My Atty Resurrection Method

[Gas]

Unless I am looking wrong, my atty bridges are never white or black, but a silver color like the fine wire mesh found as the outer ground casing on some insulated wire.

New or old, they all look silver to me. I cannot see any difference. Must be looking at the wrong thing?

Yes, you're looking at the bridge but the white, black is referred to the fibres below the bridge. You can see some and they are commonly called wick, but the fibres that really get dryburned are the ones where the resistance is wrapped around and you won't ever be able to see them unless you remove the whole bridge.
The wick fibres can get dark aswell and their function is to transfer the liquid from the bridge to the resistance so if someone decides to remove them must be aware that by doing that he/she won't be able to use cartridges anymore.

 

[pipskicks]

Yes, the method is exact. I have my own and it's slightly different. I'm also giving an explanation of what's happening during the process

The method should be used just when the atomizer is not performing so well or when you can feel that damn bad taste even after washing it.
Ok so let's also have some atomizer basics. The resistance is wrapped around some fibreglass which, when the atty is new, appears white and has either the function to hold e-juice on the resistance and to cool it down. After just few milliliters of vaped juice these liquid getting heated get burned and clolour the fibres in black or dark colour. Most people think the fibres are burned but they are wrong. Is the liquid that is burned, since the fibres should melt at around 2000 °C, temperature not reachable by the resistance which usually runs at 500/600°C. I even tried burning the fibres whith a lighter.. They don't! They get black just because of the gas coming form the flame.
So! Let's get into business.
I'll take a 510 model for the explanation but can be done with every atomizer.
1 Remove cartridge or drip tip, and take out the excess liquid by blowing on the side where you'd attach the cartridge until no more comes out.
2 Put the atomizer under hot water for a minute ( water must flow directly on the bridge side), then you let the atomizer chamber fill with water and quickly blow from that side letting water come out from the battery side at a higher pressure. This will clear the bridge too. Blow on a paper again like step 1 until water stops coming out.
3 Connect the atomizer to your battery, and possibly charged at its maximum.
4 ( Don't insert cartridge or drip tip yet)Now put your mouth on the atomizer again, press the activation button and blow like step 2 for 10 seconds. do this 5 times. This because there might be some resiues of water, you should see them coming out from the atty's air valves. Remove the atomizer and dry the battery and atomizer contact if there's some water on it.
5 Drying: Now press the button and look inside the atomizer away from outside lights until you don't see the resistance turning to orange for two seconds then stop pressing the button and blow in the atty to cool it down and helping drying it.
6 Repeat step 5 from 8 to 10 times. The first times you'll notice it takes more time for the resistance to turn to orange ( don't worry, keep pressing on the button until it gets orange), it will be faster after each activation. It is possible that the first times the resistance will get orange only on the side, but doing it more will let it turn to the colour on the whole length. when the resistance get to orange in 1-2 seconds the drying procedure is complete.
7 Now it comes the REAL DRYBURN which will dissolve all the incrustations of liquid from the resistance and from the fibres.
Now press the button until the resistance get orange and keep it like that from 2 to 5 seconds or ( even less with a LR atty), then wait for the atomizer to cool down. You'll smell some burned stink, that is the incrustation dissolving. Do this 2 times.
8 Repeat from step 2 to step 7. Repeating is part of the method IT MUST BE DONE, this will take away all the reisidues of the incrustations deriving from dryburning.
Repeating will probably take you atomizer to life again getting away that awful burned flavour or improving the atomizer performance since they can decrease in time and most of the cases is for this phenomenon.

This seems interesting...
(I have only had 1 atty to revive and already did the OP method).

Do you think there are any issues with blowing into the battery? sounds a bit weird, maybe dangerous (obviously only a manual but still...)

Then have you ever broken the coil during dry burns? I guess I'm still unsure of how "bad" dry burns are, but I try to them, and with the other method, it's a lot quicker (but if I could save the wicking capability, I would, I don't like dripping as much!)

Thanks for this tip!!!! When the atomizer is as dead as they are when you start these methods, it really can only help...

 

[robertpri]

Yes, you're looking at the bridge but the white, black is referred to the fibres below the bridge. You can see some and they are commonly called wick, but the fibres that really get dryburned are the ones where the resistance is wrapped around and you won't ever be able to see them unless you remove the whole bridge.
.

