Wasting Way Too Much Juice!

[Wannavape]

I apologize for always being in need of help and too inept to offer others any advice, but I'm determined to get this right! For a short while my Joye 510 was doing fine. I was using about 2 ml of juice a day and was getting some good throat hits from my dripping. Now it seems like I'm doing everything wrong. Let me begin by saying that I feel sure it's not the fault of the juice or the atty, because occasionally I still get great throat hits and about 10 hits from two drops on the atty. That's rare, though. Today I've been through almost 3 ml of juice in less than 4 hours! This is how it goes:

I start out with a freshly charged battery.

I drip two drops onto the atty that I have already blown out and blotted with a paper towel.

I draw very slowly on my 510 and get only a small amount of vapor.

Next draw is the same.

The third draw produces a bit more vapor, but so far no good throat hits.

Next draw produces a halfway decent throat hit.

Then I get the burned taste.

I put two more drops on the atty, take a draw that produces only a tiny bit of vapor.

Then the juice starts coming out between the atty and the batt.

I take it apart and dry off the connections, screw it back together, and take another draw.

Again only a small amount of vapor is produced.

Assuming that there may be a puddle of juice in the atty, I take a paper towel, roll it up, and mop out the atty.

Now here comes the burned taste, so I have to add more drops, and the cycle continues.

This is starting to drive me crazy. This juice isn't cheap, and I'm running through it really fast. The paper towel I've been using all morning barely has a dry spot on it from my mopping up the atty and cleaning up the juice that comes out onto my fingers.

Heaven forbid that I try to vape in the car. Between mopping up juice and re-dripping the atty, I become an accident waiting to happen. BTW - it matters not which atty I use, this is the way it always happens. Thanks in advance for reading my rambling. I look forward to someone telling me what I'm doing wrong and how to correct my mistakes. I've already tried cartridges, and that was a real bummer for me, so I threw them out and went to direct dripping. I have a serious fear of resorting back to analogs, so I need to get this e-cig thing right! ....Pam

[FTJoe]

Well - I'm not going to be a lot of help. But I had very similar issues in the beginning. Drippers and towelers should show up in a minute. But I had issues with carts (regular polyfill carts). Went to dripping after asking here and that was great. But I started having issues with that as well. Burnt taste, lack of vapor, etc. Was working for a while, then not. Went to a Janty Stick, loved then hated it. Realized the nice 510s I had sitting around with a cart for my wife, still worked great.

So I know this is a cop-out, but can you try the fluval or ptb cart mod, even the spring mod was pretty easy and you only needed a little filler around and see if maybe dripping is the issue. I just never really got the hang of it and had the same type of issues. I also wonder if you are using a towel, are you perhaps taking too much juice out or even damaged the wick. Two drops doesn't sound like enough to put back on if you used a towel. I would think you would want to get it in there pretty good. Is there another atty you can try?

[Brian]

I know you blew it out and used a paper towel, but if it leaks that fast it really sounds like a flooded atty. I would try rolling up a little piece of paper towel and inserting it into the atty and letting it set for a while. Remove and repeat a few times. If that doesn't help, then I hate to say that it may be that he atty's are going bad. I've also noticed that sometime I'll get a leak if I chain vape and the atty gets to hot. Is this a new starter kit? Where did you get it?

Edited February 23, 2010 by Brian

[VegasVapor]

Sounds like something that's happened to me before. How long have you had your 510? With all that juice leaking out, it's possible that there might be some juice build up both on the atty threads and the battery threads. Just take a paper towel and try to clean those threads. You want to make sure there's a clean connection there as it will affect the performance of your device. There could also be some build up on the charger which leads to improper charging.

[Brian]

FTJoe's got a point too. Usually after you do a blow out (or use the paper towel) it will take a little more juice to get it going. Usually 3 drops to start and you'll only get a few hits. Then 1-2 drops should get you back to normal.

[nana]

I've had a problem like that, too, and I have to agree with these guys that it does sound like a flooded atty. Try the tricks they've mentioned to clean it up and start over. It might just work for you. It did for me. Let us know what happens, too.

[J0T]

Sounds like something that's happened to me before. How long have you had your 510? With all that juice leaking out, it's possible that there might be some juice build up both on the atty threads and the battery threads. Just take a paper towel and try to clean those threads. You want to make sure there's a clean connection there as it will affect the performance of your device. There could also be some build up on the charger which leads to improper charging.

I had a similar problem when I started and this was exactly what was happening to me, there was juice disrupting the connection, little on the atty threads, little in my adapter, little in the battery connection, but I didn't realize it so I added more juice and flooded it.

[mcquinn]

It also could be the atty is starting to gunk up and the element is coated and cannot get the liquid hot enough to produce vapor.I would try one of the cleaning methods a few times and it should come around if it is not too far gone.It may be time for a new atty otherwise.Some liquids ,usually the best tasting gum up attys pretty fast.

