Focus V Carta Classic

Boilover is what makes the original Carta dirty. Load too much or draw too hard and liquefied concentrate runs past the insert into the Everlast atomizer casing, then down onto the gold firing pin in the base. Condensation in the glass top's percolators is a separate problem, and Focus V treats the two differently.

1. Swab the insert while it is warm. Focus V's Everlast care guide asks for a cotton swab across the insert after every dab, which prevents chazzing on the quartz or titanium. Finish with the dry end so no alcohol sits in the cup.

2. Use heat, not force, on a stuck atomizer. If it will not unscrew from the base, run the device on its lowest preset, then wait until it is back at room temperature before twisting it off. Cold wax on the threads is what seizes them.

3. Break the atomizer down. Take the silicone bumper and carb cap tether off first. The ceramic lid is reverse threaded, so it comes away clockwise and tightens counter clockwise. That leaves four pieces: the casing, the quartz or titanium insert, the ceramic lid and the glass carb cap.

4. Soak those four pieces. Focus V puts them in 70 to 90 percent isopropyl for five minutes, shakes the dish, then dries them on a towel or in a sunny spot for one to two hours. If the ceramic lid will not budge, submerging the whole assembled atomizer loosens the threading.

5. Flush the glass top. Funnel isopropyl into the mouthpiece until it sits just above the perks, cover the opening and shake for 30 to 60 seconds. Pour it out, then stand the glass upright in the dish for one to five minutes to clear the lower section. Rinse under water until no alcohol remains.

6. Wipe the base, never pour on it. Isopropyl wipes are all the base should see: the atomizer connection points, the gold firing pin, and the silicone collar the glass sits in. Anything that splashes on the shell needs drying immediately.

Pull the atomizer and wipe both sets of connections every 25 to 50 dabs. A dirty or depressed firing pin is the usual reason a Carta reads the concentrate atomizer as dry herb, so lift the pin gently with a toothpick and check the app for firmware updates before assuming a fault. Keep the two 18350 cells as a matched pair, recharge around the 50 percent mark, and store them in the case rather than loose in a pocket where metal can short them. The dry herb atomizer has no removable lid: clear ABV with a pick tool, and blow a clogged mesh screen out with compressed air.