How to know when a cartridge needs to be tossed?

[HeadLikeOrange]

I've been using my new eGo for about a week -- such an amazing step up from the NPRO I was using before.

I'm unsure how to tell when a cartridge is spent. I'm not referring to refilling the juice, but rather when the filler material has lost its usefulness. Most threads/sites recommend refilling 5-6 times and then getting rid of the cartridge. I tend to "top off" my cartridges after a couple of uses, rather than vape them dry.

Is there something I should be looking for (e.g. it won't absorb more juice, the taste goes bad, etc.) to tell me when a cart is ready for the garbage?

 

[tj99959]

I recommend getting rid of them before filling them. All newbies manage to do with them is ruin some really nice atomizers. Those old carts are the epic fail of the vaping world.

 

[dormouse]

A cartridge? Like the ones that come with the kit and press into the atomizer? Never unless you melt them because

1 - they can be washed and restuffed
2 - cartridges are the least popular way to vape so you will probably never need another pack. As soon as you find a favorite thinner juice, try cartomizers which are the way most people vape. I recommend learning on Boge 3 ohm then try the hotter 2 ohm ones. And beyond that are all kinds of more expensive and exotic cartomizers, but Boge are most popular. I think thin juices with then, PG w/ 20% or less VG and I avoid juices that seem to drop a lot of flavoring sediment in the stuffing.

 

[Stef64]

When it fails to hold enough liquid and you have to fill it\top it off too often, or when it starts giving an off taste.

 

[Cyberpixie]

I second that. Cartomisers are the way to go :0)

 

[dormouse]

Wait -

Npro? Npro already uses cartomizers doesn't it? Do your "cartridges" hold liquid AND screw right onto the battery? If so then they are not cartridges, they are cartomizers aka cartos. A cartridge is just plastic and stuffing and pushes onto or into a separate atomizer. The model RN4081 (what Npro is) can use either but I thought it was sold with cartomizers??

If you have cartomizers -
- they cannot be restuffed
- they have limited lives though some attempt (sometimes successfully) to wash and dry cartos
- I use thin juices (PG w/ 20% or less VG) and I avoid juices that drop flavoring sediment. I can get 7 days use out of a KR808D-1 cartomizer, 10+ days use out of a Boge 510 cartomizer (those are for 2 other models - I have never used an RN4081)

BTW if you are refilling cartos with automatic batteries then I recommend you get a spare manual RN4081 battery from AZSmokeFree.com - I think the Rn4081 manual should be totally sealed metal on the threaded end (the one RN4081 manual I saw in a video was sealed). Manuals also make it easier to get a good hit, especially out of a carto that has been reused for over 4 days. And sealed manuals are safe from being damaged or killed by juice leaks.