I am new. Please help.

[deita]

Hi Everyone. After much research and an inefficient kit bought at the mall, I ordered VK. The two piece unit. Now my question is this: When I suck the vapor into my mouth, the vapor is visible and there is a normal amount of vapor. But as soon as I inhale, the vapor is gone. I mean when I EXhale - there is almost no vapor. It's barely visible. Am I doing something wrong?
I press the button and inhale while keeping the button pressed. The light is on. Everything seems to be working. I feel something in my throat, but no vapor comes out when exhaling. Now if I simply puff on it like a cigar, then there is vapor. What's going on? I am smoking 0mg nicotine, but I would assume that the amount of nicotine should not affect the amount of vapor...Help

 

[Pawpaw]

It sounds like you're drawing on it too hard. That will reduce the amount of vapor and can cause you to get a drop of juice in your mouth.

Long, slow drags are the key.

 

[Sheryl]

Good advice, also the carts sometimes just need to have a few vapes before they put out the vapor.

 

[Moonstruck]

Every cartomizer has a brand new atomizer build inside it, and like other atomizers, it sometimes needs a short "breaking in" period. I find that I get tons of vapor after 3 or 4 draws but little, if any, on the 1st few draws.

Hope this helps -- I know seeing that "vapor" is very helpful when you're trying to give up the cigarettes.

 

[deita]

It sounds like you're drawing on it too hard. That will reduce the amount of vapor and can cause you to get a drop of juice in your mouth.

Long, slow drags are the key.

Yes, I tried slow drags, but it's the same. I see a lot of vapor go in, but nothing comes out....I am freaking out that my lungs are absorbing stuff they are not suppose to absorb

 

[Pawpaw]

How long are you holding it in? The longer you hold it, the less will come out, which is a good thing for "stealth" vaping.

I, and I think most others, just hold it in for a second. I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess I did hold the smoke from an analog in a few seconds.

 

[deita]

Every cartomizer has a brand new atomizer build inside it, and like other atomizers, it sometimes needs a short "breaking in" period. I find that I get tons of vapor after 3 or 4 draws but little, if any, on the 1st few draws.

Hope this helps -- I know seeing that "vapor" is very helpful when you're trying to give up the cigarettes.

I actually quit smoking 3 months ago but I still get cravings so I thought I would play with ecigarette...I thought it would help..so seeing the vapor is essential to me since I am not taking in any nicotine )

 

[deita]

How long are you holding it in? The longer you hold it, the less will come out, which is a good thing for "stealth" vaping.

I, and I think most others, just hold it in for a second. I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess I did hold the smoke from an analog in a few seconds.

Perhaps that's my problem. First I hold it in my mouth (the time that it takes me to get a mouthful of vapor) and then I inhale and hold it a while....My God, may I forgot how to smoke ) I quit smoking 3 months ago...Thank you

 

[Moonstruck]

Well, big congratulations to you for having already quit!! Plus you are only using the 0 nic stuff, that's awesome, too!

I do know if you're holding it in very long, the vapor production is diminished because it's vapor, not smoke. So if you want to see huge clouds of vapor, don't hold it in, just exhale right away. The other thing you can do is add a few drops of VG -- that makes huge vapor clouds. Steve will be carrying the VG-based cartomizers soon, but I don't know how long it will be before they are on the website. But in the meantime, you can get vegetable glycerin at Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and other places (usually in the cake decorating section). It's pretty cheap, about $4 for a large bottle. Lots of people add it to their juices for this same reason.

 

[deita]

Well, big congratulations to you for having already quit!! Plus you are only using the 0 nic stuff, that's awesome, too!

I do know if you're holding it in very long, the vapor production is diminished because it's vapor, not smoke. So if you want to see huge clouds of vapor, don't hold it in, just exhale right away. The other thing you can do is add a few drops of VG -- that makes huge vapor clouds. Steve will be carrying the VG-based cartomizers soon, but I don't know how long it will be before they are on the website. But in the meantime, you can get vegetable glycerin at Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and other places (usually in the cake decorating section). It's pretty cheap, about $4 for a large bottle. Lots of people add it to their juices for this same reason.

