RDA Hygiene and maintenance

[Old Greybeard]

I'm fairly new to vaping, and finally got round to trying out the RDA configuration on my Nautilus Quad-flex tonight. Please forgive this question if it is a bit simple.

While I really enjoyed the experience [The cumulative nicotine hit @ 6mg was impressive], dripping through the day is not really practical for me. I can see myself dripping in the evenings, maybe every few days or so or when testing out juices.

How long can I leave the deck plus the cap in its last used state before I need to totally strip it down and rebuild it [coils + wick]? If the coils are not obviously gunged up is it best to re-wick each session? Or can I leave the cotton in place until it begins to look really past it's use by date?

 

[Susaz]

Replace wicks at discretion. I generally do when it starts tasting wonky, with darker liquids it might be more often. Some people wait until coils are very gunked up.
As for coils, I generally dry burn with every wick change. I heat it up several times then rinse it in water. Once a month or so I put everything but the built deck on the ultrasonic washer with 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda (I really use sodium bicarbonate if you can get it). Bicarbonate neutralizes odors. Also a little vinegar helps cut down on grease.
Change your coil when you see you need more power to have a decent vape. Sometimes on tanks I change them when they start oxidizing and turning juice dark. As long as they work, if you like the vape, go on using them!

 

[Old Greybeard]

Thanks, @Susaz much appreciated. That's a great tip with the sodium bicarbonate. I know very little will survive coil temperatures, but it's good to know I can go by taste and sight.

 

[uthinkofsomething]

Seems like mouth piece, drip tip, top cap would be the dirtiest thing on an rda. I wipe mine down with rubbing alcohol every couple days (externally).

 

[Susaz]

Seems like mouth piece, drip tip, top cap would be the dirtiest thing on an rda. I wipe mine down with rubbing alcohol every couple days (externally).

Be careful with finishes. It's better to wash them, it won't affect paint. If it's raw metal, go right ahead. But with plastic drips, avoid alcohol.

 

[uthinkofsomething]

Be careful with finishes. It's better to wash them, it won't affect paint. If it's raw metal, go right ahead. But with plastic drips, avoid alcohol.

I've never had a problem with that, but now that you mention it some plastics are sensitive to alcohol...
As far as metal finishes, I didn't think much about that either. I don't scrub them (the screen I scrub a little) so maybe it's not so damaging to be noticeable.
Boy I would be mad if I started wiping down a mod and realized I was taking the finish off.

 

[Susaz]

I've never had a problem with that, but now that you mention it some plastics are sensitive to alcohol...
As far as metal finishes, I didn't think much about that either. I don't scrub them (the screen I scrub a little) so maybe it's not so damaging to be noticeable.
Boy I would be mad if I started wiping down a mod and realized I was taking the finish off.

I keep an old toothbrush to remove lip gunk from drip tips, specially inside. You can press a little. Use hot water but not detergent.

 

[score69]

After cleaning a new atty (soap, water and toothbrush), I really just rinse in hot water and that's it.

I rewick my toppers once/week if used daily. When I wick them, I pulse/clean the coils. Then rinse all the parts in hot tap water, reassemble, rewick and go.

Hot water alone seems to get rid of any buildup. I don't typically use flavored juices, so no flavor residue gets left behind.

If something has been sitting for a while unused, I will use dish soap on it again like I do when it's new.

 

[Letitia]

When I change coils I just do a hot water rinse under the tap for rda. If a coil change is due and I have the UC out for rtas I'll throw the deck in. I only put ss topcaps in UC, honestly hot water rinse is sufficient if you haven't let the rda sit for weeks/months without rincing.

 

[zoiDman]

...

While I really enjoyed the experience [The cumulative nicotine hit @ 6mg was impressive], dripping through the day is not really practical for me. I can see myself dripping in the evenings, maybe every few days or so or when testing out juices.

...

This is why So Many people enjoy Squonking. Because you can get the RDA Hit you like without being tied to a Dripping Bottle.

As to Cleaning and Re-Wicking...

I just give the Entire RDA/Drip Tip a warn rinse every time I rebuild it. And maybe Rinse the RDA Cover/Drip Tip between rebuilds if I notice some Lip Crud on them.

How often you need to Re-Build can Vary Dramatically. So much depends on the Wattage you use. And the Type e-Liquid you put in your RDA. And, of course, if you are get any Bad Dry Hits.

I'll usually Re-Wick once or maybe twice before I replace the Coil. I don't Dry Burn old coils much anymore. I've gotten kinda spoiled with that that New Coil/New Cotton Taste.

And since I use Single Wire Coils, and Pre-Made Single Wire Coils cost about 6 Cents more than Nothing, I just Replace them with New ones when they get Gunked Up.

 

[Zaryk]

I agree with @zoiDman that you may enjoy squonking. All the benefits of an RDA without the drawbacks of dripping.

