Flowermate V5.0s Pro

Flowermate's manual singles out the mouthpiece as the part that fails first on the V5.0S Pro: after a stretch of use it clogs, the draw stiffens and less vapour comes through. The borosilicate stem then gets pushed back into the sliding storage compartment in the base of the body, so anything still tacky on the glass ends up smeared inside that slot.

1. Brush the ceramic chamber warm. Open the sliding cover on the top of the body and sweep the walls of the ceramic heating chamber with the included brush while the unit is still slightly warm. The brush is the only tool Flowermate specifies for that chamber. Over-packing is what constricts airflow, so load loosely and stir with the packing tool after filling.

2. Clear the ceramic filter with a pin. Under the load sits a perforated ceramic filter. The manual has you push a fine pin or straightened paperclip through each hole to reopen the airway, then wipe the face with a lint free cloth. A chamber that looks clean but still draws tight is usually this part.

3. Wash the glass stem. Lift the borosilicate mouthpiece out of the screen housing. Flowermate asks for warm water only: wash gently, rinse, air dry, and work at stubborn marks with a damp cotton swab. Retailers stocking the V5 series soak the glass in isopropyl instead, which borosilicate takes fine, but dry it completely before it slides back into the storage compartment.

4. Change screens rather than scrub them. Five stainless steel screens ship with the kit, seating in two places: one in the removable screen housing beneath the mouthpiece, one in the floor of the ceramic chamber. Both are meant to be swapped periodically, so soak them in alcohol if you like and retire any that stays dark.

5. Keep the shell and heater dry. The air path is isolated from the electronics but the body is not sealed. Wipe the OLED window and the outside with a damp cloth, never submerge the device, and keep alcohol out of the chamber and away from the airflow slider at the base.

6. Treat the concentrate pod as consumable. The liquid/waxy chamber is a stainless steel pod holding organic cotton, and cotton keeps residue that brushing will not shift. It is sold as a replacement part across the V5 range, so fit a new one when vapour thins rather than soaking it.

Both cells are internal and carry only ninety days of warranty against the year covering the electronics and ceramic chamber. Give it four to four and a half hours on the charger, do not vape while it is plugged in, which the manual warns will damage the device, and keep it off carpet and off the charger overnight.