Maintenance that works

[Jfweeench]

Let me start by saying that I've been vaping a little over three months and expected to replace parts regularly. However, this is not the case. I used reason and decided to take bits from different maintenance guides. Since day one I've lost two batteries due to newbie mistakes, but my atomizers are still going strong as ever.


Atomizer Maintenance:
-Do NOT let your atomizer go dry. Do not drain them overnight. Do not forget to wet your atomizer after a vape session. Just don't. If you try to vape on a dry atomizer, the atomizer can fail. Keep it wet.
-If vapor production has dropped off significantly and all troubleshooting has failed, boil your atomizer. Blow the liquid out of your atomizer by placing your mouth on the battery end. Place your atomizer in water and slowly bring it to a boil while stirring. After ~1 min at a heavy boil, remove your atomizer from the water... without burning yourself. Let your atomizer cool, then blow the water out in the same manner as before. Make sure your atomizer is clear of water, internally and externally, then prime it with several drops of e-liquid.
This has brought my atomizers back to life several times. It works great for removing impurities within the atomizer.


Battery Maintenance:
-Follow the user manual that came with your kit. I know, I know... most men (including myself) don't read those things. Some of you may be shocked to hear that a user manual exists. It does. The user manual will typically include the specifics for charging your battery, as they are all different.
-Clean the contacts on the battery and atomizer! I use a Q-tip to clean both at least once a day... they get nasty.


General Tips:
- *VERY IMPORTANT* The reason many companies advise against dripping is that the liquid can fall through the atomizer and into the battery casing. Automatic batteries are deeply affected by this as it can prevent the switch within the battery casing from functioning properly. If you drip directly on the atomizer, do so in an intelligent manner. Make sure liquid is not falling into the battery by checking the battery and atomizer contacts.
-Do not drop your electronic cigarette.
-Your electronic cigarette is not waterproof.
-Be respectful of those around you. Even if your e-cig is pink, has a blue light, and is shaped like a cell phone, the vapor is easily perceived as smoke. If it looks like smoke it gets the same stigma as smoke.




Hopefully someone will benefit from this information! As I typed this I happily vaped on my 901 that performs like new after 3 months of heavy use.
If any of this post is inaccurate please explain why and I will happily edit.

 

[Kent C]

Thanks for the info. On batteries check this:

Charging lithium-ion batteries

...What you say is true for nicads but not li ions.

And for more info back up the whole site.

 

[surbitonPete]

Actually the nichrome wire is extremely resistant to oxidization that's why it is perfect for toaster elements. Keeping it wet isn't all that important.
My advice for atomizers is that if the above advice works for you then that's perfect ......but if it doesn't ....then do a daily dry burn from brand new, that has been the only advice I have had that has made my atties last for well over two weeks and vaping like brand new all the time.

 

[Jfweeench]

thanks Kent. good to know, i no longer will wait for fear of battery memory lol. edited.
thanks pete, wasn't aware of that one! edited... lol same idea but different reasoning.

Dry burns are known to kill atomizers simply because the fine heating element can't take it. Not recommended at all. I wish I could remember who posted it... he gave instructions on a worst case scenario dry burn, but noted not to unless you were willing to risk the coil snapping.

 

[surbitonPete]

thanks Kent. good to know, i no longer will wait for fear of battery memory lol. edited.
thanks pete, wasn't aware of that one! edited... lol same idea but different reasoning.

I rarely do a dry burn. Dry burns are known to kill atomizers, simply because the fine heating element can't take it.

I don't know why but 'none' of the advice anyone gave me made me have an atomizer last for more than two weeks. The dry burn method has been the only one that works for me. ......I can only think it must be something to do with the way some of us vape but at least the dry burn method does work for people like me, who do not have any luck with atomizers. The dry burn will often kill atomizers if the gunk has been allowed to build up but if it's done daily from new then it doesn't seem to kill them.

 

[Fnlit]

Seems like a good thread to ask my newbie question.

Wondering how long typically should I wait before tossing the atomizer in the trash? Are most people replacing monthly, weekly?

Only been vaping for a couple of weeks, and I'm sooooo close to quitting analogs. Just needing a few helpful people to turn me into a pro.

Thanks for reading.

*Currently using a 510/Titan*

 

[surbitonPete]

Seems like a good thread to ask my newbie question.

Wondering how long typically should I wait before tossing the atomizer in the trash? Are most people replacing monthly, weekly?

Only been vaping for a couple of weeks, and I'm sooooo close to quitting analogs. Just needing a few helpful people to turn me into a pro.

Thanks for reading.

