Round About Place

Electronic cigarettes can cause moments of pure bliss… and moments of sheer panic when they stop working properly. Satisfied vapers will become nervous wrecks when their units start to act up.

What does it mean when the battery flashes X amount of times?
How about when it activates on its own?
Why does it refuse to light up?

…are all questions that may immediately cross your mind the minute it displays abnormal behavior.

There are a series of steps you can take to 1) test for functionality and 2) determine if the unit needs replacing.

1) Does the battery’s LED light activate when you use the e-cig?
Unless the model is designed NOT to have an LED, the battery’s tip should activate every time you use it because there is a sensor inside of it that gauges airflow and activates the LED.

2) Does the battery need to be charged?
Normally, a battery will flash a pre-determined amount of times to let you know it needs charging. Other times, it may just stop all together. Either way, charge the battery for the time specified in your manual.

3) “I charged it, but it still doesn’t appear to be working.”
This one may be a bit tougher to diagnose. First, let’s discuss normal battery charging behavior. Most batteries will light up at the tip (or perform some other action) when first plugged into the charger. A lot of batteries’ lights will turn on, remain lit for a portion of the charging period, and then will shut off after a few minutes or hours (depending on the mAh capacity and the remaining battery life). Second, the lights on the chargers themselves will change from one to the other. The light indicators on every e-cigarette are different so consult your manual for exact light behavior.

If the battery does not work even after charging, this could mean one of two things: 1) The battery is now dead; 2) The charger itself is faulty.

If reason 2 is suspect, use another battery that you know is absolutely, 100% working. Check it on the charger. If this battery charges fine, then the other isn’t working properly. If this battery also doesn’t charge properly, then the charger is most likely broken.

4) Could the center contact be pushed in too far or be dirty?
As mentioned in our previous post about atomizer troubles, the battery’s center contact may be pushed in too far or may be dirty. If pushed too far, use a pair of crafting tweezers to lift the contact slightly. The contact is on the threaded end of the battery. Depending on the model, the center of the contact may have a hole, or it may not. Either way, use the tip of the tweezers to lift up the sides of the contact. You can do this on the atomizer’s contact as well.

If dirty, using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol should suffice. After swabbing, wipe the surrounding areas with a clean napkin/paper towel, and allow to dry completely.

5) What does it  mean when the battery lights up on its own?
Don’t let your imagination run wild because it’s not possessed — promise.

A self-activating battery can mean the wiring inside of it has been compromised by liquid and/or vapor,  or it can mean its trigger switch (aka sensor) needs to be reset to its original place. Now, under no circumstances should you open up your battery. What you’ll need to do is place your mouth over the LED light end of the battery, and then blow through the battery in an attempt to flip the switch. Sometimes it works, other times not.

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If, after trying all of the above methods, the battery still refuses to work, then it may be time to replace it.

Imagine this:

You’re on day 20 from being completely smoke-free. You grab your trusty e-cigarette, preparing to take a delicious coffee-flavored puff. You take one quick puff to get the atomizer warmed up, bracing yourself for the next intensely vaporful drag. You take the next drag… and nothing. Hmm, odd. Another puff. Still nothing.

As you sit there with a bewildered stare, your anxiety level starts to mount.

The e-cigarette is broken.

Before the anxiety turns into sheer panic, let’s stop for a moment and “diagnose” the e-cigarette, shall we? First, let’s test the e-cigarette. Battery lighting up? Check — that means the battery’s good. Atomizer warmth after a few puffs? Eh, maybe, maybe not?

There could be several reasons as to why the atomizer is not producing vapor:

1) The center contact between the atomizer and the battery is not touching. The center contact is the round, metal disc with a hole in the very center of both the battery and atomizer/cartomizer. Using a pair of crafting tweezers, lift up the contact on either the battery or the atomizer. Sometimes, the sizing on these units is off slightly, so the contacts won’t touch when the battery and atomizer are screwed together. Other times, the units are screwed together so tight, it pushes the contacts too much. Lift the contact and then screw the units together.

2) The center contact is dirty. Using a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, wipe the contacts and thread areas on both the battery and atomizer. You can use a thumbtack or pin to clean the holes of any build-up as well. Take a napkin/paper towel and wipe the areas you cleaned out with alcohol. Make sure they’re dry before screwing them back together.

3) The atomizer itself may be dirty (this applies to an atomizer from a three-piece e-cig). There are many, many methods of cleaning out atomizers, and it boils down to what you are most comfortable with and how much time you’re willing to invest in the process. The most simple cleaning process involves a mild soap solution and warm water: the atomizer is washed with this solution, rinsed, and then allowed to dry thoroughly. Other solutions involve vodka, rubbing alcohol, and even Coca-Cola.

