This is how I clean my PAX 3 vaporizer, and the process is exactly the same for the PAX 2.
The original Pax had a different design and required a slightly more complicated cleaning process. Below is my first cleaning process.
PAX 3 Cleaning Process
What up? This is going to be a tutorial on how to clean the Pax Vaporizer and how to apply the new mouthpiece lubricant that they provide. Cleaning your Pax regularly is just something you’ve got to do to keep it working at peak performance, and applying the mouthpiece lubricant is something that helps avoid almost all the common issues that the Pax has. Here’s what you’re going to need to do this.
- You’re going to need a packet of the mouthpiece lubricant.
- You’re going to need a little bit of rubbing alcohol. The one I’m using here is this one, a 91%. One of these things is also pretty useful for cleaning the Pax.
- Get an inter-dental brush, and you can pick it up at your local drugstore or supermarket.
- I also have two Q-Tips here.
- I have a pipe cleaner, and then I also have a straw off a spray can of WD-40, and I’ll explain what you do with this in a couple minutes.
There are Two Main Areas of the Pax that Need to be Cleaned and Maintained.
- The first area is up around the mouthpiece connections, inside here.
- The second area is down where the oven is.
- First, we’ll do the top here. Then, you’ll turn it on which pops out the mouthpiece.
- Pull the mouthpiece off and set it down. First, what I usually do is grab my little interdental brush here. I’m going to put a little bit of rubbing alcohol on it, but not too much.
That’s the actual vapor path that comes up from the oven on the bottom. You’ll see that around it is a little tiny space that is too small to get a Q-Tip in, so that’s why I use one of these things. It works really well. I’m just going to go in and around the tubing. What you’re trying to do is get any residue off that might have built up on these connections in here. When build up happens on these connections, it could cause the vaporizer to act a little weird, so we’re just going to scrub it a little bit to get it all off. There’s not going to be a lot of residue, but just a little bit. It could cause some issues, so let’s get it out.All right, then if you want to, you could dip it again and dab off. I also use this piece to get in the little hole at the top of the mouthpiece here. It works pretty well to get in there. You could also use this to get in this piece up here, like underneath this piece as it rocks back and forth. See that? You could use this to get in there. All right, so now I’ll just set that down and to the side.Now what I’ll do is I’ll take my pipe cleaner, and I’m just going to moisten the end of it with the alcohol. Again, you really don’t want it dripping, so I’m going to dab off the excess there. I’m going to take my mouthpiece again, and I’m going to get inside this piece like that. I’ll get the bottom here also and maybe the outside a little bit. All right, I’m just going to set the pipe cleaner down to the side for a second, and I’m going to grab one of my Q-Tips. I’m going to get some alcohol on it, dab it off, and then get all up here. All right, and you could also use like a wipe or a paper towel to get on the outside here, but I’ll just use this for here. I’ll get around there. All right, and I’m going to wipe the mouthpiece off and dry it.
All right, so now the mouthpiece is pretty much clean. Now what I’m going to do is grab my pipe cleaner again, and this time I’m going to moisten more of it, and this might actually be easier using the bottle, so I’m going to dip this in the bottle.
All right, so, before I get started on that part, what I’m going to do is just take off the bottom oven cover, which is just held on by a magnet, so you just pull it off. Then I’m going to come back to the top here, and I’m going to stick the pip cleaner dipped in rubbing alcohol, again not dripping, just damp, down the center of the vapor path there. Normally, just putting the pipe cleaner down here, this is how you’re supposed to normally pop out the screen on the bottom. You’ll see that my screen actually did pop out this time. I got lucky. Now, sometimes the screen won’t pop out just from using the pipe cleaner. Sometimes the pipe cleaner doesn’t provide enough force to actually push it out, you know, because sometimes the residue will make the screen stick in there.
That’s why I also have one of these things handy, and this is just a rigid piece of plastic. Like a mentioned, I got this off a spray can. This actually fits perfectly down the vapor path. Sometimes I use this to pop out my screen if the screen is being a little finicky and doesn’t want to come out just from the pipe cleaner. This time I didn’t need it, so that’s cool. You’ll see that I went down the top, and I scrubbed a little bit, not too long. I’ll go in from the bottom now, too. I’ll just scrub a little bit. You’ll see that my oven itself is looking a little messy, too. I’m just going to bend my pipe cleaner now, dip it again, and see if I can scrub some of this out.
It’s not really important to go crazy with this. You’re never really going to get it looking like new again. It’s just important to get out any globs of residue or any big clumps of buildup. If there’s just discoloration inside the oven or on the screen, that’s no big deal. That’s not going to affect performance. You don’t have to worry about it. I’ve had my Pax for a while now, so my oven’s pretty broken in, you could say. You could see me scrubbing, and not much of that’s going to come off, so I kind of have just a discoloration going on in here, but again, it doesn’t really affect performance, so it’s not a big deal. You could also use the Q-Tip in here. If you wanted to, you could dip the Q-Tip, scrub it a little more. Okay, Q-
Tip to the side.
