wicking question?

[champions]

I have several atomizers (510) that have all pretty much seen the same amount of usage - around two months in the rotation. One in particular is giving me issues.

I always thought that when an atomizer was dead that it just stopped working, ie stopped heating.

This one seems to have just stopped wicking. When I drip juice in it (which is not my normal usage) it slides right down the bridge where it used to kind of absorb a bit. I get a couple of decent draws then its just a burnt taste (like an empty cart). Same deal when I have a full cart on. Couple decent draws then burnt.

My question is: Is it normal for the wicking material to be dead before the heating element?

 

[eHuman]

This can happen. At first, I just removed the wick (510 atty) and that helped. Eventually I learned how to clean, flush and dry-burn my atty and it hasn't happened since. I have not needed to remove the wick on any since either.
The over time of dripping, heating, letting it sit over night, dripping, heating etc. The wick becomes caked with hardened juice and is no longer able to properly wick juice to the atty.

A soak in isopropyl alcohol and hot water flushes can help but I have found that once it gets built up to a point only removing the wick helps. The key is to clean the atty 1-2 times a week (from the time go get it) by flushing with hot water and doing dry burns. (Search for "dry burning" there are good instructions). I do the hot water flushes different because it is easier and more effective. I put a drip tip on my atty, fill up a coffee cup with hot tap water and use a sytinge (no needle) to force hot water through the atty. The tip seals pretty good against the drip tip.

If you routinely flush and dry burn your attys then you will not have that problem to begin with. Preventing it is easier than fixing it.

 

[sjohnson]

Oh, but you can get the problem if you clean/dry burn from the start. What used to be my very best atomizer developed the same problem as the OP rather suddenly, and has been cleaned with ultrasonic cleaning and the dry burn since new. Knowing that atomizer was nearly a year old might explain why it failed in this manner, though

 

[Liv2Ski]

Oh, but you can get the problem if you clean/dry burn from the start. What used to be my very best atomizer developed the same problem as the OP rather suddenly, and has been cleaned with ultrasonic cleaning and the dry burn since new. Knowing that atomizer was nearly a year old might explain why it failed in this manner, though

Man after a year you should frame that badboy. It owes you nothing for that length of service. Vape on

 

[sjohnson]

I attribute long atomizer life to DIY liquids. Whenever I switch to a commercial blend, they crud up rather quickly. Using PG/VG/Alcohol/Water mixes with concentrated flavors (PA, FA) my liquids are nearly clear and little accumulates on the atomizer coil. The atomizers work longer before needing cleaning and last a loooong time.