Really? They're both dead?

[Chorizo]

Okay, so yesterday, after about 8 days of use, I started having problems with my first 901 atty. I blew it out and let it sit overnight, and it still did not work.

Then today, with the second atty, the same thing happened. Full cartiridge, fine battery, and no vapor. Well, OCCASIONALLY I can get a nice big hit, but after that, NOTHING. So I blew THAT one out and just tried it again and am having the same issues.

These are the only two I have at the moment, I ordered two more that should be here tomorrow, but I want to know. . .

Is it possible that they are BOTH dead already, or am I over reacting and missing some neat little trick to get them to work again?

Any ideas?

 

[planetofthevapes]

Firstly, make sure that the positive contact on the battery is in fact touching the positive contact on the atomizer. I don't really know a way to check it, but if it is not making contact, I belive you can stick something small in the hole of your atomizer (battery connection end) and very gently maneuver it out just a tad bit to ensure contact. Do this at your own risk, if you move it just wrong, you will break a solder.

Also, how are you sure the battery is ok? How did you check it? There is a possibility the battery stop functioning for some reason.

Thirdly, make sure the atomizer is wicking. I bought a handful of atomizers from out of the country and half of them ceased vaping after one day because I mistakenly thought I had a short in my batteries, because I would get vapor only intermittently...turned out my cartridge was not touching my bridge of my atomizer AT ALL...which led the atty to dry out and malfunction shortly after. This was the case with several others from that company, even after supergluing the cartridge popped out of the mouthpiece enough to make contact with the bridge. There was a defect in the shape of the bridge that would cause it to wick to a crook, then stop..and go nowhere (actually, it was the wick to be exact, it wasn't connected to the bridge at all). So, it could be faulty attys, maybe a bad batch.

I do see that you said you had an occasional hit...so I'm wondering if it isn't my third conclusion, the cartridge either isn't making great contact with the bridge or your wicks are not connected to the bridge, or very gummed up (which does happen). It is wierd that it happened to two at the same time.

Where did you get the atomizers? Was the second one brand new when you tried it after the first one "died"? Any burning taste when either one "died"? Sorry, just trying for more info.

 

[Chorizo]

Well they came with my starter kit which I ordered from epuffer(and got ripped off by the way) And the second one was pretty much brand new, I had tried it out for a little while initially to make sure it worked, maybe a dozen hits or so.

There was a bit of a burning taste with one.

They both still get pretty hot, and the reason I am thinking my battery still works is that the LED lights up? Am I wrong in that assumption?

I know (obviously) next to nothing about this.

 

[MrKrinkle]

I'm sorry.... its my fault... its all my fault... you see I have this thing I do cause I cant sleep at night... so late late at night me and my fellow underwear gnomes sneak into your house and steal underwears and underoos... but me Im bored with the underwear game and decided its much more fun to be a Gremlin cause I destroy all the electronics you depend on lil by lil... I know I said I was sorry earlier but Im not really cause Im a Gremlin and well thats what I do!!!

 

[Chorizo]

Damn, that sucks, underwear is slighty cheaper to replace than electronic equipment.

On a related note- I seroiously collect yard gnomes and one IS named the underwear gnome.

Yeah, I name them.

 

[MrKrinkle]

YO HO YO HO.... a GREMLINS life for me!!!

 

[Denni]

After blowing out the attys, drip two or three drops of juice onto them then puff for a while. It takes a little while before they get going.

Lately I'm having problems with some of my penstyles and it's as potv says: poor wicking. I'm tweaking the filler (with forceps and scissors) and twist the cartridge to get better contact.

If you get a burnt taste, the cartridge is running too dry. If it still has juice in it, try to place the e-cig upright, battery-end down, for a while.

Conversely, flooding the attys can also cause poor draw. If anything, these things are fiddly!

 

[Antebellum]

Hi, Chorizo,

I've had two (801) batteries fail in such a way that the light would come on when puffing, show green in the charger, yet fail to make vapor.

If your new kit is compatible with your first, you may be surprised to discover that your atomizers will still work.

Mine failed on Saturday and Sunday.

