when to replace atomizers??

[Kyi]

So I pretty much drip most of the time when I'm at home, cartos and clearos that I've tried so far just haven't really given me the vape I want. I have 3 Betterlife dripping atomizers that I got sometime in April that I use daily and they all still work fine. I don't vape a TON and I never really had an atomizer go bad or stop working on me. I have some other crappy atomizers that come with kits that still work, but I don't use because I like the Betterlife ones more. I can't tell if the vape is the same as when I first got them, but they do still work and produce lots of vapor. Should I just use them till they go bad or stop working or will I notice a major decrease in quality over time? I'm trying to figure out if its the juice I get or the equipment I use that's making my vape seem... just not good enough??

I do clean the atomizers every now and then, place it in a small bowl with very hot water, add some apple cider vinegar and vodka to the mix, let it soak for a little bit, then blow the water out of it, dry burn very briefly for a few seconds, and they work just fine!

 

[Unforeseen]

When an atomizer is nearing the end of it's life. It usually decreases in performance. For example, you barely get any vapor out of it.

Also, as an atomizer ages. The ohms either decrease or increase in contrast to where it was originally. So, this will explain why either you have a lack (or any) of throat hit. Or the vapor has become harsh and everything that you put in it tastes burnt.

IMO if they still work and produce a lot of vapor. Then continue using them until you do notice a difference. I still use some of mine that are about 8 months old.

 

[Rickajho]

I like attys. I find that in most cases SR stuff deteriorates so slowly that you really don't notice something is wrong until you think you are missing something and then it's time for a reality check. Even with cleaning they do deteriorate over time, for me that's usually over months. I have found the best realty check is to put them on a meter. If the resistance is going high that pretty much correlates with the vapor output going down.

As far as using them goes? My dead attys pretty much fall into two categories: The rare case where I pop a coil and obviously they are non functional at that point. Or the ones that, despite cleanings, have simply aged out where the resistance has gone high and the vapor output has gone correspondingly low. To me for price vs. enjoyment, if I had to replace an atty every 2 weeks it would hardly be a deal breaker. But my better attys last for months with consistent cleaning.

BTW: If you like attys but need something beyond dripping, try the Joye eGo MEGA cylinder attys. (Liberty Flights calls them an eGo XL type B) The corresponding cartridge for those suckers can hold up to 2.5 ml's! You can vape for hours without having to top off or refill the cartridge. At LF with their 20% discount you can get them in a 3 pack for the price you pay for regular size attys pretty much any other place. These are now my go to atty setup. Wish I had discovered them sooner.

 

[Kemosabe]

thats for that mega atty tip. i had been wondering about those.

 

[six]

As far as using them goes? My dead attys pretty much fall into two categories: The rare case where I pop a coil and obviously they are non functional at that point. Or the ones that, despite cleanings, have simply aged out where the resistance has gone high and the vapor output has gone correspondingly low. To me for price vs. enjoyment, if I had to replace an atty every 2 weeks it would hardly be a deal breaker. But my better attys last for months with consistent cleaning.

BTW: If you like attys but need something beyond dripping, try the Joye eGo MEGA cylinder attys. (Liberty Flights calls them an eGo XL type B) The corresponding cartridge for those suckers can hold up to 2.5 ml's! You can vape for hours without having to top off or refill the cartridge.

I can add a third situation. Now and then, I'll have a 510 atty that quits producing while its ohms are at or near advertized. And, it just quits producing much vapor. What I discovered with those is that the SS mesh under the coil has slid down too far.. The solution was to bang the open end on the nearest table really hard and do so a bunch of times. That packs the mesh back up and around the ceramic cup where it can feed the juice it holds to the coil.

+1 on the ego mega attys. I still use one of those now and then. After doing the fluval mod on the cartridges, they perform and feed quite acceptably.