Thanks. I can see tiny white things shaped like horseshoes at the base of the silvery bridge. I've been vaping for about 6 months, and all six of my atty's are nice and white. They seem to work just fine, so perhaps I have been lucky.

I have a multiple charger that holds 5 batts. When the one I am using goes weak, it goes into the charger and I take the next one in line and fill the cart for it.

I have had only one failure of any device. Last week, a batt got HOT in my shirt pocket and would not turn off. Does not work now.

 

[pipskicks]

Thanks. I can see tiny white things shaped like horseshoes at the base of the silvery bridge. I've been vaping for about 6 months, and all six of my atty's are nice and white. They seem to work just fine, so perhaps I have been lucky.

I have a multiple charger that holds 5 batts. When the one I am using goes weak, it goes into the charger and I take the next one in line and fill the cart for it.

I have had only one failure of any device. Last week, a batt got HOT in my shirt pocket and would not turn off. Does not work now.

I thought about doing the 5 batteries thing...I'm so glad I went battery mod instead, you should really look into those, for the price of all of them you can get a nice battery.

 

[robertpri]

I thought about doing the 5 batteries thing...I'm so glad I went battery mod instead, you should really look into those, for the price of all of them you can get a nice battery.

Thanks, but my kit of 6 batts, 12 attys, and 12 carts plus the charger, and e-liq, was about what I spent on analogs in less than two months. So, it was very cost effective, and paid for long ago.

 

[Gas]

This seems interesting...
(I have only had 1 atty to revive and already did the OP method).

Do you think there are any issues with blowing into the battery? sounds a bit weird, maybe dangerous (obviously only a manual but still...)

Then have you ever broken the coil during dry burns? I guess I'm still unsure of how "bad" dry burns are, but I try to them, and with the other method, it's a lot quicker (but if I could save the wicking capability, I would, I don't like dripping as much!)

Thanks for this tip!!!! When the atomizer is as dead as they are when you start these methods, it really can only help...

Hey pipskicks, no I've never broken any coil during the process. I revived my atty yeaterday and let me tell you.. OH MY GOD. This atomizer was just 2 weeks old, but the performance wasn't as good as I remembered. I needed to keep pressing the button to have a decent amount of vapour and even flavours weren't as good as before. Plus the atomizer was getting veeeery hot after two or three long draws. After dryburning it ( I was holding the button for just 2-3 seconds when the resistance was orange).... damn it's performing like it was new, this tecnique shocks me every time. You don't need to be scared, this method is really resurrecting attys. Just follow carefully the steps and you'll be shocked too. I posted some other tips once you've got the method in your mind that can remind you some important stuff ->http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/97141-dryburning-tips.html

 

[Gas]

Thanks. I can see tiny white things shaped like horseshoes at the base of the silvery bridge. I've been vaping for about 6 months, and all six of my atty's are nice and white. They seem to work just fine, so perhaps I have been lucky.

I have a multiple charger that holds 5 batts. When the one I am using goes weak, it goes into the charger and I take the next one in line and fill the cart for it.

I have had only one failure of any device. Last week, a batt got HOT in my shirt pocket and would not turn off. Does not work now.

the thing like horseshoes you can see are not the wick fibres, I think you're probably referring to the porcelain case that electrically isolates the resistance from the rest of the atomizer structure. That won't ever get dark. I'm talking about the fibres just down the bridge but maybe they're just below it so you can't see them. Anyway, even if the wick fibres are white the ones where the resistance is wrapped around will get filled with burned material. It's just a matter of time but hey, if your atty is still performing well you can just keep using it without dryburn but let me tell you, after a while you will forget how was performing i the beginning and think the way it is right now it's ok. It happened to me too but when I did the dryburn... damn another planet!

 

[KonaNeil]

I can't get the ugly burnt taste to go away.

After dry burn, I've tried soaking in hot water, in alcohol and in mouth wash. None of them gets rid of the burnt flavor. Please, what am I missing?

Also, during dry burn, should the smoke stop at some point? For me, it eventually diminishes but never completely stops unless of course if the attie pops.

 

[DC2]

Also, during dry burn, should the smoke stop at some point? For me, it eventually diminishes but never completely stops unless of course if the attie pops.

