Kay an email to ask them about this specific application. If I do I will definitely post their response here.

This could be a great product for cleaning. We really should know as much as possible about it. Caution never hurts.

A fair point. According to the MSDS, though, inhalation doesn't pose a hazard. They recommend moving to fresh air in the event of exposure.

Inhalation with recommended usage... which this is not. Regardless, if someone were to use this regularly, I'd like to think we have enough info. to say it is definitely ok. Also I'd like to know if any other chemical can cause a reaction (they don't recommend using anything else with it). Again, big thing is that it will totally leave the metal mesh I'd think.

Just know I'm not picking on you or your find... just trying to help keep all my vaping buds at ECF safe. Some people have posted some real hair brained things for cleaning and mods of cartridge filler over the last year.

If this works out to be THE holy grail of cleaning, I'll be a cheer leader for ya!

Thanks Aizen. Looking forward to what you find out.

 

[sanfordf]

This is the stuff : Gold Medal Sizzle Plus Heat 2592

I have heard that this also might work (it costs less) : Heat 'N Kleen Kettle Cleaner, 31-oz. Jar 2095

I personally just rinse with water and blow them out once in a while, never over use any one atty (I have 17 in rotational use each with it's own cart/flavor) and keep them moist.