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

[Katya]

Big Leaf, if you wait for the carto to taste burnt, it's already too late--your carto IS burnt. You can always open your carto and look; if the filler looks slushy, it's OK. The best advice I can give you is to top off early and top off often. Most cartos only hold 1 ml of juice; it goes fast, especially on higher wattages.

 

[Katya]

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!

Have you tried a T3 with a 1.8 or 1.5Ω coil? They vape warmer. And if they feel to airy, plug one of the three air holes located at the knurled base of the T3--a broken off toothpick works well.

 

[DaveP]

The carto I posted in the picture a few posts back cleaned up under hot water from the sink after I opened it up to check. It was 90% burned and discolored juice with very little discoloration of the filler or the wrap after opening it up and washing with hot water while opened.

I was never able to clean one inside the coil wrap that didn't turn out like that after using a turkey baster and hot water to clean. I forced hot water back and forth in both directions for 5 minutes to try to clean one thoroughly, but nothing seems to do the job inside the coil wrap.

After extended tries to get one really clean, I went back to tossing a carto after 4 or 5 days when the taste started to go south, then I switch to a Vivi Nova. With the Vivi, you can see what's going on with the coil area.

Some people boil their cartos. I'd like to see one cut open after a boil and clean just for comparison.

 

[DaveP]

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.

The first sign of a carto running low on juice is a slight drop off in flavor. That's followed by a dropoff in vapor if you don't add a few drops. If you go past that point, burning of the filler occurs and it starts tasting nasty.

Over a few days to as much as a week, you will start to notice a carto developing a hard draw from the filler packing down. Even if it still tastes good at that point, it's on the way out.

When you first fill a carto, the filler looks grey. As the juice is used, the filler will turn white on top. That's a definite sign that you need to add a few drops. When I use cartos, I pop off the drip tip every 30 minutes or so and check. If it's white and dry, I add some juice until it looks slightly slushy. Experience is the best teacher, but you develop a feel for impending flavor change.

First fill is crucial to longevity. I like the condom method. The filler gets to soak in and overfilled condition for a while. You can blow it out if necessary, but first fill saturation is key to long life.