Boge LR Cart - How can you tell when they are no longer good

[gtrthang]

Hi, I just got my first real rig on Friday and am loving it. Making a trip out to the two local shops on Monday to see what else I can spend all that money that was once going to Marlboro...

Anyway, my question, I have a KGO with Boge LR Carts. I did an initial fill of the cart (using the condom method) and have drip filled it many times now. How do I know when the carts are no longer good or should be replaced. I don't know if these things are something that should last hours, days, or weeks. Since we all vape at different levels, maybe the question should be about how many ml should I be able to run through a "normal" boge LR cart and what should I be looking for to tell me it's time to trash it? Even though I am saving cig money now, I don't want to waste it either...

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Harplayr]

I usually toss mine when either I get a burnt popcorn taste, the draw gets tight or it just doesn't produce as much vapor as it used to.

Life is dependent on what juice I use. Some juices don't gunk it up as much as others. I've also found no set rule on how long mine will last. Some last a couple of weeks, others a couple of days.

Some people clean them (google is your friend), but I just toss them.

 

[Spazmelda]

I don't really know how to describe it, but I know mine are done when they just start to taste "off". Usually for me the average is about 4 days after the first fill. Sometimes I get a little longer, sometimes a little shorter.

I can't really describe the off taste, it's just kind of funky. I used to try to stretch the time id use them, and clean them to get more use, but then i figured life is to short to vape a funky cartomizer, so I get a new one ASAP after the funk starts.

Oh, and when I first started vaping, I don't know if I would have been able to distinguish that they were off. I can tell right away now.

 

[DaveP]

Yep, the draw gets tight and they get a funny under taste, probably due to buildup of burned juice around the coil area. Typical life is 3 to 7 days. If you get 5 days of good taste, you've gotten your money's worth. Once you kill one and start another one, you'll see the difference immediately.

Once you have a bad one, pop off the threaded end with needle nosed pliers, cut the wires to the coil, and push the filler out the mouthpiece end. Use a sharp knife to slice (carefully) halfway through the filler lengthwise and open it up like a book. You'll see a nasty black area around the coil.

Most of this burned juice will wash out using hot water. Boil them for 5 minutes or use a turkey baster to push hot water through the carto. To me, they still aren't as good as a new one after washing. If you look closely at the picture, you will see where I cut through the sheet taht is wrapped around the coil. The juice inside the cloth sheet that wraps around the coil is hard to clean out using boiling or the turkey baster method. (search youtube for videos showing carto cleaning using a turkey baster).

Here's one I did.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

With Smok teck 1.7 XL about 1 week. When combined with a tank about 2 weeks.

 

[gtrthang]

Thanks so much all, that gives me a much better idea what to look for now.

 

[Northernshrink]

Something else I notice but it's probably more of a bottomfeeder issue maybe not is I start useing more juice to achieve the same level of vape. Usualy the tight draw or funky taste are a dead giveaway. But as Spazmelda suggested after a while you just know as you become more comfortable with vapeing.

 

[Liv2Ski]

For me if I get 30mls of juice trough a carto then it has served its purpose. This would be about 4 days for me. I vape a lightly flavored liquid that has very little color to it. I also toss after use since it is not worth my time to clean them.

 

[RickMc]

Remember that how long you get out of a cartomizer will vary a lot depending on:

The juice you put in it (some juices are notorious for wiping out cartos quickly - as a general rule, thicker and/or darker juices are harder on cartos, but there are exceptions).

How wet you keep the cartomizer - keeping it wetter will extend the life a lot.

The quality of the cartomizer - you're using Boges, which seem to have a good lifespan.

At first, you may get more refills out of a carto. Over time, you might get more picky as your sense of taste gets more sensitive. At least this is what happened to me. For now, if it seems ok keep using it!

 

[classwife]

Moved to Cartomizers from New Members