[Wannavape]

Hi everybody,

I've been rotating attys, but both of them behave the same way. I got my two starter sets from Arno at Awesomevapor.com and feel sure that they are the real thing. I'm using liquid from both Arno and Rockymountainvapor.com, and they both appear to be identical. I'm having to recharge the battery about every two hours or less, and I'm careful to wipe off the threads on the atty as well as the recessed part of the battery before I put it on the charger. I'm rotating among 5 batteries, and I even have them numbered 1-5 (I used a White Out pen to write on them.) I also wipe both of those parts whenever juice oozes out. I guess my biggest complaint is lack of consistency. One time the 510 will work great after dripping, giving me several great hits and no juice leaks out. Then the very next time I drip, it leaks, gives poor vapor, and just generally aggravates me. I've been using these two attys for three weeks now, so I find it hard to believe that they're pooping out. They seem to get quite hot.

[VegasVapor]

It seems like you have the routine down quite well. As mcquinn mentioned, it sounds like gunk probably built up and is preventing the heating coil from doing its job. Three weeks is plenty of time for this to happen. I've had this happen within days if I forget to drain the atty out over night. The next thing I can suggest is to try a cleaning method like boiling.

I have a stock of about a dozen attys. I use each one until this starts happening and just pile them up. Then when I'm down to 1 good atty, I boil the rest of them in water for about 10 minutes. I use a small metal strainer to hold the attys so they don't touch the bottom of the pot. After boiling them I blow them out and let dry for a day or so. This gets all the gunk out and they perform just like new. Be sure to prime a boiled atty with a few drops of juice before using.

If you only have 2 attys, I would probably buy some new ones if you decide to try this. I haven't had any problems with this technique, but you never know.

[Wannavape]

It seems like you have the routine down quite well. As mcquinn mentioned, it sounds like gunk probably built up and is preventing the heating coil from doing its job. Three weeks is plenty of time for this to happen. I've had this happen within days if I forget to drain the atty out over night. The next thing I can suggest is to try a cleaning method like boiling.

I have a stock of about a dozen attys. I use each one until this starts happening and just pile them up. Then when I'm down to 1 good atty, I boil the rest of them in water for about 10 minutes. I use a small metal strainer to hold the attys so they don't touch the bottom of the pot. After boiling them I blow them out and let dry for a day or so. This gets all the gunk out and they perform just like new. Be sure to prime a boiled atty with a few drops of juice before using.

If you only have 2 attys, I would probably buy some new ones if you decide to try this. I haven't had any problems with this technique, but you never know.

Thanks so much for the suggestion. I haven't tried boiling the attys, but I have poured boiling distilled water through them. Perhaps I should do this more often. I do have two more attys that I haven't even used yet, just waiting on these to die. Maybe I should rotate them like I do the batteries.

[VegasVapor]

Thanks so much for the suggestion. I haven't tried boiling the attys, but I have poured boiling distilled water through them. Perhaps I should do this more often. I do have two more attys that I haven't even used yet, just waiting on these to die. Maybe I should rotate them like I do the batteries.

No prob. I think letting them sit in boiling water for a bit might be better since it gives it more time to dissolve the gunk. I get anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks out of an atty before I have to boil it, but like I said it makes it like new again and I get to use it for another 1 to 4 weeks. I don't think I've had an atty completely die out on me yet, but I do have a couple that I don't use anymore because they don't perform as well as the others. I don't know what I'm going to do to them yet, I'd hate to throw them away lol.

[FTJoe]

No prob. I think letting them sit in boiling water for a bit might be better since it gives it more time to dissolve the gunk. I get anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks out of an atty before I have to boil it, but like I said it makes it like new again and I get to use it for another 1 to 4 weeks. I don't think I've had an atty completely die out on me yet, but I do have a couple that I don't use anymore because they don't perform as well as the others. I don't know what I'm going to do to them yet, I'd hate to throw them away lol.

I was thinking the same thing about my older attys as I was struggling to get me new server going. I was throwing them away then started keeping them. I'll get a case to throw them in but I guess my fear is without doing something right away to them I wonder if they can't be restored now..,

[wagex]

what i do when my attys are dong this, i know it sounds bad... but just give it one really hard mouth draw without pressing the button (and be prepared to spit) youl hear it gurlgle once, then trake a long slow drag.... also if you had just blew it out really good... reallllllllly good... youl need to put more than 2 drops the first time, atleast 3 or 4 sometimes 5 to reprime it.... also another cleaning tip i read on another forum, the best thing they found to use whas crest blue mouthwash, sounds wierd, but he was concocting a cleaning thing and he ended up finding that it worked awesome all on its own, i think u let them soak in it over night, not sure, go over to the other forum and search around, i think it was ecf

[VegasVapor]

I was thinking the same thing about my older attys as I was struggling to get me new server going. I was throwing them away then started keeping them. I'll get a case to throw them in but I guess my fear is without doing something right away to them I wonder if they can't be restored now..,

My thoughts exactly. But my pile seems to be growing, just like my stash of juice. It's almost better to just throw them away and get fresh new ones.

