My vicks 1.5 vaporizer doesnt put out steam after using 5 times, flaky brown/grey things are in water , why? cant it be fixed

if possible try and check the lines or hoses that run from the wat er supply to the point where the steam comes out. It is very possible that the lines are clogged with water deposits. Thats why most of the time they suggest that you use distilled water in your vaporizer. hop this helps.
Lynn

If your softener is working properly, you should never get any salt in your water. The salt is used only to reactivate the ionic media in your softener cartridge, and during the backflush cycle, all that salt is removed, down to PPM (Parts Per Million) levels.
In any case, even if you used salt water in your vaporizer, it would not increase the amount of steam that it produces. Salt water has a higher boiling point than fresh water. You would also notice salt buildup inside the tank as the water level goes down.
The Vicks Vaporizer works by using only heat to produce steam- the hotter it gets, the more steam it makes. The only practical way to get too much steam outside of a malfunction that causes your heating element to get abnormally hot would be if you live at a very high altitude where water boils at a lower temperature.
High humidity in your home will make it appear as if your vaporizer is making too much steam since the surrounding air will be less capable of absorbing it.
A slightly "off topic" note- if you chose the Vicks Vaporizer/humidifier and have children, you have made a wise decision. Because it produces water vapor by heating instead of ultrasonics, contaminants and minerals (such as salt, iron, calcium, etc.) remain in the tank and will not enter the vapor stream.

you add vicks petroleum paste/jelly at the top where the air vent is. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt with tap water in the tank, plug in the unit and warm steam will produce.

a lot of times you must add a little salt for them to work..it depends on the mineral content of yor water

When you say you added apinch of salt I asked my wife and she says that is the measure that she uses. I doubt that you have to much salt but you can flush out your vaporizer with warm water while the unit is running. I would run two or three times for 1-2 hours each then remove element and rinse withe warm water.Also rinse out container and refill with warm water to fill line,make sure you don't overfill as this can cause the spitting. I would add about 1/4 cup of pure vinegar and let unit run. If you have hard water or high mineral content this should help to clean it.
I hope this helps you but if it doesn't I would return it as defective. Thank you

Is the water in your area soft? If so, add a few pinches of salt. Vaporizers boil the water by running electricity through it. If your water is too soft, no electricity and therefore no steam.

If you have hard water, and the unit must be cleaned, try soaking it in vinegar.

on the box there is a number for questions or comments : 1-800-VAPOR-1-2 ( 1-800-827-6712 ).

SPECIAL NOTES
Discoloration/Black Particles
After use, the water residue in the bottom of the container may contain black particles, and, in
some areas the water and the bottom of container may discolor. These conditions are normal and
do not effect the purity of the steam or medicine. The container is easily cleaned with soap and
water. Rinse and dry the container after cleaning.

This was taken from the manual that comes with the humidifier...

Have you tried adding salt to the water in the vaporizer? Sometimes the water needs to minerals for the humidifier to work...I add sea salt to mine every time I fill it.