Why is my Riva not working?

[irina]

Hello, everybody!

I wonder if you can help me with my problem. I got my Riva 501 kit three weeks ago and was really enjoying vaping. But a couple of days ago it all started going downhill. When I try to vape I only manage to get 1-2 good drags and then it becomes really weak and, basically, doesn't work properly.
I charge and replace battery regularly, clean and replace atomizers, refill and renew the cartridges - what am I doing wrong?! What else do I need to do? I know that i am new and inexperienced, so help me, please!!!

 

[tokengirl]

You're probably not doing anything wrong. Rivas are notoriously unreliable. It's not totally unusual to only get 3 weeks out of one. Riva/ego is a great little PV but they are very disposable.

Riva/ego batteries really thrive on a partial discharge/full recharge cycle. They really don't like being run all the way down between charges. Using them in this fashion will decrease overall battery life. It's too bad they don't include an owner's manual to warn you about that.

I always felt the need to run 3 Rivas daily as a lifestyle; one for the first half the day, one for the second half, and one as a spare. Then I'd need 2 chargers for overnight recharges. I was running through a battery every 6 weeks average and at $23-$25 each it wasn't cheap, not to mention I'd have to stock up and have a fresh spare available because you could never tell when one was going to bite the dust. You could get 3 months out of one... or 3 weeks. I've been through enough of them from enough different distributors to get an idea that this is just how it is with this product.

Then the USB Ego came out I omg the difference. I never worry about running out of battery life anymore. Because you can vape it while it's charging it almost never runs out. I have 2, one cord attached to PC and one cord in the car (with 2amp universal usb car charger). When I'm out and about I never worry about running down a battery because as soon as I ht the car I can charge it back up. I don't have a desk job but if you did, charging would be even easier.

They are such a deal there is no reason not to get one. Highly highly highly highly recommended upgrade from regular Riva.

 

[Sainted_S]

Rivas are notoriously unreliable. It's not totally unusual to only get 3 weeks out of one. Riva/ego is a great little PV but they are very disposable.

Riva/ego batteries really thrive on a partial discharge/full recharge cycle. They really don't like being run all the way down between charges. Using them in this fashion will decrease overall battery life. It's too bad they don't include an owner's manual to warn you about that.

I always felt the need to run 3 Rivas daily as a lifestyle; one for the first half the day, one for the second half, and one as a spare. Then I'd need 2 chargers for overnight recharges. I was running through a battery every 6 weeks average and at $23-$25 each it wasn't cheap, not to mention I'd have to stock up and have a fresh spare available because you could never tell when one was going to bite the dust. You could get 3 months out of one... or 3 weeks. I've been through enough of them from enough different distributors to get an idea that this is just how it is with this product.

Then the USB Ego came out I omg the difference. I never worry about running out of battery life anymore. Because you can vape it while it's charging it almost never runs out. I have 2, one cord attached to PC and one cord in the car (with 2amp universal usb car charger). When I'm out and about I never worry about running down a battery because as soon as I ht the car I can charge it back up. I don't have a desk job but if you did, charging would be even easier.

They are such a deal there is no reason not to get one. Highly highly highly highly recommended upgrade from regular Riva.

It is news to me that they are unreliable. I'm a pretty heavy vaper and I have had one battery go bad (due to a shorted LR atty) in over 6 months and I am very negligent about charging. They die and I put them on the charger and forget about them until I need it again.

It sounds more to me that the OP probably has a dying atty or perhaps flooding the atty. If she is using the stock polyfil and it is worn it could cause alot more juice to reach the atty. I've also had issues in the beginning with the polyfil burning and sticking to the bridge on the atty. I'd suggest to the OP that she blow out the atty from the connection end and then drip 2 drops directly on the atty and see if that solves the problem. If you don't have a drip tip you can use an empty cartridge at the end of the atty after dripping .

 

[irina]

If she is using the stock polyfil and it is worn it could cause alot more juice to reach the atty.

Sorry, I am not very advanced in the technical language - what are you talking about here? What is 'the stock polyfil'? I did clean the atty with the compressed air... Shall I order new attys then? What is an average life expectancy of it in your experience?

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Rivas are unreliable? That's also news to me, considering that I've had the same Riva kit since last September and it's still going strong. It's even been dropped and still it's kept working!

I have to agree with Sainted on this one. The OP might want to try blowing out the atty when this happens to see if it's getting flooded. When I used carts I would take the filler out and cut it in half because most of the time the new ones were overstuffed. If the filler looks worn you can just trim off the worn area and keep using it.

 

[Silversmyth]

I agree SS.
Only problem i have had was with the eGo PT battery--it died
( LF replaced it with no problem)
Using eGo and Riva for over 2 monthes now without a hitch .
I agree about possible "flooding" won't get squat out of it till you get rid of excess juice.

And with WOH

 

[mylose64]

make sure you're blowing out your atty and try dripping (cartridges are kinda weird sometimes, actually most of the times).

If all else fails msg the supplier and ask for a new kit.

Riva510 is a very RELIABLE PV, but like all PV's it can create some question marks around your head when it's not working properly!

Good luck hopefully you find a solution

 

[irina]

Thanks! I realised now that something is wrong with the atty!

#How do I get rid of excess juice?

