Save the attomizers!

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

Less is more... you're right Lab. Sometimes something as simple as blowing out, adding liquid or new cart filling can correct the problems.

Some things people swore worked (Coke baths, long dry burns, coffee maker cleaners, etc.) are just BAD for atomizers (and maybe you) period. As cheap as atomizers can be had, you are better off buying a few spares to keep on hand and enjoying vaping rather than being teathered to trying to revive a $7 item.

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

Basically blowing through the battery end will move excess liquid out if flooded. Blowing through the Cart end (top) of the atty can sometimes help clear out the air holes at the battery connector if they've gotten clogged with juice and I can get lots of liquid out blowing through that direction.

I do both.

 

[VictoryNotVengence]

I've had no luck with PGA. and these things arn't 7 dollars, with shipping they are much more. Plus if you are going through 1 every 2-3 days it is very expensive.

 

[splunge2112]

sorry kinda off topic...is there an advantage to use the atty's over the cartos? i know, everybody hates a noob

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

Awww, we love noobs! You just need to start your own thread with your question in the New Members Forum! New Members Forum - E-Cigarette Forum (I dislike cartomizers... tried and can't do it, fiddly, and nasty tasting to me).

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

I've had no luck with PGA. and these things arn't 7 dollars, with shipping they are much more. Plus if you are going through 1 every 2-3 days it is very expensive.

CB, I'd think if you are going through attys that fast something is wrong such as bad lot of attys (happens rarely), a bad mod unit shorting out attys (I've had that happen, lost 7 in 2 weeks and had to threaten the seller to fix it), High Voltage unit (shortens the atty life, price you pay for 6v) or user error while dripping (and causing thermal shock to the wire when dripping cool liquid on a hot atty).

I buy attys in bulk, and the price usually ranges from $5 to $7 depending on the model of atty and manufacturer (clones vs. originals).

You just have to shop carefully and watch for sales on the forum and look for bulk discounts. I'm also particular what brand I use (Joye 510 only). For example I buy 510 attys at E-cigsupply.com $7.29 each if you buy 5+. THEN you also get an additional 5% off (code 5OFF) AND they have a 1st class shipping option to save on shipping if you don't want to pay for Priority. That's pretty inexpensive.

 

[Scottbee]

Trust me.. I've done it all. Crest soaks... PGA soaks, ultrasonic cleaners, the works.

I don't do any of that anymore. I'm getting good/great life out of my 510 atties.. and I've recovered quite a few that I previously thought were "beyond recovery".

All I do now is the warm water rinse/blowout cycle.... followed by a semi-complete drying... followed by a dry-burn/cooling cycling until I get the red glow within 1 second... followed by another warm/hot water rinse/blowout cycle. Followed by a drying and re-priming.

There are couple of threads on this method on this forum. It is absolutely the best method that I have found so far. Bar none.

 

[mojofunk]

Scottbee, I concur! The dry burn is the ticket. I find that blowing gently from a few inches away while dry burning is potentially helpful as well, to reduce the temps and associated stress just a bit.

I have much experience with kerosene heaters, also a wicking device, and the only way to keep them fragrant and effective for years is to do regular dry burns, so it seemed quite natural that it would be similar for our atomizers.

Haven't lost an atomizer yet, and I thought a few were goners, until I used the method Scottbee describes above!

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

Trust me.. I've done it all. Crest soaks... PGA soaks, ultrasonic cleaners, the works.

I don't do any of that anymore. I'm getting good/great life out of my 510 atties.. and I've recovered quite a few that I previously thought were "beyond recovery".

All I do now is the warm water rinse/blowout cycle.... followed by a semi-complete drying... followed by a dry-burn/cooling cycling until I get the red glow within 1 second... followed by another warm/hot water rinse/blowout cycle. Followed by a drying and re-priming.

There are couple of threads on this method on this forum. It is absolutely the best method that I have found so far. Bar none.

Hiya ScottBee... so this is the one method I never do (dry burning seemed like a bad idea with the wicking material under the bridge). So a few questions for ya.

How long do your attys last with this method (do you rotate them or use one until it dies)?

Have you ever gotten a burned taste in an atty that won't leave from dry burning (I've read that some tried to do dry burn cleanings and ruined the atty taste with a burned flavor that never would clean out which was later identified as the fiber wick under the bridge)?

Can you over burn an atty this way?

Is there a link for really good instructions on doing this? I'd like to bookmark it, as I've seen this method recommended to new members, but never with a link or really good instructions.

Thanks!

 

[Lab]

that dry burn method.. works good.. i had 2 that where gone one i held the button down for around 40 seconds before it even started to get warm..

but that is for when your atty is to the point that if you break it doing that you do not care because it was going to be trash if that last ditch effort did not work.. right now I am using that one and it is hitting like new.. I did this over 2 weeks ago.. have been using it as my main atty since then have gone through around 20mls of fluid on it without doing anything since.. no blowing it out or rinsing

neither of them had a bad taste afterwards..

here is the best instructions i can give on how i did it..

15-20 min soak in grain alcohol.. soaking too long eats away the glue

pull out of the alcohol and run hot water through the atty

quick few dips in alcohol to speed up drying time..

after dry screw into the battery.. do short burns.. if there is no heat at all hold button until atty warms..

let cool.. repeat over and over again until coil will glow bright fast..


you probably can over burn the atty if you do not have cool down periods.. but you have to remember that to start with the atty was not working so if you destroy it does it really matter because it was going to be tossed anyways

 

[sl2222]

When it gets to the point that you're soaking the atty like every other day or so, it's usually time to get a new one. Just not worth the hassle.

How do u know you've soaked an atty?
what r the symptoms?

 

[Kurt]

How do u know you've soaked an atty?
what r the symptoms?

Think what was meant by "soaking" was washing it out with some cleaning solution, not a term for anything that happens while vaping.

Perhaps you are referring to "flooding", which happens when the atty gets too much liquid. Symptoms are gurgling, clogging, draw getting sluggish, atty getting very hot to the touch.

 

[sl2222]

Thanks Kurt.

it was the flooding i was curious about really. I thought he might be using 'soaking' as another term for flooding.

still a relative noob to all this

Think what was meant by "soaking" was washing it out with some cleaning solution, not a term for anything that happens while vaping.

Perhaps you are referring to "flooding", which happens when the atty gets too much liquid. Symptoms are gurgling, clogging, draw getting sluggish, atty getting very hot to the touch.