Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

[newVaper420]

they have to do something, the store I got mine from no longer carries them (vaporstore.com) and I have had to contact ploom several times now trying to get this temp light issue figured out. Since my cleaning, it has been working again. I did pull some cotton fibers out of the spring area with the dental floss brush tool.

I haven't seen any cotton. I wonder if that is my problem too. But I doubt it.

 

[Deadshort480]

I've got a new Pax on its way from Ploom. Hopefully, everything will be good to go with this unit. Ploom received my malfunctioning Pax today and have already shipped out the replacement. That's quick service.

I will say that out of the 4 other people I know who own a Pax, no one else has had an issue with theirs.

 

[Shrimpanzee]

I wonder how many other Pax are getting fibers from the pipe cleaners in the spring area too. Does a good pipe cleaner exist that does not shed so easily?? I have the Zen brand, and they are shedding all over the place.

I'm going to look for some nylon pipe cleaners small enough for the PAX. Hopefully they won't shed like typical cotton ones. Seems like an oversight on Ploom's part.

 

[stickstones]

thanks boobs...clearly not the guy I knew!

 

[newVaper420]

Just as a followup, I can not get my unit to work 100% even with the dipping the mouthpiece in rubbing alcohol. I just used it, and if i move the mouthpiece (mine wiggles a lot), the temp light comes on. I think this solidified me contacting VapeWorld tomorrow.

 

[willieR]

I worry about running plastic pipe cleaners with a hot Pax.

The Warranty is with Ploom. The dealer is simply an agent. Typically a dealer handles sales and returns but I remember when iolite took over all warranty work from dealers at one time.

Newvape, sorry if I missed this, but do you have these little dental brushes?

 

[newVaper420]

I worry about running plastic pipe cleaners with a hot Pax.

The Warranty is with Ploom. The dealer is simply an agent. Typically a dealer handles sales and returns but I remember when iolite took over all warranty work from dealers at one time.

Newvape, sorry if I missed this, but do you have these little dental brushes?

Yeap, I do. I got the cheapy rite-aid ones. It didn't seem to help. I used it yesterday and had the issue pretty soon after (maybe not even a session).

I swear, I'll clean it, and not use it, and still have the issue. The only time I don't have the issue is when the tube is saturated with rubbing alcohol. Once it dries, I get the temp light issue back. I tried saturating and going up and down with the mouthpiece, with the dental brushes, threw the tube with a pipe cleaner. I'm not sure what else to do.

Edit: I also just got blinking orange lights and it shut off. Had to pop off and back on.

I tried to do a little video showing my issue and how my mouthpiece wiggles and turns the heater on and off.

 

[Shrimpanzee]

I worry about running plastic pipe cleaners with a hot Pax.

Good point. One would have to make sure that the nylon is rated for the PAX's temperatures. (above 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit).

EDIT: according to wikipedia's "nylon" article, there are varieties of nylon capable of 660 F (350 C), although I'm not sure if pipe cleaners are made with a high enough melting point.

 

[Bildo3523]

Get a hair dryer and run it along the mouth piece on a warm setting for a few moments. That should warm things up and cause the mouthpiece to become unstuck.

Bless you for this sagely advice, sir. I've had my Pax for about 3 weeks now and haven't had any problems with it until today. I was at work and realized my Pax was completely stuck shut. I remembered your post about using a hair dryer and used the automatic hand drier in the bathroom and boom, Pax opened up no problem. I'm almost scared at what type of dangerous ideas I would have come up with to try to heat it up in such a situation lol

 

[Vitolo]

Well, I was just in the chat with Ploom, and they told me to contact VapeWorld and per there sales agreement, VapeWorld needs to exchange my unit. They asked me specifically where I bought it.

My exact experience, and Vapeworld was very fast to respond.

 

[stoneloc]

Stonloc, Look at that screen as suggested. It leans on one of the oven walls, so make sure when leaning that the void left under the screen of over the hole. Otherwise the screwwn could be partially covering the hole.

In my mind, you clearly have an issue with resin, and it sounds like you may be using weak Iso? Try and get 91% or 99% Iso. It dissolves resin MUCH better and leaves ledd crap behind. I would bet your problem is 100% fix-able with cleaning.

