Maintenance 2.10 Cleaning Your E-Cigarette Atomizers

Hachiroku

Well, being an expert at KILLING ATTYS, one of the first things I found was, DON'T clean it like that! I was dunking them in isopropyl, then blowing through them and drying them overnight. BTW, vaping alcohol tastes REALLY BAD!

I got away with it a few times, then I took a pretty good working atty, cleaned it and let it dry overnight. I screwed it on and went to vape and, absolutely nothing! It was working fine before I 'cleaned' it.

Now, I don't know why this would affect it, because I took it apart and could find no reason why it bit the dust, but it did. I even let it dry overnight again. Nope. Dead.

On a lot of people's recommendation, I now take them off and blow through them from the battery side to get any juice flooding it out of there.

VtVapor

Ok, I should be busy writing an exam or sleeping so I can get up and take another 5 hour exam, but this thread....

What the BLEEP are you guys doing to your atomizers?!?!?!?

I mean, I vape pretty constantly and I haven't had an atty go on me since I switched to the 510 (mid May). So, I'm asking, . . . wtf? Err, you do know they aren't meant to run off 120 volts, right?

(Disclaimer: ok, I did kill someone else's atty while cleaning it - sorry Linda - but that was just me hurrying and after I'd washed it with alcohol I heated it too fast while trying to evaporate the alcohol and, well, oops)
~~Adam

Dhileas

Not sure, but I've never heard of using mouthwash of any kind. Might have had an adverse effect on the atty.

Rocketman

some mouthwash has PG in it. I'm not sure PG is good for atomizers

Some of us don't have problems with attys, some of us do.
Why?
No idea. I started out killing cigar attys.
Not good, because that's like the entire cigar ($$$).
Now that the "itty bitty" e-cig trend is shifting to the "slightly bigger" MOD
I'm thinking of moving from the 510 atty to the 801 on a flashlight.
The only reason I didn't like the 801 was the size. Now the reason I'm thinking about the 801 is size (about 1ml in juice per load). Trying it now. A flashlight MOD, 510 to 801 adapter, 801 atty.

Rocket,

one day grasshopper, you will realized the importance of becoming one with your atomizer

SmokeAdellic

@DHILEAS
I cant believe you have never heard of using mouthwash.......if you google on how to clean your atty its the #1 result.
@Rocketman
The stuff you smoke has PG in it.
P.S. I think you and your attys are alittle to close
@Everyone
On a final note I dont think I will try cleaning my atty with anything until someone finds a official method that works for everyone......till then I will just blow them out from the battery end and also I will not be using the m series with exposed attys.......I have a 510 manual on the way.

Stehle

Anyway most of you know how I roll with atomizers. (One of the lucky ones I guess.)

...but the mouthwash bath is something I've always wanted to try. Could it be better than the 1oz pure alcohol in the plastic cup treatment I use in my ultrasonic in a hot water bath I wonder???

Looks like the atti's and me will be sharing some "CoolMint Listerine" this weekend.

SmokeAdellic

The say use alcohol free crest pro health mouthwash but I dont understand that because some people say use alcohol.

Hachiroku

HEY! How OLD are you guys?!?!?

I had a feeling you were young yet. Excellent! Now, for you and for anyone else in the juice/e cig game, I hope we can hold the FDA at bay. This is a GREAT little cottage industry, an excellent boost for the entreprenurial spirit.

Now, about the attys, I dunno, other than connecting them with jumpers to my Supra... I just keep killing the $%#^ things! At first I was cleaning them in isopropyl, then I managed to kill one immediately diong so, then I built a 5v "mod" (that plugs directly into my computer's 5v/20A power supply). I think this might have something to do with it...(the slight ZAPPING sound and a smell of burnt hair might be clues...)

I was wondering about the juice I'm using, and it's yours, but if you aren't having trouble with attys then I guess we can rule this out.

I dunno, I just vape. Constantly. Get up, take 15-20 hits, eat breakfast, take 15-20 hits, get my parts for the day and load them in the car, take 15-20 hits, drip some more juice in the cart, take 15-20 hits, go downtown, take 15-20 hits, get my coffee, get in the car, take 15-20 hits, drink some coffee, drive for 7-10 miles, take 15-20 hits. Make a couple phone calls, add 2-3 drops to the cart, take 15-20 hits. Get a couple call backs, take 15-20 hits...etc etc.

