filling cartos

[hamdamann]

so i just started using cartomizers and when i try filling them the juice just leaks right out the bottom of the atomizer side. i am just dripping it in the top side cause i dont have a carto condom to do that method so im just wondering why its dripping out the bottom side is that normal and just something i have to deal with or am i doing it wrong any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks

 

[ChuckB]

I really depends on the type of cartomizer you have. If you have the CE2 cartos, a syringe is probably the best unless you want to totally disassemble it. For a filler carto, I prefer to take the mouthpiece off and drip down the sides. Hold the carto at about a 45 degree angle and drip slowly like you're filling a beer rotating the carto every 8-10 drips.

Be sure you aren't dripping your juice in the center hole, that needs to be kept open for air flow.

 

[basilray]

If it's a standard carto, you'll want to either put a condom over the battery end, or a plug in the center hole. Otherwise, gravity will pull a lot of the juice right through. If it's leaking a lot (more than a couple drops) you're probably over filling the cartomizer.

 

[srcowell]

so i just started using cartomizers and when i try filling them the juice just leaks right out the bottom of the atomizer side. i am just dripping it in the top side cause i dont have a carto condom to do that method so im just wondering why its dripping out the bottom side is that normal and just something i have to deal with or am i doing it wrong any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks

You didn't say what kind of carto, so it's going to be difficult for you to get an accurate answer that makes sense to you. As for not having a condom, I hope you understand that the "condom" is a kind of a joke name for the clear rubber caps that are on each end of the cartomizer when it's new. If you threw those away, then you indeed may not have one. If you still have new cartos, the caps should still be on them. You only need one, the longer one. Fill it halfway and slowly push the battery end into the cap, and it will force the liquid into the carto. It works on the same principle as a syringe... not to be confused with the use of an actual syringe, a hypodermic needle, which some people use to refill cartomizers. That's a whole different thing.

As for why it's running out the other end when you fill them, that again depends on what kind they are, but you are probably over-filling them. You might want to measure out 16-20 drops initially, until you figure out how much they will hold.

 

[mk73mhz]

Try to refill with the condom method instead of dropping liquid at the mouth end. fill the condom up about 5 drops and then use the battery end and plug the condom there with the liquid.

 

[deback]

Dripping from the threaded end means you overfilled the carto. Empty or almost-empty cartos usually take about 1/2 to 1 mL of liquid. I'll quit putting liquid into an empty carto as soon as I see liquid at the threaded end. Filling a carto at the mouth end results in less mess because you don't have to spend much time cleaning the threaded end.

 

[srcowell]

Dripping from the threaded end means you overfilled the carto. Empty or almost-empty cartos usually take about 1/2 to 1 mL of liquid. I'll quit putting liquid into an empty carto as soon as I see liquid at the threaded end. Filling a carto at the mouth end results in less mess because you don't have to spend much time cleaning the threaded end.

I hate to disagree with a friend, deback, but...

Cleaning the threaded end is not exactly hard work. I never refill any carto without having a tissue in hand to catch stray drops or seepage from either end. Wiping the threads of the metal/battery end of a carto is something I routinely do with that tissue. Wiping it dry takes about two seconds, and should be done in any case to ensure you're not putting a wet connector into the battery, which can ruin the battery. Otherwise, I agree with your post, provided we are not talking about Joye cartos, which cannot be filled from the mouth end.

 

[deback]

Well, we basically agree, srcowell, but when I drip right into the filler from the mouth end and quit dripping when I see a drop at the threaded end, I know the carto is full at that point, and I really don't have any mess at all (at either end). Then I just do a 1/2 second quick swipe with a kleenex at the threaded end, put the mouth cap back on, and it's done. If I soaked the threads into the liquid, I would have to spend more time cleaning that entire area, and to get the threads really clean, I'd have to put rubbing alcohol onto a kleenex and wipe it all real good (because I think the liquid will gradually build up if I don't use rubbing alcohol). I do use rubbing alcohol to clean all my carto ends and battery ends periodically, anyway, but I'd rather not spend the extra time doing that every time I fill cartos (which seems to be every day - about 12 cartos usually).

As it is, I go through a lot of kleenex and q-tips every day and spend a lot of time with this obsession. I won't have that kind of time from January 15th through April 15th, so I think that's the main reason why I've been constantly trying to come up with the fastest methods of doing everything.