August 2, 2017 Alexandre Pinto

Safety Vaping: Atomizers

Authored by: Alexandre P. Pinto

Back in the day, all we had were the good old ones mechs and some tanks--very difficult for someone out of the United States. I was looking for an alternative to stop smoking, and the methods I tried hadn’t worked--a glass of water every time I wanted to smoke, gums, adhesives...nothing. I was very luck to talk to someone who showed me a very easy way to stop. A way which I enjoy and led me to write a few words on this blog. Sometime after I got my cigalikes in Miami, I went back home and started to dig into the so called ‘Vape’.

My next purchase was a mod, which was like a mech (a long tube), but regulated. The following purchase was a tank big enough for the mod, but I made a big mistake...

So, my first experience with a tank, and how to make it work in order to give me the satisfaction and overall experience I was looking for, was a pain in the neck. I didn’t know how to make my own coils, to start with. Also, the wicking - this newbie did not know at the time wires and cotton were important aspects on the building In the end, I had a good mod, but couldn’t use it. Until…

One of my new vape-loving friends was talking about some new tanks, with something called “atomizers” in one of the forums I still read on a daily basis. It was something new, and there was not much information, with the exception it was exactly what I was desperately looking for: coils ready to go into the tank, and no need to build coils!

Let me add that there were no vape shops around, and the coil market was new; I had no friends around to build or teach me how to build the coils, and YouTube channels were not a good option for me, so this was the best news I had at that time.

I decided to buy the whole thing: a new mod (35w), a tank and its coils. It was a great decision. My experience was awesome, with great flavor, and some little ‘clouds’ (my first ones), which literally means the vapor produced was bigger than the smoke that was used--non-vapers were impressed and curious.

With a tank, you have to save some time for maintenance and cleaning, something I learned the hard way. I was used to cigalikes, and when there was no longer any taste, you just substituted the cartridge. Now, everything was different.

One morning, I was vaping a ‘toast.” The juice turned dark inside the tank, and flavor as the most horrible you can imagine. I had used it too many times and for a long period, so it was time to change. My first mistake was only changing the coil. Big, big, BIG mistake – always wash your tank before set up a new coil. If you have an ultrasonic cleaner, even better.

If not, you can use current water for the first wash, and then put the tank (dismantled), in some vodka. Don't use any other alcohol aside from the ones that can be consumed. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

Like any vaper I know, one tank is not enough. My next mod was a kit, also with a tank and a coil that could be changed from time to time; my experience says after the 10th day, it is better to change it for a brand new one to keep the high experience level - nowadays, however, some coils can still bring good flavor even after two weeks usage.

This new tank came with a rebuildable – after one or two years, now I was back when I started after cigalikes. I felt it was a good opportunity to learn how to make my own build (I had replaceable coils, in case something went wrong), and it was a great time, made me a lot more confident, and now, I am at the point where I make at least 10 coils per week, due to the dozen of RDA`s I have purchased on the last 18 months.

Some friends do at least 5 or 6 per day, but this is a different story. You don't have to go through all of this: a tank you don't know, some parts missing which can make you stop using your hardware, burned coils…

Now, there are a ton of YouTube videos explaining how to dismantle your tank and how to clean it with safety for your own health. Thousands of tutorials are spread on the internet explaining in details, RTA’s, RDA’s and RTDA’s. And again, hundreds of reviews on every single hardware produced around the globe. Above all, you have the blogs on this site.

The rules are simple:

First, always think about your own safety. YOU come first, always, no matter what.
Then, read a lot about what you are using – the more, the better.
Choose your hardware wisely.

AND HAVE FUN.