Atomizer getting clogged?

[ribbery guy]

I've got the 510 setup with tasty vapor (80% PG) juise and I notice after a couple days of use, my atomizer is getting clogged. When I throw on a new atomizer, there isn't much resistance and throat hit is great.

After a couple days to a week of use, the atomizer seems like it doesnt work as well. It will take a harder inhale and won't give nearly as good of a throat hit. Vapors still fine, but the throat hit isn't there and I have to inhale that much harder which gets annoying.

I'll throw on a new atomizer and it's perfect again. Nice throat hit, nice vapor, and i don't have to inhale nearly as hard.

Is it getting clogged? Anything I can do about this because it gets annoying having to use a new atomizer this much and it's so much better using a new atomizer instead of a clogged on. Any ideas here?

 

[MsSki]

You can clean them, I use Crest Pro health, I soak it for about 30 minutes, Run hot water thru it or vodak and blow it out really well and let it dry for a couple of days

Tara

 

[ribbery guy]

The mouthwash? Does it have to be the prohealth type or can i use any kind of mouthwash?

 

[Kent C]

I've got the 510 setup with tasty vapor (80% PG) juise and I notice after a couple days of use, my atomizer is getting clogged. When I throw on a new atomizer, there isn't much resistance and throat hit is great.

After a couple days to a week of use, the atomizer seems like it doesnt work as well. It will take a harder inhale and won't give nearly as good of a throat hit. Vapors still fine, but the throat hit isn't there and I have to inhale that much harder which gets annoying.

I'll throw on a new atomizer and it's perfect again. Nice throat hit, nice vapor, and i don't have to inhale nearly as hard.

Is it getting clogged? Anything I can do about this because it gets annoying having to use a new atomizer this much and it's so much better using a new atomizer instead of a clogged on. Any ideas here?

Well, this gets into the cleaning thing. I don't clean attys that much - higher voltage devices tend to keep them cleaner. But you might try just soaking for about 1/2 hour in the highest proof vodka you have (Galen's is a good cheap, uncolored, unflavored, charcoal filtered 151 proof - @$12) blow it out after the soak, put two drops of juice on the bridge and huff it a bit (not inhaling) to kick start it.

The other 'scientific' thing would be to try another juice that isn't TV. Grab a sample from Nhaler or something. Just to eliminate that possibility. It might be the flavor?? Some flavors/ejuices don't do as well as others. VG will get you more vapor too - just don't vape it pure - cut it with 20% of the Vodka or distilled water.

 

[ribbery guy]

So just drop it a cup of high proof vodka and let soak? Any idea how long? Then just let it dry for a couple days?

 

[MsSki]

Yup just put it in the vodak and give it a swirl, let it soak maybe 20- 30 minutes
Tara

 

[ribbery guy]

So once i do this, it shouldn't be clogged anymore?

How often should i have to do this? Everytime it gets clogged?

 

[Kent C]

So just drop it a cup of high proof vodka and let soak? Any idea how long? Then just let it dry for a couple days?

"might try just soaking for about 1/2 hour in the highest proof vodka..."

One thing about 151 proof stuff is that not only does it dry quickly, it is also used in cutting some ejuices - no sugar or other stuff that might hurt the atty. So you really don't have to dry it out completely. Blow it out, set it on a paper towel, see if it's still wet under the towel - no biggie.

 

[MsSki]

Remember when you dry turn it upside down on a paper towel for 48 hours, I give a dry burn to make sure it is dry and if it is i put "Two" drops of juice in there then load my cart. Everyone do things different but you find what works well for you.

P.S after my soaks, i also bake my atties at 150 degees for 20 minutes and then they are ready to vape again, thats a try at your own risk i havnt had any die yet( key word yet)
Tara

 

[MsSki]

Also remember Atties are not meant to live forever, some will last forever and other may completily die in a week, kinda hit or miss with them always have spares on hand then there will be no fear
tara

 

[ribbery guy]

Also remember Atties are not meant to live forever, some will last forever and other may completily die in a week, kinda hit or miss with them always have spares on hand then there will be no fear
tara

Yeah i've got a couple extra and ill probably be ordering some more soon, but it just gets annoying when they get clogged like this after a couple days. I mean they still heat up, they just don't taste as good and get that throat hit like they did when they were new. Hopefully this solves my problem then im good to go.

 

[MsSki]

What type of Juice are you using? PG normally dont clog up to bad, VG on the other likes to clog them up because the juice is thick. PG also give way better throat hits. JMO
Tara

 

[Kent C]

So once i do this, it shouldn't be clogged anymore?

How often should i have to do this? Everytime it gets clogged?

The main thing if you have no vapor is that you've likely flooded the atomizer with ejuice - just blow it out and restart if that's the case - better than having to clean it if that's the problem. Cleaning is only needed when there's a build up of 'non-liquid crud' around the coil that needs to be dissolved - hence the high proof stuff which acts on it.

