New to this - what should I do about faulty e-cig?

[rgm82]

So I started on e-cigs recently - I bought 2 joyetech 510s and have been using them for about a month & a half. I really liked them at first, they did the job - good nicotine kick and the parts seemed well built...but starting this week both units haven't been working well well. They still light up and I still get some vapor but I don't really get the kick, the feeling in my lungs of actually smoking something, not even with a full battery charge. It's been really unsatisfying to point where I caved in and bought a pack of smokes yesterday.

I'm new to this and I don't know much about how these work, but from what I can tell the atomizer is not getting as hot as it used to so I'm guessing I'm not getting as much vapor maybe? Guessing the battery might be failing and is not sufficient to vaporize enough e-liquid, but does the battery on these really die after a month and half of use, and with two units? Can anyone recommend anything to me? I'm hoping there's a chance I can get the product replaced or at the very least get my money back, but if I have to ditch this model can anyone recommend an e-cig with a more reliable, robust design, and a power source that will actually stay in working order for longer than a month?
Thanks for reading.

 

[36tinybells]

Sounds like your atties need cleaning. You can search for the myraid of ways to do this, but I'll give you mine and say I have yet to lose an atty, though others might hate the way I do it. I put the threaded end in mouth and give it a good blow into the sink to get rid of any juice. I turn the water on hot and stick the atties open side up into the stream of water. I blow it out again. Put it in a shot glass and pour isopropyl alchohol in until its covered. After 5 minutes I pick it up with the threads pointed down and if the alchohol streams, move onto next step, if it drips, I dip it in the alchohol to fill it repeatedly until it streams out. Then I dry it with a paper towel and tap it lightly on a paper towel to remove all possible liquid. Then I put it in front of my air conditioning vent and leave it to dry til the next day.

 

[36tinybells]

Oh, sorry, missed somethings- if your batteries are charging, they are not the problem. I left the little ecigs for an Ego and my life got sooo much easier. Rivas are similar. Good luck!

 

[daisybuttercup]

Welll.... I tried to respond and hit a wrong button and it all went away, so if a duplicate appears I apologize.

AS I WAS SAYIN'... I am sort of a noobie too. I have been using my Joye EGO kit since November and only recently did one of the batteries completely die. I read a lot of comments on this forum before I made my decision to purchase and this kit was highly recommended over and over for noobs. I am very pleasantly surprised by how long the battery lasts, as a lot of the comments led me to expect a shorter battery life between charges. I easily get a whole day of use between each charge. And I don't just vape here and there, it's pretty much all day as if I was a smoker. Maybe more since I don't have to go outside!

I wish I could give you advice on your current device, but the Joye EGO is the only one I am familiar with. I highly recommend it if you can invest in a new one. Litecigusa has very good prices and fast delivery - usually 2-3 days. I hope it was ok to promote them... they deserve it for the good experience I always have from them! Good luck friend!

 

[bobsyeruncle]

Make sure your atomizer is still making a good connection with the battery. There is a center post on the battery that you can adjust. Take a precision screwdriver or small knife and try wiggling the battery post up a bit. Make sure the battery post is still centered, then try screwing on the atomizer. You should also make sure the battery contacts are clean.

You can expect to have to replace the atomizers regularly. They're normally expected to work between 2 to 6 weeks. You may be able to extend their life with regular cleaning, though. If they're gunked up, that may also explain why you're not getting much vapour. I'd suggest you get a set of backup atomizers before you try cleaning the existing ones, though.

 

[dormouse]

Doesn't sound like anything faulty to me

You need to clean your atomizers. AFter 6 weeks you might even need new atomizers whether or not
you've been cleaning them. And if you are using cartridges I recommend new stuffing - try the blue foam precut 510 stuffing from strictlyejuice.com (so inexpensive and the most preferred stuffing)

See this thread about cleaning atomizers and somewhere there is a bigger more definitive thread. I find near-boiling water best for getting off built-up gunk, and the edible alcohol good after for any oily residue and so it will dry faster.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/204161-cleaning-attys.html

I also recommend standard resistance Boge cartomizers for 510, and I recommend manual batteries which make it easier to get good hits and are totally sealed on the threaded end and safe against damage from juice leaks.

