Only way to know for sure is to dump out the Tempest balls lmaoo. So just wait till you feel it’s necessary but just a heads up mine can look white and clean shining a light down on and not til I dump them out do I see the staining and browning
Also best reason for cleaning them I’ve found is it improves taste/performance after lots of heavy use. It’s not a necessity for awhile if you don’t feel it is. But every time I’ve cleaned my balls, I’ve been really glad I did and can tell the difference.
Well, I have one big advantage on it effecting taste and smell...
... I have very little of either! I can barely tell when a combust happens! (or not until far too late!).
I get the principles of the whole thing (cleaning, criteria for being dirty, etc), but have found careful use - I used to work in wet labs and phys chem etc. so very used to being a good technician in these ways, so I am (modesty aside) extremely good at treating (scientific) instruments carefully, so I doubt it's much problem, until it finally is and I'll just have to get down and dirty with cleaning up! <sigh!>.
It was more that some people seem to get really messed up heaters rather quickly, and that I think it could have much to do with technique. I accept some techniques may be messy but unavoidable (for the desired results).
Same for me, especially after a long hike
"These balls were made for walking, and that's just what I'll do..."
Yeah if I’m not dumping the balls out but feel the head needs a clean I’ll just soak the whole thing in iso for a bit then rinse and dry
I'd guess doing that a few more times than opening it all up and cleaning so well you're aiming to be able to see yourself in them, is going to be just as good, unless there's a really unseemly mess in there! I use these plastic test tubes about ½inch wide with stopper. Just chuck the parts to clean in there and cover with pure iso. Use a mug of hot water to warm it up (better solubility at higher temperature) while releasing pressure regularly, and give it a good disturbance - turning it upside down and back to wash the solvent around, gently shaking it.
Should see the iso getting gradually darker from clear, and this is what tells you how dirty the heater was (put in on its own of course).
Pour out the iso (collect up for the reclaim later?) and top up with a minimal amount of clean pure iso, repeat the process, is it getting yellow/brown at all? No? Then it's probably clean enough (even if not 100.000% perfect, it's a question of diminishing returns. If half the effort only removes the last 2% of crud, but takes half the total time, is it worth doing? Especially when after one or two hits on it, it'll likely have that 2% back again anyway!
May be better cleaning every three weeks but quick and easy like this, instead of every four or five weeks, but having to take a whole lot more time and effort?
Of course, as ever, it's a personal subjective matter for each to choose! Not wrong or right, just what suits and what works. I favour fast and efficient because it works just as well with less time and effort - but then I'm less sensitive to the finer smells and tastes!