Hey guys! Decided to post for my first time to tell my experience and adaptations I had to improvise on my ALP.
I have been reading this thread for a good while now, even before buying the vape, so when the vape became available in Brazil I bought it, really liked it and did everything right to the instruction. Problem is, I am quite a heavy smoker, bougth other 3 batteries to keep up with it. The report I am giving here is based on a ton of times I serviced the vape, so I can say I have acquire some experience with the thing.
So, I had the very same problems related here about clogging the smoke passage while trying to clean it: using coton buds, wiper towels, nail tools (yes), toothpics, with all of those I have clogged the thing at least twice with each. So the best solution? I used those bread wires (believe me) that are basicaly a thin metal wire with a rubber cover, so you push it inside and the wire kind of takes the shape of the passage until I breaches a hole. From there, put some alcohol in and try to pick what dirt loose you can. Dont be afraid of damaging anything inside, I literally am using for a while now a nail tool (basically the diameter of a P2 male plug, maybe thiner), with a coton cloth wraped on it to insert and twist wherever hole available: so far the best and most efficient way.
Now, about the smoke screen:
Photo (The same as my profile picture).
Note that the vape looks like it has been through a lot, (because it has) but it has been flawless regarging the heating mecanism. The thing is, the "herbs" here where I live can be quite shitty sometimes, and all of it (90%) are commercialized as pressed brics. The offer has ups and downs, a lot of times there is really good weed, even the pressed ones. However, even after you grind It, you need high temperature and long time to extract everything fully. I have tryied on lower temperatures, gives a better taste but doesnt kill my hunger (guess the problems is me?), so I use on 210~220ºC all the time, for 10 minutes seshs TWICE.
For abusing on the temperature, I have damaged the smoke screen, replaced, until the rubber support of the screen was damaged. Those things could not handle the various cleanings and sucessive high temperatures cycles. The main bigger rubber that goes on the lid doesnt handle it good as well, It starts to bend, doesnt stays in place, and starts to be sucked towards the smoke chanel, blocking it.
So my solution? (finally about the
Photo) I removed everything from the inside of it, putting a bong screen (or pipe sceen) over the herbs, keeping everything outside the hole clean. I just had to push the screen in the middle with a pen until itbecame a little pointy, so to acomodate the screw of the vape lid over the screen. The smoke seems to flow more freely, to the point I am using lower temperatures now. The cleaning services are less frequent and less messy (But, Yes, I have to clean the smoke channel everytime I service it, as I was doing It even when the vape was new anyway?). The only downside is that the lid of the vape feels not so well closed, but for me that is not a problem, seeing that my lid is already quite loose of so much opening and closing.
Before anyone says: why didnt you buy some spare parts and do it the proper way? I did it, and still had the very same problems. Until the parts became unavailable in the Airvape Southamerica Website and I had to improvise It, discovering I had made it better.
There is any other heavy smoker with similar relates of ALP abuse?
Thanks! Sorry for my not so good english, not my main language.