With the 510 kit you will have to do this from time to time. It's a judgment call or it's forced on you by poor performance. Some don't ever clean attys - some clean them every other day and swap them out - keeping another atty for every one that is in use. (I used to do that) clean it, blow it out, put a few drops of ejuice on the bridge and put it in a ziplock, bleeding the air out - dry attys die - and then rotate it at the next cleaning. But I have some higher volt mods now - true 3.7v that operate at that peak rate - 510 and mega batts run at around 3.1v - and that extra voltage tends to help keep the atty clean, imo - but that's a kind of 'wet burn' and won't burn out the atty but will, again, imo, help keep it clean. Some people do 'dry burns' - they swear by it but I don't recommend it - again - personal choice but I burnt out my first atty doing that. I haven't had an atomizer die on me in almost a year now, but I've killed a few (more than a few LR attys) ;-)

If you're not getting vapor - first thing would be to suspect that you've flooded the atty - so just blow it out from the batt end into a paper towel at the cart end and start again. If that doesn't do it - try the vodka soak. After that, if it still isn't performing then you might need a new atomizer but at that point you could experiment (after all - it ain't working ;-) and try some of the other remedies. The worst thing to do though is to try all of those when it was merely flooded. "Cleaning" kills more attys in newbies than anything else and it's usually just flooded.

 

[ribbery guy]

What type of Juice are you using? PG normally dont clog up to bad, VG on the other likes to clog them up because the juice is thick. PG also give way better throat hits. JMO
Tara

Tasty Vapor mixes 80% PG 20% VG. It's delicious.

 

[ribbery guy]

Yeah i tried blowing it out and it didn't help. Really the problem isnt the vapor. I'm still getting good vapor production. My problem is that i have to inhale so much harder that it seems like it's clogged and im getting no throat hit.

With a new atomizer, i inhale nice and gently and i get a nice throat hit with nice vapor production.

When it's clogged, i get good vapor production, but no throat hit and have to inhale much harder which i hate.

 

[Kent C]

Yeah i tried blowing it out and it didn't help. Really the problem isnt the vapor. I'm still getting good vapor production. My problem is that i have to inhale so much harder that it seems like it's clogged and im getting no throat hit.

With a new atomizer, i inhale nice and gently and i get a nice throat hit with nice vapor production.

When it's clogged, i get good vapor production, but no throat hit and have to inhale much harder which i hate.

Ok. I didn't really pick up on that. Airflow! Two things - cart or atomizer. Take the cart off and draw and blow through it - sometimes the channels along the cart walls can get clogged. If so, put some 151 down the air channel/s and blow it out - you could take the filler out and soak the cart.

If ok, check the atomizer off of the battery. 'Tail pipe' it - covering the cart end with your mouth (make sure it's not hot of course) and draw and blow. Then cover the bottom center post hole and draw and blow - this checks the air intakes on the sides above the threads only. And this is also where a 151 soak would help - if the air intakes were blocked or clogged as well as the internal air flow past the coil and bridge to the cart.

 

[ribbery guy]

It's definitely not the cart. I took the same cart off the old atomizer and put it on the new atomizer and it works like new. It has to be something going on with the atomizer.

Not sure what you mean by "tail pipe" it. Do you mean just take it off and blow like it was flooded, but blowing the opposite way?

 

[Kent C]

It's definitely not the cart. I took the same cart off the old atomizer and put it on the new atomizer and it works like new. It has to be something going on with the atomizer.

Not sure what you mean by "tail pipe" it. Do you mean just take it off and blow like it was flooded, but blowing the opposite way?

Yes. Looking at it like a 'tail pipe' rather than the threaded end. ;-) It's also the name for vaping without a cartridge. Too hot for me though. But yes, draw and blow from the cart end basically and then cover the bottom batt hole and do it again - thereby forcing the flow through the intakes. Some take a needle or pin to the intake holes too - you could try that too. Chances are though it is buildup around the coil that restricts the airflow. Another possibility (which is why I don't soak in 151 over a 1/2 hour) is that the 'wicking' - threads that are woven throughout the metal mesh has gotten in a wad. That isn't good. Many people just pull the wicking out - and then only use that atty as a 'dripping atty' - the wicking along with the metal mesh help keep the coil area wet.

Another possibility is that the battery and atty thread have build up that is restricting flow when you tighten the atty on to the batt BUT you're saying a new atty draws just fine so I ruled that out but it never hurts to wipe off the atty threads and take a qtip to the battery well (again with the 151 - isopropyl not for human consumption but if you rinsed it well enough afterwards, so say some, it's ok. I simply use the 151 because it cleans and dries well.)

And again, there are some batteries - mainly KR8's in my experience, although the adapter on the Chameleon mod is this way too - where the notches at the top of the batt aren't deep enough to allow for airflow - you simply don't see this much with 510's though but there could be some crud built up there that would do it. All you really have to know is the airflow channel - it comes in via those battery notches to the air intakes on the atty threads - goes through the coil area to the bridge to the cart air channels along side the filler well and to the mouth piece - any obstruction of course will lessen the draw.