A few more questions about the KR808D-1

[JasonW]

Last week I ordered the "Puresmoker ACE" (KR808D-1).

My first concern involves the safety of these devices. I was alarmed to find information on this forum concerning actual burning of the filler material, etc. within the cartomizers (or as Puresmoker.com refers to them, Atomz). I could never find a definitive answer to this question: Are there still any widespread concerns about this? Have there been cartomizer improvements? Basically, what's the status on this whole issue?

My second concern is filling cartomizers. A couple of members gave me some tips on this, but I'm still having problems.

The kit contained one pre-filled cartomizer from Puresmoker.com (Cash's 5*5*5* Blend). I also purchased 10 new unfilled cartomizers to fill myself. Of course I immediately began using the pre-filled cart after discovering that both batteries came fully pre-charged. I had absolutely no problem with that cartomizer. However, 3 days have now passed and the empty carts that I filled still mostly crackle and pop and produce very, VERY little vapor. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, or if it truly is just the quality of the liquid I'm using. I had a bottle of Johnson Creek's Red Oak Domestic which I had previously purchased in hopes of using it with the Blu Cigs I mistakenly ordered first. So I began filling some of these KR808 cartomizers with it. Is Johnson Creek's juice really just that bad? Why does the pre-filled cart that came with the kit seem to work fine, even when refilling it with Johnson Creek, but the other new carts I filled with the same only crackle, sizzle, pop?

Maybe I'm still filling them wrong though it seemed at first fairly self-explanatory. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm about to give up e-cigs altogether if a) they are burning filler material, etc. that could be harmful, and b) I can't get any of these cartomizers working beyond the initial free one provided with the kit.

I'm so frustrated with the whole concept of vaping now that I bought a pack of Marlboros today and am hating myself for it.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

 

[TrippH]

I had a kit from vapor4life and quit using it because of the burning wick/polyfill. That stuff is pretty easy to pull out with tweezers. Check them. I love my ego and wish I had just bought that in the beginning. When you first fill them it takes a bit for the vapor to start. Maybe they flood? As far as the sizzle. In my experience they all do that. Evenly my ego sizzles. Guess it's just the juice heating up.

 

[Snowy]

The cartomizers can burn, but I only find that when they've run dry and i'm trying to squeeze some extra life out of them when i shouldn't.

As for filling, not sure what methods you've been told, but the easiest is the cartomizer condom method. Use one of the clearish rubber ends thats used to keep the cartomizer clean. Fill the rubber end half way with your eliquid, then take the mouthpeice end of the cartomizer and slowly push it down into the juice. If you look at the battery end of the cartomizer whilst doing this, you'll be able to see when its full as juice will flow out of the hole. Just wipe this up, put the other rubber condom onto the battery end of the cartomizer and give it a shake for one or two seconds. The next bit is important. Let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes for the filler to soak the juice up.

Before you attach it to the battery and vape, wipe the cartomizer clean as eliquid doesnt usually taste very good. Also draw on the cartomizer as if vaping it before attaching it to the battery. If you get a gurgling sound you've over filled. Cover the battery end of the cartomizer with a tissue and very gently blow through the mouthpeice end. A little bit of juice should come out of the battery connector end and the gurgling wont happen anymore. Just wipe the battery end connection of any juice and you're ready to vape. juice leaking into the battery can stop it from working

Sounds long winded, but aside from letting it sit for a few minutes, the rest only takes another two or three once you've done it a few times.

Good luck

 

[JasonW]

Thank you so much. The loud sizzling and popping was worrying me a little considering what I've read on here about the filler/wick/etc. burning inside these cartomizers.

I guess there is no definitive answer for the question of whether these cartomizers and the KR808 are safe, right? I just really don't want to be inhaling burning plastic, rubber, foam, etc.. That's the only reason I continue to ask this question. It seems a lot of people are using this device be it from Puresmoker.com or elsewhere, but I just can't seem to find a satisfying answer.

 

[TrippH]

Take one that you've used apart. You don't even haftu run them dry. They do burn! I'm just not sure if it's bad for you. That's the big question... I'm sure it's much much much better than an analog either way

 

[DocWyatt]

Smoking analogs for likely many years and alarmed with the slightest sense of anything burning with an Ecig? I am not a fan of the KR808 but I always find amazing irony in this...

I guess it would be possible to find chemicals more harmful to people than in analogs, but would take some effort. 4,000 plus and 400 known carcinogens and carbon monoxide...

 

[Mr.Stick]

Ah, the old burning issue. I've been using an 808d-1 since I started in May, and of all the cartos I've dissected, including ones I intentionally abused (for science!), I never found a burnt spot that was larger than pin-head. The funny thing is, if you are burning your carto, you already know you are burning it because it will taste bad and perform poorly. They burn when they get dry, or when you just can't see fit to toss them out until you've used them for a month solid. My wife is a lazy vaper- she changes cartos the second they lose flavor, and refuses to refill, so it goes that she has never burned a carto. Me, I use the heck outta them, and still only burn 2 in 5, but again, I really don't care. The idea here is that no, the carto will not develop a malicious will to burn, and catch you by surprise.

As for is it safe- yes and no. It is less of a toxic threat, by orders of magnitude, than a real cigarette. You can make cartos even safer by paying close attention to how wet you keep them.

I had a lot of trouble with blanks when I started too. The reason that the prefilled cartos take to being refilled better, is because, well, they are 'seasoned' so to speak. I like to give my blanks a fill and a spin, and then let them sit for a day or two before putting them into the rotation. After a long sit, they'll already need a top off, even though they haven't been used yet. I'll theorize that they take time to get from 100% dry, to reasonably saturated. It works.

Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it.

 

[JasonW]

Smoking analogs for likely many years and alarmed with the slightest sense of anything burning with an Ecig? I am not a fan of the KR808 but I always find amazing irony in this...

I guess it would be possible to find chemicals more harmful to people than in analogs, but would take some effort. 4,000 plus and 400 known carcinogens and carbon monoxide...

I just want to make informed decisions this time around. I began smoking when I was 18, so yes I have smoked for many years. However, when I made the decision to light my first cigarette, I was pretty blind to the true dangers involved in cigarettes. I knew they weren't good for me that's for sure, but was I aware of the thousands of chemicals and hundreds of carcinogens? No. Therefore I made a decision that years later I came to regret because I was not at the time FULLY aware of all the risks. Now I'm hooked and I still have a pack of Marlboros lying around that I resort to on occasion even now that I'm trying e-cigs. This is exactly what I'm trying to avoid in the future by asking these questions now. I was not trying to sound paranoid or panicky, simply wanting to know as much as possible about what I'm doing here.

My main concern and source of frustration was the filling and usage of the cartomizers.

Thanks to everyone for your help! And thanks, Mr. Stick, for the encouragement. I'm already having much better luck just as of today! In fact, I'd say I'm very pleased with the performance of the KR808 now. I think I was just doing a few things wrong.

 

[Matodd]

I've been vaping for a few weeks now and this is all still a little new to me. I've watched all the videos on filling cartos and you just sort of have to decide which way is best for you. I find that after filling a new carto if I let it sit for a little while that I get better vapor production out of it. But that's just me. I've also bought cartos from different vendors and they aren't all the same some are easier to fill than others. I'm not promoting just stating that I found cartos from Myvaporstore easier to fill than the ones I got from vapor4life. The vapor4life cartos are coolcarts and that could be the difference. I wish you luck!

M

 

[Zenfrogs]

other than the crack and pop sounds... does it taste like you lit the wrong end of a cigarette? Do you hear any gurgling sounds? I have had cartos from another company that made alot of noise but they weren’t actually burning. They were just lower resistance ran really hot, I guess. When you run one really dry or accidently pop a blank on and take a hit ( I have done this - it was awful) you get very familiar with that burning taste and you avoid it at all costs. you will know when you burn it and when you do ... you toss it. If you hear gurgling noises and the draw is really hard ... it most likely has too much liquid in the carto. This will cause it to produce very weak vapor. I have only used one puresmoker carto and it was quite a while back so I can’t say if they have changed them but the one that I used did not perform as well as some other cartos on the marketplace now. Not all cartomizers are created equal. I started with an 808 and you should be able to make it work with a bit of practice. try the condom fill method and see how it goes. I have tried Johnson Creek juice and while I did not care for the flavor I remember it producing more than adequate amounts of vapo. If I had to guess I would say that you have overfilled.... how many drops did you add? Have you noticed any juice on the mouthpiece from inside the carto?

 

[JasonW]

Thank you Matodd and Zenfrogs.

other than the crack and pop sounds... does it taste like you lit the wrong end of a cigarette?

No, I have not gotten that taste yet.

I have had cartos from another company that made alot of noise but they weren’t actually burning.

These "Atomz" from Puresmoker do seem to make a bit of noise, but I have decided they aren't burning. I cracked one open today that I used for approximately 2 days and nothing inside looked burnt. I haven't been letting them dry out, as far as I can tell.

If you hear gurgling noises and the draw is really hard

I did that once, but realized quickly I had over-filled and corrected that.

I think I will try some other cartomizers just to see what works best for me, but these aren't bad for now. I've decided that the majority of the sizzling and popping has to be the fluid vaporizing because it happens more right after I've refilled or dripped using the zip tip (or drip tip, whichever is correct).

I have to agree with you on Johnson Creek. Now that I've gone back and tried the cartos I filled with JC and actually given them a chance to get over most of the pop and sizzle, they work great and produce enough vapor to satisfy me. Actually it produces a lot in general I think. At least compared to what I've seen in demo videos on Youtube, etc.

I hope to find some other flavors I like. I really prefer the idea of 100% VG as I have really sensitive skin and have read that PG can be an irritant, among other things. But, right now this Red Oak Domestic is not too bad. Could have a touch more flavor to it though.

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[Springbird]

Cartos usually have some snap, crackle and pop. If a new one didn't (snap, crackle, or pop) I'd think that something was wrong with it. If you've got snap crackle and pop, and no vapor put the battery end of the carto in a tissue and blow gently on the end that goes in your mouth. It might be a little over filled. Just a little puff or two, don't blow all your juice out the end(I've done it).

 

[Nighthawk]

I have used LiteCig for my cartos, both 510 & 808 and have had no issues. You might give them a look. Glad to hear you figured out the issues you were having. There is a learning curve with all this new tech, and it takes a bit to get going well. Hang in there & don't give up! It will really pay off when you start to notice how much better you feel.

 

[Mr.Stick]

You are on the right track J, and you won't go wrong if you keep asking questions when you hit a wall. We all have to, from time to time. I wish the transition was as easy as the cigarette method of "light, puff, repeat", but this does take a little practice. You'll get there, and we'll be here for you the whole way if you like.

 

[eltopo]

Check for videos on You tube. There is a good one on refilling kr808d-1 cartomizers. I started using the "condom" method but found I get a lot cleaner and better fill by pulling the mouth piece out.

Also some recommend letting a brand new blank cart soak (once loaded using standard methods) before vapping to prevent any initial burning or damage.