Now we have the little screen piece here which actually isn’t a screen at all. If you’re familiar with the Pax you know what I’m talking about. It’s actually just a solid metal plate. There are no holes in it, so that’s why this part kind of builds up some residue, too. You could take your other Q-Tip, you could dip it. This part also like I mentioned is not going to get sparkling new again most of the time, but it doesn’t really matter. You could just get it the best you can. You’ll see mine. Mine is stained. I have some extra screens, too. You can buy replacement screens if you wanted to. If you wanted it to look new again, you could always just pop in a new one. Since this isn’t negatively affecting the performance at all, I’m just going to ride it out and keep using this one. Even though it might look a little ugly, it doesn’t really matter. I’ll just wait, and I’ll dry this off a little bit.
Now, the actual lid to the oven, or the cover, this part will sometimes have buildup on it also. Mine is pretty clean right now because I did clean my Pax recently, but what you would do is just dampen your Q-Tip again with rubbing alcohol, and you could just rub this part to get it clean, and then dry it off, alright.
At this point you’re pretty much done cleaning it, and now the only thing left to do is apply the mouthpiece lubricant. This is normally what the packet looks like that they provide. I’m just going to put this one to the side because I have another one that I’ve already opened. You don’t need a lot of this stuff. You only need a tiny bit, so this one packet should last you a long time.
What I do is I take my inter-dental brush that I used before to clean, and just make sure it’s fully dry now. Then I’ll take my packet of lubricant, and you only need to drop one or two drops onto the brush. That’s all you need. This might actually be too much, so if you put on too much, it’s no big deal. You could just dab a little off. Then I take my mouthpiece, and you’re going to give it one little swish on the inside here, a little bit on the bottom, and then a little bit on this piece up here, a little bit on the outside, alright? And that’s pretty much it. You’ll just take your mouthpiece, and you’ll stick it back in here, like that, and you could push it up and down a few times just to get the lubricant all over the other piece on the inside. Then you’re pretty much ready to go.
The Pax is clean, it’s lubed up, and it’s ready to rock and roll. Obviously, put your oven cover back on before using it. That’s the whole story. If you have any questions about how to do this, feel free to let me know. This did not resolve any issues for me. I did have the temp light issue sometimes with my Pax. Up until recently, people avoided that by just cleaning their Pax’s often. I used to recommend cleaning it after every 3-4 sessions or so, but using this new lubricant now, the last time I cleaned my Pax and I used it, I did a test, and I was able to get 12 full sessions without having to clean the Pax or anything, and I didn’t run into any issues. I used it 12 times for about 10-15 minutes each time, and everything worked perfectly. I didn’t get the temp light issue, and my mouthpiece didn’t stick. This seems to work really well. This seems to be a real, legitimate solution. The mouthpiece lubricant is safe to use. It’s a food-grade, water-soluble lubricant. You don’t have to worry about this being toxic or anything. That’s about it. Thanks for reading, and stay up.
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165 comments:
Hello should the pax turn off when the mouth piece is removed for cleaning? Mine doesn’t. Thanks for the video!
I see no video. Only a video transcription
Still?
Hey all, a couple ideas for cleaning your Pax:
To clean your mouthpiece, bottom cover and screen, put the pieces in a 1 quart Ziploc freezer bag, and pour in a cup of rubbing alcohol (90% or higher is best), seal the bag, let it soak for a while, and shake it around. “Massage” the pieces through the bag until everything is clean. Let everything dry on a paper towel.
If there is a lot of resin in the tube of the actual unit on the outside (where the mouthpiece fits), I dip the tube of the mouthpiece into a bowl of alcohol, and WITH THE UNIT UPSIDE DOWN, quickly insert it up into the unit, quickly pull it back out, dip it again, and repeat. If the unit is right-side up, the dirty alcohol will run down into the internals of the Pax, and possibly ruin it, so keep it upside down for a few seconds for the alcohol to evaporate.
I’m an avowed rookie when it comes to vaping, which I switched to for health reasons (don’t want the lung residue.) However, nearly a,dozen attempts brought nothing.
I tried hard packs, soft packs, low, medium & hi settings, etc.
However, the cleaning actually brought out a problem that might be overlooked by others. When I watched the vid: If it weren’t for the dental device I wouldn’t have caught it: The Itty bitty hole in the mouthpiece was clogged! Breathing air in/out both holes proved that right! I was new at vaping n they said not too draw hard … ha. So the hard pull seemed to go along with the deal. Not true. Check them holes (Pax holes that is!)
I spoke too soon. Didn’t resolve the problem. Back to trying varying breathes n packing techniques. Damn!
I have had mine for two months now and I’m still getting it to work the way I want. Overall, it’s a good vape I think (my first) but it’s definitely about the technique!
Hey…. I’m just wondering if anyone knows a great site online to buy pipe cleaners!
Hi! I recently purchased pax and I wanted to clean it as in here but I couldn’t be able to purchase the 91% alcohol the only alcohol they had was 70% . Is it ok to use 70% alcohol to clean the pax ? Thanks.
Thanks Bud for your excellent review and especially the cleaning video helped me a lot. The first two weeks I was disappointed with the PAX, but that’s because I wasn’t using the lubricant and proper cleaning. I do love it now since I’ve been cleaning it according to your instructions. Even Ploom doesn’t have such great directions, although they do say to soak the mouthpiece in soap and water, I think. I did that too.
My question is this: I’ve been using vodka instead of rubbing alcohol, because the first time I used alcohol it seemed to make me allergic. The tiny bottle of vodka seems to work just fine and lasts, what do you think?