[FTJoe]

My thoughts exactly. But my pile seems to be growing, just like my stash of juice. It's almost better to just throw them away and get fresh new ones.

Yeah - but I'm a cheap mother and some of these were really good...I'm going to throw them all in a pot when I get home and see what happens...problem is to test them out, I'd have to load them, then clean them again? Ouch. maybe trust the tissue method to get out what I put in...

[VegasVapor]

Yeah - but I'm a cheap mother and some of these were really good...I'm going to throw them all in a pot when I get home and see what happens...problem is to test them out, I'd have to load them, then clean them again? Ouch. maybe trust the tissue method to get out what I put in...

Once I'm done boiling them and drying them, I just set them aside until I need a new atty. That's when I do the testing. I haven't run into a bad one yet.

[Wannavape]

No prob. I think letting them sit in boiling water for a bit might be better since it gives it more time to dissolve the gunk. I get anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks out of an atty before I have to boil it, but like I said it makes it like new again and I get to use it for another 1 to 4 weeks. I don't think I've had an atty completely die out on me yet, but I do have a couple that I don't use anymore because they don't perform as well as the others. I don't know what I'm going to do to them yet, I'd hate to throw them away lol.

About how long do you let them sit in the boiling water? Do you keep it boiling the whole time the attys are sitting in it?

[VegasVapor]

About how long do you let them sit in the boiling water? Do you keep it boiling the whole time the attys are sitting in it?

Before putting the attys in the water, I put the stove on high and let the water come to a boil. Then I bring the heat down to medium. Actually, maybe a little more than medium. Just high enough to where the water is just barely bubbling (does that make sense? lol). Then that's when I put the attys in and let them sit there for 10 minutes with the heat at that setting. I have a metal strainer to hold the attys so they don't touch the bottom of the pot. You can use anything that will work, that's just what I have on hand.

Not sure if it'll help, but I've attached a photo.

[mcquinn]

I always try cleaning several times ,if it is not producing vapor you cannot make it worse ,and if it comes clean and works for a while you just saved ten bucks.

[Wannavape]

Before putting the attys in the water, I put the stove on high and let the water come to a boil. Then I bring the heat down to medium. Actually, maybe a little more than medium. Just high enough to where the water is just barely bubbling (does that make sense? lol). Then that's when I put the attys in and let them sit there for 10 minutes with the heat at that setting. I have a metal strainer to hold the attys so they don't touch the bottom of the pot. You can use anything that will work, that's just what I have on hand.

Not sure if it'll help, but I've attached a photo.

Thanks, Vegas. I understood exactly what you meant, and I have a strainer I can put in the pot. Sounds like a great way to clean them. ...Pam

[VegasVapor]

Thanks, Vegas. I understood exactly what you meant, and I have a strainer I can put in the pot. Sounds like a great way to clean them. ...Pam

Awesome. You're welcome...let me know how it works out for you. =)

[Wannavape]

Awesome. You're welcome...let me know how it works out for you. =)

I did it yesterday. It took a little while to get the attys broken back in, but after a while, they both worked fine. Thanks for that tip. ...Pam

[Purvapor]

Before putting the attys in the water, I put the stove on high and let the water come to a boil. Then I bring the heat down to medium. Actually, maybe a little more than medium. Just high enough to where the water is just barely bubbling (does that make sense? lol). Then that's when I put the attys in and let them sit there for 10 minutes with the heat at that setting. I have a metal strainer to hold the attys so they don't touch the bottom of the pot. You can use anything that will work, that's just what I have on hand.

Not sure if it'll help, but I've attached a photo.

Sorry to ask, but will this eliminate the burnt taste as well? Right now I have have only one atty, waiting for more to be shipped and no local suppliers. Mine started getting a pretty aweful burnt taste about three days ago. I have been running it under hot water and soaking in vodka for a few hours. This seems to work for about half a day, then the burnt taste comes back. I'm using carts and always keep it topped off, so I don't think I'm running it dry, but this taste is horrible and I really don't want to go back to analogs while waiting for shipping.

I have ordered several spares so once they get here I don't think I will have any more issues.

[Wannavape]

Sorry to ask, but will this eliminate the burnt taste as well? Right now I have have only one atty, waiting for more to be shipped and no local suppliers. Mine started getting a pretty aweful burnt taste about three days ago. I have been running it under hot water and soaking in vodka for a few hours. This seems to work for about half a day, then the burnt taste comes back. I'm using carts and always keep it topped off, so I don't think I'm running it dry, but this taste is horrible and I really don't want to go back to analogs while waiting for shipping.

I have ordered several spares so once they get here I don't think I will have any more issues.

I'm experiencing about the same thing. It seems like after boiling, the burnt taste comes much faster than it previously did. I don't use cartridges, but I'm having to drip much sooner than before. Even though there is still ample vapor being produced, the taste becomes bad after only about two or three drags. Does anybody have a fix for this?