The smoke should completely stop when the atomizer is clean.

What battery and device are you using to do the dry burns?
Do you watch the atomizer to see how bright it is getting and what color it is glowing?

 

[zbasspro]

Guess my chain vaping get to the attys quick. After just a few days, I`m turning blue trying to get a good hit.

Well, I just did this with one of my attys, and WOW! back to clouds! Thanks so much.

 

[Gas]

Guess my chain vaping get to the attys quick. After just a few days, I`m turning blue trying to get a good hit.

Well, I just did this with one of my attys, and WOW! back to clouds! Thanks so much.

Exactly, just few ml of e-liquid are necessary to reduce the atomizer performance so, depending on how much you vape you can simply dryburn more often. I usually do it every 3 days to prevent to much liquid to get stuck in the primary wick. Anyway I noticed that removing the secondary wick less juice gets burned but this will reduce the drops you can drip (max 2 drops for a 510) and will make it impossible to be used with cartridges so, for dripping only.

 

[vikings]

Guys, I followed the steps and there is hardly anymore smoke when I press down on the battery (there's a nice glowing orange color).

However, I've repeated steps 2-7 twice and there's still a foul, burnt smell. Is there something I'm missing or should I repeat the steps again?

 

[Gas]

Guys, I followed the steps and there is hardly anymore smoke when I press down on the battery (there's a nice glowing orange color).

However, I've repeated steps 2-7 twice and there's still a foul, burnt smell. Is there something I'm missing or should I repeat the steps again?

The persistent burnt smell means there are still residues on the coil. Keep burning man!

 

[Slim82]

I have done this to two of my attys. One would not even heat up so I tried it, no success. The other semi-works, I did this method and still no improvement. Now it gets hot and will not wick the cart. >.< I have 4 attys and none of them work, they're not even 4 months old. I tried attys on my USB passthrough and all my batteries.

This stinks... I can't see myself getting a pack of smokes.

 

[Gas]

I have done this to two of my attys. One would not even heat up so I tried it, no success. The other semi-works, I did this method and still no improvement. Now it gets hot and will not wick the cart. >.< I have 4 attys and none of them work, they're not even 4 months old. I tried attys on my USB passthrough and all my batteries.

This stinks... I can't see myself getting a pack of smokes.

The thing is that the more you wait to dryburn, the more residues will form on the coil and the harder will be to get rid of them. Time passing by, the resistance needs to heat more and more to because the couil is completely filled with gunk so try dryburning more ofeten. Another way to reduce the burned taste you can remove the "secondary wick" or just "the wick". It will get things better but you won't be able to use cartridges anymore so think about it before doing anything.

 

[Robin Woods]

I have to say, I did this method again today (have done it in the past) and now my 2 attys feel like brand new! One is 9 months old and the other is 4 months old. I don't have an USB passthru so I have to use my 510 battery to do the drying. But it works! And now I'm a happy vaper again Thank you again for sharing this method! I love it!

 

[Haytoni]

When the atty starts showing signs of pooping the bed so to speak, I use peroxide, put the atty in a small glass, let soak for a couple hours, rinse out, blow out, with canned air, then stuff a paper towel in barrel, let set over night, prime following day, and so far they have been doing their job.

 

[blindsoup]

Thank You HIGHPING!! Just brought 3 attys back to life...a tremendous post..cheers!

 

[blindsoup]

I have done this to two of my attys. One would not even heat up so I tried it, no success. The other semi-works, I did this method and still no improvement. Now it gets hot and will not wick the cart. >.< I have 4 attys and none of them work, they're not even 4 months old. I tried attys on my USB passthrough and all my batteries.

This stinks... I can't see myself getting a pack of smokes.

only for months old? how long do you want them to last? i think you meant "i CAN see myself getting a pack of smokes" - you might regret doing that...in my experience, attys may work a week, or a month...try a different vendor and hopefully you will stay away from the danger sticks...keep up the good fight....

 

[VaporMadness]

I use this method too with slight variations. Wash - bathing the atty super hot water, poured on top from a boiling kettle. Dry - shaking out, blowing out, then sitting in front of a hair dryer on low for a few minutes. The Burn part is identical.