Thanks again for your reviews. I’ll never smoke again, now that I have my PAX. Great design!
Hey bud
I just got a pax and always watch your videos on what’s worth checking out. So it works great, not any vapour but I’m expecting to be down to the technique. My problem is the screen. I seem to be getting some herb up the pipe and into my mouth everytime I inahle! It’s very off putting, I’ve tried adjusting the screen and popping in multiple times (even though it’s a pain in the ass)
I’m guessing it’s the screen’s fault as it’s not blocking any of the herb from getting sucked into the pipe? Either that or I don’t have enough herb in/not using the 2nd screen technique to keep it packed and close? Please help!
Cheers bud
Can a product like Grunge Off be used for cleaning the Pax instead of alcohol? I use it on the glass parts and screens of my tabletop vaporizer and it works great.
My local Wal-Mart has them in the crafts section. Less than $2 for a pack of 25. They seem more flimsy and not as solid as the ones Ploom includes in their cleaning kit, but they still get the job done! And no flakes or particles left behind! (Pax owners will know exactly what I’m talking about) lol
I ran out of pipe cleaners and was wondering if anyone one knew what kind of pipe cleaners Ploom sends with the cleaning kit when you buy the Pax. Does anyone know if they sell them on Amazon in bulk? I’d hate to spend $13 ever 20 times when i could be spending $10 every 50-100+ times.
A GREAT way to conserve your herb is;
No need for a screen, just put a small amount of finely cut up herb in the oven which should be upside down when you place it in, keep it like that (upside down)… lay down and smoke it like that. That way the herb is constantly on the oven. Remember to even the herb out on the oven plate. You only need a little bit.
The reason why I bought this is to hide the smell and also conserve. But I wasn’t conserving it cause the pax wouldn’t work properly unless it was half full with the screen put in, but vaping upside down you don’t have any issues. Works like a charm!
I found a great way to clean the screen. I use one of those flat rectangle green scrubbing pads that I think are made of plastic. Hold one side of the screen in the bottom of your sink with one hand and take a corner of the pad(that you have dipped in water) and wipe hard from the center out and it takes the black off.
Sweet thanks for the tip!
Does the pax screen have holes cause mine doesn’t. It markings but no holes. So I place a standard screen instead. Works well, but still wondering if the original screen was a manufacture flaw.
No the screen doesn’t actually have holes..it’s more like a plate than a screen
What’s up Bud I have had the pax for probably a year and a half now and i love it to death but i was wandering if there is a safe way to clean the the bowl of the pax underneath where you would put the screen
Thanks!
Wow. That was an incredibly well executed video. Thank you kindly, hope to run into you down the road. Buzz Holland
Hey, thank you for the high def and detailed cleaning tutorial. Very helpful!
I would offer a warning against using isopropyl alcohol and use ethyl alchohol (ethanol) instead, to clean. Hulda Clark (now passed away, a biologist from Canada) found that almost everyone she worked with who had cancer also had amounts of isopropyl alchohol in their bodies. If true, it should probably be removed from all pharmacies and not even be in your house, much less touching it or breathing it.
Since 100% pure ethanol is difficult to get, you could just get a bottle of Everclear and use that to clean stuff, and not risk the cancer issue until more is known about isopropyl alcohol.
Also, of course to make sure that WD-40 stick was not used with WD-40 first, and that it is thorough washed and cleaned, as well.
Thanks again!
i just got my pax that i ordered on ebay yesterday, and i know its the authentic one not a fake. So i unboxed it and gave it a full charge, and when i turn it on the light goes green (the temperature is on medium btw) right away and doesnt heat up!! i looked up this problem and found that cleaning it and lubricating usually works, but i just got it so i see no reason why i should have to clean it, the ebay add said it was “new in box” and the screen didnt show any sign of previous use. I did put lubricant on the mouthpiece but its still doesnt work! please help
Thank you so much! I’ve been having the temp light issue for a while now and I just thought i screwed up the tube or something.
My Pax mouthpiece is clogged. I cleaned it per the instructions in your video but can’t get any draw through it. I’ve ordered a new mouthpiece, but wondered if you have encountered this problem and if so how you resolved it.
Thank you so much for this video- very useful!
I’m having an issue though- I can’t seem to pop out the oven screen. I’ve had my pax for a few months now and have used it a fair amount but not that much- so I don’t believe there would be that much res sticking to it. I tried using a straw like you to pop it out but its stuck. any ideas? Thank you!
Hey Bud! Thanks for the tutorial! I have a question though, for some reason after cleaning and when I start to use the Pax, I taste rubbing alcohol and it gives it a nasty taste. What should I do to get rid of that taste, I’m having a hard time making it go away….
Hey,
I have blocked my pax, the mouthpiece stays in, I have put a lot of lubrifiant inside from the two sides but it still stay blocked. I had not clean it for a while but it was not so dirty. I have tried to push it from the hoven part with some metal pen but it stay block.
Do you have any idea please, i can’t go back to combustion.
Do I have to open it?
Hey had my pax three months was working fine but now when I turn it on it’ flashes red three times and turns off, it charges upto green but when turned on just flashes red again . Any ideas? Would getting a new mouthpiece help?
