How long do cartos last? And will vaping using a slightly burnt carto hurt my lungs?

[Artyom337]

I recently burnt my cartomizer just ever so slightly and the draw is becoming gurgly for no reason.
It happened after washing and drying the polyfill by dripping and dry hitting.

If I really did damage my carto, can I still vape it? I have to wait a few more days before my new order of cartos arrive.

 

[zapped]

Left with no other options I guess you can. Will taste like holy hell though.

I boil all of my cartos using distilled water and high proof vodka.

Best way Ive found to dry them is to put them on a sunny windowsill for 24-48 hours. Helps if you blow them out thoroughly before that though.

 

[lunchb0x47]

I've been having bad luck with boges lately. Start to taste bad at around day 3. I wouldnt think it would hurt you vaping off a burnt carto but what do i know^.^ taste is to gnarly for me.

 

[BostonVape]

lol.. i've had my fair share of burnt stuff recently.. mixing with different brands/ types trying to see what I like best..

the taste is really start to grow on me! (lol...NOT!)

 

[digitalalfalfa]

I too have been having my share of troubles with this. I guess it is the trial and error part of this new beginning.

 

[Katya]

I recently burnt my cartomizer just ever so slightly and the draw is becoming gurgly for no reason.
It happened after washing and drying the polyfill by dripping and dry hitting.

If I really did damage my carto, can I still vape it? I have to wait a few more days before my new order of cartos arrive.

Hi Artyom and welcome to ECF!

Cartomizers are disposable. Originally, they were not even designed to be refilled once. And once they taste burnt, throw them out.

Generally, a good cartomizer like Boge or Smoktek, is capable or vaporizing ~10 ml of eilquid, maybe a little more if your eilquid is clean and clearm but really not much more. Cartos used in a carto-tank last much longer than that.

I know that some people clean and reuse them, but I advise against it. They never work as well after a wash.

You may want to try clearomizers, like Kanger T2 or T3; they are fillerless and their coils are changeable.

Good luck.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

I recently burnt my cartomizer just ever so slightly and the draw is becoming gurgly for no reason.

It happened after washing and drying the polyfill by dripping and dry hitting.

If I really did damage my carto, can I still vape it? I have to wait a few more days before my new order of cartos arrive.

You're not supposed to dry burn cartos as the filler will burn and they're toast. Dry burning is only for clearomizer type tanks with silica wicks.

 

[jhiga]

Yeah, I wouldn't ever dry burn a cartomizer either. The fill burns up way too fast to be good for anything. Pbusardo gave us a demonstration of how fast the filling burns up if not properly saturated, and it's quick.
My good cartos will last me upwards of a month, the bad ones usually start to go within a week.
I have stretched cartos to just about two months, though, with diminished performance nearing the end.
There's a whole bunch of tips and tricks to make cartomizers last longer, but some are just bad from the get-go.

 

[Trips1969]

You're not supposed to dry burn cartos as the filler will burn and they're toast. Dry burning is only for clearomizer type tanks with silica wicks.

I did not know this. Is a dry burn really bad for cartos if you're just making sure all the water has evaporated after cleaning? I usually hit the button a few times. I don't hold it down. I don't want to harm them so I figure I better make sure.

As for how long they last? I generally use a carto a week. If I'm getting low on supplies and money is a bit thin, I'll clean them out with hot water and a syringe and let them air dry for another use. That is MY preference, however. Others are completely happy using their cartomizers for much longer.

 

[DaveP]

If you open up a carto (pull out the filler and split it lengthwise with a knife), you will see burned juice around the coil and the wrapping surrounding it. That's really hard to wash out using most methods, so your freshly washed carto still has burned juice around the coil after washing. It comes off easily when you split it open and wash out that part, but you have to destroy the carto to accomplish that part of the cleaning.

Once I tried washing and opened one up to see how well it cleaned, I just started tossing them and starting a new one.

 

[Baditude]

I realize some people do attempt to recycle their cartomizers, but as DaveP shows in the above photo, your efforts will have mixed results at best. Cartomizers are designed to be disposable...thrown away after they have served their purpose.

