Techmerc’s Fix it Blog

So most of us have seen the vaporizer that you can load up with your favorite steam delivered medication. Usually consisting of Menthol, Camphor, Alcohol, etc., to help with your stuffiness and coughs during the flu season. Specifically the brand vaporizer and medicine we are using are from Vicks. Well my little one got the sniffles the other day and so we plugged in the vaporizer for him in his room. Only it didn’t work all that well. Instead of producing a nice cloud of steam, it barely produced any at all. So what to do? Well if you are reading this blog, I’ll give you one guess. Yup, I tore it apart.

Vaporizer Internals

Gee I wonder what the problem is. Hmmm, let’s think about it. Took this heating module apart with a T10 Torx driver, there were two accessible from the top. Noticed that first of all there is a big clump of minerals on one of the heating elements. Now looking closer you come to realize that each one of the elements is hooked up to a different wire on the electrical cord (aka one is hooked up to phase, or hot, and the other is on neutral, or not so hot). This means that since there is no connection between the two sides in concerns to heating, then it requires the presence of water to complete the electrical connection and generate heat. This is obviously for safety purposes so that power can be applied to it without the presence of water and it won’t create a fire hazard. Well with that big clump of minerals on there it obviously isn’t going to make a good electrical connection with the water for heat generation. So let’s clean them. Start by soaking the elements in vinegar. Vinegar is Acetic Acid and will help dissolve the calcium mineral build-up since it’s closer to a chemical “base”. Remember your high school chemistry, acids and bases neutralize each other. However after soaking about 30mins, I got impatient, and just blew the minerals off the element with an 1800PSI pressure washer using a turbo nozzle. That got most, so I soaked it a little longer, and blasted again. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. With a little scraping here and there I got it clean. The picture below shows a little on there, but I got that off too.

Heating elements after some cleaning

Vaporizer Heater re-assembled

Now put it all back together already, but make sure it’s dry. 120V AC applied to wet wires is not my idea of fun, and shouldn’t be yours either. Oh, and if I didn’t mention it, don’t work on things when they are plugged in. (Token Disclaimer) Mine works great now. The wife went ahead and bought a replacement one just in case, but turns out there was no need. Just means we have enough to cover two rooms now.

Vicks Nursery 1 Gallon Vaporizer with Night-Light

FAIP Powerwasher 1,800 PSI 1.6 GPM Electric Pressure Washer #PWS1800-U

Bondhus 12632 GorillaGrip« Set of 8 Star Fold-up Keys, sizes T6-T25

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