You mentioned Dental Brushes... You have these? Not a toothbrush, a Dental Brush. A tiny bit of 99% Iso on that brush will melt the resin around that spring area.

Get a pipe cleaner with iso and really get that area inside the mouthpiece clean.

Now hurry the hell up so you can report back here fast and get you up and running in time for the debate tonight!

OK, some great info here.

I agree re: resin. I tried getting 91+% last night and the local pharm was sold out. I'll try again tonight. I did use the alcohol wipe included with the kit, but sounds like that's a no-go.

I don't have dental brushes yet. I had them in my hand, but put them back when I couldn't find the alcohol on the shelf. I'll buy those tonight too.

Tell me more about the screen position, since that was mentioned by a couple of different people. How is it supposed to lean? Like, if I'm looking at it with the LED towards me, is it left, right, front, or back higher?

I did pop it out when I cleaned the Pax.When I put it back I noticed it would not fit straight in, and basically poked it down with my pinkie finger and the oven lid. I don't know that it's leaning at this point so much as slightly bent up at each side, and may indeed be covering the hole.

That said, I was having draw issues before that, but they certainly didn't get better when I replaced. However, I can draw basically OK with the oven door off and no product in, though, which led me to believe that the screen, mouthpiece, draw tube, etc. was unlikely to be the issue.

It's also entirely possible the resistance isn't significantly worse, but that I'm just getting much less vapor. It was a pretty slow draw fresh out of the box, but the big clouds would have gone a long way towards reducing how much I noticed that.

I'll try another clean tonight with hi-test iso and dental brushes and we'll see how it goes.

 

[pakalolo]

OK, some great info here.

I agree re: resin. I tried getting 91+% last night and the local pharm was sold out. I'll try again tonight. I did use the alcohol wipe included with the kit, but sounds like that's a no-go.

I don't have dental brushes yet. I had them in my hand, but put them back when I couldn't find the alcohol on the shelf. I'll buy those tonight too.

Tell me more about the screen position, since that was mentioned by a couple of different people. How is it supposed to lean? Like, if I'm looking at it with the LED towards me, is it left, right, front, or back higher?

I did pop it out when I cleaned the Pax.When I put it back I noticed it would not fit straight in, and basically poked it down with my pinkie finger and the oven lid. I don't know that it's leaning at this point so much as slightly bent up at each side, and may indeed be covering the hole.

That said, I was having draw issues before that, but they certainly didn't get better when I replaced. However, I can draw basically OK with the oven door off and no product in, though, which led me to believe that the screen, mouthpiece, draw tube, etc. was unlikely to be the issue.

It's also entirely possible the resistance isn't significantly worse, but that I'm just getting much less vapor. It was a pretty slow draw fresh out of the box, but the big clouds would have gone a long way towards reducing how much I noticed that.

I'll try another clean tonight with hi-test iso and dental brushes and we'll see how it goes.

Ideally the screen should have the higher end over the hole. As I pointed out before, the screen has a serrated edge all round so air can flow up from under it. As long as the screen isn't jammed right down onto the oven floor there should be little difference in the airflow regardless of which end is higher.

 

[donald420]

Yeap, I do. I got the cheapy rite-aid ones. It didn't seem to help. I used it yesterday and had the issue pretty soon after (maybe not even a session).

I swear, I'll clean it, and not use it, and still have the issue. The only time I don't have the issue is when the tube is saturated with rubbing alcohol. Once it dries, I get the temp light issue back. I tried saturating and going up and down with the mouthpiece, with the dental brushes, threw the tube with a pipe cleaner. I'm not sure what else to do.

Edit: I also just got blinking orange lights and it shut off. Had to pop off and back on.

I tried to do a little video showing my issue and how my mouthpiece wiggles and turns the heater on and off.

Ive had my pax for 2days now and it does the same thing. Its not even a issue well not yet, all you have to do is wiggle the mouthpiece and its sweet so dont see why you would bother trying to send it back in?

