Am I Typical?

[Wings]

I recently blundered into this new world of electronic cigarettes, and man am I confused. So many products, all those abbreviations you guys use, and all that new lingo, and I'm lost. I'm learning. But what I'd like to know is my usage of this thing typical? Here's what I got:

I bought a Vapor King 510 kit, a few extra batteries, a USB battery eliminator (which has a battery in it no less), a couple of extra atomizers, a few packs of menthol high-dosage flavoring cartridges, and several bottles of their "e-liquid" (menthol, high dosage).

I've been at this for almost 2 weeks now. Haven't had a real cig in over a week. To recharge a cartridge I put 4 drops into a used cartridge, and it lasts for approximately an hour or two. In 5 days I use up a bottle of e-liquid, and at my old smoking rate of 2 packs a day, that's a carton's worth. For 15 bucks a bottle that has cut my smoking cost by more than half.

When I'm away from my USB cig and using the battery powered e-cig, the battery lasts maybe half a day, usually a bit less.

I have one atomizer that's hard to drag on, even after blowing it out to clear embedded liquid that collects inside. It also makes little to no vapor. Is there anything I can do to restore it?

 

[Stike]

Could just be a dud adomizer,there are many cleaning methods but sometime just better to buy a new one.Try soaking in coke for 2 hours then rinse and let dry for a day or so.

 

[beckah54]

Most of us were confused when we started using e-cigs, but it looks like you did some research and ended up with a good product and the equipment to keep you going.

Stike is right, atomizers are pretty cheap and I consider them disposable. Once they start giving me problems, I trash them for a new one.

Welcome to the forum.....you'll find lots of friendly peeps lurking about. Congrats on being smoke free for a week. Awesome!

 

[fishhd]

Your doing AOK. I dove in head first and it ended up costing me more $$$ because I purchased the wrong stuff.

You are not atypical.

All-though we all maybe atypical antipsychotics.8-o

 

[bifff257]

Sounds like you have a great set up, the 510 is my ecig of choice....

I agree with the others, I have had 2 dud atomizers, and 2 that are work horses and have lasted me 2.5 months.....I tried cleaning the duds with no luck... best to just pick up a new one....

 

[DC2]

If you're going to throw it away anyway, may as well soak it in Coke first to see if you can clean out any built up, dried out juice gunk which could be clogging your atomizer mesh and impeding juice flow.

Just make sure to let it dry for at least 24 hours and then put a few drops on the atomizer bridge and put a new cartridge on and then let it sit for awhile and soak up some of that juice.

 

[DJ Colburn]

Have you tried that atomizer on different batteries? A lot of times, the way the threads match up with the holes in the atomizer and the notches on the battery can lead to variations in draw strength. I know that the same atomizer in my two different 510 batteries draw differently. Could just be that.

 

[analogavoided]

I recently blundered into this new world of electronic cigarettes, and man am I confused. So many products, all those abbreviations you guys use, and all that new lingo, and I'm lost. I'm learning. But what I'd like to know is my usage of this thing typical? Here's what I got:

I bought a Vapor King 510 kit, a few extra batteries, a USB battery eliminator (which has a battery in it no less), a couple of extra atomizers, a few packs of menthol high-dosage flavoring cartridges, and several bottles of their "E-liquid" (menthol, high dosage).

I've been at this for almost 2 weeks now. Haven't had a real cig in over a week. To recharge a cartridge I put 4 drops into a used cartridge, and it lasts for approximately an hour or two. In 5 days I use up a bottle of e-liquid, and at my old smoking rate of 2 packs a day, that's a carton's worth. For 15 bucks a bottle that has cut my smoking cost by more than half.

When I'm away from my USB cig and using the battery powered e-cig, the battery lasts maybe half a day, usually a bit less.

I have one atomizer that's hard to drag on, even after blowing it out to clear embedded liquid that collects inside. It also makes little to no vapor. Is there anything I can do to restore it?

where did u get ur 510 kit? thanks

 

[highping]

As others have said soaking in coke (high proof vodka works better), and letting dry will sometimes bring a bad performing atty back to life. The problem I see with doing that in your situation is that you only have one atty. You are not going to want to wait 24 hrs to vape again.

Here's a tip to speed the process a little... After soaking and rinsing your atty, blow it out really well (from both ends). Then put it on a pan in your oven at about 175F for 10-15 minutes. Then take it out and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Usually by the time it's cool it will be dry enough to use. (you may have to puff it a little to get it completely dry)

Another method that I use (the only method I use now) for cleaning is a 'burn off'. I'm not sure you want to try this if you only have one atty because there is a chance of blowing it with this method. But it goes like this... Take off cart, blow out atty. While looking down the barrel of the atty press the button until you see 'red hot', then let off the button and blow into the atty (from a distance not with your mouth on it) to quickly cool it off, then red-hot, blow, etc, etc. After about 10-15 cycles of this it will vape like new. *don't let it stay red hot for more than about 1 second at a time or you'll pop it. **again, I would not use this method if you only have one atty.


Edit: sorry I just re-read your post and I see you have more than one atty. In that case, I would try the burn-off method. I think it works much better and much quicker than the whole soaking and waiting thing. (IMO others may disagree)

 

[Wings]

electroniccigarettesinc.com

No complaints with them at all. I've had 2 orders where I received the wrong items, and as soon as I brought it to their attention they fixed it right away. (Of course, 2 errors out of 3 orders isn't a great record, but they do seem to try.)

 

[Wings]

Another method that I use (the only method I use now) for cleaning is a 'burn off'.

Thanks! I did what you suggested and it seems to be a lot better. I'll try soaking it (alcohol?) and see what that does. BTW, wouldn't soaking it in Coke just add to the gunk buildup? I mean, I know what I get if I spill Coke on the table and touch it after it "dries".

And thanks to everyone else for responding.

 

[DC2]

Thanks! I did what you suggested and it seems to be a lot better. I'll try soaking it (alcohol?) and see what that does. BTW, wouldn't soaking it in Coke just add to the gunk buildup? I mean, I know what I get if I spill Coke on the table and touch it after it "dries".

And thanks to everyone else for responding.

If I remember correctly, Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi are recommended so there is no sugar.

 

[ChesterN]

When I first started vaping, I used the Diet Coke method without problems. But I quit that cleaning method (because like you, it did not make sense to me) and now use Everclear (any pure grain alcohol will work - Everclear is not available in all states).

The big advatage to using PGA is that it dried very quickly and cleanly.

Once I have cleaned an atty with PGA, I will drip a couple drops of VG onto the atty & vape that before adding my flavored e-juice. The VG seems to clear off the remaining alcohol taste.