My Atty Resurrection Method

[Vaporologist]

tonyorion,

I completely agree with you that every vaper should own a DMM in order to be able to check their equipment. But please understand that this thread is not about resurrecting completely dead atties. It is about bringing back those atties which have dropped down in performance. And btw, every atty, with or without an exposed bridge, will glow orange when completely dry and with appropriate voltage applied. Those of us who have successfully used this method obviously swear by it. Just curious, are you coming from a theoretical point of view or have you tried using this cleaning method?

 

[DC2]

Don't want to get into an argument over semantics, but the word resurrection implies reviving a dead atty.

Well, if we got into an argument over semantics, you would win.

It should be called Atty Restoration Method.
Or maybe the Super-Awesome Atty Cleaning Method.

 

[tonyorion]

Again, it is a question of semantics. Resurrection has the implication of bringing something back from the dead. You cannot bring back a dead atty without tearing it apart and rebuilding it.

I do disagree with you that it is always possible to see the coil (or hear it). It would be a neat trick to see a coil glow with an automatic battery. I have had friends come to me with their auto mini 510's that appear totally dead, but when I pop them on one of my vv devices like my Buzz or ProVari at a higher voltage will get some glow. I like some juices on my 901 (SR) screwdriver, and I cannot see the coil glowing on all my attys.

Appropriate voltage is the key word (your word). Some battery styles do not even deliver 3v under load. You might not get much of a glow at those voltages.

I will not disagree with HP's method, although I prefer something a little less stressful on the atty. I use an US cleaner with denture tablets to knock off as much of the gunk as possible. The chemistry of juices and flavorings tends to favor oxidation (baking soda, vinegar, oxyclean, denture cleaner, etc.) and the mechanical action of the ultra sonics (mine has a heater as well) really deep cleans the attys. A quick rinse with warm water, a quick shake, a few seconds on a battery set at a higher voltage, priming with a few drops of a straight 50/50 mix of PG/VG and I am set to go.

I do a handful at a time so my method enables me to do a bunch of attys quickly.

I have tried every cleaning method under the sun. And yes, I have rebuilt attys to learn a survival skill in the event of a ban so I have peered deep into the soul of an atty. No, I do not rebuild attys since it is such a RPITA and not worth my time; but I am not tossing my dead ones either.

It is not my intention to start an open war on cleaning methods. If the HP method makes you happy, then go for it.

 

[DC2]

I use an US cleaner with denture tablets to knock off as much of the gunk as possible. The chemistry of juices and flavorings tends to favor oxidation (baking soda, vinegar, oxyclean, denture cleaner, etc.) and the mechanical action of the ultra sonics (mine has a heater as well) really deep cleans the attys.

Back in the old days they did experiments using every cleaning substance they could think of using.
There are huge threads regarding these tests.

Dead atomizers were taken apart and subjected to cleaning trials.
The conclusions were that nothing cleans off the baked on gunk, including baking soda and vinegar.

The only substance found to even put a dent in that baked on gunk was ice machine cleaner.
I don't recall if they tried denture cleaner or oxyclean though, but I would imagine they did.

So I have to ask, have you taken apart an atomizer and verified that your cleaning method removed the gunk?

 

[tonyorion]

Ice machines have different chemistry to contend with since their big bug a boo is going to be scale deposits and the other stuff that is in water. As I remember, ice machine cleaner is phosphoric acid based-which, by the way would also work since it is an oxident. It should also be safe to use as phosphoric acid is used in food processing plants, for instance in washing chickens to remove salmonella. As an aside, did you know that the USDA will pass a chicken processing plant with 22% salmonella positive? Salmonella is a really scary little bug with a propensity to get into all kinds of places, especially your body.

You can buy ice machine cleaning products in stores. I don't know what else these products contain besides phosphoric acid; but phosphoric acid is available in small quantities from chemical supply stores.

I did do some experimentation to see what would work. It did not seem to cost effective to cut up a perfectly good atty to see what was best, so I fudged it. My background is a MS in Chem Eng with a lot of experience in instrumentation and lasers, so we only care if something works.

I had a bunch of metal discs that were knockouts from metal connecting boxes. These were galvanized steel.

OK, not an atty admidetely, but close enough. I then dropped different juices on the disks and heated them to the point where I had a gooey residue. I then dropped these disks into various cleaning solutions which included alcohols, oxidents, etc.

The best results were obtained with the denture cleaner and ultrasonics. Water is actually a better solvent than alcohol.

As far as the baking soda and vinegar are concerned, did they try the two of them TOGETHER? It would make a huge difference as far as oxidative reduction is concerned.

Again, I did a quick and dirty test which would give me something easy to duplicate. I get my denture cleaner at Dollar Tree and do not even know if it is the best, but it does work. My criteria was getting a clean disk after a 10 minute soak, or at least one which would rinse off with a hot water rinse, and no other mechanical action.




The HP method works fine since it basically duplicates the process of a self cleaning oven which reduces all of that baked on gunk to ash with high heat. It just takes too much time and attention, and, if not careful, easy to pop an atty.

