Help With Atomizers/cleaning/knowing When To Replace

[twelveday]

So i checked out a couple of other posts and read up, people usually say replace them when taste goes away or when not as much vapor is produced. Well, I've been on 2 LR atomizers back n forth the past month, and I've been cleaning them maybe once or twice a week (run under hot water/blow/let dry etc), I've noticed after I clean them and let them dry, even after i drip 3-5 drops of e-liquid into them I get this nasty burnt metallic taste. It produces vapor like it normally would but it tastes nasty, but after I drip like 5 more drops (flood the atomizer and it starts to leak), the burnt taste goes away and its back to normal. The only thing is I vape and vape, its normal but then goes back to burnt nasty metallic tasting vapor until I drip again. The atomizer still works, just instead of knowing im out of e-liquid because theres no vapor or flavor coming out, I get nasty tasting vapor instead. Is this normal? I've ordered a bunch of boge cartomizers I might switch to using those more often. I'm just wondering if my attys have gone bad already or if there is something I can fix to stop that mouthful of nasty vapor when the flavored e-liquid runs out.

[Jeffb]

Sounds pretty normal for a LR atty. They run very warm and require lotsa juice to not get that yucky burning taste.

[twelveday]

Im trying to see if my other one is still good right now, i cleaned it and doesnt seem like theres e-liquid in it but its producing a ton of nasty metal smelling vapor. I'm thinking of just throwing it out already, the thing is that its producing TONS of vapor that tastes disgusting and nothing like the e-liquid anymore, its just that disgusting metal stuff every time, i even dripped diff e-liquid thinking maybe its the e-liquid. I tried just burning the atty for a long time and the coil still turns red and produce vapor when there doesnt seem to be e-liquid in there.

I think im gona puke from vaping it in so much and checking if its not the nasty flavor anymore. I need my vape dammmmittt

Edited January 6, 2012 by twelveday

[Jeffb]

Yeah, may be time for a new one although it still works.

[twelveday]

im looking into the good atomizer i have and the nasty one i have and comparing it. Is there supposed to be a type of fabric in there? The good one kind of looks like it has white rope in there under a metal coil, the bad one looks like it the fabric in there is burnt or not there, I see some type of reddish/brown material instead of the white/yellow colored one in the good atty i have.

Edited January 6, 2012 by twelveday

[Jeffb]

That is what is known as a "wick" . Brand new its white and overtime it becomes brownish, sometimes black, due to the juice and heat. That could be the culprit of your bad tasting atty.

You can try de-wicking the atty:

[twelveday]

it lives! thanks a bunch, i dewicked it and the nasty taste is going away now. Just the small fibers smell so bad while iw as taking them out, they're all black also, i guess i fried the crap out of them.

thanks sooo much.

Edited January 6, 2012 by twelveday

[Jeffb]

Glad it worked!!

[JonHitThingWithRock]

for future reference, it might be a good idea to try boiling them 3 or four times for 10 minutes, blowing them out each time. or pick up an ultrasonic cleaner and clean them with vodka 3 or 4 times, just running hot water through them never seemed to work for me. i only use cartomizers now, which don't clean out too well

[kitsune]

For me, I use them for a couple weeks...the only cleaning I do, is every couple days, I twist the corner of a kleenex or paper towel, gently push into the open end of the atty and let sit over night. drip about 4-5 drops to the atty to reprime. When I start getting the burnt/metal taste...its time to de-wick it and use until it dies. even after de-wicking i use the papertowel method to clean every couple days to keep it from getting clogged up. most of my attys last about a month.

[kitsune]

Since I am mostly computer challenged and can't seem to post the you tube media, you will have to settel for the link....

When De-wicking my atty still isn't enough, not enough vapor or just not preforming right. I will test the atty with a multimeter...should read any where from 1.8ish to 2.4 ish depending on the atty type. If the reading is good, I will debridge the atty. Mind you, I am figuring the atty is headed for the trash....so why not try debridging. Most of the time, I am able to salvage the atty and get good vapor and flavor again. This is only an option if you drip......

[bobthesalesclerk]

For some reason if your atomizer ever just decided to stop working well dewick and debridge it. I just do it as soon as I get an Atty so i don't have to worry about it.

Sent from my flashback honeycomb gtablet

[sasetrase]

I cannot view the dewicking video, is there a text version somewhere?

Also, what is debridging?

Still learning guys, thanks for the help!

[mega]

i find from a past atty that water and it didnt mix. simply blow thru it like hell a few times. add a few drops, and ur good to go. But I use my attys rarely. mostly just to test my new mixes.

