Advice for a li'l ole lady?

[Dave L]

My wife has a friend who we bought a vape for last April, as a birthday present. She'd been trying to quit smoking for years. Well, everything went fine until she started having trouble with her rigs. The trouble is, this little old lady is NOT mechanically inclined. Just filling the tank or changing the battery is challenging to her. So far she has half a dozen clearos for her eGo batts, and says that "nothing works." I've showed her how she has to clean the tanks now and then. She is going through new heads and wicks like crazy, has constant leaks and gurgles, and is driving both our local vape stores crazy. Tomorrow, I've told her to bring ALL her equipment over here, and I'll try to work it out for her. I can show her how to lift up the positive pole on her batteries, how to keep things clean and the airway clear, but the last couple of months have been frustrating for her. This lady is a little slow - she bought a new laptop and didn't know for a couple months that it had a CD player! I had to show her.

I'd hate to see this lady start smoking again out of despair and frustration. Her clearos are Evods, T2s, CE4s and CE7s, not that she knows the difference. Apparently she can't keep even one of them working for a day. Any advice?

 

[DeeDee1234]

I have found the easiest for people is the evod. Stress not over tightening the evod to the battery and cleaning them out. Maybe see if you can get her to drop the head in a cup on vinegar for a few hours and the run it under hot water and set it out to dry over night. The vinegar will break up the gunk on the coil and wick. She prolly can't break them apart. So, I wouldn't even try. With the evod, if she over fills it or drags too hard, tell her to flip it upside down. That's what I have done with my hard to operate friends anyway.

 

[lynch]

Maybe she wont learn so she will always have you and your wifes company ?

 

[Maggiemw]

I'm a little old lady myself, but am also somewhat technically inclined - I learned Pascal and C in the 1980s, for example, and had my small plane pilot license until ten years ago... so I may not be the best person around to help your friend out. I would suggest a real hands-on session like you are planning, and using Evods because the bottom coil makes them more mistake-proof, I think.

I would also suggest building her confidence and showing her the logic of the thing. E-cigs are not rocket science, but no one has to have lectures about sub-ohms and rebuilding heads, either (sorry for the choice of examples, just trying to avoid the glazed I'm-outta-here look).

A simple VV that you set on 3.6 or 3.7 and evods should be doable, with nice liquid in a dropper bottle. Worst case scenario: pre-filled look-alikes, but I doubt it has to come to that.

 

[SASmith]

Hi Dave
It doesn't sound like the gear she has is that technical, so other than pre- filled cigalikes (as suggested above), I really don't know what to suggest. Perhaps your tutorial with her tomorrow will do the trick, I do want to congratulate you for taking the time out to help this lady........good for you!

 

[The Ocelot]

Maybe something with fewer parts? Like an eRoll?

 

[Dac311]

Yeah. If she continues to have issues something simple, like prefilled carto's or the nano clearos would be her best answer. It really doesn't matter how you vape, so long as you get off the stinky's. And, I'm having a big craving for right now.

 

[Dave L]

Sure appreciate all the responses. The woman has a learning disability. She's not dumb, but she's always been slow. Nice as can be, but not the brightest. She loves vaping and is so grateful to not be smoking! Her health has improved and she's sleeping better. But where my wife and I have been using the same equipment for months, our friend has continual problems. One vape store has just about washed their hands of her, and the other one in town is on that road. Hopefully I can help her out tomorrow.

 

[Maggiemw]

Sure appreciate all the responses. The woman has a learning disability. She's not dumb, but she's always been slow. Nice as can be, but not the brightest. She loves vaping and is so grateful to not be smoking! Her health has improved and she's sleeping better. But where my wife and I have been using the same equipment for months, our friend has continual problems. One vape store has just about washed their hands of her, and the other one in town is on that road. Hopefully I can help her out tomorrow.

You're doing a great thing by helping her out. Don't give up on her, whatever the outcome. She's sounds like a really nice person who deserves some special attention. I admire all three of you. Best wishes!

 

[Racehorse]

My wife has a friend who we bought a vape for last April, as a birthday present. She'd been trying to quit smoking for years. Well, everything went fine until she started having trouble with her rigs. The trouble is, this little old lady is NOT mechanically inclined. Just filling the tank or changing the battery is challenging to her. So far she has half a dozen clearos for her eGo batts, and says that "nothing works." I've showed her how she has to clean the tanks now and then. She is going through new heads and wicks like crazy, has constant leaks and gurgles, and is driving both our local vape stores crazy. Tomorrow, I've told her to bring ALL her equipment over here, and I'll try to work it out for her. I can show her how to lift up the positive pole on her batteries, how to keep things clean and the airway clear, but the last couple of months have been frustrating for her. This lady is a little slow - she bought a new laptop and didn't know for a couple months that it had a CD player! I had to show her.

I'd hate to see this lady start smoking again out of despair and frustration. Her clearos are Evods, T2s, CE4s and CE7s, not that she knows the difference. Apparently she can't keep even one of them working for a day. Any advice?

This lady sounds like a candidate for an ecig with pre-filled carts.

I would get her started with a Volt or something. Prefilled carts. etc.

She really doesn't need to be doing all this if she is not so inclined.