*Currently using a 510/Titan*

My view is that as long as I get at least two weeks out of an atomizer then I have had my moneys worth but other than that ....just keep using until it no longer works

 

[Kent C]

thanks Kent. good to know, i no longer will wait for fear of battery memory lol. edited.

Welcome. Too bad because that 8 hour advice is in every manual that I've received with a kit, so it continues to perpetuate.

I soak my attys in 151 everclear or vodka - KreeL routine - 2 hours, blow them out, dry them and then I put some PG on the atty bridge put in a ziplock. No failures in 7 weeks. 4 weeks ago I kept one atty out of that cycle for experiment, and a few days ago it is weakly performing, but not dead. Haven't done anything special to it yet but keeping it wet in a ziplock.

 

[Fnlit]

Sounds like you can get them bone dry, but they need to be moist for awhile before safely using them again.

Would this be a correct assumption?

 

[Jfweeench]

Sounds like you can get them bone dry, but they need to be moist for awhile before safely using them again.

Would this be a correct assumption?

Semi-right? That depends on how you're getting it to the point of bone dry.
Do not vape it to that point. When the heating element is in use, it needs to be moist.

The information from another member made me aware that the atomizer is resistant to oxidation. So based on that... you could store it dry. I'm weird though, so I won't. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Jfweeench]

Seems like a good thread to ask my newbie question.

Wondering how long typically should I wait before tossing the atomizer in the trash? Are most people replacing monthly, weekly?

Only been vaping for a couple of weeks, and I'm sooooo close to quitting analogs. Just needing a few helpful people to turn me into a pro.

Thanks for reading.

*Currently using a 510/Titan*

A guy I came across in the forums said he actually used a new atomizer weekly. He just preferred the vapor production from the first week of use, and he logically argued that he's still saving money over cigarettes. To each his own.

Personally... I still use atomizers from when I started vaping a few months back. My atomizers perform like they're newly broken-in, so why not?

 

[Jfweeench]

I don't know why but 'none' of the advice anyone gave me made me have an atomizer last for more than two weeks. The dry burn method has been the only one that works for me. ......I can only think it must be something to do with the way some of us vape but at least the dry burn method does work for people like me, who do not have any luck with atomizers. The dry burn will often kill atomizers if the gunk has been allowed to build up but if it's done daily from new then it doesn't seem to kill them.

I think that a dry burn ruins atomizers because there is no heat dispersion. The heating element would get a good deal hotter without liquid. If I'm wrong, call me out on it so I can get the information straight.

Nothing comes to mind that would justify a daily dry burn! While yes a dry burn will destroy anything on it, doing so risks your atomizer. I mean, this should be a last resort IMO.

 

[chad]

A guy I came across in the forums said he actually used a new atomizer weekly. He just preferred the vapor production from the first week of use, and he logically argued that he's still saving money over cigarettes. To each his own.

Personally... I still use atomizers from when I started vaping a few months back. My atomizers perform like they're newly broken-in, so why not?

Well, if you got money to burn (so to speak) I guess that's ok. Personally, I run mine until the quit and that's not too often. I do most of what you originally suggested with respect to attys.

 

[surbitonPete]

I think that a dry burn ruins atomizers because there is no heat dispersion. The heating element would get a good deal hotter without liquid. If I'm wrong, call me out on it so I can get the information straight.

Nothing comes to mind that would justify a daily dry burn! While yes a dry burn will destroy anything on it, doing so risks your atomizer. I mean, this should be a last resort IMO.

Well after taking apart 'many' failed atties.. I have found that the crud builds up on the coil 'very' quickly and within a few days there is enough crud to form a thick insulation jacket around the coil and if you 'do' try to do a dry burn at that point, then you are far more likely to burn the coil out than to see a red glow from it. I had originaly thought the dry burn was a useless idea because that's exactly what happened when I did try to dry burn a poor performing coil.......then someone suggested that it should be done daily from brand new to prevent the crud build up in the first place and since I have started to use that method to clean my atties I have had no problems at all with loss of performance from atties and even had one last for over forty days. I am finally happy and not spending a fortune on atties.

Some people have atties lasting months with no maintenance at all or by various other cleaning methods...I can only say that wasn't my experience and I tried every other suggested method with no luck at all and this is the only method that has worked for me.

Read this thread ...http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/experiments-equipment/15794-getting-annoyed-effective-method-prolonging-atomisers.html?highlight=annoyed

 

[Jfweeench]

Well after taking apart 'many' failed atties.. I have found that the crud builds up on the coil 'very' quickly and within a few days there is enough crud to form a thick insulation jacket around the coil and if you 'do' try to do a dry burn at that point, then you are far more likely to burn the coil out than to see a red glow from it. I had originaly thought the dry burn was a useless idea because that's exactly what happened when I did try to dry burn a poor performing coil.......then someone suggested that it should be done daily from brand new to prevent the crud build up in the first place and since I have started to use that method to clean my atties I have had no problems at all with loss of performance from atties and even had one last for over forty days. I am finally happy and not spending a fortune on atties.