[kitsune]

I cannot view the dewicking video, is there a text version somewhere?

Also, what is debridging?

Still learning guys, thanks for the help!

The Bridge and the wick are designed to be used with cartridges...cartridges have become obsolete.

Not sure if there is a text version around, but I will do my best:

Dewicking is pretty easy:

When you look into the atty, you see a silver 'bridge'. Under the bridge are some fibers...usually you can see the fibers poking out. In a new atty the fibers are white, after use they turn dark.

Using a pair of tweezers, grasp the fibers and pull them out...sometimes it takes a few tries to get the stragglers.

Thats all there is to removing the wick....This will often times solve the buring taste.

Removing the bridge(The silver bit in the middle of the atty) is a bit trickier: Removing the bridge is 100% optional. I do find dripping to be easier without the bridge.

Liquid builds up on the bridge over time and changes the flavors of the liquid or can add the the burnt taste.

There is a metal bridge underneath the metal mesh. Using a pair of tweezers, gently push the mesh off the bridge and push to the side...carefully pull the mesh out. if the ceramic bottom of the atty begins to pull out...just push back down with your tweezers....if you pull the ceramic base too far out it will kill the atty.

The metal bridge is a type of clip. I can usually rock it back and forth until it pops out. again, just keep an eye on the ceramic base...it will move a bit, just want to make sure it doesn't pull up to much.

If rocking doesn't work....use the tweezers or a very fine nosed pliers and pinch the bridge and see if that will loosen it. sometimes it takes me a few tried to get it to pop out.

Best to try this for the first time on an atty that you wont be sad to lose. It really isn't very hard once you've done it once.

Hope that help, if not, ask away.

[sasetrase]

Ok, so I don't know if you have any experience with the Ego-C, but this uses the wick to pull liquid out of the tank. I am ASSUMING, that removing the wick would probably not work in this type of atty. I have dripped onto the coil before, but the liquid tends to go through the air flow hole and onto the battery connection.

Simply playing around with ideas for fun, I typically just toss attys and am wondering if there is a way to reclaim them. I will try removing the wick and seeing I have a few with terribly burnt wicks, which were burnt onto the atty coil that I won't mind losing. I shall play around and see how things go. Will post back with results/thoughts.

[mega]

ok so since i only drip with my attys I should probably remove the bridge then right.

[BirdDog]

ok so since i only drip with my attys I should probably remove the bridge then right.

It is not necessary to remove the bridge if you drip. It is a personal choice. I did give de-bridging a try when I primarily was a dripper. I didn't care to much for it because it leaked more.

[DAYVAPE]

I have always de-wicked/de-bridged my atty's before even using them. Seems to work just fine for me... and they last a good long time!

TIP: They will last even longer if you use a 'drip shield', and 510-510 adapter if need be, because you can really keep them juiced up! I mean to the point that flooding them keeps them covered in juice and you don't have to get to that point where you 'dry burn' one accidentally. This only shortens the life of an atty in my opinion... not to mention it burns the wicking within the coil, which will then taste like ***.

Edited January 30, 2012 by DAYVAPE

[kitsune]

dewick---definately. Debride...optional. I do find the flavor is a bit better and less burning over time...the liquid builds up on the metal coil and starts to taste burnt. With the bridge gone, the liquid drips directly to the heating element...again, only for dripping.

removing the wick removes the most potential for burning taste.

personally, I remove both....goes to, trying different methods until you find your sweet spot.

[mega]

i guess I dont drip enough, I have my atty on maybe a hour a day, the rest is my ce2's. its amazing how fast they are to clean.

[twelveday]

hey im waiting on some ce2's to come in i been looking at those for a while. I dont know what im doing wrong or if its just how atomizers work I guess, even the normal resistance ones that came with the ego kit i got i seem to have screwed up somehow in less than a week. All i do is wash them out under hot water, blow out the extra water then let them sit for a couple days to dry, Ive even dewicked them, but the next time i go to vape with them i still get a hint of some funky metallic flavor that just seems to grow over time and never goes away. I know im doing something wrong somewhere, either way I think im going to stick to cartomizers now.

Edited January 31, 2012 by twelveday

[Viper Ron]

How many drop to how many draws are you taking? Attys should last a pretty long time before they need any great deal of cleaning?

[DAYVAPE]

Alot depends on the juice you are using as well... for me, I never clean my atty's. If I do anything at all... it's nothing more than blowing through it to clear what's in there. I don't use many 'dark/sweet' juices either... and I think that may be why mine last me so long!