our take on them is simple... if you are a heavy user and want as new performance all the time you need to replace them after say 20 or so ml of liquid has gone thru them.. we say roughly every two weeks..
light users fair better.. users who dont need as new performance fair better..
we treat them as consumables just like the liquid and the carts.. but we do talk good performance not simply how long they last before failing totally.. trog
You're one of the good ones. New users need to hear that all parts are consumables ... too many Utube videos out there that hype longevity and saying how many analogs you can compare to one new PV cart ... all setting people up for disappointment.
RN4081 and DSE801.
Atomizers from wherever I found the best price (and who have
two attys in their starter kits instead of one) - 4 different U.S. hardware sellers so far, and 1st Eastmall order of back-ups for my back-ups is on the way.
Varied usage - light to can't-get-enough-straight-36mg.
All Auto batteries, and auto pass-through for penstyle is about 10% of use.
First PV ordered 5/22/09, and no dead attys so far except one RN4081 that arrived DOA, and was replaced by supplier. I tried all of the tips and tricks that I could find here, and couldn't get it going.
Juice - 5 different suppliers now and some DIY mixes, including some stupid ones that I mixed and vaped before reading up on which ingredients to avoid. Tried VG, and now strictly PG mixes ... using mostly doctored-up store-bought juice to date, but have ingredients on the way to make mumu's menthol recipe.
Usage varies from short/slow, to the can't-get-enough mentioned above (vaping until the light blinks on the battery). With a cold atty, I've gotten in the habit of taking a quick warm-up puff, and then a longer throat-hitting inhale.
Typically have 2 going, so when one gets warm, I set it aside and pick up the cooled one.
Same: "Refill cartridges when I see a decrease on vapor or sense a burnt taste". I've only dripped occasionally.
Cleaning: I've been blowing through the battery end into a tissue at the end of the day, and setting the atty up on end - cart side down. I blew canned air (one old can I'm saving to use with PVs that has no bitterant) into both ends of one that quit working, and it came back to life. Also, I've cleaned the screw-ends of all pieces with alcohol on a paper towel and cotton swabs, and wiped down the inside and outside of all of the attys about once/week ... only because I occasionally vape directly on the atty (no cart) when I'm going to change flavors, until there's almost no vapor coming out anymore. I haven't done any soaking with anything.
