a few random questions.

[n0e11e]

- what is "pacifier vaping"? i get the general concept, that it fills that need we have for [as i call it] the ritual of smoking analogs. but is it just using lower doses/no nicotine in order to be able to vape more/vape the equivalent of a whole analog instead of just a few vapes? does everyone do it? is it something i should plan for [we just ordered our second set of juices from velvet vapors after the ones we got from LF were terribly disappointing...oh well, c'est la vie. but we are still ordering all juices at 18mg strength, so i'm guessing "pacifier vaping" at this strength would be a really really bad idea]

- what exactly is steeping? again, i get the concept, but is it just letting the juice sit for a few days for the flavors to marry? are there any particular ways of steeping that make it steep faster or better [refrigerating it, maybe keeping it in the sun, i dunno]?

- this one's driving me crazy: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TANK AND A REGULAR CART/CARTO? i've scoured the forum trying to find a "tank vs. regular" thread and so far i'm only able to locate reviews about specific tank models, but nothing about the actual difference between the two. as best i can tell i think the tank-style is just a modified cartridge without filler. the husband disagrees, but his only insight is that it "can't be that because the juice would all leak out. it has to be contained somehow...in the tank..." i'm seriously considering the very sexy ego-T B-style for "my" first e-cig [we are sharing a riva 510 starter kit from LF...excellent so far but that cylinder-style is just so sexy, in blue] but i kinda want to know what it is i'm getting into before i buy it.

- i saw a thread where someone had experienced light-headedness, dizziness, and chest pain when they first started vaping. this happened to me as well and i found it kind of terrifying, and between that and the awful juices [this was mostly our fault, n00b mistakes and all] it just completely turned me off for a couple days. i have high hopes that the flavors from VV will solve the taste issue, but i'm still concerned about the reaction i had. is this relatively common among first-time vapers? could it have anything to do with the fact that i was vaping PG? i saw that there can be allergic reactions to PG, but those seemed to be more...well, allergy-type symptoms [sore throat, congestion, etc.] than what i was experiencing.

wow, this turned out long. any and all answers are welcome, even if it's just a "OMG GO TO THIS THREAD AND STOP ASKING ASININE QUESTIONS NOOBFACE" kind of answer.

 

[Nomoreash]

I've never heard of Pacifier Vaping, someone else might have your answer.

You have the general idea of steeping. Most of us purchase juices mixed to our specs so they aren't mixed till after the order is placed. It's juice and flavor dependent but sometimes when you first receive them they can have a off or after taste. Steeping is just letting them sit for a while before using them. I never touch mine for a week and if I do before then I hold all judgement on the juice until then. I've had flavors that kept getting better after a week but the first week in my experience makes the biggest difference. Some people put the sealed bottle in warm water and say it speeds up the process, I've never tried that though. Don't put your liquids in the sun, they should be stored in a cool dry place away from direct light and especially sunlight.

A cart uses filler and comes with most standard kits although we're seeing less of the regular cart kits now and more cartomizer and tank kits hitting the market. A regular cart can be used with regular atomizers of the same type, 510 etc. They don't hold much juice so you have to keep filling or topping them off more often, you want to keep the filler wet.
The Ego Tank System is a two part system that is designed to fit each other, the tank and tank atomizer. The tank holds more liquid and doesn't use filler. It uses a small wick to transfer the liquid from the tank to the atty. Feedback is all over the place on these at this point and most say they require some fiddling and flavor is diminished. If you go with a tank system I'd advise getting some cartomizers along with the order in case they don't work out. Boge 2.0 cartomizers are good performers that are easy to fill.

I've never had any reaction to vaping but people can have a reaction to PG or VG. I'd recommend getting a small bottle of each in the same flavor, you can do this from many vendors that let you customize the order. It could also be to high of nic but that doesn't sound like the case from your description. VG is thicker though so you may have some wicking issues with some equipment, especially the tank but it'll give you a chance to find out how and if you're effected by one or the other and also see the difference with the same flavor.

 

[tmcase]

First off, pacifier vaping is just "it tastes so good I can't put it down". I pacifier vape when vaping a flavor I really like.

Steeping is just like you said, letting it sit for a few days, sometime a few weeks but NEVER put it in the sun. It will ruin the juice. Keep it in a cool dark place. Some will say refrigerate it but I don't think most do.