I only use the Atty Smasher (the 5v computer hook up) when an atty starts wimping out after 3-4 days, zap it a few times, then use it. Then put it back on the Atty Smasher, use it for a day and DEAD. I only attach them to the 5V contraption when they stop producing the kind of vapor the 510 is known for, but that's only maybe three days, four at tops.

I'm wondering if either my batteries are weak, and not heating the element up enough, or if the pass thru I have is damaging the attys, but I got the pass thru from you guys...

One thing I have noticed: I made a 'pass thru' for my car, plugs into the ciggy lighter, and then to a TI chip that adjusts the voltage to 4.2 at 2.5 amps. They seem to really like this, and will vape for hours connected to this. I'm wondering if my batteries are undervoltaging and causing the failure by not getting the atty hot enough. I took an atty off the Atty Smasher right after it gave off a very slight ZZZAP, and have been using it on the car unit for 4 days, still vaping absolutely great...

Dhileas

I had used poly fill for batting at one point. Lesson learned.

Robert

I'm 41 that's young right?

OK I've been reading your atty killing threads- here is my take on yer problem.

I vape constant too. 510 atty at a consistant 5.01 volt exactly (Ti reg)

They usually last me a month at least- maybe 2?

Juice- I only use Nhaler ( I got terrriblle juice from China / will not go cheap again)

I don't clean my attys. I only use 1 flavor for 1 atty (important). I DRY BURN CLEAN about once a week 2-3 time 5-9 second each.

At 3.7 volt I lost more atty's but not from electrical failure- but it seemed like it. I lost them from clogging. 3.7 volts wasn't strong enough to burn off the junk. At 5 volt I seem to burn clean and keep the atty working better that ever.

When I used a 6 volt device ( really they are 7.2 then drop down to 6 volt / another story ) I did lose a few attys. 6 volt was too high for that and the burnt taste issues.

Hmmm All I can say is this is my take on the 510 atty- Keep it wet.

Allways have a spare in your pocket. Walking to the mailbox or driving across town.

Dhileas

Good advice, although I don't dry burn. I do dedicate a flavor per atty, although I also only use one flavor at a time. I don't really have much disposable income, so I buy and use one bottle at a time.

Also, when I was starting on with the 510, I had an issue with overfilling the cart and sometimes the atty would get quite a bit of liquid pushed up inside the air cavities. I recommend using a can of compressed air to clean it out. Cover the bottom and side air holes with a napkin or rag and spray the top air hole with the can of air.

Hachiroku

I'm hoping Adam checks back in, since I primarily use Vt Vapor juice, but if I do use another juice I try to make sure it's VG based, and I think this might be the problem. I think the VG based juices are 'gummier' when heated than the PG based fluids, but I read an FDA report that found some juiced emitted DEG, which is a toxin (like Nicotine ain't?!) But the idea of using an e cig is to REDUCE toxins, so I went with VG based juices.

I also think the 3.7v standard battery is too low, esp with the VG based fluids, and lets them gum the atty up easier. I went backwards from what you did, and got a TI module that, instead of boosting the voltage, takes a higher voltage and resulates it downwards; since I spend most of my day in a car I went from 12V to 4.2, with a limit of 2.5 amps, for a total of ~9 watts. The atties seem to like this combination; I have been using the same atty for a week on one and it vapes as good as the day I first tried it. I also have one of those boosters like you're using, and I'm going to try that. IIRC, that has a current limit of ~3 amps, which should yield ~15 watts. That's double what an atty utilizes on a 3.7v battery, and might be pushing it, but you and others say it works well.

I think the Atty Smasher, 5V@20 amps(!) is a bit much! We're talking up to 100 watts, if left wide open! (or, until the atty expires...). I'm going to modify this also to provide 4.2v at 2.5 amps; I need a different value resistor to hit 5v and I can't get the right resistors at Rad Shack... I'll have to look...it may be that NO resistor is required for 5v; I have so many different regulators to try out I can't remember which is which...

Why, this is ALMOST as much fun as when I did destructive testing at a power supply manufacturer!!!

(er, can you tell I have a new keyboard...)

Robert

I'm not boosting voltage- I'm also regulating it. I can take up to 12 volts and bring it backto 5.01.

I take 2 CR2's 3.0 volt ( really they are higher @ full charge) and use a TI regulator to bring the voltage back down to 5.01 volts.

I never used VG juice- that does sound like a gumming problem.

Rocketman

Robert;
Switching regulator or linear? 7805 type?