Some people have atties lasting months with no maintenance at all or by various other cleaning methods...I can only say that wasn't my experience and I tried every other suggested method with no luck at all and this is the only method that has worked for me.

Read this thread ...http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...d-prolonging-atomisers.html?highlight=annoyed

Pretty interesting stuff... I plan to try that out when mine dies. I'm sorry to be so hard to appease lol! I'm not being stubborn, but I sell e-cigs and the most common death of atomizers is dry vaping. And, of course, I won't recommend it until I try it

The reasoning behind the method is solid. I will absolutely look into this... I've done very few dry burns, and they were because I was on the go and my menthol was tasting funky.

Thanks for the information Pete! Keep me updated on how well this works for you.

 

[surbitonPete]

Pretty interesting stuff... I plan to try that out when mine dies. I'm sorry to be so hard to appease lol! I'm not being stubborn, but I sell e-cigs and the most common death of atomizers is dry vaping. And, of course, I won't recommend it until I try it

The reasoning behind the method is solid. I will absolutely look into this... I've done very few dry burns, and they were because I was on the go and my menthol was tasting funky.

Thanks for the information Pete! Keep me updated on how well this works for you.

Well the 'keep it wet' advice had always seemed the most logical to me and it was why I was very reluctant to even bother to try the dry burn method of cleaning. But I would have saved myself a lot of money and all the messing about with all of the different soak it in this, blow it out, soak it in that, methods of resurrecting a poor performing atty if I had tried it in the first place.

 

[SirRealism]

I suppose this is the place to ask this:
I've been vaping for a little less than two weeks, but I've already had two batteries die on me. The first one I figured was a defective unit, but with the second I have to assume I'm doing something seriously wrong. The first one never turns off, ever. If it has power its running. The second seems to be heading this way, staying on longer and longer after the button is pushed and self-activating frequently. I've heard this can happen if you drip with an automatic battery, but I'm using manuals. Can someone help me out?

 

[Kent C]

I suppose this is the place to ask this:
I've been vaping for a little less than two weeks, but I've already had two batteries die on me. The first one I figured was a defective unit, but with the second I have to assume I'm doing something seriously wrong. The first one never turns off, ever. If it has power its running. The second seems to be heading this way, staying on longer and longer after the button is pushed and self-activating frequently. I've heard this can happen if you drip with an automatic battery, but I'm using manuals. Can someone help me out?

Which model? How much are you dripping? Do the batteries have holes in the center of the well or is there a round metal piece in the center? Did you get juice on the battery casing? Are you using a PTB mod?

 

[SirRealism]

Dragon M401.
About three drops at a time, five or six times a day.
They have holes.
What do you mean by casing? There has been juice on the outside of the battery a couple times, but I cleaned it off with a dry paper towel.
I don't know what a PTB mod is, so probably not.

 

[Kent C]

Dragon M401.
About three drops at a time, five or six times a day.
They have holes.
What do you mean by casing? There has been juice on the outside of the battery a couple times, but I cleaned it off with a dry paper towel.
I don't know what a PTB mod is, so probably not.

I think they just made the M series into manuals. And they may have just added the switch without sealing the battery. Some 510 manual models were like that. The hole - in the 510 battery at least could be covered with wax or similar substance to prevent the shorting out of the switch when dripping. If the hole is like the 510 it is right in the center of the battery well (past the threads) and you might visit the M series forum to see if anyone else has filled that up and with what etc. It is very likely what happened.

Although I know that some with autos drip all the time, that is still a liability in that it is liable to happen and I have killed off two 510 autos because I was in the habit of dripping a few drops when topping off the cart.

Yes, by casing I meant exactly what you described where you had juice on the outside of the battery. I was thinking that even if the battery is sealed the only other 'entrance' is the switch and if you had juice on the outside of the batt - we all get it from time to time ;-) that perhaps some juice found it's way inside via the switch and shorted it out.

I'm just going over the possible ways that could happen so you know.

The PTB is the Pyramid tea bag that some use instead of the normal filler in the cartridge. Some PTB mods are notorious for leakage, so that even if you're battery might be sealed that juice could get on the outside of the ecig and make its way to the switch... same scenario, just a different source.

Hope that helps... for the future and I'd look into sealing any holes in batteries you might get. Eventually the 510's were modified to cover the hole with a small metal disc.