My mouthpiece is stuck on on, after cleaning with alcohol. Any hope for me. My manual is lost. Any thoughts
Bud, I have just bought the PAX, I’m the only one that uses it after filling up the chamber completely I only need a couple of puffs.
can I leave the rest in the chamber and come back to it later or should I jus fill the chamber halfway?
Hey for best taste and performance I would just half-pack the oven if you don’t want to vape a full session. You can totally shut it off mid-session and come back to it later, but I’ve found the overall experience to be better when it’s all vapes in one shot.
Do you ever clean the 4x charging contacts on the mouthpice side of the device?
Thanks!
No sir I haven’t ever had to clean those
Bud
Just got the pax but I’m not getting a good draw and only a couple of light hits before i get nothing even though the chamber is full, nothing like in your video at all.
So the screen has no holes?? I don’t get it.. How can the vapor get through the “screen” and up the tube if it has no holes!? It,s a solid piece of metal. What am I missing.
Hey the “holes” are actually those really tiny grooves on the outer edges of the screen, that’s where the vapor travels up to the mouthpiece.
If you’re following all the steps I describe on this page I’m not sure what else I can recommend: https://vapecritic.com/blog/2013/07/08/pax-tips/
Try the half-pack method next and see if you get better results like that.
Oh yeah…and that how it acts fresh off the charger. Every time I close the mouthpiece and reopen it it just blinks the red x 3 times and then goes dark? Thanks again for any help!
Hey Bud, Thanks for all of your tips and info on vaping. Really helps us out! I’ve had my pax for about a month now and have taken the advise of frequent thorough cleanings. It was working fine then all of a sudden the red x blinks three times and then nothing. I cleaned it again until I got a clear pope cleaner back every time. Even cleaned where the spring is and around the tube and lubed it up real good afterwards. The temp adjusting light/button doesn’t elimuminate either which it had always done prior to this red x flashing 3 times and nothing business? Any ideas? It worked great before and then one day I pull it off the charger and it doesn’t work. Thanks for any help, it’s well appreciated bud!
Hey man thanks for posting, I’m not sure what exactly that issue could be but I would contact either the store you got it from or Ploom and see if it’s defective, if it is you should be able to get it replaced under warranty.
Is there something I can clean the metal contacts with? Mine just keeps blinking on the charger?
Hey I got a pax. .. And I noticed it will blink purple and heat up but won’t go green… And if it does go green it will blink then turn blue. ..then quickly back to blinking purple..I hit it and got smoke…is that normal?
You just have to be patient… and don’t let the pax sit still on the table… it has an accelerometer in it.. meaning that if it sits still it will automatically go into ‘conserve mode’ (or blue light) and stop heating up…. this is to help prevent the likes of some users who forget its on and burn up their herbs…. just keep it in your hand, with some motion, and when it its green, inhale….
when you wanna be fancy, hold the pax parallel to the floor (horizontally) and spin it like a hotdog on a roller at 7-11 three times in a roll and the pax will go into PARTY MODE, blinking many trippy colors… in party mode you can set you pax down and it will not go into conserve mode any more.. be careful you don’t burn your herbs tho! be patient and enjoy!
Do you know what kind of pipe cleaners to buy the ones im using now leave a bunch of fluffy stuff through out the pax which I cant imagine is hood
Not sure of any brands or anything, I just use some generic ones I picked up at a local shop, I know what you mean though about ones that leave fuzzies behind.
Hi, I recently bought a second-hand PAX off Ebay and have been cleaning it regularly. Unfortunately, the mouthpiece is stuck now. After a lot of effort, I got the mouthpiece off, but the metal tube was still inside the PAX! I hope I haven’t messed it up as I love this thing!
Would the hairdryer solution above work for getting the metal tube out of the PAX?
Thanks
That’s a tricky situation you’re in Rich, but yes that’s probably what I would try first.
Hey,
I have been diligent about cleaning my PAX after about every 5-8 uses with Iso. But i never had any mouthpiece lubricant. I finally found some propylene glycol and im ready to use it BUT my mouthpiece WONT OPEN. it is stuck. likely from not using any lube from the start? shit.
Any advice on how to open again??
Hey Ross try heating the outside of your unit with a hair dryer and then try to get the mouthpiece un-stuck, if it’s residue causing it you should be able to loosen it up this way.
Hi, after a month of usage and cleaning my pax heats up and turns purple, however never turns green. Any helpful info?
Hey does it change any other colors? I would contact support and describe your issue and if anything is wrong with yours they should replace it no problem.
Hi, my pax temperature light button is stuck. I can push it down but the temp wont change. Is there any way to fix this stuck button?
Hey I’m not sure but I would contact Ploom and if it’s a defect they’ll take care of you, let me know how you make out.
Can you use other types of lube to clean the pax with? I dont want to have to order there cleaning kits, i want to be able go to a local comveniance store. Any types of lube that you know that work well?
Food-grade propylene glycol, the packets they offer really should last a while but if you don’t want to buy them I’m pretty sure this is the main ingredient.
Hey my Pax mouthpiece was not closing, so I decided to clean it. After cleaning it thoroughly with the supplies given in the box, my PAX still won’t close and now it won’t even turn on! Super bummed out any tips will help thanks!