 

[Kent C]

Unreliabable ecigs don't sell. eGos and Rivas are top sellers. There are the rare DOA or near DOA cases and it's usually within the warranty period where there isn't a problem. I'd send it back or contact the vendor to see what they say. That said - some have fried batteries on Low Resistance 1.5Ω attys. I haven't but no longer use them, although I do use the 1.7Ω tank attys and they work great.

 

[Sainted_S]

Sorry, the polyfil is the white stuffing in the cartridges. It is not the best material available to use in the cartridges. Most people who prefer cartridges mod them with different material such as Lipton's pyramid tea bags and the Marineland Rite Size U blue foam. When I use cartridges I found for myself that the blue foam worked best for me and I always replaced the white stuffing in an carts or smart cart immediately. From there I went to dripping and I stayed there for awhile and now I use cartomizers. Atties are tricky some will last quite awhile but usually it is anywhere from 1-3 months and occassionally you get the bad ones that only last a couple weeks (sadness). I'd order a five pack so that you have extras of extras and you may want to try the Boge LR cartos.

 

[silkakc]

Thanks! I realised now that something is wrong with the atty!

#How do I get rid of excess juice?

Irina,

Take the atty off the battery and unhook the cart or drip tip. Put your mouth on the open end and gently blow the juice into a paper towel. Then take your finger and cover the big bottom hole and gently blow again. There are tiny vent holes in the screw threads too that can clog


Lori

 

[Sainted_S]

Unreliabable ecigs don't sell. eGos and Rivas are top sellers. There are the rare DOA or near DOA cases and it's usually within the warranty period where there isn't a problem. I'd send it back or contact the vendor to see what they say. That said - some have fried batteries on Low Resistance 1.5Ω attys. I haven't but no longer use them, although I do use the 1.7Ω tank attys and they work great.

I have to say the battery that did die had only been used for about 3 weeks, but I had bought it months before so it would have been under warranty if I had started using it right from the get-go. Lesson learned--when buying a new kit, don't save it for a rainy day, start using it immediately and put your old kit in reserve as a back up so you can claim the warranty if something does go wrong.

 

[irina]

Sorry for being so 'illiterate' - but what is the difference betweem an atomizer and cartomizer? I know that atomizer works with cartriges which you have to refill regularly with the juice, but what is the idea with cartomizers? Are they suitable for Riva 501? Are they more expensive?
Still don't know how to get rid of possible 'flooding' of my atomizer...
I had to rivert to smoking normal cogs today and feel really bad abou it...

 

[irina]

Sorry for being so 'illiterate' - but what is the difference between atomizers and cartomizers? I know that atomizers work with cartriges which you have to refill with the e-liquid, are cartomizers different? Are they compatible with Riva 510? Are they more expensive?
Still don't know how to get rid of possible 'flooding' of my atty...
I had to go back to smoking real cigs today... Feel guilty about it.

 

[irina]

oops, posted it twice! Sorry1

 

[irina]

And thanks for your advice, silkakc!

 

[Kent C]

I have to say the battery that did die had only been used for about 3 weeks, but I had bought it months before so it would have been under warranty if I had started using it right from the get-go. Lesson learned--when buying a new kit, don't save it for a rainy day, start using it immediately and put your old kit in reserve as a back up so you can claim the warranty if something does go wrong.

I've done that 'save for a rainy day' thing with other stuff too - understood!

 

[Sainted_S]

Sorry for being so 'illiterate' - but what is the difference betweem an atomizer and cartomizer? I know that atomizer works with cartriges which you have to refill regularly with the juice, but what is the idea with cartomizers? Are they suitable for Riva 501? Are they more expensive?
Still don't know how to get rid of possible 'flooding' of my atomizer...
I had to rivert to smoking normal cogs today and feel really bad abou it...

I'm sorry, your still new to vaping and can't be expected to know the terminology. A cartomizer is a combination of an atty and cartridge in one unit. They are suitable for the Riva 510. Anything that has 510 threading can be used on the Riva you have, however some LR atties and cartos can cause problems on them. I've been using LR exclusively for about 4 months and only one problem. The question about price is subjective because if an atty last for a good month it is a better value, but cartos come in a five pack and can last about a month. It's really more about convenience. I've found that atties require a lot more work than carts, they get bogged up and have to be cleaned while a carto is just fill and go and when it stops producing you can take the time and trouble of cleaning or just throw it away. It is really what each individual wants out of vaping. I went from using cartridges to dripping to cartos (I curse Liberty Flights for hyping the Boge LR cartos and piquing my curiosity--the hype was genuine and now I gotta have them) the methods are all different and all have their pros and cons. It is best to find out early what will work for you.

 

[swedishfish]

Sorry for being so 'illiterate' - but what is the difference between atomizers and cartomizers? I know that atomizers work with cartriges which you have to refill with the e-liquid, are cartomizers different? Are they compatible with Riva 510? Are they more expensive?
Still don't know how to get rid of possible 'flooding' of my atty...
I had to go back to smoking real cigs today... Feel guilty about it.

You're not illiterate, your new. Don't feel guilty about smoking a real cig. There is a big learning curve with this stuff and you're bound to get frustrated. It happens to everyone.

I couldn't use the carts and attys either. I'm sure it was me, I just could never get them to work right at all. Stainted S gave a good suggestion, try cartomizers. That's what I use. It works out better for me.

 

[wyojoe]

Some times the little post inside the top of the battery connection gets pushed down from screwing on a atty's to hard. I have had this happen to me a couple of times, and all you need to do is, with a paper clip pry it up a little (you can see it move up) then try it again.