Aromazap Frequently Asked Questions




How does Aromazap work?

The primary use of Aromazap is as an Aromatherapy oil diffuser. Simply put a few drops of essential oil of your choice in the cup at the center of the aromatherapy flower while the unit is on. The heat from the wooden base unit will warm the flower and slowly diffuse aroma into the air. This unit also functions very well as a vaporizer with the substitution of the vapor stem for the flower stem. Put a very small amount of tobacco, medium-finely ground, in the tip of the vaporizing stem. Pack lightly and insert the stem into base unit and suck on end of stem. The Aromazap will allow heated air to pass through the contents of the stem tip, delivering only volatized (vaporized) essentials to the user. Smoking and combustion are impossible with Aromazap because the temperature is not high enough for combustion. Once the unit is pre-heated, there is no waiting as it is always ready for use. Aromazap operates in the home, utilizing a small wall mount transformer (supplied) to provide 12 volts to the base unit. It will also operate in your vehicle with a car adapter cord for wonderful aroma in the RV or boat!


How does Aromazap compare to the 'standard' dome/hookah-tube type vaporizers?

Aromazap is NOT one of many 'standard' dome/hookah-tube type vaporizers which are an exercise in inefficiency. Standard vaporizers heat the smoking mixture in a large metal cup enclosed in a dome of glass or acrylic. After the user applies heat for varying periods of time, vapor is observed in the glass dome by the user at which time one is supposed to suck on a long plastic tube to introduce the vapor into the lungs. This design has many flaws but the main one is condensation. Essential vapor condenses in the dome and in the tube long before it gets to the user. This design also allows the material to be combusted (burned) if heat is left on for too long. This standard design also has the problem of looking like a "smoking device" when displayed in the home. Many look as if they should be in a science lab. There are also vaporizers that utilize an external heat gun to provide warm air for vaporizing. These units, while efficient, are cumbersome and awkward to use besides being expensive and not pleasant to look at.


What is vapor and why is it better than smoke?

In a word, the answer is HEALTH! Healthy lungs, healthy body and healthy mind. In a perfect world we would not introduce anything into our bodies except healthy food, pure water and pure air. BUT, since we are all living in the real world, some of us choose to introduce *other* substances into our bodies for one reason or another. Many of us choose to smoke those substances. Smoking requires combustion. Combustion produces tars, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and other harmful by-products. Smoke is not good for us, even if that smoke contains a small amount of something that IS good for us. VAPOR provides a healthier alternative than smoke. With Aromazap, warm air is passed through and around the herbal material, gently volatizing all essential oils into a fine vapor. All combustion by-products are eliminated with our vaporizer as temperatures are not high enough for combustion. Vapor does have an odor but not the familiar 'smoke' odor. Rather, the smell is very similar to that of the fresh herb being vaporized. Vapor also has a different effect than smoke on the user. Vapor is cleaner and more 'medicinal' in it's effects than smoke. Since there are no tars in vapor, the taste is different too. Some people, when first experiencing vapor, think they are getting only air as the normal 'taste' of smoke is missing. They soon find out they got what they bargained for though as the familiar *expansion effect* associated with smoke will still happen.....albeit a bit sneaky as one is not expecting it. The real truth about vapor comes after a week or so of using vapor only and then giving smoke a try. The smoke will taste like hot thick tar.


How is Aromazap constructed and what materials are used?

Aromazap is entirely hand crafted using wood from the Pacific Northwest and internal parts mostly made in the USA. We do not have a choice regarding some of the electronic components being made in the USA but all the brass used in the heatport and vapor stems is made in USA, as is the commercial nylon material used in the vapor stems. All solder used in the mechanical construction of the heatport and electronic assemblies is 100% lead free solder. The heating element used in the Aromazap is a ceramic coated commercial power resistor (US made). All internal mechanical parts are fabricated by us from raw materials. The Zap uses stainless steel screen in the vaporizing stems and in the heatport. In both cases, the screen is held securely in place with internal retaining rings to ensure long lasting, trouble free use. We take much pride in producing a well made quality product that will last a long time.


Why is the new MyrtleZap more expensive than the standard Aromazap?

Myrtlewood must be purchased and is not recycled wood. It is also very expensive and the end product takes more time to construct, particularly the sanding process. The finished hardwood product is heavier than the standard Aromazap and costs more to ship. The blue led 'on' light costs ten times more than the standard green led. The MyrtleZap is a very real step up from our standard Aromazap in many ways.


Why do you only offer a 90 day replacement warranty and not a 100% satisfaction guarantee?

The Aromazap is very simple in its construction. There are no moving parts to wear out. The heat produced is constant. We pre-heat all units for 24 hours at least before shipment to insure they function properly. They are constructed by only three people in this big world. We decided in the beginning that we are not and do not want to be a Wal Mart or Kmart as far as guarantees are concerned. We do not want our product to be used by those who want to only TRY vapor and then return it if they do not like vapor. Vapor is different than smoke in many ways and a few people will like smoke better. We supply a product that will produce vapor from dry herbal material. If you do not like vapor, do not buy it and/or do not return it if you did buy it. As far as our customer service goes, we challenge anyone out there to find another vape business that beats us. Search the web for Aromazap complaints. We are old school and operate our business that way. We provide excellent value and integrity with Aromazap.


How do you ship and why is there no shipping charge?