I spent $5 - $6 dollars a day on cigarettes when I smoked and thought not much about the cost at the time. I don't think much about spending $2 for a cartomizer that will last me 1 -3 weeks of use and it doesn't bother me to then throw it away.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Baditude has some really good advice on his Blogs especially for those using cartomizers or cartomizers+ tanks- a very good read IMO:
E-Cigarette Forum - Baditude - Blogs

 

[Katya]

I did not know this. Is a dry burn really bad for cartos if you're just making sure all the water has evaporated after cleaning? I usually hit the button a few times. I don't hold it down. I don't want to harm them so I figure I better make sure.

One can not dry burn cartomizers because of the close proximity of the heating coil to the filler. Even the shortest burst of heat to the dry coil may burn the plastic tube and/or the thin cotton "blanket" that is wrapped around it.

Please look carefully at those excellent autopsy pictures and you'll understand. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. This is a dual coil carto, but the construction is the same as that of a single coil one.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-coil-cartomizer-pics-inside.html#post4634685

As for how long they last? I generally use a carto a week. If I'm getting low on supplies and money is a bit thin, I'll clean them out with hot water and a syringe and let them air dry for another use. That is MY preference, however. Others are completely happy using their cartomizers for much longer.

Theoretically speaking, a cartomizer will "last" until the coil either pops or gets so gunked up that it is not be able to vaporize anything. However, the performance of a carto diminishes with every refill as the coil gets covered with burnt gunk. No amount of washing, boiling, soaking in alcohol etc., will dissolve the baked-on gunk. The only way to get rid of the crud buildup on the coil is to dry burn--which cannot be done with a cartomizer.

 

[Eric Piedmonte]

It will be fine, just might not taste as good as your used to

 

[Katya]

The best way to clean a dirty wick and atomizer coil:

 

[SirSteve]

I recently burnt my cartomizer just ever so slightly and the draw is becoming gurgly for no reason.
It happened after washing and drying the polyfill by dripping and dry hitting.

If I really did damage my carto, can I still vape it? I have to wait a few more days before my new order of cartos arrive.

I burnt a couple by not allowing the juice enough time to soak in, that is a horrid taste. You can still use it, but it will never taste right again. I still clean cartos from time to time, but I just let them dry and never dry burn them. I hope your new ones get there quick, I can't even stand the memory of the burnt carto taste.

 

[Ryedan]

I did not know this. Is a dry burn really bad for cartos if you're just making sure all the water has evaporated after cleaning? I usually hit the button a few times. I don't hold it down. I don't want to harm them so I figure I better make sure.

A dry burn is very bad for a carto, in every circumstance. I don't ever do it. The problem is the filler material around the coil will degrade from the heat and can produce chemicals I don't want to vape.

I do dry burn clearos and Vivi Novas often. They love it and it keeps them healthy.

 

[Donovan69]

I had a 1.7 ohm carto given to me to try out when I was still vaping on a kanger t3. I loaded up the carto and vaped it hard for a week and a half with juicy peach juice. I was amazed at the flavour increase compared to my clearos. So 1.50 for a week and a half. Cheaper than the stinkies!

 

[Trips1969]

Wow. I had no idea it was that bad. I just took apart a carto I had cleaned for a rainy day and .... yeah. I tossed it out.

I think I'll check out Baditude's blog, and thanks for everyone who jumped in to help educate!

Thing is, I love these DCT cartomizers. They run juicy. I have no issue tossing them after a week, however. I've tried several types of clearos in the past and they seem to run very dry for my taste. So I've avoided anything that looked like it had a wick. But now I have to ask, am I wrong? Are there wick-like tanks out there that run "wet"?

(Actually this is off topic now. I'll read up on the blog and check around the site for more info. Thank you)

 

[Big Loaf]

How do you know when a carto need filling, other than the burnt taste? I have kept mine constantly wet for a few days now in fear of running it dry.