I cleaned and partially revived my atomizer with

[robw]

Hydrogen peroxide.
I had a 510 that was getting weak, so I gave it a little swish in some hydrogen peroxide and then flushed water through. At first it seemed worse. Then a few hours later I tried it again and it worked better than before I cleaned it. No where near brand new, but a bit better so you have something to use in a fix.

 

[breakfastchef]

It seems that we all need to adopt preventative measures to delay our atomizers from their eventual demise. Most manufacturers, with a soul, would recommend that we turn our atomizers upside down each evening on an abosrbant material to drain any unused jucies. When your atomizer is failing, more agressive cleaning measures often discussed on this forum mau be necessary. In the end, the atomizer seems to be the weakest link in our devices. Daily routine inversions may turn out to be more useful than insane cleaning theories.

 

[exogenesis]

If you've got an sensitive electromagnetic battery,
try blowing on the led end to activate it while a small amount of H2O2
is on the coil, to heat it up & make it fizz.
(or if manual battery, even better control)

It will probably do more than 'a bit better', depending on how gunked
it was in the first place.

The more gunked the more the difference between a cold soak &
a fizzy boil-in-place.

 

[DigitalSmker]

How often should you clean an atomizer or if at all??

 

[kinabaloo]

Good advice from Exo there. Simple methods work well when the atomizer is a little ill but not well when nearly dead.

A rinse in warm water will help remove dried deposits from the metal wicking to aid juice flow.

Vinegar or lemon juice or peroxide can all be used as routine cleaning, perhaps weekly; pehaps more often. Alternating the peroxide and the other two would be ideal.

Other good advice is to remove battery when carrying and overnight stand atty on end to drain.

breakfastchef: "Daily routine inversions may turn out to be more useful than insane cleaning theories." This cannot be the case. Juices leave dry deposits that will clog up the atty. That is certain. Draining is useful but not all will drain out, some will dry or have already dried while in use. Draining will certainly do nothing for the hardened gunk on the coil.