If you want more hit than 510 can ever give, then step up to the fat battery 510-threaded model Ego or Riva 510 (see Liberty-Flights.com and click the 20% off on front page first). The fat battery models can also use hotter LR atomizers and LR cartomizers and heat enhances nicotine's hit

 

[rgm82]

Doesn't sound like anything faulty to me

You need to clean your atomizers. AFter 6 weeks you might even need new atomizers whether or not
you've been cleaning them. And if you are using cartridges I recommend new stuffing - try the blue foam precut 510 stuffing from strictlyejuice.com (so inexpensive and the most preferred stuffing)

See this thread about cleaning atomizers and somewhere there is a bigger more definitive thread. I find near-boiling water best for getting off built-up gunk, and the edible alcohol good after for any oily residue and so it will dry faster.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/204161-cleaning-attys.html

I also recommend standard resistance Boge cartomizers for 510, and I recommend manual batteries which make it easier to get good hits and are totally sealed on the threaded end and safe against damage from juice leaks.

If you want more hit than 510 can ever give, then step up to the fat battery 510-threaded model Ego or Riva 510 (see Liberty-Flights.com and click the 20% off on front page first). The fat battery models can also use hotter LR atomizers and LR cartomizers and heat enhances nicotine's hit

Wow, I had no idea all this could get so complicated, this is just leading me to more questions...what is the difference between a cartomizer and the system I have? How about LR atomizers/cartomizers, what are those? And I can just swap out a bigger battery for it? What is a manual battery? Finally, where can I get all this stuff? I'm still pretty new to this, all the information is just a little overwhelming...

 

[dormouse]

Cartomizers are disposable self-contained cart with internal atomizer. So every carto has a fresh atomizer inside. If I use nice thin clear light juices I can get the best reuse out of a cartomizer - juices with no more than 20% VG (some VG is nice for the vapor). I can get 1-2 weeks use out of a Boge 510 cartomizers. I use mine on both Riva 510 and slim Joye 510 so I have to use the standard resistance (because slim batteries are not supposed to use LR low resistance stuff - it can damage them)

But the fat battery models (EGo and Riva 510) can use the hotter LR cartomizers (Boge are most popular) or hotter LR atomizers.

The Riva 510 and Ego use a faster charging cable that can damage slim 510's. Best deal in the US - Liberty-Flights.com, click the 20% off upper left of front page, then look at Riva 510. The Riva 510 Lite Bundle is then under $30. Label the Riva charger cable so you don't accidentally stick the slim 510 in it (can damage slim 510's). With the Lite bundle you will get 2 LR atomizers - great for LR dripping with a drip tip. Then since cartomizers are expendable, buy the cartomizers separately - Boge 2.0 for the hotter ones that use the battery charge faster, Boge 3.0 for the standard ones you can also use on slim 510. And if you want the decorative cone to fit over cartomizers, buy a single Riva 901 cone (under Riva 901 - those cones are shorter)

Alternately - if they have their Riva 510 cartomizer model bundle you could buy that - comes with a nice case. And separately buy 1-2 LR atomizers if doesn't come with atomizers.

In either case, I recommend a plastic or delrin 510 drip tip for testing juices on the atomizer. Only put juices you like in cartomizers because they are very difficult to clean/dry and ever have work well again (only some people succeed and most don't bother trying)

And if you are in the US make sure you are on the US Liberty-Flights site (the.com site).The checkout may be processed in the UK but make sure you order from the US site if you are in the US. (And I think only the US site has the 20% of?)

If Liberty-Flights.com is out of Boge cartomizers then check LiteCigUSA.net or NiteLiteVapor.com for the cartomizers.

 

[Michaelreviewer]

If you think the atomiser is faulty then contact whoever you bought them off and send them back, this is probable if it's new and doesn't work correctly, otherwise it could be a case of needing a clean.

In my experience e cig companies have good customer service and are often very happy to help and replace faulty parts.

 

[bobsyeruncle]

The atomizer has been used for what might be considered an acceptable lifetime for an atty. I don't think it's returnable.

Most likely it's gunked up and needs to be cleaned. I would suggest purchasing 1 or 2 spares before attempting a cleaning. Your atty is going to be out of commission for a while while it dries from the cleaning.