 

[txredxj]

repetition is the best way. maybe even a video she can watch. thought about cartomizers? i started with clearos but got a carto tank on a whim and havent touched anything else since really. i like it because it just works and doesnt leak. flavor isnt as good as the protank but i had problems with my protank. heads would only last couple days max but i can vape a carto tank for a week no problem. i never had luck like some people vaping a clearo for a week or two.

 

[Dave L]

repetition is the best way. maybe even a video she can watch. thought about cartomizers?

Dunno about a video - there are plenty of good ones, but when I'm not messing with her vapes I'm fixing her computer. Email is the limit of her skills. I'm thinking carto, too...I have a dual-coil one, no idea who makes it, but it's one of my favorite units. I use it whenever I want something a little smaller than an eGo with clearo, or when I want a temporary change of flavor. I've had this for months too, boiled it out once or twice, and it works like a champ.

Thanks again for all the helpful responses!

 

[Rat2chat2]

God bless you for taking the time to help someone in need. I would hate to see her have to go back to cigs too. When I got my friend her first kit (premium vapes) she used the prefilled cartridges and the I got her some juice and she started refilling them. She did this for a pretty good while and had no problems. Good luck to you and your wife for helping her. Let us know how it goes and what finally works so you can help people on this forum who might have friends in this situation.

 

[DancingHeretik]

I'd hate to see this lady start smoking again out of despair and frustration. Her clearos are Evods, T2s, CE4s and CE7s, not that she knows the difference. Apparently she can't keep even one of them working for a day. Any advice?

Have you thought maybe that's too many different types to keep track of? Bottom coil and top coil for example?

Keep it simple. Either cartos or only top coil clearos. Bottom coil might be more trouble for her because you have to have better eyesight not to overfill. Only one way to fill, all basically the same. If she only has one type to learn, she's less likely to get confused and can practice and get really good at just that one.

 

[Dave L]

Have you thought maybe that's too many different types to keep track of? Bottom coil and top coil for example?

Sure have! But she kept going back to the vape store and they kept selling her more stuff. She has more batteries and tanks than I do, by far. I'm trying to help her hold on to her money, and keep the guys at the vape stores on my good side. She's a whiner too, which doesn't help when she goes back to the store over and over. But when I found out that one guy was selling her new heads every 2 or 3 days, and the other guy was selling her this or that clearo everytime she went in, I knew she needed help. Nobody can have that many defective units (I guess one of her batteries actually did turn out defective). Tomorrow I'll clean her tanks, see if I can repair any damage she may have done, and show her (again) how to draw on the machine and not suck on it like she was siphoning gas. I am having a hard time understanding why she has so many difficulties. My wife is about as techno-challenged as anyone I know, but never has problems. They both puff the same juice too - French vanilla, all day, every day (yuck).

I think this is a useful topic. Surely there are other folks out there who have similar problems. I've had my own problems with some of the clearos I've tried, but I have also learned to fix most of them. I've sat on a unit and broke it in two, and put it back together so it works perfectly. The first coil I rolled on my own worked too. I can make a wick out of a cotton ball. But I can't keep poor Michelle's vapes working right. Hopefully I can figure out tomorrow what she's doing to mess them up.

 

[DancingHeretik]

I feel for ya! Let us know what happens.

 

[SissySpike]

How about carts you and wife can fill them for her even if she wont do it. have two containers one for full one for empty. Get 30 carts if needed so she dont have to worry about running out.

 

[Ken_A]

Definitely find out which juice device she likes best. This is important. It will establish the parameters of what needs to be learned.
Then show her how to clean and fill it.
Then have her clean and fill one with you telling her how.
Then have her try cleaning and filling one without you prompting.

Yeah... I was a successful helpdesk person until they dumped my job and I had to find another...
the best way for ANYONE to learn is:
1) watch it being done with full explanation.
2) do it with full explanation from the "instructor".
3) do it with as little prompting from the "instructor" as you can.
4) do it while explaining to your "instructor" what you are doing.

and yes, I had some people that I did that with more than once, but eventually they get it and move on to the next learning challenge.

Edit: it's also important to keep the attitude and TELL her that it's OK if she does not know how to do it yet because she is still in the learning phase.

 

[Barbara21]

In all fairness, we have to remember what it was like (for many of us) before we found this forum. Information about the ins-and-outs of vaping was not easy to come by. Also given that this lady has 1) a learning disability and 2) an available store whose main interest is selling her more and more stuff - well, I can understand her having problems.

Also, I work with older adults (I'm a nurse). You don't say how old she is (though you mention 'little old lady') but it's possible that her eyesight is fading a bit (particularly for close-up work) and/or her hands tremble slightly, both of which may make it difficult to fill cartos or whatever.

It is very nice of you to be helping her. I don't really have any suggestions other than those already mentioned. Keep it simple - one system, one way of doing things. Make sure she's actually capable of doing whatever is necessary. Watch her do each step - don't just tell her how to fill a carto (or whatever), actually watch her do it. Switching to something easier might be an option.

In any case, kudos for you for trying to help her.

 

[MiamiMom63]

I think the easiest fail proof for very confused newbs is the bottom coil cartomizers from Smokeless image or some other places sell them also. I admit the flavor can be muted some but you virtually can't burn them and they are just easy. And fail proof. It might be something to consider. Take away all the other stuff and show her how to fill one of these cartomizers. And they tend to last quite awhile before refilling. You could tell her to refill until it drips out the bottom say every morning and every late afternoon or something, depending on how heavy a Vaper she is.