A tank just hold a whole lot more juice. Others can give you more detailed particulars.

Light-headedness, dizziness, and chest pain are common side effects for new vapors. It's caused by over doing it and your lungs & body are not use to the juice and the PG/VG & flavoring in it. As long as the symptoms aren't severe and go away when you ease up on your vaping then you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Phiniac]

The Vape-O-Matic Liquinator is a cool one that is actually a tank and cartomizer. It is a big tank that is sealed with o-rings. It comes with a Boge Cartomizer, the Boge cartomizer is filled with filler. The difference is, little slots have been cut into the cartomizer. So you slip the cartomizer into the tank, fill the tank with liquid and the tank then keeps the filler in the cartomizer wet by seeping into the slots! It is a little big though!

 

[toddos]

In order:

"Pacifier vaping": That's a new term to me, but I assume it's similar to "chain vaping", which is exactly as it sounds -- vaping a lot. Whether or not you'll end up doing that really depends on you, but a lot of people do find that they vape differently than they smoked, rather than vaping constantly for 5-10 minutes every couple of hours, they'll take 1-2 hits every 5-10 minutes. There's no danger in this as long as you avoid nicotine OD (see below). I guess "pacifier" as in we constantly have a PV in our mouths?

Steeping: Pretty much what you said. There are plenty of theories on what way is best to steep, or if it's even necessary. Find what works for you. Most people will recommend to steep at least a day with the cap off (including any dropper tip), and then seal it up and store it in a dark, cool (not cold!) place. Most juices will be vapable immediately when you get them, but if a flavor seems a little "blah" put it aside for a couple days and try it again later.

Tanks vs. Carts vs. Cartos: Carts vs. Cartos is easy. Carts are cartridges that contain just juice and a filler material and rely on an atomizer to create vapor. Cartomizers include an atomizer inside the polyfill where the juice is stored. Tanks really depend on what you're referring to. The ego-T style tanks are pretty much fillerless cartridges with a cap and require a special atomizer that punctures the cap and wicks the fluid up into the atomizer coil. There are other tanks that use polyfill as a sort of "cap" rather than an actual cap and can work on regular atomizers. And then there are "clearomizers", which are sort of a cross between cartomizers and tanks. There's no polyfill, the juice is contained in a reservoir, and a wick pulls it up into an atomizer that's contained in the cartridge itself rather than used separately. The various physics and designs of the tanks and cartomizers give different performance and flavor. Personally, I found the ego-T tanks to be pretty bland, though I've only used the original and 2nd gen A-style tanks. I suspect the B-style tanks are similar, just larger, but perhaps the technology has progressed. Personally, I prefer my Reo mini (a bottom-feeding juice box that can be used with regular atomizers or cartomizers -- just squeeze to get some juice into the atty and you're good to go).

Light-headedness, dizziness, chest pains, etc: There could be a number of reasons for this. For example, you could be mildly allergic to PG, or you could be using too high of a nicotine concentration (18mg shouldn't give that much kick unless you were a super ultra light smoker), or you could simply be vaping too much and experiencing the initial symptoms of nicotine overdose. The latter is especially likely if you noticed a considerable increase in heart rate and you vaped for a longer than normal period of time. It's harmless as long as you stop when you start feeling symptoms, similar to drinking too much coffee. Over time you'll get a better idea of how much/how often you can vape without getting too much nicotine, or even reduce the amount of nicotine you use. I'm at 12mg now after 6 months of vaping, starting at 24mg. If I try even some of my old 18mg juices, 5-6 puffs is enough for me to feel it similar to that first drag off an analog after having been quit for several months ... it's occasionally enjoyable, but not something I'd want to hit every day

 

[Critter Man]

I'll just talk about the symptoms:

They are all symptoms of nicotine overdose, but really you are not experiencing them because the level is too high. Rather, it seems for new vapers, because you are unaccustomed to how quickly the nicotine is entering your body. There is no cause for concern. You will adjust within a week or so. When you get negative side effects, put down the PV until they fade. Soon enough, you won't get them. If you get them later on, you may need to reduce your nic level so you can vape more often without the negative side effects.

Welcome to the party!

