Some background (
I'm a n00b!):
- Received a 901 starter kit from e-Smokey Treats June 5th. (2 batteries, 2 attys, plus ordered a 3rd atty as back-up)
- Received a USB passthrough (automatic) from Electronic Ash June 16, and have used it for just about a week. Also ordered an extra 901 battery from them, as one of the batteries that came in my kit was DOA, and is currently being replaced.
- So: I have 2 batteries (one from e-Smokey Treats, one from Electronic Ash, with a third battery in the process of being replaced), 3 attys, and a passthrough
I've had *no* problems at all with the exception of the DOA battery which is currently, (and courteously!
) being replaced.
This week, the weather here in the Chicago area went from pleasant (nothing higher than the low 80s) to
HOTTTT (mid-90s to near 100, with heavy humidity and I have no A/C). Amost immediately after the weather changed,
everything went south with my vaping hardware.
On the first day of heavy heat/humidity (yesterday), both batteries went completely dead for no reason. No blinking LED - just completely stopped working from one draw to the next. Swapped to second battery (which is only about a week old) and it also was completely dead, even though it was fully charged. When I put either battery in the charger, the light turns green almost immediately, but neither will heat the atty or light the LED. (Tried the gentle 'banging' thing to try to activate the switch, but no response)
This morning (day two of heat/humidity), my USB passthrough is acting up (blinking after a couple of draws - it's not done that since I began using it a week ago). I'm getting little/no vapor unless the atty is freshly topped off, and then I get a semi-decent hit (but not like before) for only a couple of draws.
I'm not sure if the attys are working (all three get warm to the touch when I draw using the USB passthrough, but little or no vapor), or if the USB passthrough is the issue.
Sooooooo...
HELP! I've been vaping for about 2 1/2 weeks and within one day,
everything went south and I have no idea what might be "broken"! I don't have anything "new" to swap out and test where the problem might be, although I ordered 2 new batteries and 2 new attys from
Electronic Ash today (because their shipping is exceptionally fast -
didn't mean to go behind your back, e-Smokey Treats!).
I cleaned my attys by soaking for 2 hrs in 50/50 boiling water and vinegar, then rinsing and drying completely by blowing out water and using hair dryer, and adding 2 drops of e-liquid onto the mesh element in the atty. One atty works better as a result, but the other two didn't seem to make any difference. USB passthrough still blinks after a couple of draws using any of the three.
Here are my questions:
- What does it mean when my USB passthrough blinks? It can't mean "dead battery", or "cleaning".... can it? Is it dying?
- How can I tell if my attys are dead/dying? (Does the fact that they get warm when I draw mean that they're OK?)
- Should hardware be expected to last more than two weeks?
- Is it expected that weather like excessive heat/humidity would effect hardware performance? (Any Floridians who could comment, I'd be very grateful!) If weather is a factor, can I expect things to work again when the heat/humidity let up?
I've been reading quite a bit from this forum and I see so many contradictions. I have no idea what I should expect, and only have a faint idea regarding how to take care of hardware, especially attys, because of the contradictions... (Never clean - just blow; Definitely boil; Soak in Coca Cola; on and on...)
I also see comments that indicate people have batteries/attys that have lasted for months, but in nearly every case, the poster has offered
no explanation regarding how/why their hardware is doing so well.
So,
Very Respectfully, I'd like to let you know that if your goods are doing well and have lasted forever -
I'm very happy for you! (...but I'm more interested in knowing the hows and whys of what
made it last... I'm a
n00b!)
Any input from the
very good folks at
e-Smokey Treats or
Electronic Ash (I've had great luck with both customer service and delivery from both!) would be much appreciated!
Thanks so much!
It's a long shot but I will know this afternoon. Anyone in the Milwaukee area know how to do this? I have cash! 