We ship all orders USPS priority mail with delivery confirmation. Shipping labels are made from the USPS website using the USPS database for delivery addresses. Shipping in the domestic US takes 2-3 days. We use different woods in Zaps and some wood species are heavier than others. Often the transformers from our supplier are different weights. We have decided to eliminate the shipping charge and quote a "total delivered price" to simplify the purchase for our customers and make our job easier. The bottom line is everybody in the US gets a standard Aromazap kit delivered for $135 total. The new MyrtleZap kit is $155 delivered.


Does the customer have a choice of wood stains?

YES! When ordering a standard Aromazap, just let us know when you order what your choice is. Our four main choices are Light Natural, Golden Oak, Mahogany and Dark Walnut. Some Light Natural and Golden Oaks have knots while others have no knots. Most Mahogany and Walnut Zaps are relatively plain as far as grain goes. When ordering the new MyrtleZap, you can specify a preference of light, dark or Driftwood. We do not stain the MyrtleZaps at all so only the natural wood color is available. We will do our best to get your PREFERENCE to you but we cannot guarantee anything specific. Myrtlewood is all different in the coloring and we never know what we will have until the wood arrives from the Oregon Coast.


How do I get a Zap?

The best way to order an Aromazap is thru the Paypal link on our website (domestic US orders). We are a small operation and Paypal is the only way we can accept credit cards. Paypal notifies us immediately when an order is placed through them and we ship within a few days. For those customers who prefer not to use Paypal, we accept a check or money order through snail mail. You will need to contact us at aromazap@aol.com for a name and address, etc. if that is your choice. Be prepared for an extra week or so wait on delivery with mail orders. Aromazap and MyrtleZap are ONLY available in the United States.


Do you ship Zaps globally?

NO! We ONLY ship to US addresses.


What is the most important thing to know for efficient Zap use?

By far, the most important step in happy Zap use is proper STEM TIP packing. The material used must be very dry and well ground. Very Dry! We all have experienced that level of dryness in herbal material at one time or another. PERFECT for Zapping! The stem tip should be packed tight enough to reduce the airflow through the stem to about one half that of an empty stem tip. In the beginning, do not fill the tip full when learning how to master the vapor flow of the Zap. Start with half a tip or so. The airflow through the Zap is restricted BY DESIGN when the stem tip is properly packed. You will not get a full draw like through a cigarette or glass pipe with the Zap. Draws must be slow and easy and long. A couple of quick puffs taken initially and exhaled will get the vapor started by moving hot air through the tip contents. Then follow up with the long slow pulls held in. A properly packed stem tip will provide 2-5 good long pulls or more. Let the Zap pre-heat for close to an hour to be sure it is warmed up thoroughly. It is then always ready with no waiting. Insert stem tip into the heatport and inhale. Aromazap only draws about 7 watts when plugged in so many people leave them on 24/7. When all essentials are gone from the stem tip contents, the contents will blow out as a 'plug'.(Just blow on stem over a wastebasket, etc instead of sucking) If the stem tip contents do not blow out easily, another draw is required. One of the most important elements of keeping the stems as clean as possible is to be sure you have volatized all the stem tip contents each time you fill the tip. Zaps will work with varying ranges of stem tip packing but you will find an optimum level for you. A lighter pack will allow more warm air through the stem tip contents and will produce a slightly thicker vapor than a tighter pack. If the stem tip contents blow out in a spray, rather than a plug, you should pack slightly tighter.


Why do you call your product Aromazap?

Because, first and foremost, Aromazap is an Aromatherapy oil diffuser. We provide a hand crafted aroma flower with a small cup in the middle of the flower to hold a few drops of essential oil. The aroma flower can be inserted in the Zap when not being used as a vaporizer. The heat from the base unit will gently warm the flower cup contents and slowly diffuse aroma of your choice into your living area. The aroma flower can be left in the base unit 24/7 if you leave the unit on. Only a few drops of oil are necessary and we recommend using real essential oils. Laboratory made imitation oils sold in chain stores will not work as well for this purpose. We include a small bottle of authentic French Lavender essential oil in the Zap kit but any aroma will work. Just stay with essential oils and clean the cup with alcohol periodically for best results. The ZAP in Aromazap was a natural!


What about Vapor stem cleaning?

The stems will stay relatively clean for a long period as there are no tars to accumulate since there is no combustion with Aromazap. They can clog over time with essentials though. Clean them by soaking in alcohol or a commercial glass cleaning product. Then rinse in hot water or boil them for a few minutes and let them air dry. The handle portion of the stem is nylon material and very tough. Boiling will not harm the stems but oils must be dissolved with a solvent of some kind before boiling as they are not water soluble. If you find it necessary to pick at the contents with a pin, etc, be very careful. We make every attempt to make the screens bulletproof but they can be dislodged if one is not careful. As mentioned above, the most important part of keeping vapor stems clean is to be sure you volitize all of the herbal oils in the stem tip each time you use it. If you leave even one draw worth of essential oils in the stem tip each time you use the stem, the unused oils will build up rapidly. Experienced users like to leave slightly plugged stems soaking in alcohol to keep them clean. You will get the best results by cleaning them before they get too plugged. We do offer extra vapor stems on our website for $10 each, minimum order two stems.


Why no small hole in the Vapor stem handle anymore?

We have had many old customers request stems with no small hole in the handle. We find this allows for easier use of Aromazap, using only one hand for use if desired. The small hole, designed to let a small amount of outside, cooler air into the vapor stream caused some confusion with new customers. We will supply stems with the small hole if requested by a customer. Every order placed with us through Paypal has a section at the end of the process that allows the customer to send us a note with extra information if so desired. Let us know there or by separate Email(aromazap@aol.com) if you want the small airhole in the handle of the Vapor stems.


























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