 

[n0e11e]

thanks for your responses, guys!

i'm glad i asked about the steeping before going all HEY SUNLIGHT IS AWESOME and destroying my juice. we currently have a drawer in the kitchen that has our juices in it [we have 2 cats, one of whom likes to gnaw on stuff, so leaving them out in the open is a very bad idea] so i'm guessing we have a good place to store them.

so using the tank style can diminish the flavor? is this something that happens with all tanks [in yall's experience] or just the ego-T?

i'm glad to know that it's kind of a common side effect. my health isn't that great to begin with [and obviously smoking analogs doesn't help] so i kinda freaked out when i started feeling weird. i believe we ordered some in the "velvet blend" [it's maybe 70/30?] and a couple VGs from VV, so we'll see what happens there.

 

[countrygirl1291]

i'm glad to know that it's kind of a common side effect. my health isn't that great to begin with [and obviously smoking analogs doesn't help] so i kinda freaked out when i started feeling weird.

Have you had the mouth draw vs throat draw explanation/discussion?

 

[n0e11e]

again, i get the general concept, but no, i haven't really where e-cigs are concerned.
please do tell. :]

 

[JWebb]

ECF Library will help with these questions on the Home page.

 

[bobsyeruncle]

Regarding the flavour from tanks. With the Ego-T, you don't get as much flavour from the default atomizer. However, with the low-resistance tank atomizer, you may find you get enough flavour to suit. The other thing about the Ego-T tanks is that they will leak small amounts of juice from time-to-time. Some of the leaks may be due to condensation. Some of them are a mystery. The leaks put some people completely off. Other people are pretty happy overall with the Ego-T system.

Regarding your Type B tanks. Some people say they leak more than the Type A tanks. And some people swear by them.

 

[dormouse]

cartridge aka cart - just a plastic and stuffing piece that holds juices and presses onto an atomizer
3-piece ecig = battery + atomizer + cart or battery + atomizer + driptip (for manual batteries only)

cartomizer aka carto - a disposable combined atomizer&cart that holds more liquid than a cart, needs juice less often
Blank cartomizers are available for the most popular 3 piece models. I find thin (very low VG, high PG) clear juices make my cartomizers work well longer. You fill a carto properly and completely, let it settles, then keep it damp during its life so you don't singe the stuffing. A few people succeed at cleaning and drying and reusing them after that but don't count on it. I can get 2 weeks of good use out of a Boge cartomizer.
2-piece ecig = battery + cartomizer

tank - a hollow no-stuffing cart used with a special tank atomizer that has a spike to pierce it. Tanks and tank attys are only available for 510 threaded devices. They are fairly new. Some people like them, some do not. These attys cannot be used with carts, and some say they should not be used for dripping if you buy a normal Joye 510 (or Ego or Riva 510), you can just buy a tank atty and tanks for it if you want to try tanks.
battery + tank atty + tank

Pacifier vaping - vaping constantly. I don't let myself do that. At home I keep the ecigs in another room so I have to get off my .... and go vape. Because I don't do it, it was easy for me to lower my nicotine level by just vaping extra to smooth over the transition. Some people do the opposite and escalate their nicotine usage - I was determined not to do that.

Too much nic can cause headache, light-headed, rapid or irregular heartbeat

Too much TH (medium or high nic in 100% PG) can cause irritated mouth, throat, lungs

 

[countrygirl1291]

again, i get the general concept, but no, i haven't really where e-cigs are concerned.
please do tell. :]

Some people do this with a regular analog cigarette too, but with an e-cig, try making sure you initially draw the vapor only into your mouth and hold it there for a bit. Don't try to inhale it directly into your lungs -- it'll usually make a newbie cough (and for some people, will always make them cough). After you've held the vapor in your mouth for a second or 2, you can either lung inhale it, or exhale through your nose, or exhale a marvelous huge cloud through your mouth, which is what I tend to do. You don't have to do a lung inhale to get the nicotine -- it can be absorbed through your mouth and nose tissue.

 

[MsMellow]

"Pacifier Vapring" - I guess this is when people are satisfying their oral fixation. I do it sometimes, but I do it with a really low nic juice or zero nic. When I smoked analogs, I would smoke whenever I got bored, just to have something to do. This led to some serious chain smoking. I wasn't even getting the nic buzz anymore, it was just habit. The zero nic stuff I have is a flavor I really like, so it's still fun, and I can sleep afterwards.

I overdid it with some 12-18mg juice over the weekend. Late night watching TV. It gave me a bit of a stomachache. Definitely do not want that to happen again.