Cleaning cartos with slow/hard draw

[dberkham]

Hi everyone,
I use KR808D-1 cartos and am finding even after cleaning, some of them are really hard to draw. I use the syringe method of flushing them with hot water and then drying them. Any methods out there to free them up for easy vaping or should I just toss them? Has the filler shrunk up causing this hard draw? I might add I do use some thick 50/50 juice in some of them and flavors such as caramel and coffee. No 100% VG. What do you think?

 

[Uncle Willie]

I have had the same experience with the dark liquids .. poking a small straighened paper clip sometimes works, in many cases, though, that will dislodge the wire .. then it's off to the trash can .. at about a weeks use from one, and a cost of a couple bucks, not worth messing with for me ..

 

[illillillillilli]

They are probably not as dry as you think. I clean mine and find the same problem. I just keep drawing until it "loosens" up again. Are you able to do the same thing or perhaps different problems? I use a bloog carto. But the shrinking kind of makes sense, or maybe the filler puffing out pinching off the wick?

 

[berger]

search tattoo gun brushes on ebay 3/32 size will fit a boge lr or dual coil and works really well cleaning coils off
ive found some 100% VG juices that don't clog cartos and some 100% PG that will...more likely caramelizing of flavorings is the carto killer culprit

 

[tmcase]

You can boil your cartos for 15 mins and then if you can still smell the flavor boil again for 15 mins. Best to use distilled water so no minerals are left behind. Then blow out as much water as you can and let dry for 24-48 hrs.

Can you see daylight when you look through the carto? If not, you need to open the airway. Very gently ease a sharp pointed object through the battery end, being careful not to touch the coil, until you can see it out the mouthpiece end. Wiggle it around a little to try to open the airway. If you can't get a clear airway than I'd toss it.

 

[jweavers]

I also had this same thing happen with my cartos that I boiled.The kr-808 ones.A really impossible hard draw.What I think happened was the filler actually looked less puffy after I cleaned them.This seems crazy but I actually took my steam cleaner and recleaned them all with that.I had to hold the cartos with plyers so I didn't steam my fingers but it did kinda re-fluff the filler material so it was soft again.I didn't oven dry them or anything but I do blow them out both ways after they are cool enough to do that.Then I just let them be a few days.
I am due to clean again today and I'm gonna use the vodka soak and I made a little mod flushinator thingy that another member came up with for filling a carto.
I'm not sure that cartos are ever the same as "new" after you clean them but it is nice to get more than a one time use out of them.I threw a ton of them out before finding ECF,still makes me sick that I just threw them in trash after one use.

 

[BWG707]

You can also use the small dental brushes available at Rite Aid or Walgreens. I use them on Boge cartos, you can run the brush through the small tube in the middle of the cartos. I'm surprised at how much junk comes out of some of them. Not only does this open up the draw it cleans up the taste also.

 

[tmcase]

I also had this same thing happen with my cartos that I boiled.The kr-808 ones.A really impossible hard draw.What I think happened was the filler actually looked less puffy after I cleaned them.This seems crazy but I actually took my steam cleaner and recleaned them all with that.I had to hold the cartos with plyers so I didn't steam my fingers but it did kinda re-fluff the filler material so it was soft again.I didn't oven dry them or anything but I do blow them out both ways after they are cool enough to do that.Then I just let them be a few days.
I am due to clean again today and I'm gonna use the vodka soak and I made a little mod flushinator thingy that another member came up with for filling a carto.
I'm not sure that cartos are ever the same as "new" after you clean them but it is nice to get more than a one time use out of them.I threw a ton of them out before finding ECF,still makes me sick that I just threw them in trash after one use.

What is a "flushinator thingy". Got pic's?

 

[jweavers]

Okay I really do need to go get some of those brushes before the clean.No I haven't made any pictures of the flushinator thingy.I just saw a guy on ECF in one of the forums,can't remember which one,but he has pictures,do a search...he called it something different..it's for blind people to fill their cartomizers.Anyways I just got a syringe from CVS and cut off the top that sticks out and cut a hole in the bottom of a condom top and superglued it to the syringe.Haven't used it yet so we'll see how it works,maybe on Monday if I have time.Im just planning on blowing them out with steamer first,then vodka soak,then a final blow-out with steamer.I've never used the vodka before so I hope my cartos don't end up tasting like vodka,that'd be sad.

 

[zzooti]

I've used prefilled 808's, refilled 808's, cleaned & refilled 808's, and new blank 808's (in that order) and I've found that they all have a harder draw even when you can see through the center tube; consider going to 510's-cost about the same, and 808 to 510 adapters are cheap. I'm using 510's now, and they have an easier draw and that nice satisfying 'crackle' when you vape.

 

[bamsbbq]

i flushed with everclear...95% alcohol.. tried the water trick but could never get it to dry properly... now i flush and put it on the fan vent ..dries in no time.

 

[Lethalp]

Was it called a cartomizer fillantor or something like that? I watched that video too. I am gonna try to find it again

 

[classwife]

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/200782-cartomizerfillinator.html

 

[Cyrus Vap]

i flushed with everclear...95% alcohol.. tried the water trick but could never get it to dry properly... now i flush and put it on the fan vent ..dries in no time.

could you say a little more about this? I was considering trying this instead of water, because I have a dissected (ruined) carto soaking in devil's spring 160 proof over night, and the parts all look clear and brand new!

Do you flush with a syringe over and over? I just don't want to waste a whole bottle on cleaning I'm wondering how much you use

thanks!

Cyrus

 

[bamsbbq]

i just pour a small amount into a small container....soak and move the carto around but others have done it this way with success

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-cigarette-maintenance/152267-cartomizer-cleaning-3.html

could you say a little more about this? I was considering trying this instead of water, because I have a dissected (ruined) carto soaking in devil's spring 160 proof over night, and the parts all look clear and brand new!

Do you flush with a syringe over and over? I just don't want to waste a whole bottle on cleaning I'm wondering how much you use

thanks!

Cyrus

 

[Cyrus Vap]

i just pour a small amount into a small container....soak and move the carto around but others have done it this way with success

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-cigarette-maintenance/152267-cartomizer-cleaning-3.html

how long do you let is stew in the ETOH?

I'm attracted to this approach because I feel like high proof vodka would be a far more powerful cleaner and require less force (e.g. turkey baster flushing!) not that the latter is hard, but ETOH soak seems more potent and easier

 

[Johnny2puffs]

Vodka contains alcohol. If you want to disinfect it then good. If you want to clean it then use degreasing fluid .
Then don't vape as you will have no teeth left. First rinse it in hot water and dry, then flush it out with eliquid and give some burns. It will be squeaky clean but taste bad for some vapes but worth it.