I killed a third battery by getting happy with cherry eJuice (I have a weakness for all things cherry) and "flooding" the battery. Since then, I've gotten in the habit of laying the e-cig flat on my desk or tilted upward with the mouthpiece down. I've even found that I can regulate the amount of vapor slightly by pointing the e-cig up (less juice) or down (more juice). I don't think there's much chance of battery infiltration when inhaling, but I don't want to take any chances with the fluid back-flowing through the atomizer into the battery.

We need a better design. Why is it even possible to kill a battery with fluid?

Good luck, and please let us know what you find out.

Lamar

 

[Chorizo]

Thanks everyone.
What I found out:
Nothing. Sometimes they don't work so well and sometimes they do. I suspect ONE might be dead but am not sure due to what happened with #2.

#2 began working again spontaneously last night and has been fine since. Wierd.

#1 still won't work, it gets hot, I'm wondering if I need to drip onto it or try and use it again like you said. I'll probably try that.

My batteries are fine as the new atty's I got today work fine with them.

So yeah, I don't know whaqt the problem was, probably that they were dry, but who the heck knows?

Or the problem could be me- I am useless even as far as basic knowledge of these things goes.

But I like them

 

[Antebellum]

Isn't troubleshooting fun?

OK - What I'd do is to send a few drops of eJuice down the insides of the atomizer #1 - no more than three or four - and then hook up the battery and do a test draw. If the atomizer is alive, you should get vapor. I think you WILL since it's getting hot.

And if you do, this would indicate that you've run the atomizer dry.

Didn't ask if you HAVE any spare juice. If necessary, you can sacrifice a cartridge. Dig the wicking material out with an unfolded paperclip and then squeeze the drops out into the side of the barrel of the atomizer.

And also if this works, I'd start getting suspicious about whether you have the right cartridges. The wicking material should just barely touch the part of the atomizer element that protrudes (the "bridge").

It's OK to pull the cartridge out and look at it when you think it may be getting low. If the top of it's not moist, you're running out of juice. A lot of juices are colored, so if the wicking material is white, it's low on juice.

For a quick pick-me-up, you can drip a few drops on the wicking material. That won't last long, but it will keep your atomizer wet until you can change the cartridge.

Also, when you do blow and stow by setting the atomizer upright over night, you do need to "reprime" the atomizer by "wetting the wick," to use an old kerosene lantern term, before using the atomizer. Again, three or four drops should do it.

I'm glad your batteries are OK. I've had more aggravation from them than I have had with atomizers.

Good luck!

 

[planetofthevapes]

I didn't read the other posts thoroughly, but yes, the light coming on does indicate that it works...obviously means it has some energy and obviously means that the switch works. It does not however mean that the atomizers are making good contact with it. I know this only because I have seen a bunch of batteries fire off with no atomizers attached. If you shake it, or puff on it without an atomizer, or thunk it on a table, you'll see what I mean.

The fact taht one of the atomizers is getting a burning taste does suggest that it is either going out or that it is dry. If the other of the two atomizers do not work at all or seems sporadic (like, it wants to work, but can't quite), I would adjust the positive contact.

 

[BullGawd]

Again, three or four drops should do it.

I've had more aggravation from them than I have had with atomizers.

Good luck!

Thats why. There is no need for 4 drops of fluid on the atty. I drop two max and can vape for a long time before I need to drip anymore. If I refill a cart it usually gets 4-5 drops and 1 in the atty to get it going again and I have never had an atty or battery fail on me once.

 

[Antebellum]

Hi, Chorizo,

I'll defer to BullGawd on the question of how much e-fluid to use. The important thing is not to run an atomizer dry.

 

[Chorizo]

Yeah, I dripped onto atty #1 and it worked fine for a few puffs and then I put a cartidge on and yeah, didn't work so well.

And this was especially distressing because atty #2 was doing the SAME THING.

SO. . . I know the batteries work, I know the atty's work.

Hmmm. . .

I checked the cartridge(I am NOT THAT dumb, I had checked it, toppped it off, etc. before) and noticed the matter in it wasn't right at the top of the plastic cartridge, so I just basically moved that filling up closer to the top of the cart, maybe poking out of it just a little and it has been working since.

ARG! Anyway, that SEEMED to solve the matter and I still haven't had the need to dip into my reserve supply of atty's but who knows?

I am soo sure I'll look back at this one day and know what an idiot I was to miss all the obvious stuff.

So we'll see.

Thanks guys