Hachiroku

The 7805s are only good for about an amp. I tried this, going from 12V from my computer PSU to 5v regulated by the 7805. Does not work well. The first couple hits are really good, and then it gets pretty weak, I think because of internal limiting. THe TI 'power module' is the way to go. Go to the web site and order some samples. The TI items are good for some wattage, the one I have in the car is limited at 2.25 amps, and at 4.2V that's over 8 watts, which seems to work fine. I think the ~3v-5v booster is good for 3 amps, and there are some that are good for 6 or so (that's 24 watts!) I was also thinking of going with a 5 watt or more Zener, but I'm sure you know, with a Zener you need at least 2V more than the regulated output. That's fine if you're using an input voltage like 12V from your ciggy lighter socket, but rather weak at 6~7.2V. You could go 4.2 Zener with two 3.7s ganged together.

The 7805 is IIRC linear, while the TI modules are switching.
All the switching does is make a kind of 'sizzling' sound on my XM receiver.

Rocketman

I was referring to the 7 volt drop to 5.01 regulator. There are some higher rated 7805 types rated at 1.5 amps (with heat sinking of course) but for short duration vapes would only get really really warm, not hot

At 1.5 amps thru the 7805 series drop is about 1.3 volts minimum. In order words at least 6.3 volts in would be required for 5 volts out. About 3 watts is dissipated as heat by the regulator at 7 volts in, and about 2 watts at 6.3 volts in. About 71 to 83% efficiency for energy consumption. Go below 6.3 and the 5 volts out will suffer. This is referred to as drop out effect, which generally increases with load and temperature. There is a low drop-out version available, but efficiency (or lack of it) is a fact of life with a series regulator.

Options would be the switching charge transfer pump (booster) like you are using. One problem with these is unloaded regulation. If they are wired on and the load switched then unloaded current (like zero ma) may be out of parameter and the regulation undefined. You could check the rating curves for the device you are using and see if zero current is recommended while powered. THis is a problem with a lot of foreign computer supplies. A no load bench test can fry one of these. Some type of load is required when ever powered on.

and the beat goes on.


Rocket

Go below the

Robert

Linear

Product Information-
Features

Precision Positive Linear Series Pass Voltage Regulation
0.45 V Dropout at 3 A
50 mV Dropout at 10 mA
Quiescent Current Under 650 µA Irrespective of Load
Adjustable (5-Lead) Output Voltage Version
Fixed (3-Lead) Versions for 3.3-V and 5-V Outputs
Logic Shutdown Capability
Short-Circuit Power Limit of (3% × VIN × ISHORT)
Low VOUT to VIN Reverse Leakage
Thermal Shutdown
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Rocketman

OK, surfed over to TI and asked for a couple of samples. Nice product with applications that need 5 volts from 6.

ChRiS

...

Hachiroku

BUMP

Did you ever do anything with them?

The Atty Smasher uses a DC to DC converter set at 4.2. I tried a 5V using the NatSem regulator but it was way too much. IMHO, 4.2 is just right, and I actually might make one at 3.9 or 4V.

berger

How do you guys feel about the cartomizers if your trashing you atomizers. I'm brand new to this whole deal and got njoy RN4081 and it came with a bunch of cartomizers as well as an atomizer. If the cartomizers can be refilled several times then the atomizer seems redundant as they only cost a couple bucks a piece anyway.

Hachiroku

I'm using cartomizers almost all the time because of the price. If I blow an $8-9 atty in three days, that's about $3 a day. If I gum up a $1.65 cartomizer in three days, that's $0.55 a day. The flavor isn't there, but I can use them on my 4.2V mod, they put out a decent cloud, and don't cost too much.

berger

I was a pack a day menthol smoker ulights or light 100's
I started about 2 weeks ago and threw away all the analogs
I find 1 cartamizer makes it through the day (unless drinking of course)
how many carts do you go through in a day?

Rocketman

berger,
you are refilling, right?

I start with a topped off cartomizer, and keep topping it off during the day. Probably oscillating between 50% full and 75% full just because I don't take the time to let it soak before I start vaping again. This goes on several times during the day.
I am on day 6 (stop whining Hacki ) on one carto but will change and start a new one tomorrow. Give em lots of air, not lots of volts, lol.

Rocky

berger

No, I'm not refilling yet because my kit came with a bunch of them (30 or so)
Im trying to figure out what juice to use for menthol as there seems to be a whole bunch of different ideas on that particular flavor. I was looking at possibly Halo pure or vermont vapors but haven't made up my mind just yet. Still trying to read through all the posts and figure it out. Any suggestions appreciated