In efforts to avoid or minimize the addictive elements of tobacco, some turn to the activity of “vaping.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of vapers in the United States is close to 10 million.
Rather than inhaling the smoke from a combusted crop, those who vape inhale a vaporized liquid – AKA vape juice – containing nicotine, flavorings, and supplemental additives. They get their smoking and nicotine addiction soothed by using a vape, sometimes called an e-cigarette.
Heating the e-juice to its vaporized state is the atomizer head, a central component of the vape. Like any technology, however, vaping devices, like pens or larger vape mods, can experience complications. Two common problems are the ‘Atomizer Low’ and ‘Atomizer Short’ warning notices that some atomizer’s screens display.
These error messages can come from parts that aren’t properly connected, a bad coil, a faulty firing pin, or components not in the correct position or not fully screwed together.
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How Atomizers Work?
An atomizer is like a small furnace, heating fuel to a gaseous mode so it can travel through a house or building and emit warmth. Powered by a battery, the atomizer heats a filament, or vape coil, to a red-hot state that causes the e-juice to evaporate on contact.
Before this process, a spongy substance that is fully saturated when the vape is full stores e-liquid.
While atomizers are durable, sometimes lasting for years, you have to replace coils more often.
Do Atomizers Have Other Applications?
Atomizers are present in other technologies that vaporize liquids.
Spray paint, for example, depends on atomizer activity, as do many perfume dispensers. The medical field uses atomizers in nebulizers and other inhalation instruments. Additionally, fuel injection systems can incorporate atomizer principles for automotive systems.
Although atomizer designs will vary per application – and even within an application – the basic function remains constant. Yet, the atomizer’s centrality to vaping devices is unique.
Types of Atomizers
When considering how to fix atomizer shorts and ‘Atomizer Low’ signals, it is essential to know what kind of atomizer you have.
There are three broad groupings of atomizers to recognize.
Disposable atomizers
Disposable atomizers are relatively low in price and the best atomizer for newbie vapers.
Though the duration of their use is variable, most become harder and harder to draw air through when they reach the end of their shelf life. They may also emit a bubbling or sloshing sound, indicating oncoming exhaustion.
Furthermore, disposable atomizers lack some of the options of more sophisticated atomizers, partially explaining their low price.
Nevertheless, over time disposables become increasingly expensive. People choosing to continue vaping may wish to graduate to a more advanced atomizer.
Replaceable Coil Head Atomizers
Replaceable coil head atomizers enjoy perhaps the most widespread use among the vaping population.
Unlike disposables, these atomizers possess airflow control valves and pyrex glass tubing that optimizes vapor and flavor.
Cleaning is simple for those who frequently change flavors, and replacing the coils over the long term is cheaper than constantly buying new disposable atomizers.
Rebuildable atomizers (RBAs)
Rebuildable atomizers appeal to the craftspeople in the vaping community.
As the name suggests, this kind of atomizer is the most accommodating to customization. The start-up investment is the highest, but as users learn to manufacture their own coils, they spend less overtime.
Vapers who want to gratify their inner engineer with rebuildable atomizers should have a decent tool kit and observe every safety protocol.
What Does Atomizer Short Mean?
An ‘Atomizer Short’ or ‘No Atomizer Found’ message on a vape device usually signals that the coil has a short circuit, which a few things can cause. When this ‘check atomizer’ or ‘no atomizer found’ warning appears, most e-cigarettes – e-cigs or mods – will cease delivering energy from the battery to the atomizer.
This ‘Fix Atomizer Short’ warning message is in the interest of both safety and efficiency.
The reasons for an atomizer short circuit usually boil down to two possible circumstances.
On the one hand, the coil could have become broken, at which point the warning message and consequent shut-down would kick in.
If you don’t have a broken coil, it might be loose and thereby bumping against areas of your vape mod or vape pen that it shouldn’t be touching. In such cases, the coil could get snared by the top cap or the vape tank, alerting the battery to turn off.
This event occurs most often with a factory coil in the e-cig at the time of purchase. Sometimes a faulty coil can slip through quality control.
There could also be a malfunction in the tank assembly or some other atomizer element, like the battery, but the coil is often the culprit.
