Video request: thorough cleaning eGo T attys

[Cat_in_the_Playground]

I just got my eGoT a couple days ago and already one of my attys performance has started to decrease. I am going to try the basic cleaning methods I have read about on ECF (soaking, flushing, dry burn, etc), but in the event that doesn't work, I would like a video of how to clean it more thoroughly by taking it apart. I got a great description from orion 7319

Step 1 Remove the needle and wick. Tool needed, a small flat blade screwdriver. Look into your attie, you should see two slots on either end. Take a flat blade scewdriver that is narrow enough to fit into the atty yet not very small. Push the scewdriver in the atty on one of the sides with the slots. Hold the atty and screwdriver horizontally. Try and press the atty against the screwdriver blade. You are trying to push the needle against the blade in order to apply pressure to the plate. This will pop the plate lose. Once it's loose shake the needle and wick out, or grab it with some pliers.

Step 2 Burn the wick. Hold the needle plate and the wick with some pliers and burn the wick with a lighter. Keep burning it until it glows red. Keep burning it until it is no longer black, and has turned white again. The wick is made of silica and can withstand temps of a couple of thousand degrees. It will burn white like when you burn steel. The gunk burns off, but the wick is OK.

Step 3 Dry burn the atty a few times to clean the coil.

Step 4 Hold the wick with your pliers again from the needle end and run the wick under the tap on a very low flow. You want to get the stands of the wick clustered together again in order to have all wick material centered in the atty and touching the coil.

Step 5 Take your needle nose pliers and insert the needle plate and wick as far into the atty as you can. Next hold the atty vertical and insert a 1/4 inch nutdriver into the atty over the needle and onto the plate. Make sure the needle plate and wick are aligned straight down and then push straight down to pop it back into place.

Step 6 Do a hot water rince and blow out the atty really good. Dry the inside of the atty and the battery end of the atty as best as you can with a paper towel. You can now use your atty again, no need to wait for it to dry. Just prime it and start vaping.

If you destroy a wick, build another one following this thread. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ego-type-models/169520-simplecjs-ego-t-wick-mod.html

But, despite how detailed his description is, I am not that technically inclined or am a visual learner (or a little of both) and could really use a video of how to do the steps above (or similar using your own method).

I have searched ECF, YouTube, etc and have not been able to find one. If such a vid already exists, please post a link.

Thanks so much!

 

[orion7319]

If I can find the time, I will try and do a video for you buddy It's hard for me to find the time though, with a two year old and a wife studying for her CPA... I can try something quickly using my phone I guess. Most likely over a weekend

 

[Cat_in_the_Playground]

If I can find the time, I will try and do a video for you buddy It's hard for me to find the time though, with a two year old and a wife studying for her CPA... I can try something quickly using my phone I guess. Most likely over a weekend

THANK YOU!!! Thus far, I only have one atty that seems to be acting up. I'm going to try the basic cleaning methods, but in the event that does not work, I want to be prepared. As good as the description is, I'm a visual learner (not to mention being fairly new to vaping). I can understand your time constraints. Even if it is next weekend or a month from now... I have attys to hold me.

Again, Thank you!!!!!!!!!

 

[Katya]

 

[Cat_in_the_Playground]

Katya - I can't thank you enough for finding that for me. I searched YouTube and didn't find this video (and I searched a lot of different terms). That is EXACTLY what I needed to see. After watching it, I'm certain I would have royally screwed it up trying to follow the directions I posted (they are great directions, its just something I needed to see to understand. Darn that visual learning...)

Question - do you or anyone have any suggestions about what I could use to push the plate back down into the atty? I can't think of anything that is a hollow tube like the tool she used that would press the plate down w/o putting pressure on the wick.

Well, you know what I'll be doing after I wake up today (yes, its 7am and I haven't been to sleep yet. Darn being a night owl). Thank you again.

 

[Katya]

Grab any mechanical pencil, if you have one, metal is better than plastic, unscrew the bottom (writing end) cap and you'll have a a nice sturdy tube. Just the right diameter.

 

[Cat_in_the_Playground]

Grab any mechanical pencil, if you have one, metal is better than plastic, unscrew the bottom (writing end) cap and you'll have a a nice sturdy tube. Just the right diameter.

Again, thank you! What a great idea. I don't have a metal one, but I have some disposable plastic ones that I can pull the top off of and leave a hollow tube on one end. I pulled it out and tested it. As you said, just the right diameter. I never would have thought of this.

Clean tank attys, here I come!

 

[Katya]

You're most welcome!

Please let as know how it goes. This procedure is not for the faint of heart...

I'm waiting for my first atty to die. I'm afraid of disassembling a good one.

 

[Cat_in_the_Playground]

You're most welcome!

Please let as know how it goes. This procedure is not for the faint of heart...

I'm waiting for my first atty to die. I'm afraid of disassembling a good one.

I know what you mean. I've got a couple that need to be cleaned. I'm going to do the basic cleaning that others described (soaking and washing, etc). If that doesn't work, then I have a good video to follow. Despite how detailed those directions were, there was just no way I could do it w/o a visual. And even with a visual, I'm still leery. I'll definitely let you know how it goes when I try it.

 

[Katya]

For what it's worth, this is how I clean my atties. Works for me. My two original ones, bought in late January, are still alive.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ego-type-models/170104-dont-buy-ego-t-7.html#post2833705

 

[Cat_in_the_Playground]

I have 3 attys that still work but performance lacking. Blowing them out helped initially, but then back to the same. Blowing one out actually made it worse (I wasn't having any problems with it). Since they needed to be cleaned anyway, I decided this was the time to vape the tank of RY4 I filled (thinking dark juices wouldn't matter too much - but if I was having problems w/light juices, I didn't want to cause more problems w/dark juice). I popped in that new tank and BINGO - the atty giving me problems was like new. I'm thinking the tanks might not last as long as some people say. The hole gets bigger with each insert/removal and the juice leaks (causing it to be needed to be blown out more frequently and losing juice to the atty).

I have that thread saved. I know my regular attys, I blow out, rinse with water, soak in rubbing alcohol, then keep filling with IPA until it runs well out the battery end, blow out and set to dry on my ATT gateway for 24 hrs. I still have my original atty (about 3 mos) and no problems with it.

 

[Trbobitch]

I tried like hell and couldn't get the plate out of mine... I wonder if they glued them in or something. Someone else suggested vinegar and baking soda. I could see that working very well as a cleaning solution.

 

[orion7319]

Oh thanks for posting that video! I was going to try to make one next weekend but that has pretty much everything covered. I would suggest though burning the wick when you have it out. That to me is critical and easy to do, just put it back into the needle plate and burn it with a lighter. Also I use a 1/4 nut driver to but the plate back in (because I had one already). The multibit screwdriver seems to work as well.. also a ball point pen disassembled would probably work too. To remove the wick plate I just use a flat blade screwdriver and press against the needle from one of the slotted ends and it just pops right off. It requires more pressure the first time you do it.

 

[nordoe]

Great post. I was searching the forums yesturday and stumbled across this post. I had 4 dead tank atty's at home. I decided to try it, 3 of the 4 are working great. 1 seems to be dead, but i will take those odds. Very happy.