Covering vent fixes problem?

[larry_dallas]

Complete noob here. Long time smoker, sometimes dipper, quit both for ecigs two weeks ago.

My issue is that after charging the silver thing (atomizer?) last night, it no longer reliably draws vapor out of any cartridge. I'll inhale, it either lights up briefly before going out (producing little vapor...sometimes it's white, sometimes it's red), or doesn't light up at all (producing no vapor). I've tried empty cartridges, brand new cartridges and the one I was using before I went to bed and still have the same issue.

However, if I cover the two vent holes on the cartridge, the unit functions normally, something I found out by complete accident.

Two questions
1. Does anyone have any idea what's going on with this and what I could do to get it back to normal?
2. Is there any sort of danger involved in vaping while covering the vents? Like, is it a fire hazard or will it cause me to breathe in melting plastic or something?

I'm not nontechnical, but as I said, I'm a complete novice when it comes to e-cigarettes, so forgive me if these questions or my workaround are idiotic. Or if it's a common problem that I somehow missed when I looked for the answer on google/these forums.

Edit:
Additional information. If I take a 5 second long drag, it does light up right around second 2 and begin producing vapor.

 

[KentA]

Larry,

Sorry to hear you're having problems getting into e-cigarettes.

I expect you are using what we call cig-a-likes, an e-cig the size & shape of a Marlboro, & usually marketed by Big tobacco to keep people smoking tobacco. Although many people have used them to quit smoking, they are weak & expensive. There are far better systems now available.

A more powerful battery, starting with the "ego", & a refillable atomizer is the way to go. If there is a "Vape Store" in your area, they can help you get started. The "New Members" section of this forum is also filled with information you'll find useful.

Please don't get discouraged. The day I got my ego was the last day I ever wanted a cigarette. The setup is far more satisfying than a cigarette. Hard to believe, but after 50 years of smoking, I prefer to vape.

Good Luck.

Kent

 

[classwife]

Moved this to New Members

 

[Drummel]

I'm going to ride the tails of the it sounds like a cigalike. Some of those have automatic on when you puff it could be a faulty switch? Can you please tell us what model or type you have?

 

[suprtrkr]

A bit hard to say with no info. What are you vaping on? Sounds to me like you have a bad piece of gear somewhere.

 

[BrotherBob]

Welcome and glad you joined. Might want to read:
The three main types of ecig - an explanation
If you go to a vape shop, prices will likely be higher than on line. Anyway, from whoever you purchase from, the vape shop folks will be glad to help you out using your device.

 

[Train2]

Also, since you may well not know the model, you can post a picture here, so folks can see what you're talking about and you'll get more accurate advice!

It may be that the cartridges aren't "wicking" enough liquid - covering a vent can help that. But it shouldn't really effect whether pressing the button lights up and provides power - that should happen no matter what! You might accidentally be pressing the button too many times in a row - that often gets you into a "menu" including "off" (that's usually 5 quick presses).

People here will help you figure it out. It might mean getting slightly better equipment before you find you're satisfied - but LOTS of us quit smoking using e-cigs!
\
Good luck!

 

[Bunnykiller]

sounds like a failing battery...

 

[larry_dallas]

Talking about this guy right here. I (wrongly) assumed that googling "vuse ecig troubleshooting" would get me to a vuse e-cigarette forum rather than a general vaping forum. Apologies for the confusion.

A little more information. I'm fairly certain it's the silver thing in the above picture that there's some sort of problem with. It is definitely not the cartridge and I don't think it's the coil or the battery.

I -think- it might have something to do with a sensor (if there is one) that detects when a drag is being taken and activates the heating coil. 3 notes

-if I take a light drag, nothing happens. or it flashes white for 1/10 of a second, but produces no vapor
-if I take a heavy drag, there's a 2 second delay, after which the coil heats and produces vapor for 5-8 seconds, regardless of whether I continue to inhale or not
-if I cover the vents, the unit functions normally, apart from blocking air from mixing with the vapor.

I have 2 of these that are both now manifesting the same problem. I cleaned one with a dry qtip, the other with isopropyl alcohol on a q tip and it didn't help in either case (there weren't very many particles on the contacts, anyway).

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Those are rechargeable/disposable, they aren't designed to last & function correctly for very long.
Generally they last a few days to a few weeks at most, that's why they offer a free recycling program.