Hey did you get it working? If that problem persists I would contact Ploom and if anything is wrong with your unit they’ll help you out.
hey i have the extreme Q and love it..i looking for a pocket vape..magic flight seem to be nice..but what will you mean is the best for me.there is so many..the extreme is fine but i wont one there is heat op fast..and easy to clean..also the taste.so the pax /magic,or??thanks super nice blog :-)
Hey as far as portable vapes that are cool to carry around in your pocket the Pax and the Launch Box are my favorites out of the models I’ve reviewed so far
I just got my pax yesterday. I packed the oven tight with grounded herbs. I wasn’t able to get a hit. What am I doing wrong? I also noticed that the light is purple when heating up and then it turns to green when ready, but only for a couple seconds. Is that normal?
Hey what happens after the light turns green?
I finally got the mouthpiece off of my brand new Pax. I lubed it, and now, the MP comes off easily. I think that new Pax owners should lube the mouthpiece first thing, before even using it once. The manufacturer should have lubed it as a last production step. Metal against metal generates a lot of friction.
You’ve done an outstanding job explaining the world of vaporizers. I’m new to this and now have a deeper understanding of which one is right for me. I ordered the PAX and it should be here in a couple days, can’t wait!
Thanks!
Hope you’re diggin it!
My Pax is brand new, just got it today. With a lot of effort, I got the mouthpiece off twice. Now, I can’t get it off at all and both of my thumbnails are shredded from trying. It pops up and down okay, though it is noisy. My intention is to lub the metal parts inside, if I can ever get the mouthpiece off again. I’ve only filled the oven once, so it hasn’t had much use.
When I first got it, the battery charged in less than 30 minutes. Was I sold a used one?
Hmm there are a lot of fakes/imitations of the Pax out there that aren’t made as well and don’t work the same, did you definitely buy it from an authorized dealer?
Thanks man, it was extremely helpful. Love my Pax!
glad to hear it!
hey man , thanks for all your tips and reviews, you helped me find the right vape ( the pax ) for me , just a question on the cleaning procedure before i order it.. since you poped up the mouthpiece for cleaning, does it heat up while you clean it ? like is it hot when your cleaning it ?..
Hey no doubt, good question when you pop off the mouthpiece the vape actually stops heating, it basically goes into standby mode, then when you snap the mouthpiece back in it resumes heating.
Hey just want to say thank you. My Pax JUST came in today and I’m glad you made this video for a guide for proper maintenance! One question I have is are there any concern with leaving the Pax in cold temperatures? I live in Canada where it gets -40C regularly and I know I’d like to leave my Pax in my car sometimes but don’t want to hurt my precious. Any thoughts on this?
Also when I press the mouthpiece to turn the vape on/off it is really unsmooth and makes a plastic-ey grinding noise. Is this just how it is? :s I imagined it being a little smoother than it is.
Ah man there’s a lot of fakes out there that act like that please tell me you bought it from an authorized dealer?
Hey usually there’s no problem leaving it in cold temps the only downside is you’ll have to let the battery warm up to normal temp to operate at full capacity, very cold weather does something to the batteries of basically all portable vapes, but it’s not permanent. However, -40°C is VERY cold, so I would probably not leave it in your car to be safe.
Hey my pax flashes orange then shuts down. I’ve cleaned it, lubed it and fully charged it. I go to start it up, stays purple (however it flashes slowly, and it’s hard to notice, but it may do that always. Can’t remember) and then after about 3 min of staying purple it flashes orange several times then shuts down! Any ideas? I heard it was moisture in the white temp. Switch, but I don’t know.
I’ve had the same experience. The weird thing is, I don’t clean my Pax regularly and I am a very frequent user (average 5 times a day). I never have issues with it though. I will do a full 99% alcohol clean about once a month. I just used it last night perfectly fine. I did the full clean this morning and now it will stay on purple and keep heating up pretty much to the point I can’t hold it anymore. If I leave it alone, it will eventually flash orange a couple times then shut off. If I hold it, it will just keep heating up. The even weirded part is that I will try to take a draw at any time and I find that I don’t even really get a toke. So few things I’ve noticed…A) The chamber will barely heat up anymore. B) It overheats like it was an over in a past life. C) Orange flashing lights? I can’t even find solutions to that in the manual. It doesn’t even say what it means.
Hey guys I’m not familiar with that exact issue but I would contact Ploom support and if your units happen to be defective and genuine they will replace them for you.
Not sure if this has been covered yet, but I lubricated the mouth piece and the action is a lot smoother. The problem I am having now is when I activate the pax I get a white light and then 2 red flashes. I am guessing I used to much of the lubrication. Any suggestions? Thanks!!
Hey I’m not exactly sure what that would mean, I would contact Ploom support if you’re still having that issue.
Hey man, absolutely fantastic video! I’ve been having some minor mouthpiece issues and have been racking my brain to come up with something that could clean around the mouthpiece insertion point. Great tip with the dental brushes!! Can’t wait to pick some up tomorrow and get my Pax back to working like the day I got it. Thanks again, sending good vibes your way!
Hey thanks glad you found it helpful!
Can I use white lithium grease as a lubricant?
I would not recommend that, you should use a food-grade propylene glycol.
Hey there! Is there a trick to getting the mouthpiece off? I’ve read that it should just spring off but mine doesn’t. I’ve only been able to get it to pop off twice and both times were after messing with it for hours. Im worried i got a bunk pax. Any help is appreciated
Hey there are a ton of fakes going around, Pax imitations, can you tell me where you bought yours? It’s not typical for the mouthpiece to get stuck like that.