For my simple round wire builds, which I use 28g wire for and is a little delicate, I will dry burn and rewick once a week with daily use, but tend to just wrap a new coil since it is so easy to distort the thin wire coils. If you use thicker wire then you can easily get longer life out of the coil since it won't distort the coil rewicking it.

On my claptons I will also dry burn and rewick once a week, but get 4-6 months use out of one coil before it needing a change. More if it isn't a daily use rda. Sometimes I just change coils out of boredom and not necessity.

 

[stols001]

Same here I thoroughly clean if I'm changing coils I do a reasonable clean scrub around my coils before and after I dry burn (but I use SS so I pulse gently). Theoretically you could just clean after dry burning but I'm already at my sink, disassembling my atomizer so what the heck. I also pay special attention to under the dome as needed. If I need dish soap and my toothbrush it's right to hand.

You also want to check you 510 connection at that point (IMHO) maybe swab the pin down if it looks as if there has been ANY leaking using a qu-tip and same goes for checking the tank's pin.

I'm not quite clear are you talking like removing the deck only or setting aside the entire atomizer? If it's the deck and the coils AND wick look in reasonable shape, I might put it in some type of plastic sealed containers (I have a bunch just from buying extra glass tanks or whatever bits and stuff to avoid dirt or anything getting on/in the build. I think that would be fine for a day or two (possibly longer) but my worry would be stuff getting on it as it were, if it's the whole tank you are setting aside, well at that point, I'd be thinking it would be just fine for a bit.

Best of luck,
Anna

 

[Zaryk]

I think I forgot to mention it in my last post, but I am kind of .... about keeping my drip tips and top cap clean. I will rinse out my top caps once or twice a day on my daily RDAs. On my RDAs I only use occasionally, I just rinse them out and dry them after I'm done using them. I wipe down my drip tip with a dry cloth a few times a day, and scrub it every time I rewick. But i over do it I'm sure, but with some things my OCD gets the best of me.

 

[Rangertrix]

Thanks, @Susaz much appreciated. That's a great tip with the sodium bicarbonate. I know very little will survive coil temperatures, but it's good to know I can go by taste and sight.

Denture tablets work a treat as well.
A poor man's ultrasonic if you will.

 

[stols001]

If any of your tanks or bits of your atomizer tend to be absorbent plastic, make sure you get a flavor you can tolerate, LOL, denture plastic is like this really, I don't even know what kind of plastic it is but you could basically fire it in a kiln and nothing would happen.

So, get unflavored or at the very least, like NOT wintergreen, unless you like that sort of thing. Etc.

Anna

 

[Rangertrix]

If any of your tanks or bits of your atomizer tend to be absorbent plastic, make sure you get a flavor you can tolerate, LOL, denture plastic is like this really, I don't even know what kind of plastic it is but you could basically fire it in a kiln and nothing would happen.

So, get unflavored or at the very least, like NOT wintergreen, unless you like that sort of thing. Etc.

Anna

Good advice. Didn't know they had flavors, lol.
I just grab the 5 minute regular stuff (not the 15 minute, I'm impatient and the five minute cleans better). I use it for gun parts and other stuff.

 

[mackman]

As has been stated many times, you can wrap a new coil quicker than the cleaning ritual.

 

[Old Greybeard]

@zoiDman, @Zaryk , I'm looking to get a backup mod for my birthday, have suggested it to my other half but it hasn't gone down too well. Looks like sqounk kit will have to be added to my growing list of vape goodies I really need to purchase .

@Rangertrix, what happens if you put denture tablets in an UC? I feel an experiment coming on ...

@uthinkofsomething, sadly already been there. I clean / wipe down my mod regularly as I can be a bit sloppy filling tanks sometimes. Gave it a wipe last night with a bit of tissue and the paint started coming off the edge of the fire button . Haven't a clue what was on the tissue, I haven't used any abrasives, solvents or alcohol on it, and the tissue just smelled of juice. Only thing I can think of is it had some residue commercial juice on it that contained alcohol.

@stols001, I'd be putting the whole atomiser aside, thats a great idea about finding a container for it. I've been using a small Ziploc bag, but I could see it getting damaged that way.

@Susaz, you don't use detergent, is that because it leaves a residue, or you can taste it?

 

[stols001]

you can wrap a new coil quicker than the cleaning ritual.

DO I NEED TO MAKE YOU A VIDEO(S) MY CLEANING RITUAL IS QUITE A BIT SHORTER THAN MY COILING RITUAL AND I CURSE A LOT LESS.

I'm not making the videos, LOL, but whenever a coil actually makes it to actual inflammatory resistance rising or is otherwise "dead" I die a little inside.

Anna

 

[Rangertrix]

As has been stated many times, you can wrap a new coil quicker than the cleaning ritual.

A lot of the cleaning tips are good advice for cleaning equipment even when you are going to recoil.

Myself, if it doesn't come off with a quick dry pulsing, I recoil, but there a lot of good tips for other cleaning as well.