The silver thing is the body with a Lithium Polymer battery inside.

Have you tried calling their customer service number?

 

[93gc40]

Pressure switch is bad/dirty, coils damaged by use and cleanning with qtip... little bit of both probably.

I would just upgrade to a basic stater Mod set. The Cig-a-Like will be nothing but troubles. Something like a Nautilus tank and a basic mod/battery. The Ego or Vision style batteries are the smallest and cheapest. BUT, for not much more you could get a Regulated mod that that will allow for more serious vaping. If desired. $25 at Fasttech can buy a excellent starter setup, with capacity for growth.

 

[FishingBuffalo]

Sounds like the auto switch is bad or it is designed to pull a bowlingball through a garden hose.

 

[edyle]

Talking about this guy right here. I (wrongly) assumed that googling "vuse ecig troubleshooting" would get me to a vuse e-cigarette forum rather than a general vaping forum. Apologies for the confusion.

A little more information. I'm fairly certain it's the silver thing in the above picture that there's some sort of problem with. It is definitely not the cartridge and I don't think it's the coil or the battery.

I -think- it might have something to do with a sensor (if there is one) that detects when a drag is being taken and activates the heating coil. 3 notes

-if I take a light drag, nothing happens. or it flashes white for 1/10 of a second, but produces no vapor
-if I take a heavy drag, there's a 2 second delay, after which the coil heats and produces vapor for 5-8 seconds, regardless of whether I continue to inhale or not
-if I cover the vents, the unit functions normally, apart from blocking air from mixing with the vapor.

I have 2 of these that are both now manifesting the same problem. I cleaned one with a dry qtip, the other with isopropyl alcohol on a q tip and it didn't help in either case (there weren't very many particles on the contacts, anyway).

2 weeks sounds about right I'd say.
Welcome to the real world; don't expect those cigalike sized thing to work for months;

 

[larry_dallas]

Okay, so the answer is that these are pieces of junk. Gotcha. Thanks all.

 

[Tol]

Maybe something like the Halo G6 or the JoyeTech eRoll if you need to have it close to a cigarette for now. If you don't care much about that, then there is a world of options for you which are infinitely better than those types of devices.
I have not used either one of these myself, but they typically get decent reviews for that size/style. The eGo is a good way to start as well.

 

[AzPlumber]

Could be juice/gunk in the battery (silver thing) auto switch hole.

 

[djsvapour]

Oh dear. Vuse is a money-making machine for big tobacco.

The cig-a-like products on the market are kind of old tech, but the tobacco companies sell them hard; maybe because they know what the future brings (?), or just because they are greedy and like to sell partially ineffective* products on purpose.

*The only thing they have in their favor is high nicotine content liquid. This means you don't get much smoke, but you do get a fairly good dose of nicotine - much stronger than the standard cig-a-like products (V2, Volcano) which i.m.o. are even worse as they promise "X amount" of cigarettes fully knowing they are telling shameless lies.

There are some usable cig-a-like products on sale, but they won't be from "brands"...
In other words, every "top rated" business selling these products is knowingly taking your money (and sometimes outrageous amounts of it) for something... inferior? placebo? unsatisfying?

The e-cig world is quite fascinating. At one end we have ever-improving products and a wonderful community of ex-smokers. At the other, we have desperate business people prepared to sell anything at all. Tobacco don't need to be desperate, they are just evil.
Governments are truly desperate, as they have seen the future and it scares them to drastic measures - afraid of losing tax and people staying healthier for longer and not using big pharmaceutical products either.

E-cigs are good. The e-cig industry is often quite BAD. Vuse is the perfect example of this.
You can't trust internet searches either... as the top brands that sell all the overpriced and outdated junk pay to be the top.

Welcome to ECF

 

[Grimwald]

There are a couple of different types of cig-sized ecigs.

Automatic. (yours) Turns on when you puff by means of a pressure switch. That is why it works when you cover the airholes...you are getting more pressure on the switch when you puff. Sometimes you can do a primer puff to turn it on and then a longer puff to vape (puff, pufffff).

Manual. These turn on with a button. Works everytime.

While some folks prefer an automatic, most will gravitate to a manual over time. Certainly, as you move up the ladder, most devices don't come in an auto version.

 

[KentA]

Now is the time to cut that cigalike open & see what went wrong.