How an electronic Cigarette works

[ApOsTle51]

Ok so you get your ecig , you've read the instructions so you know what piece is what , Battery, Atomizer and Cartridge.
You know how to charge it, you know how to assemble it and you know how to inhale on it.
But do you know HOW it does it !!!

well , heres how ...

The cartridge holds the liquid, when the cartridge is inserted into the ecig , the cartridge filler ( polyester soaked in e-liquid/juice ) makes contact with the atomizers Bridge ( you can see this looking into the atomizer on a 901 or classic types, the bridge is external on some models like the evo and M401 ) using Gravity and capillary action, juice is absorbed via the atomizer bridge into the atomizers steel mesh resevoir where it sits. this is when user input is required.

When the user inhales on the ecig this action 'pulls' the liquid from the atomizers resevoir and into the ceramic atomizer pot via 4 holes in the side of the ceramic pot. This liquid is then absorbed by the aromatic polymide wick( which is situated inside the ceramic pot ), at the same time heating the coil around the wick and therefore heating the liquid until it becomes a vapour. this vapour is drawn up through the e-cig and out of the mouthpiece. REPEAT

If your ecig has a manual switch and you pressed the switch to activate it the atomizer will only vapourize the liquid that is already in the ceramic pot. Without the users 'sucking' action no more liquid is drawn into the pot or absorbed by the wick.

Pics courtesy of Kate

 

[Houdini]

Nice description there.
And here's how the atomizer looks when its fired up.

 

[Stike]

Might want to show how it looks when it don't work.With the # of problems you have when you start.HA HA ONLY KIDDING

 

[Houdini]

Might want to show how it looks when it don't work.With the # of problems you have when you start.HA HA ONLY KIDDING

I would except I've never had one stop working and havn't had any problems since I started. HA HA, I'M NOT KIDDING.

 

[olderthandirt]

I would except I've never had one stop working and havn't had any problems since I started. HA HA, I'M NOT KIDDING.

Great pics and info houdini, thanks!

No probs since you started? Hmm, houdini or simply PFM? ;-)

 

[Nicholson]

My husband and I just ordered our first e-cigs, the 901 model. We let them charge all day (like it told us to) and when my husband goes to use his he gets about 3 hits and then the light blinks and you can't get anything else out of it. Has anyone had this problem with theirs and if so, is it a defect or just not charged enough? Mine charged the same amount of time and works fine.

Also one more question (im very new to all this) we ordered ourselves some e-liquid to go with it. Problem is.. I have no idea how to fill it. Do I just drop some into the cartridge oh the high, med, low or whichever one? Or do I need to by the filling material and stuff one and put the liquid it in?

Thanks for any help

 

[Elendil]

My husband and I just ordered our first e-cigs, the 901 model. We let them charge all day (like it told us to) and when my husband goes to use his he gets about 3 hits and then the light blinks and you can't get anything else out of it. Has anyone had this problem with theirs and if so, is it a defect or just not charged enough? Mine charged the same amount of time and works fine.

Also one more question (im very new to all this) we ordered ourselves some e-liquid to go with it. Problem is.. I have no idea how to fill it. Do I just drop some into the cartridge oh the high, med, low or whichever one? Or do I need to by the filling material and stuff one and put the liquid it in?

Thanks for any help

This could be a function of drawing too long. I think the cutoff is 5 seconds and then the battery will blink several times and "reset" which takes about a minute or so. you could try switching batts just to be sure you dont have a bad battery.

 

[yvilla]

Also one more question (im very new to all this) we ordered ourselves some e-liquid to go with it. Problem is.. I have no idea how to fill it. Do I just drop some into the cartridge oh the high, med, low or whichever one? Or do I need to by the filling material and stuff one and put the liquid it in?

Thanks for any help

You can just drip right onto the cart filling material, until it seems saturated. No need to change the material out right away; you can keep refilling until the material seems to loose it's absortion abilities. Some people at that point rinse out the material in warm water and reuse after patting dry, or you could just replace the material with new stuff.

 

[jamie]

(im very new to all this) we ordered ourselves some e-liquid to go with it. Problem is.. I have no idea how to fill it. Do I just drop some into the cartridge oh the high, med, low or whichever one? Or do I need to by the filling material and stuff one and put the liquid it in?

Welcome to the forum!

Note the sticky threads at the top of the New Member forum including:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/2562-helpful-links-videos-new-user.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...2-new-updated-comprehensive-intro-vaping.html​

 

[greg_graffin]

Looking at all the threads regarding stuffing and refilling carts, it seems a lot of people are concerned with the safety of the material in their cartridges, e.g. this batting is no good b/c it contains such and such chemicals that upon reaching a certain temperature could cause cancer. Why couldn't people just use cartridges made of the same material as the atomizer?

 

[jamie]

Why couldn't people just use cartridges made of the same material as the atomizer?

There have been some experiments and discussion of this in the Tips and Tricks section. I don't recall the conclusions but we aren't jumping all over it.