If you use alcohol with salt and mix it nicely it would take out even the smallest residue, pure isopropil alcohol is just not stong enought to solve the resine..
Good tip thanks for posting!
Hi Bud! Thanks for the video. I just bought a Pax and was concerned about how to clean it properly, so this was really helpful! I have another issue that I’m hoping you can help me out with. The oven heats up quite a bit to the point where it is uncomfortable to hold, as it feels close to burning my hand. This is on the high setting so maybe I just need to keep it on medium or lower? But it seems to me, if there’s going to be a high setting then it should be just as comfortable to use. Have you had any experience with this?
Hey Leah it should only a little warm on the outside, the only part that normally gets hot is the magnetic oven cover on the very bottom of the unit.
I would try turning it down to medium, and also make sure you pack your material fairly tightly, if it’s loose in the oven it’ll cause the unit to heat up more than it should.
Also I’m not sure if you bought yours from an authorized dealer but there’s a bunch of imitations going around so make sure you have a real one, the fake ones have lots of issues.
Have the pax for a couple of months now and enjoyed it even more after listening to the comments and watching the cleaning video. But I do have a few observations, 1. If your smoking alone or with just 1 other person, fill the oven only half way and use the half screen trick, to fill the rest of the oven, (despite what people say it works best when emptied in one sitting) 2.It takes me 20 seconds to clean my oven before I fill it again, (I stick on end of the q tip in the opening of the alcohol bottle , get it wet with alcohol and then wipe the empty oven and magnetic cover with it , than dry with the other side). This seems to keep the draw consistently good for me. Great product
Very glad you’re diggin it, thanks for posting!
can i use the pax when i don’t have lubricant applied for 1 use?
What about using something like olive oil for lube? Would that work?
I am not sure about using olive oil, I would stick to the lube they provide or if you want to buy it separately on your own look for food-grade propylene glycol.
Yes it will work without lube you just may need to clean it more often to avoid any issues
Bought a Pax and have it coming tomorrow. Very excited and wanted to thank you for your reviews. These videos have told me everything I need to know about the Ploom Pax.
Nice vape it up!
Thank you!
hey Bud…can you assist me? after a full charge, my pax light blinks purple…like it is heating up….but never heats up? the light only stays on purple….and never goes to green. the light doesn’t turn any other colors…just stays purple.
do you know whats up?
thanks,
blasto
Hey I’m not sure exactly what could be wrong but have you given it a thorough cleaning?
If you have and it still does that I would email Ploom and describe what’s happening, if they figure out something’s wrong with your unit they should repair/replace it no problem.
Let me know how you make out
hi my pax temp settings wont change, the buttom seems to work its not stuck but the ligth is not changing…. would you help me please¡¡¡¡¡
Hey first make sure you have a real Pax, there are some knock-offs out there that have lots of issues. If you do, the only thing I can think of that would cause that is if you got any rubbing alcohol in the button when you were cleaning it. If this didn’t happen I would email Ploom and ask what could be wrong, if something is defective they should take care of you right away.
what happens if I got alcohol in the button
Great review. I just got my pax two days ago. It works great, but I noticed that sometimes when I press the mouthpiece down to close it, it won’t click shut on the first try. I know it’s not a cleaning issue as I just got it. Is this normal?
Thanks
Boyd
Hey Boyd glad you like it yes I’ve been asked that a few times, I think it has to do with how quickly you try closing it and with how much force, it sometimes seems to not catch if you do it a little too fast or hard, try pressing it down slowly and see if it catches on the first try.
Hey Bud, bought the pax and love it after your reviews. Got complacent with cleaning for a week and now the mouthpiece won’t pop out at all. How can I get it to pop so I can clean it? Help me out
Hey Shaun I would try maybe heating it up with a hair dryer (to make any stuck residue more flexible) and then just push the mouthpiece a few different ways to try and loosen it up.
Every once in a while it might get stuck but it should open up after a minute of fiddling around with it.
If you still can’t get it to come out I would contact Ploom and describe the issue in detail, they should be able to help you out.
Let me know how it goes!
Great hustle on all these videos and the site in general. Getting the Pax for sure, this sealed the deal. No reason for this comment other than to give credit where credit is due.
— Killuminati
Much appreciated, excellent choice.
I don’t see the video – it’s just a black screen. I am dumb as a rock about computers but have never had an issue looking at youtube videos. Do you have time to help the old guy?
Hey Roger it’s possible the page didn’t fully load for some reason, I would try refreshing the page if it happens again or to anyone else.
If that doesn’t work here is the URL for the video on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=phErd673_sY
This post and thread answered everything I wanted and would need to know! I feel I’ll have a much better vaping experience! thanks Bud!
Very happy to hear it stay up!
Hey bud, I have had my PAX by Ploom for about 3 months now and use it daily. I clean it regularly with alcohol, but this last time I cleaned it I’m starting to see an issue. My oven will not heat up anymore, it just sits on pink. It flashes like it is wanting to heat up, but will never turn green. Any advice on what might have caused my oven to stop heating up? I have tried all 3 temp settings and nothing. What component starts and controls the oven’s temperature heating up and how do you clean it? Is it the part of the mouthpiece that moves up and down? I’m just confused why the light indicates that the oven is heating, when really it’s not doing anything anymore?