 

[newVaper420]

Ive had my pax for 2days now and it does the same thing. Its not even a issue well not yet, all you have to do is wiggle the mouthpiece and its sweet so dont see why you would bother trying to send it back in?

Because it gets progressively worse, and one day I couldn't even get it to heat up. Secondly, and I believe my main issue, is that when I am drawing, the mouthpiece will move and turn off the heating element, thereby making anyone who uses it conscious of how they hold it and their lip position etc. That definitely is not ideal and a major flaw in my book.

Remember, this is after a completely fresh cleaning with me dunking the mouthpiece in ISO and then putting it in the Pax. So after a session or two, my Pax becomes completely useless cause I can't get it to heat up anymore with the mouthpiece in it.

More concerning to me was the orange lights that blinked and turned off my unit that i had to pop my mouthpiece up and down to get it to restart. But the whole situation is definitely not good.

 

[donald420]

Because it gets progressively worse, and one day I couldn't even get it to heat up. Secondly, and I believe my main issue, is that when I am drawing, the mouthpiece will move and turn off the heating element, thereby making anyone who uses it conscious of how they hold it and their lip position etc. That definitely does not sound ideal.

Remember, this is after a completely fresh cleaning with me dunking the mouthpiece in ISO and then putting it in the Pax. So after a session or two, my Pax becomes completely useless cause I can't get it to heat up anymore with the mouthpiece in it.

More concerning to me was the orange lights that blinked and turned off my unit that i had to pop my mouthpiece up and down to get it to restart. But the whole situation is definitely not good.

Oh ok that sounds way worse than i thought mines nothing like that mine just goes from purple to whatever temp its on then back to purple. Hopfully it doesnt end up like yours haha let us know what they say incase i end up having to do the same thing haha

 

[willieR]

Stoneloc, try tipping one edge of the oven door open a bit to let in just a teeny bit more air. Others have commented about too-tightly fitting oven doors.

Just lean the screen so there's more airspace over the hole.

Maybe a silly question, but the hole in the plastic mouthpiece is open, right? No weirdly molded plastic covering it? Everything else is open pipe.

 

[BootlegZani]

Well I just bought one at my local head shop. Got home charged it until it was green and after packing the oven and waiting for it to heat up it gets to the orange lights that blink and then just turns off. How can I not even get one hit? Is this unit already DOA before one use?

 

[BootlegZani]

I also can't even get the mouth piece out. It seems tight as hell in it and I've tried using the thumbnail part to open it and it just refuses to open. Keep in mind this is brand new and never been used unless they used it at the head shop.

 

[Futuretvowner]

I also can't even get the mouth piece out. It seems tight as hell in it and I've tried using the thumbnail part to open it and it just refuses to open. Keep in mind this is brand new and never been used unless they used it at the head shop.

I was going to ask are you sure it was brand new and not returned by someone who already knew it was broken?

 

[BootlegZani]

I was going to ask are you sure it was brand new and not returned by someone who already knew it was broken?

Their is no way of knowing. Are new PAX shrink wrapped? The one I got wasn't shrink wrapped. I am returning it tomorrow. I can't test different heat levels with the button since I can't get the mouth piece off and it has always just gone from purple to orange blinking lights and then shut off. Never once gone green besides being fully charged on stand or shaking to see the battery level.

 

[stoneloc]

Ideally the screen should have the higher end over the hole. As I pointed out before, the screen has a serrated edge all round so air can flow up from under it. As long as the screen isn't jammed right down onto the oven floor there should be little difference in the airflow regardless of which end is higher.

Thanks for letting me know.

So I recleaned mine, and replaced the screen hole-side-up, as suggested here. I think there may have been some crap stuck in the mouthpiece, because something dislodged when I cleaned it with a doubled-over iso-91%-soaked pipecleaner. It's hitting again, at least better than it was.

I'm still getting some misbehavior on the mouthpiece with the temp light. It's currently handleable by pulling on the mouthpiece a little bit and being careful when I use it. And while the spring action is decent right now, I'm awfully curious what it'll be like in a few hours.