With replaceable coil head atomizers, the solution is reasonably straightforward. You just need to get a new one. RBA atomizer heads, however, require a different approach.
How to Resolve Atomizer Short Circuit?
When resolving an ‘Atomizer Short’ or ‘No Atomizer Found’ error message, often shown as a ‘check atomizer’ warning, you should begin in the coil, as coils are the issue in most mods the majority of the time.
On a rebuildable atomizer, you should ensure that the coil has been properly screwed in straight and securely. If the coil touches other components of the mod container, it can cause the same error. So, double-check that the coil is in the right place.
Sometimes getting a new coil is the answer. In other instances, you have to reconstruct the coil completely so it will break in a different direction.
Should a new coil be needed, make sure to get one of the same sizes, screwing it in gingerly while also ensuring you’ve secured it tightly.
If the coil is not the source of your trouble, the battery might be the issue.
You should remove the battery and charge each battery in a separate charger to ensure they are all working. If the batteries work, but the atomizer can not hold a charge, you should get a new atomizer.
Finally, your tank may be leaking. If the tank on your mod is leaking or full of fluid, the mod will say you have an atomizer issue.
To see if you have fixed the issue, press the fire button again and try to start vaping. If your mod still has a message, you may need a different mod.
What Is Atomizer Low?
Atomizer coils each have their own resistance, limiting the amount of current the coil will conduct. When the coil has reached its ceiling, no more voltage can pass through the coil unless you decrease the atomizer’s resistance.
The device measures its current in ohms. In 1827, the famous German physicist George Ohm discovered ohms when he realized that current passing through a circuit corresponds directly to the amount of voltage supplied and inversely to the circuit’s resistance. Therefore, ohms indicate the quantity of current hitting the coils.
‘Atomizer Low’ alerts on electronic cigarettes tell the user that the atomizer’s resistance is inadequate for the particular mod. In short, the mod cannot process the amount of voltage that the battery is putting out.
The alert causes a shut-down in the mod to prevent danger to the mod and the user and to prevent dry burning.
Most manufacturers sell their vape devices with the appropriate information about resistance, voltage, and ohms included with the vape or available on a website.
Sub-Ohms
Some vapers seek to lower coil resistance so that they may enjoy what is known as “sub-ohm vaping.”
Sub-ohm is a form of vaping where the vapor is denser and hits the lungs directly (as with inhaling oxygen), as opposed to mouth-to-lung vaping (as in smoking a regular cigarette), because the current moves faster.
The flavor of the e-liquid is also richer with sub-ohm. Sub-ohm vaping happens when coil resistance sinks below one ohm.
Also, you should know that you have to calibrate the atomizer to operate with higher voltage and lower resistance.
How to Fix Atomizer Low?
First off, disconnect the atomizer from the mod. Once you have the coil visible, unscrew and re-screw it to the base of the tank securely.
Rebuildable dripping atomizers (RDAs) have both negative and positive posts where you should attach the coil. Ensure the coils are connected so that nothing disrupts the current flow.
Also, you should examine the coil for breaks or cracks and ensure that all post screws are secured tightly.
After the re-assembly of the mod, the error message should disappear. If it does not, RBA users can rebuild the coil. You can also try different coils to ensure that there just wasn’t something wrong with that one coil.
Furthermore, sometimes, the 510 connection, also called the electrode pin or center pin, in your tank needs to be cleaned with a cotton swab or paper towel to remove debris or dried e-liquid. This 510 connection error can come from the prebuilt coil not being attached inside the tank base. Taking care of a loose 510 connection in the tank will often fix ‘No Atomizer’ messages as well.
If none of these solutions fixes the issue, you may need a different atomizer.
In Summary
‘Atomizer Short’ and ‘Atomizer Low’ warnings often reflect a problem with the coil. Yet, any component of an e-cigarette can malfunction and result in such alerts. Recreational vapers or those trying to transition away from tobacco should familiarize themselves with the anatomy of their vaping device, particularly the crucial atomizer unit.
Finally, remember that vaping is a dangerous hobby that is only for people of legal age. When you vape, you do so at your own risk, and you should consult a physician prior to starting vaping.