cartomizer refills

[santo19586]

i just got some empty cartomizers for my Riva eGo, i wonder , how many times are you supposed to refill them. and why are they cheaper in price than regular 510 attys with empty carts. i bought a pack of 5 for $9.00. attys sell for 6.00 to 9.00 bucks a piece.
So , i wonder if you fill the carto once or twice then throw away?

 

[Automaton]

I refill cartomizers 6 or 7 times, and wash them in a PGA bath, then boil them, and let dry in front of my window fan for a day or two. When I wash them, I'd say about 70% of them come out good, the rest have a hard draw, and once in a while one of them dies.

I have cartos that I have washed 4 times, refilled probably 30 times, and they still vape great.

 

[wolfstone5]

Most of my cartos have been going strong for weeks but I didn't know that you could clean them. How do go about doing that?

 

[Automaton]

I start having flavor and vapor diminshing after 6 or 7 refills, so I do clean them.

First, make sure you remove all the mouthpieces, and set them aside. You may want to rinse them off, or soak them in alcohol.

I soak the cartos in a pure grain alcohol (PGA) bath for a few hours - you will be AMAZED how much crap comes out of them.

Then I rinse them in water, and boil them for about half an hour (make sure you don't let the pan run dry)

I blow them out, and set them on my window sill with the window fan going to dry for a day or two.

I recommend you use PGA, and not rubbing alcohol, because the filler in cartos can't really be removed and replaced, so in a confined area, you can never be 100% sure they're dry. vaping a little bit of PGA is fine - but vaping rubbing alcohol is NOT fine.

However, using rubbing alcohol for mouth pieces, atomizers, cartridge filler (removed from cart), cleaning battery threads, and empty carts is fine. Allow to dry overnight with good air circulation, and the alcohol will evaporate completely and safely.

 

[Twinkie]

So , i wonder if you fill the carto once or twice then throw away?

I top my 510 cartos off throughout the day, and pitch them after a day or two. That's what they're designed for, though as MistressNomad describes, you can certainly get more life out of them if you're willing to put in the effort.

On the other hand, attys are designed to last for a while. Some people day a couple weeks, others say months. It totally depends on how you use and maintain them.

 

[dynasty]

i refill mine as many times as i can untill they stop producing good vapor

 

[AmyB66]

I remove the rubber top, fill till the bottom drips, blow out the excess and use a drip tip. You can almost taste when you need to refill but don't let it go long, the minute the flavor and vapor decline top off. If I am on the run, I top off with a few drops, just enough without overfilling.

I use the same carto for about two weeks before I replace and then I just toss them, give or take a week. Basically my five pack of cartos will last me about 2 and a half months. I only use one flavor at a time, you might go through more cartos faster if you are a multiple flavor vaper.

For me it is cost effective, very little messing around and I get consistent vaping that I did not get with regular attys and carts. I do find myself topping off more than what most folks say they do. I never wait for the 'burnt' taste and this may be why I can make them last as long as I do.