Out of curiosity, what brand "dental brushes" are people using? I got GUM soft-picks http://www.soft-picks.com/ but I'm concerned that the brush is rubber and might lose bristles while cleaning and have them melt or foul the spring. I also picked up some Doctor's brush picks, http://doctorsnightguard.com/products/brushpicks/overview , which may work better.

 

[xclarryx]

I also can't even get the mouth piece out. It seems tight as hell in it and I've tried using the thumbnail part to open it and it just refuses to open. Keep in mind this is brand new and never been used unless they used it at the head shop.

hey man, i've had my pax for about 3 weeks and i haven't had any problems with it, oddly enough unlike a lot of other people.
but my mouthpiece was the exact same way as yours out of the box, it would pop up and down just fine but it was impossible to actually pull all the way out to change the temp. my mom always keeps a rubber tourniquet, the things they tie your arm off with before a shot at the DR's, in the junk drawer to open really hard to open jars and such. i cut off a piece about 3 inches long, and just wrap it around the mouthpiece to get a REAL grip on it and it just pulls right out. so try finding some thin rubber or something grippy, and wrap it around the mouthpiece and pull. viola. should work!

 

[SoCalShore]

Just got back from vaca and my neighbor had my return from Ploom. Per Plooom's request, I sent my whole unit back. I got an e-mail stating that my Pax unit was working as it should be but my charging unit was going bonkers. So, they sent me my original Pax unit back ( they charged it, by the way) and they ordered a charging unit that shipped the following day.

I have never had such wonderful customer service that Ploom is giving from a company on the internet. You know the few of you that are arguing about Pax's issues aren't seeing that Ploom is making every effort to make your Pax purchase right. I don't think I have read in the thread that Ploom had been difficult to deal with. That says alot about a company that is turning out a new product.

Just finished a session, boy I'm glad Im home...the edibles were not as effective but they did an adequate job. I missed my Pax.

 

[FLskwat]

So little update and very useful tip here...
The classified Pax I received had this little mouthpiece/temp light contact issue + sometimes it kept stuck for hours on the off mode and no mather how many millions of clicks I would give it...locked!

Tip N° 1: when your mouthpiece is locked the way I just described do the clicking motion but with your thumb pushing the mouthpiece towards the "backside" of the pax (if you are handling it with the light flower in front of you) WHILE clicking and the mouthpiece will pop out doing a huge "flight"! Finally unstuck, damn!!! I have verified this a few times and it works every time!

Tip N° 2: I have checked the internal system of my pax and how it establishes contact and how the spring is blocked by a tiny metallic piece coming out of the hole's edges. I inserted the OLD MFLB brush (the metallic one, and using the side with no brush, only a metallic tube) and its diameter fits perfectly the cylinder... You can actually push the spring pretty far, and even better have the spring come back with your brush, trapped on it!
Now put back the spring in front of his hole, and push it with the MF brush till it locks in again!

I have done that AND SINCE THEN my pax is rocking: NO MORE blocked mouthpiece, NO MORE "fake contact" with the mouthpiece triggering the temp/light issue!

 

[Nycdeisel]

Awesome! Nice fix

So little update and very useful tip here...
The classified Pax I received had this little mouthpiece/temp light contact issue + sometimes it kept stuck for hours on the off mode and no mather how many millions of clicks I would give it...locked!

Tip N° 1: when your mouthpiece is locked the way I just described do the clicking motion but with your thumb pushing the mouthpiece towards the "backside" of the pax (if you are handling it with the light flower in front of you) WHILE clicking and the mouthpiece will pop out doing a huge "flight"! Finally unstuck, damn!!! I have verified this a few times and it works every time!

Tip N° 2: I have checked the internal system of my pax and how it establishes contact and how the spring is blocked by a tiny metallic piece coming out of the hole's edges. I inserted the OLD MFLB brush (the metallic one) and its diameter fits perfectly the cylinder... You can actually push the spring pretty far, and even better have the spring come back with your brush, trapped on it!
Now put back the spring in front of his hole, and push it with the MF brush till it locks in again!

I have done that AND SINCE THEN my pax is rocking: NO MORE blocked mouthpiece, NO MORE "fake contact" with the mouthpiece triggering the temp/light issue!