Another popular cleaning method is called dry-burn. This process involves heating the atomizer coil so that it gets very hot and “bakes” the residue right off of it. On an e-cig with an automatic battery, you need to remove the cartridge, wipe as much liquid from your atomizer as possible, and then place your mouth over the battery end with the LED light. There are small indentations for airflow at the tip of the battery, and you’ll want to blow air through the unit. This will activate the e-cigarette and cause the atomizer to start heating up. If there is any liquid on the atomizer, it will start to vaporize it and will eventually run out of the liquid. Once the liquid is out, this is when the real cleaning begins. Take a “long” (think 2-3 seconds) drag and wait until the coil actually turns into an orange-amber color. Stop. Repeat for another 2-3 times.  Then wash the atomizer and allow to dry fully before using again. Make sure the atomizer is moistened prior to use by placing a couple of e-liquid drops directly onto the coil.

On an e-cig with a manual battery, the process is a bit easier because the button is pressed and you’re able to see the coil changing colors. The process is the same.

Be forewarned: some users who’ve tried this method of cleaning have ended up breaking their atomizer altogether.

4) If cleaning and adjusting the contacts doesn’t help, you may just have an atomizer that’s reached the end. The length of time an atomizer lasts extremely varies from one person to the next.

“My [name brand here] e-cigarette sucks!”

“My batteries/atomizers/chargers died after a few uses. Is this normal?”

When you’re in the market to buy an e-cigarette, you’re presented with this idea of living a smoke-free lifestyle, which, of course, is not bad at all. In fact, that’s why the vast majority of smokers even consider using an e-cigarette for the first time. They either want to stop smoking completely (disclaimer: e-cigarettes are not a cessation aid) or limit their usage. But, it’s the smoke-free idea that sells, and the customer doesn’t realize that there’s a learning curve with e-cigarettes.

Most customers are slapped in the face with reality when they receive their starter kit and realize it isn’t as easy as websites make it seem. When companies tout how much $$$$$$$ you’ll save and how easy it is to make the switch, beware. Because it isn’t always easy, and what users don’t realize is these units WILL die. They will stop working when you need them the most, and you’ll be left without functioning units until new units arrive.

Battery Tips

How can you tell if your battery is defective? Simply by the LED light at its tip. If you take puffs and the light is not turning on, you may have a defective e-cig. The light is supposed to turn on at the tip when you use it.

The battery may need to be charged. Place it to charge for the full time specified in the included manual. If after charging the light still doesn’t turn on, it may need to be replaced… unless, of course, the charger itself is broken. But, usually, when the battery needs to be charged, it will flash X times to let you know it needs charging.

Some batteries will flash after being used. Unless it needs to be charged, this may be the unit telling you to stop using it. We know it’s fun to puff on the e-cig, but it needs a break. Give it a few minutes to regain its composure.

Battery suddenly have a mind of its own and is lighting up? Its trigger switch may be out of place. Take the battery and tap it against a hard surface to jar the switch, or blow through the battery (by placing your mouth over the opening on the threaded end) with a burst of breath. Do not attempt to probe it with a pin! There’s also the chance its internal wiring has been compromised with either liquid or moisture and may need replacing.

Atomizer Tips

We totally get you want to vape all day, but there are limitations to how much the atomizers can take. These units heat up and will need a break after every few puffs to cool down. Make it get real hot, and it could just stop working altogether!

How can you tell if the atomizer is defective? First, you’d need a working battery to test it on. Then, take three consecutive drags and check the area around the atomizer for warmth. Feel the warmth? Then, it’s working.

But if it’s working and it isn’t producing vapor, what’s the deal? Well, could be several things, but remember that your atomizer needs the right amount of liquid — not too much, not too little. Check your cartridge to make sure there’s enough liquid. If there’s too much, it can be “drowning” in the liquid and unable to produce vapor efficiently. If this is the case, take your atomizer (or cartomizer), place your mouth over the threaded end, and blow through the unit. Use a paper towel to catch the liquid coming out of the mouthpiece end.

If there is a burnt taste, there may not be enough liquid or a piece of the filler got a bit too close to the center coil of the atomizer where it gets hot.

Refilling

We are huge supporters of using e-liquid to refill used cartridges. It is convenient and saves the most amount of money in the long run. But, there’s also a learning curve to this, and it can be more intimidating than the curve learned with regular usage!

Are you getting liquid in your mouth after refilling? You may have put too much. Refer to blowing out the liquid of the atomizer in the battery tips section. When using a traditional 3-piece e-cigarette, you may have even missed the cartridge completely. Make sure you’re checking the cartridge after every drop you place so you don’t overfill/miss the cartridge.