Hey Eric what color is the light on the front when the unit is supposed to be heating up?
Is it purple the entire time or does it change to yellow, orange or red?
Usually the problem is that the mouthpiece will think it’s disconnected so the unit stops the heating process, when in reality there is just a little hidden residue somewhere preventing the mouthpiece from making a solid connection inside.
Most of the time a second more thorough cleaning does the trick, but let me know about the lights and then we’ll figure out what could be wrong.
If you bought it from Ploom, it has a 10 year warranty. Clean it up real good, email ploom, they will direct you. And chances are you will get another vape. If you have no warranty? Well, I had that experience. These vapes are not built to last forever. But with good cleaning and a warranty, your vaping experience should be quite pleasant.
I have bits of pipe cleaner stuck in my pax after cleaning. Does anyone know a way around this – or if it could be harmful for the bits to be heated when the device is used?
Hey I would just go through it again with a new moistened pipe cleaner that is higher quality, it should pick up/push out any little bits.
There are probably hundreds of brands but the ones I use I randomly picked up at a local shop and they seem to be good enough to not leave any bits behind.
what kind of lube can i use that isn’t made by pax? i dont want to spend 5$ for 5ml of lube. . .
Food-grade propylene glycol
Can you use water as a substituted for the lubricant?
Unfortunately no I would not use water on any internal parts
do you know what pipe cleaners i should use to clean … any particular brand …?
I don’t know of any specific brands to recommend but I would imagine that basically any kind will work, as long as they’re decent quality and don’t shred apart all over the place.
hi, when is the [herb] in the oven done completely? whats the best setting?
Basically you know it’s done when you stop getting vapor from it, which on a full packing is usually about 20 good draws. I personally feel that the default medium heat setting provides the best results.
Hey man! I’ve been debating on whether or not to get a Pax, and all your video reviews and tutorials have been very helpful in becoming more educated on the device.
Anyways, I had a question about the screen. Once you’re done cleaning, is it something that you just pop back in to place? I have a Vaporbro, which does need it’s screen changed on occasion. But you made it clear in your video that it wouldn’t be a hinderance to performance for the Pax.
Hey yes exactly, it simply pops back into place at the bottom of the oven.
The “screen” in this vape is really more of plate, it doesn’t have any holes in it, so if it gets stained it really doesn’t affect how the vape works at all.
I just bought my pax over a week ago and im having a issue getting the plate popped out of the oven, i even tried using the same wd40 straw as you but it wont budge
Wow really?? First question, please confirm you have a genuine unit, did you buy it through an authorized dealer? If yes, and the screen really won’t budge, try warming the vape up a little bit first to make any built-up residue more pliable and then try pushing out the screen again with the rigid straw.
I have had my Pax vapes for about two years. When I clean, the inner tube is so clogged, it is very difficult to get the screen out. I found a strong enough piece of wire to gently poke through the tube and push out the screen. Then I use piper cleaners and iso alcohol to clean it all out. Works so much better afterwards! (dah!)
Did you try the ascent vaporizer by davinci? i think the PAX better because its overall use, however, the ascent gets colder vapor and it also looks cool. what would you consider better
Haven’t tried it yet but I’ll probably review it when it becomes available, thanks for your request.
I’d be skeptical of claims of cooler vapor, it’s very hard to produce comfortable vapor from a portable vape and the Pax is already more comfortable than most.
My personal opinion on looks would also be in favor of the Pax.
Hey,
I just bought a PAX a few weeks ago and recently tried to replace the screen. The screen doesn’t seem to lie flat in the oven and now I don’t feel like I’m getting any vape when I inhale. Did I replace the screen wrong? It feels loose in the oven.
Thanks,
ML
Hey what’s up,
It’s normal for the screen to not lay completely flat in the oven, and it shouldn’t affect performance.
As long as it’s pressed against the bottom of the oven you should be good to go.
im having issues w my pax not producing a good amount of vapor? its clean and is well kept. ive tried multiple settings as well as different amounts of material. Dont know what else could be the issue. and ideas would be appreciated.
Hey Brandon,
If you feel like you’re not getting enough vapor make sure you’re doing these 3 things:
– dry out your material and grind it up VERY fine, almost to a powder
– pack the oven completely full, and press down your herbs to keep it tightly packed
– take slow, long draws (at least 10 seconds)
You can experiment with different draw methods and speeds, sometimes multiple short pulls in a row will work well also, but definitely make sure your stuff is ground up super fine and is tightly packed.
Let me know if you’re able to get better results!
With the default heat setting on, assuming my vape is clean and working fine, how long of a session can I get out of it? I’m talking without turning it off, puffing every minute or so. 15 minutes?? Or simply wait until I no longer see vapor…can I get anything more once the vapor stops? Yes, I know I sound like a flipping idiot, so no need to point it out, dude! Thanks. I just got my Pax, so it’s new to me and I don’t wanna toss the contents in the oven if more can be gleaned from it…
Hey with a fully packed oven you should be able to get about 20 nice draws from it over the course of about 15 minutes or so. You’ll basically know your material is spent when no more vapor is being produced.
Hope you’re enjoying it!
