# of refills? And when do you toss a carto?

[Madame Psychosis]

Just started using cartomizers recently with the 510 adapter, so I have a question... How many refills do you find you get with each cartomizer? And how do you usually tell when a cartomizer is just not worth using anymore -- what starts to go wrong?

(I've also heard mention that the prefilled ones seem to last longer -- or at least, you get an equal number of DIY refills with the blanks as with the prefilled cartos, meaning you get one extra use out of the prefilled ones. Or something like that?)

I tend to refill (syringe into the wick, spin trick) when it's convenient for me rather than when the cartos are totally empty, so I often refill from the halfway point, and I don't have a good sense of how many refills I've gotten.
Two cartos have gotten, I think, 5 half-refills each.

I'm starting to get a funny taste from one of them (not burnt, but vaguely chemical), which is odd. ... [edited to add] oh. uh. that may be a bit of residual isopropyl alcohol when I was cleaning a flooded juice mess out of the thread, if any got into the atomizer by accident.

Input, as always, is appreciated!

[Lightgeoduck]

Just started using cartomizers recently with the 510 adapter, so I have a question... How many refills do you find you get with each cartomizer? And how do you usually tell when a cartomizer is just not worth using anymore -- what starts to go wrong?

(I've also heard mention that the prefilled ones seem to last longer -- or at least, you get an equal number of DIY refills with the blanks as with the prefilled cartos, meaning you get one extra use out of the prefilled ones. Or something like that?)

I tend to refill (syringe into the wick, spin trick) when it's convenient for me rather than when the cartos are totally empty, so I often refill from the halfway point, and I don't have a good sense of how many refills I've gotten.
Two cartos have gotten, I think, 5 half-refills each. I'm starting to get a funny taste from one of them (not burnt, but vaguely chemical), which is odd.

Input, as always, is appreciated!

Well topping off is always better than refilling like you do... instead of the syringe try popping the white cap off(there are many tips here on how to do it) and take out the rubber ring inside to top off.... once you do that you can put it back together just enough where you can pop it off with a finger nail

by doing it this way you will be sure to keep it filled....

also if you are using a syringe white cap off or not... you shouldn't need to spin if you stick the syringe inside the fill.

with that being said... amount of refills or top offs can vary.. I have had carts last a month... but that's being extremely cautions and had a lucky cart hehe I also had carts last a couple of days ....

so in short you will hear different answers and different experiences but you should at least get three full refills no problem

[Taryn]

I also find it varies a great deal from carto to carto how often you can refill and still get great taste and vape. I have refilled one about twenty times but that one is a bit unusual! I'd say on average I get eight to ten refills before I toss it. Saving the end cap, o ring, condoms (plastic covers) and plug of course!

[emberl]

My experience is that the pre-filled cartos taste nasty after refilling them after 3 or 4 times.
They taste musty, yak.

Now the blank cartos is a whole different story.
I can refill and refill them over and over again.
I have 3 going at the time.
I fill one, put it aside for the night, in the morning I refill the one I was using the night before and start using the one I filled the night before.

It's awesome, I have been using the same blank carts for the last 2 weeks.
No nasty musty taste.
Just the same all the time.

Blank cartos is the way to go.

[arkangel]

I've had a mixed bag, refilling only pre-filled. I never let them get down to the burnt taste, usually topping them off after a day's use and, like emberl, moving onto another, then back to the first.

I've had one carto I've topped probably 25 times and it's still vaping clouds. But I've had a couple that didn't even take 2 refills before they only taste bad--even after topping off, they'd last maybe 8-10 puffs and the flavor would change (which is my normal indicator to either refill or toss). I haven't been scientific enough to try to determine the underlying cause...some cartos just won't take a refill, even after a rinse/dry/refill/spin cycle...

Gotta get some of those empties...maybe after the Christmas spend-a-thon...

[DonDaBoomVape]

My experience is that the pre-filled cartos taste nasty after refilling them after 3 or 4 times.
They taste musty, yak.

Now the blank cartos is a whole different story.
I can refill and refill them over and over again.
I have 3 going at the time.
I fill one, put it aside for the night, in the morning I refill the one I was using the night before and start using the one I filled the night before.

It's awesome, I have been using the same blank carts for the last 2 weeks.
No nasty musty taste.
Just the same all the time.

Blank cartos is the way to go.

I've never tried the blank cartomizers. The prefilled ones have an undertaste that I've never particularly liked (the KR808D-1 was my first e-cig 6 months ago and I still use it occassionally).

Do you know what I'm talking about when I say "undertaste"? If so (whatever word you would use), is that absent from the blank carts that you fill yourself?

[Lightgeoduck]

Do you know what I'm talking about when I say "undertaste"? If so (whatever word you would use), is that absent from the blank carts that you fill yourself?

well none of my blanks tasted like cheeze but anyway...

for me it was always hit and miss with prefilled... I mean am I suppose to just trust a bunch of chinawomen to do what I can do myself (no disrespect intended) I prefer to fill them myself with my juice of choice...but of course I am not saying pre-filled is a sin... just blanks are a bit more heavenly IMM

So I put the vote in for stricktly blanks.... because I haven't had an undertaste with an excellent combo of a blank and 'great juice'

Aboo I know you questioned the member you quoted,, but I thought to butt in on this.... please pardon me

[doots]

I've never tried the blank cartomizers. The prefilled ones have an undertaste that I've never particularly liked (the KR808D-1 was my first e-cig 6 months ago and I still use it occassionally).

Do you know what I'm talking about when I say "undertaste"? If so (whatever word you would use), is that absent from the blank carts that you fill yourself?

I know wxactly what you mean. To me it's almost slighty acidic.
All the prefilled carts seem to have it. The way I get rid of it in prefilled carts is to wash them out and refill.. Then its gone.

[Jules22871]

Do you all clean the cartos? Is the filler replaceable or do you just keep using the same filler?

[emberl]

I've never tried the blank cartomizers. The prefilled ones have an undertaste that I've never particularly liked (the KR808D-1 was my first e-cig 6 months ago and I still use it occassionally).

Do you know what I'm talking about when I say "undertaste"? If so (whatever word you would use), is that absent from the blank carts that you fill yourself?

Yes, I think "undertaste" is a good word.
After refilling the pre-filled they taste "musty", in my opinion.

And yes that is absent with the blank cartos.

For some reason the fill in the blanks holds up longer than the prefilled also, it does not get porous, it holds the liquid better.

..