 

[Chornbro]

Ice machines have different chemistry to contend with since their big bug a boo is going to be scale deposits and the other stuff that is in water. As I remember, ice machine cleaner is phosphoric acid based-which, by the way would also work since it is an oxident. It should also be safe to use as phosphoric acid is used in food processing plants, for instance in washing chickens to remove salmonella. As an aside, did you know that the USDA will pass a chicken processing plant with 22% salmonella positive? Salmonella is a really scary little bug with a propensity to get into all kinds of places, especially your body.

You can buy ice machine cleaning products in stores. I don't know what else these products contain besides phosphoric acid; but phosphoric acid is available in small quantities from chemical supply stores.

I did do some experimentation to see what would work. It did not seem to cost effective to cut up a perfectly good atty to see what was best, so I fudged it. My background is a MS in Chem Eng with a lot of experience in instrumentation and lasers, so we only care if something works.

I had a bunch of metal discs that were knockouts from metal connecting boxes. These were galvanized steel.

OK, not an atty admidetely, but close enough. I then dropped different juices on the disks and heated them to the point where I had a gooey residue. I then dropped these disks into various cleaning solutions which included alcohols, oxidents, etc.

The best results were obtained with the denture cleaner and ultrasonics. Water is actually a better solvent than alcohol.

As far as the baking soda and vinegar are concerned, did they try the two of them TOGETHER? It would make a huge difference as far as oxidative reduction is concerned.

Again, I did a quick and dirty test which would give me something easy to duplicate. I get my denture cleaner at Dollar Tree and do not even know if it is the best, but it does work. My criteria was getting a clean disk after a 10 minute soak, or at least one which would rinse off with a hot water rinse, and no other mechanical action.




The HP method works fine since it basically duplicates the process of a self cleaning oven which reduces all of that baked on gunk to ash with high heat. It just takes too much time and attention, and, if not careful, easy to pop an atty.

Take those metal disks... put them in some fire until the goo turns to ash... then rinse the ash off... and put them back in the fire to dry... bet they'll be cleaner than any chemical you used

: P

Just sayin...

RE: "taking too much time and attention" ... takes me about 1 minute to go from a gunked up atty to vaping a perfectly clean atty that's vaping like a steam engine... and I have not poped an atty using this method. Ever.

Have you actually tried this method???

 

[DC2]

OK, not an atty admidetely, but close enough. I then dropped different juices on the disks and heated them to the point where I had a gooey residue. I then dropped these disks into various cleaning solutions which included alcohols, oxidents, etc.

It would have been great if you had repeatedly baked the gunk onto the disks over the course of days or weeks.
I would really like to see what conclusions you might come to then.

I suspect that a "gooey residue" might have very different properties than baked on gunk.
But this is turning out to be very interesting, and I'm glad I asked.

 

[tonyorion]

Chronbro apparantly has forgotten how to read. I did say I tried it, and I did say the HP method works fine. If staring down a tube turns you on, then go for it.

I also asked how to show me how he would do an auto battery using the HP method.

Moreover, while there is no doubt that the coil gets plenty hot to reduce everything to ash, the rest of the atty does not. If you drip with a debridged and dewicked atty and use a 306 style with a 6 v mechanical, non regulated switch the way he does, then you should have no problems.

If you use a mini style battery with a regular atty, you might clean out the coil, but not much else. I am now vaping a MiniRoughStack with a fresh battery and a standard 510 atty with my own juice. With a fresh 18350 battery and a continuous 30 second burst, my surface pyrometer pointed down the tube only showed about a 110F.

That temperature is not even enough to vaporize PG. No doubt, I could get the atty to run a lot hotter with higher voltages, but nowhere near the 450 F that it takes to make a coil glow and burn stuff to ash. It has to do with a thing called enthalapy. Heat alone will not get everything out of the bridge and side walls of an atty.

Do not talk down to me. I will match Wonderlich's and facts with you anytime.

 

[Chornbro]

Chronbro apparantly has forgotten how to read. I did say I tried it, and I did say the HP method works fine. If staring down a tube turns you on, then go for it.

I also asked how to show me how he would do an auto battery using the HP method.

Moreover, while there is no doubt that the coil gets plenty hot to reduce everything to ash, the rest of the atty does not. If you drip with a debridged and dewicked atty and use a 306 style with a 6 v mechanical, non regulated switch the way he does, then you should have no problems.

If you use a mini style battery with a regular atty, you might clean out the coil, but not much else. I am now vaping a MiniRoughStack with a fresh battery and a standard 510 atty with my own juice. With a fresh 18350 battery and a continuous 30 second burst, my surface pyrometer pointed down the tube only showed about a 110F.

That temperature is not even enough to vaporize PG. No doubt, I could get the atty to run a lot hotter with higher voltages, but nowhere near the 450 F that it takes to make a coil glow and burn stuff to ash. It has to do with a thing called enthalapy. Heat alone will not get everything out of the bridge and side walls of an atty.

