How to tell when a clearomizer has gone bad? (Wick/Coil)

[Shapermc]

New here to posting, but have been lurking a while.

I jumped from Electro to Blu over the past couple years and a month ago decided i was tired of those brands and the quality (and couldn't fully kick analogs) and picked up an eGo-c starter kit, some liquids, some clearomizers, and got running. I've picked up a few other liquids, and eGo-c Twist and some other brands of clearomizers.

The QUESTION: After a short amount of time the first clearomizer I picked up (which I don't know the brand of) didn't have the same strong taste it started with. So I decided to pick a different brand and bought a couple V3 Vision Clearomizers and they were great (though for some reason the didn't work on one of my eGo-c batteries) ... for a little while.

They lost their flavor pretty quickly too, I took them apart to clean them and it looks like the wick is burnt around the coil area... I'm assuming this means they died

Will this happen no matter what? Was there something that I could have done to make this happen? (I tried to do my damnedest to make sure that I never used them dry) Do wicks/coils only have a very very short life span (about 4 days)?

Thanks in advance for any answers or advice. I'm going to place an order for a Vivi Nova and Mini Nova and see is they help as I've heard much better reviews of them, but does anyone have any recommendations for those too?

 

[CayCay]

I have vivi's and I just took one apart to clean it after watching PBusardo's youtube review on how to clean and rebuild the vivi nova (very helpful btw). I took this one apart because it started to taste a little burnt and sure enough the wick was browned near the coil. That one head lasted one week of heavy vaping. So I screwed in a new head and it was working like new again. So knowing that these could go quick I placed an order for the vivi nova set that comes with 2 extra heads plus a few more heads. Madvapes has good prices and my order was shipped out less than an hour later.

A PBusardo Tutorial - Vivi Nova Cleaning & Rebuilding - YouTube

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

If the clearos have a knurl on the base to can take them apart, wash in hot water and dry burn. The "gunk" that you're seeing is mostly on the coil and it must be dry burned off. Some say not to dry burn and other, such as myself, use the dry burn method.

 

[Shapermc]

Just to be a sure as possible, can you define what I should do to dry burn this?

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Although this vid shows the older non rebuildable Stardust look at 1:42 for dry burn. Wash head. Attach clearo without tank to battery. Power on for 4-5 secs and turn off and wait 10 secs. Power on for 4-5 secs and off. Do this a few times and then rewash the head. Gently dry with tissue wicks and base and dry burn for 4-5 secs- put back together and fill with juice. Rotate tank so wicks are fully saturated. Vape.
Be VERY CAREFUL about NOT dry burning for long intervals as this will burn out the coil.

Just to be a sure as possible, can you define what I should do to dry burn this?

 

[Shapermc]

So, I admit to being skeptical about this when you mentioned it. I just did the method suggested, and while it's not back to brand new flavor, it's a huge improvement from before I did this! Best it's been in a week for sure. I assume that it's ok that the wick itself is burnt? I can see that just by looking at it.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

So, I admit to being skeptical about this when you mentioned it.

I've been dry burning clearos for 5? months with success.

I just did the method suggested, and while it's not back to brand new flavor, it's a huge improvement from before I did this! Best it's been in a week for sure. I assume that it's ok that the wick itself is burnt? I can see that just by looking at it.

As stated earlier the wick is not burnt- Silica wicks do not burn. That's juice gunk staining it. If you're using dark juices you'll have to maintain them more often. With my dark juices/ heads I soak them once per week overnight in PGA. It's ok to dry burn but understand it places stress on the coil so I believe in washing and soaking rather than dry burning all the time.

 

[Shapermc]

Thanks! I really appreciate the help. I now need to buy PGA and some needlenose tweezers for my other clearomizer. And I do love my dark juices, even the lighter ones that I have are darker than some of the samples I've tried.

Looks like I have another process to the ritual!

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

So your clearos aren't rebuildable? Better to save your $$ and buy a Mini Vivi Nova for $9- comes with 3 heads although the 2.8 ohms is meant for higher voltage. Comers apart completely and changing heads takes 10 secs. My heads lasting 4+ weeks.

Thanks! I really appreciate the help. I now need to buy PGA and some needlenose tweezers for my other clearomizer. And I do love my dark juices, even the lighter ones that I have are darker than some of the samples I've tried.

Looks like I have another process to the ritual!

 

[tygertyger]

I learned to clean and dry burn my eGo-W cartos from a Youtube video. They are a little bit delicate but I've had the one apart and back together three times now so far, and it still doesn't leak. This is the video I learned from: how to clean eGo-W.mp4 - YouTube

 

[AbominableVap3Man]

When the wick/coil stain and start giving a bad taste is it too far gone? I use Torpedo Clearomisers