Newbie here...how long does an atty last, on average?

[KellyinAZ]

I am brand new to this site and wanted any info on atty life.

I went analog free on 9/22/10 and have been a vaping maniac since. I had an atty go yesterday and I was curious about what the average lifespan for one usually is? I clean them every other day, because I rotate them each time I change the battery and/or the flavor. I am using a tornado if that helps to answer my question.

I think that my tornado is about 5 weeks old. I clean the attys in 91% rubbing alcohol and then blow them out and let them dry overnight before putting them into a bag to reuse again in a couple of days. Does this sound like the atty was defective or is this about how long they should last? I don't want to be caught short and resort back to analogs while waiting for a delivery.

Thanks!

 

[DC2]

Atomizers, supposedly last anywhere from 1 day to about 1 year.

There is no way, currently, to seperate fact from fiction.
Or newbie error from known atomizer proper care.

I have a 510 atomizer that I have been using exclusively for nearly 8 months now.
And I blow it out every morning to prevent dry juice buildup, but I'm not sure how much that helps.

But what I know helps is doing the Highping dry burn when needed.

Check out this thread and proceed at your own rate of speed...
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ion/97014-facts-about-cleaning-atomizers.html

 

[cyberwolf]

5 weeks out of an atty is not too bad, but it sounds like you are rotating between two or more atties, meaning that you didn't really get 5 weeks worth of use out of it, which is on the low side in my experience. I have had regular atties last for a few months, not cleaning them at all. Some have deteriorated noticeably after a month, though. It really depends on how you vape and the quality of atty. In any case, I would keep at least a few in reserve. If you plan on them only lasting two weeks, you'll stay ahead of the game.

 

[KellyinAZ]

Thank you for the input and the link to the other thread too. This site is a bit intimidating and not as user friendly as lots of other sites online; however, the amount of information here is astounding as well as the number of posts on this site. A friend told me about this site and I am glad she did and even more grateful that it exists for those of us trying to live an analog free life!

 

[KellyinAZ]

DC2...I read the post on how to dry clean the atty but it is way over my head. I am using a tornado which I think is similar to a 510 but how do you remove the wick on the atty? It was my understanding that the part that sticks up into the material (the material is the wick, or am I wrong) is the atty. This is all so foreign to me and my hardware came with NO instructions on use, cleaning or anything else. I was surprised there was nothing like that included in my order. Is that normal for most PV devices? The more I read on this site the more stupid I feel. :~(

 

[Rosa]

I haven't lost an atty yet and I started in March. I've only used the same 2 atty's the whole time. I don't think it's worth it to risk cleaning them (yes, I said 'risk') as I don't think it's really that great for them. I just blow them out if I think the vapor production has dropped. Works like a charm.

I figure they're cheap, if one of them stops working I'll try cleaning it and order a new one. But until then, if it's not broken....

 

[Rosa]

DC2...I read the post on how to dry clean the atty but it is way over my head. I am using a tornado which I think is similar to a 510 but how do you remove the wick on the atty? It was my understanding that the part that sticks up into the material (the material is the wick, or am I wrong) is the atty. This is all so foreign to me and my hardware came with NO instructions on use, cleaning or anything else. I was surprised there was nothing like that included in my order. Is that normal for most PV devices? The more I read on this site the more stupid I feel. :~(

Ok, the part with the button is the battery.

The metal tube that screws onto the battery is the atty; if you look inside the atty you'll see a little mesh hump sticking up - that's the bridge. under the bridge is this little snippet of fibers - that's the wick.

Then there's the cart, the plastic mouthpiece; inside the cart is cart filler. The cart filler should be flush with the top of the cart so that the bridge of the atty gets nestled into the cart filler - ensuring that the juice within is always in contact with the bridge (and therefore the wick) of the atty.

When they talk about the atty "wicking" they're using the word as a verb.

If you remove the bridge or the wick from under it, the atty won't "wick" and you will only be able to use it for dripping (which doesn't require any cart filler and therefore doesn't need to wick)

 

[tyrible]

I vape like a machine and have only lost 1 since February. I had a charger die on me before the atomizer. Guess it's just a matter of luck.

 

[Zelphie]

Over 4 months and mine are still working. Im not sure if brand makes a difference, Im sure some think so. Ill stick to joye myself.

 

[Vaporologist]

If you atty lasts you for two weeks, usually it's a good atty and should last you for a while. The only thing I would recommend is to NOT leave your atty completely dry for a couple of days. Atties need to stay moist/wet. After you clean it any dry it, either add a couple of drops of juice or PG/VG to keep it moist until you are ready to use it again. Even brand new unused atties are not completely dry, they are shipped with a primer inside of them.

 

[KellyinAZ]

Rosa,
thanks for the explanation of the parts of the atty. I appreciate the comments since I am so new to this and as I explained there were no instructions of any kind that came with my tornado.

I will now start dripping some juice on the clean ones so they don't dry out. I had not been doing that and since I rotate through 3 of them I have been leaving them dry in between. I see now it was a mistake.

I knew the atty was dead when it would no longer heat. I tried cleaning it and blowing it out just like I had been doing since I have been using it. I just thought I was using the attys too much because I have turned into a vaping maniac since I stopped the analogs 16 days ago. I think maybe it was just a defective one or something. Good to know that people here have a wealth of information for those of us just starting out!

Thanks again for all the advice and I will put it to good use. :~)

 

[maxy007]

If I'm going to change flavours etc e
I'll get an empty cart box and put the stuff that;s a bit dodgey int it and clean them all at once. Usually once a week.
Thet them stand after a good blowing onto paper towel and they are good to go!!
Doing the boiling hot water washing for all and haven;t had a problem yet

Sorry crazzy meds are taking over and can't type properly

 

[Bozzlite]

KellyinAZ. IMHO you don't need to clean the attys that often. Blow them out every day or every other day, but I don't think there is a need to boil them or soak in alcohol every other day. I'm a heavy vaper and I do the alcohol soak once in a while, like every 2-3 weeks when they start looking a little gunky inside. Depends on what type of juice you are using too. The heavier, darker juices tend to gum up quicker than the lighter ones.

Attys are expendable, so you should budget for replacements every few months or so. They go when least expected. Keep several spares on hand for when that happens.

I think the Tornado is Totally Wicked's branded Ego. Should be a good one.