I HAVE TEMP LIGHT ISSUES CLEANED AROUND SPRING AREA AND STILL ISSUES ANY SUGGESTIONS??
Hey man my best advice would be to try cleaning it again, warm up the vape a little first, and really make sure you do it just like I show in the video.
If you really clean it good again and you still get the temp light issue I would contact VW or Ploom and find out how to make a warranty claim, it’s possible something may be wrong with your unit but more likely than not there’s probably a little hidden residue somewhere causing the problem.
Let me know how you make out.
Hey man my pax is just really annoying me and it’s not charging it just turns orange then flashes red and turns off what should I do?
I would contact Ploom and describe your issue to verify you have a genuine unit (not sure where you bought it, lots of fakes out there), and if you do and your unit is defective they will replace it for you.
Sometimes you can get light issues if the vape isn’t clean so I would also make sure you follow all the steps in this video to rule that out as a cause.
Hello, I was wondering how safe it actually is to use rubbing alcohol in the cleaning process considering thats basically where ill be inhaling. Is there any other alternative you could recommend or am I mislead in assuming rubbing alcohol is not the way to go?
Hey Connor,
As far as I know it’s safe, it’s pretty much the method everyone uses to clean their vapes and accessories, and I’ve been cleaning with it for years.
It evaporates very quickly and doesn’t leave any residue behind, but if you’re at all worried about that you could always moisten one of the pipe cleaners or q-tips with water (not dripping) and lightly brush over any parts you cleaned with the alcohol.
Just make sure the vape and all the parts are fully dried before you attempt to vape with it again.
Denatured rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) is poisonous and not intended for consumption. While it is probably not super dangerous to use for pipe cleaning, the safer alternative would probably be alcohol that IS intended for consumption, such as a high-proof grain alcohol like Everclear. That’s what most tobacco pipe smokers seem to recommend.
You are correct, Isopropyl alcohol is poisonous, but you will not being consuming it. It will evaporate very quickly, leaving a nice clean vap!
isopropanol is not poisonous rofl… you think they’d let you rub it on your skin ? its therapeutic action is by absorption !
ISOpropopanol is poisonious! In fact it has a poison added so you dont drink it. But you are right – its is non adsorbed so OK to use on kil.
The reason they add it is that ISO is ethanol (ETOH)which oif course is drinkable so the ABC and FDA require the addition to avoid drinking.
Hey guys just gonna weigh in on this. Isopropyl alcohol IS toxic but only if ingested. The amount you use to clean your device will not cause problems. Additionally, isopropyl alcohol is very volative so just let your device are out for ~5 minutes and you should be good to go!
Isopropyl alcohol is relatively innocuous via the inhalation route of exposure, and while it can be described as a poison, the potential for any adverse effects depends on 2 things: amount and duration. Everything is a poison given the right amount and duration of exposure…
The very low concentration and very short time that anyone would be inhaling any potential residual isopropanol would not exceed established thresholds for occupational or environmental exposure.
And seriously, considering what this product is being used to intentionally do, it’s almost laughable to be concerned about residual solvent exposure. The frequency and duration of exposure to herbal vapors are more likely to result in typical acute irritation and bronchitis responses, or putative chronic responses like COPD or Emphesema.
So yes, cleaning with isopropanol is safe the way it is described in the video.
And I’m getting one of these things. I can’t wait to try it out!
The mouthpiece is hot to my lips and feels like it could cause issues. Do you have any reccomedations on how to allievate this problem?
Hey the mouthpiece normally only gets hot if you don’t tightly pack your material in the oven.
Always fully pack the chamber and pack it tight for best results, let me know how you make out.
Also make sure you’re not covering the opening of the mouthpiece with your lips, you want to put your lips around the opening, if the vapor coming out makes direct contact with your lip it could feel hot.
Thanks bud this solved my problem with the oven packed tight it performs better and doesn’t bother the lips. I’d also mention its good not to pack it too full either, a good almost full oven packed good works best. Thanks man
Turn the heat down
My PAX did not come with lubricant for the mouthpiece. Is there anything I can use that is similar (and just as safe) that I could pick up around town? Or do I have to order this stuff specifically?
I’m fairly certain the lubricant they provide is just a food-grade propylene glycol, it’s a common ingredient in many household items.
You might not be able to find it in local stores but bottles of it are readily available online.
Could you send me a link to where i could purchase some of these bottles?
Hey I don’t have an exact link for you but just do a search for “food grade propylene glycol” and you should find various places to get it from.
If you wanted to be extra safe they do offer the Ploom pre-packaged lubricant I show in my video for sale, and you can get it at the vape store I link to at the top of the page.
What will happen if u dont put moisterizer on mouthpiece?
You just might get some buildup faster, using the lubricant helps extend how long you can go between cleanings
I’m pretty sure Ploom says you can just clean your mouthpiece with soap, as long as you rinse it thoroughly. This is what i do, and i haven’t had any problems yet.
I wonder if you can lubricate the mouth piece with e-juice?
The pax lube is propylene glycol which is the main ingredient in most ejuice!
This saved my life. My PAX had the stuck mouthpiece issue, so I googled it and came across this post. I followed every cleaning step shown here and the PAX is working again good as new.
Thank you.
Bud,
man, I thought I had hairy arms. You’re just as bad as me. LOL. Thanks for the update.
Regards,
Scott