Do not talk down to me. I will match Wonderlich's and facts with you anytime.

lol... no one is talking down to you. Forgive me if I didnt read all of your 3 page response.

Just funny to me that this thread is one person's method on cleaning attys... the only feedback the OP requests are "let me know how you like my method and/or tips and tricks to perfect it"... and 50% of the responses are "hey, here's my method... pour x,y, and z chemicals down your atty, put it in your pocket, do 7 back handsprings... works like a charm!"

EDIT: RE: your mini rough stack

"3. Connect to battery...preferably something higher voltage than stock"

Im going to assume here, forgive me... but if all you have is an automatic/mini/various other small-battery PV... then I do believe this method won't work as well for you.

Also, I've never had trouble with "the bridge and side walls of an atty" getting clogged/gummed up... hot water has always been more than adequate.

 

[tonyorion]

Chronbro,

You tire me with your senseless rambling. I will only tackle one point, since more might be too much of a challenge.

How do you do the HP method with an automatic battery or minis? You finally admit that the method does not work as well for some other devices, BUT you did not come up with one positive technical contribution to help those users who do have such devices, of which there are a bunch. I guess we should be grateful for the small favor of your admission. Thank you so much!!!

I did not say say that the HP method was invalid, just not universally applicable which seemed to have sent you off to a bad place.

 

[br5495]

To do the HP method with an automatic battery, just blow in the LED end. If you want to see the glow, use a mirror.

 

[Chornbro]

Chronbro,

You tire me with your senseless rambling. I will only tackle one point, since more might be too much of a challenge.

How do you do the HP method with an automatic battery or minis? You finally admit that the method does not work as well for some other devices, BUT you did not come up with one positive technical contribution to help those users who do have such devices, of which there are a bunch. I guess we should be grateful for the small favor of your admission. Thank you so much!!!

I did not say say that the HP method was invalid, just not universally applicable which seemed to have sent you off to a bad place.

Not sure how your feelings ended up so badly hurt, but I do apologize.

Perhaps you should start your own thread to share the findings of your "little metal discs/various chemicals" experiment... and not hi-jack this one?

Be sure to spend some time at the beginning talking about yourself, your career, your education, etc... you're apparently very important and the people need to know.

Want to know why I dont post in threads about cartomizers?? Because they're not for me. I dont use them, I have 0 experience, and I dont know what I'm talking about when it comes to carts. I dont look for threads about cartomizers and puke out pages of junk about how I don't like them, attys are better, etc.

 

[DLL9MM]

Well I tried this on 2 510 attys. These attys were only 2 weeks old and they were not working 100%. One quit completly. One of them is now working great. The other is still dead.
Thanks for posting this info!

 

[Chornbro]

Well I tried this on 2 510 attys. These attys were only 2 weeks old and they were not working 100%. One quit completly. One of them is now working great. The other is still dead.
Thanks for posting this info!

Glad it worked for you! 2 weeks is a relatively short lifespan, where did you get these attys?? Might be time to consider a different vendor, my man!

 

[mcrt]

Tried it with 4 510 attys,quite a bit of smoke as the gunk burnt off.Works really well!.

 

[fairweasel2323]

Well even though I was told not to clean the attys by several members I had one getting hard to hit so I took my tank off and tried this method. Man it sure was some STINKY stuff! It hits way better now, hits like brand new again, but gave it a awful taste! It seems to be getting better letting the liquid of the tank sit upright so the liquid gets the atty wet again. Yes I just took a vape and notice the bad taste going away must of got so dry it just need to be primed back up? It is hitting better now.

 

[fairweasel2323]

Had lots of nasty smoke as it burnt the gunk off!!! I hope it gets to tasting normal again, its getting better!

 

[fairweasel2323]

noticed even on a 510 tank atty after dry burning its helpful to drop a few drops of liquid into the atty and let the PV sit so the liquid runs into the atty out of tank helps get the good taste back. The atty is definitely vaping better just has a awful taste like the smell of the nasty gunk burning off any other suggestions of why I got nasty taste after I did the dry burn?

 

[Chornbro]

noticed even on a 510 tank atty after dry burning its helpful to drop a few drops of liquid into the atty and let the PV sit so the liquid runs into the atty out of tank helps get the good taste back. The atty is definitely vaping better just has a awful taste like the smell of the nasty gunk burning off any other suggestions of why I got nasty taste after I did the dry burn?

If you're using a tank, then your wick is probably funky... I've never gotten a bad taste after cleaning an atty with this method...

 

[highping]

I have not yet tried this on a tank atty and I'm not sure how well it will work.

The problem I see is that the wick comes out the top (through a little pipe) and will never be able to be heated to a high enough temp to 'ash' the stuff in the pipe. It will however (probably) get the wick in the pipe (or just below it) hot enough to get the funky burnt taste.

In a normal atty the wick is all very close to the coil and the entire wick gets hot enough to 'ash' the gunk.

Anyone else tried this with a tanker?