Thanks a lot Moonstruck...I will try exhaling right away...As far as VG goes, I read somewhere that due to the heating, VG emits some kind of toxic chemical...I don't remember where I read it...

 

[Pugzley]

I've found that I get more vapor with some flavors than with others. My caramels don't seem to give off much, but my peach cobblers are loaded with it, so are the cappuccino cartos.

 

[Pawpaw]

I do a mouth draw also, I just don't hold it in my lungs very long.

You can draw directly into your lungs to increase the throat hit. I have tried it a few times, but don't care for it much.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water. Believe it or not, vaping is a much dryer experience than smoking.

 

[jlmanno]

I agree with wanting to see more exhaled vapor. As I quit analogs 2 weeks ago, the same day I started vaping, see the vapor helped with the mental part of my habit. I added a little vegetable glycerin to my e juice which seemed to give me more exhaled vapor to see. As stated above definitely the longer you hold it in your lungs the less to exhale.

Congratulations on giving up the analogs, I know it can be tough. I smoked two packs/day for almost 30 years and couldn't quit until I learned of "vaping". Where were the e-cigs thirty years ago? Well better now than never!

 

[Taryn]

It doesn't hurt to hold the vapor in your lungs longer but it certainly does decrease vapor output. It took me about a week of learning how to use my Vapor King before I started getting the long very soft draw needed for massive vapor, if I want huge clouds I double hit it then inhale the works.

And it is true that different flavors have more or less vapor production capabilities, though I don't see huge amounts of differences in the ones I've tried.

Welcome to the family!

 

[JohnnyVapor]

Thanks a lot Moonstruck...I will try exhaling right away...As far as VG goes, I read somewhere that due to the heating, VG emits some kind of toxic chemical...I don't remember where I read it...

I'm not doubting, but do you have a link? A quick search didn't give me much data on this. I'm no professional chemist or doctor, but a quick look on the data page wouldn't lead me to believe that it would be that there would be much toxicity in thermal decomp. I would guess that burning glycerin would release various carbon compounds, mostly CO2, but with some H2O and CO. I don't think that heating a mix to vaporization like you'd find in a PV to be that severe though.

I'm not sure on the temperature at atomization point, but pure glycerin doesn't boil until 554 degrees, and I'm pretty sure we're not getting to that point. Flash point and autoignition point are also high. The MSDS for glycerin shows a very high level for mist LC, and describes the chemical as stable. The MSDS doesn't show thermal decomposition products, but says that the biodegradation products are less toxic than glycerin itself.

I'm just really curious about this. Are there any chemists out there that can enlighten us?

 

[Birdy]

...As far as VG goes, I read somewhere that due to the heating, VG emits some kind of toxic chemical...I don't remember where I read it...

I'm not doubting, but do you have a link? A quick search didn't give me much data on this.

I think Deita is probably referring people worrying about VG and acrolein on the forum a while back. There was a lot of back and forth about it in the Health subforum, but in the end it always came back to VG being completely safe.
I'd include links but there are just too many threads to list. Just search "acrolein" in the health section.

For anyone worried about the safety of VG- Ecopure is VG based and they have done extensive testing. The have the lab results on their site and have discussed it's safety on the forums pretty extensively.

 

[quasimod]

I just tried vaping straight VG for the 1st time, and holy cow does it put out the vapor! If you're only interested in the vapor, try that. It's cheap, too!

Maybe some of the old hands around here can tell you the pitfalls, seems I remember straight VG will reduce atomizer life because of build-up, or something like that... either way, atomizers are pretty cheap (if you remember how much cigarettes cost).

 

[Kattdaddy]

I think Deita is probably referring people worrying about VG and acrolein on the forum a while back. There was a lot of back and forth about it in the Health subforum, but in the end it always came back to VG being completely safe.
I'd include links but there are just too many threads to list. Just search "acrolein" in the health section.

For anyone worried about the safety of VG- Ecopure is VG based and they have done extensive testing. The have the lab results on their site and have discussed it's safety on the forums pretty extensively.

I would like to also add that there are many different glycerins.. some are based with volatile counterparts and a lot of folks base their concerns on information that doesn't pertain to the elements of glycerin used in our e-juice products. The glycerin here is based on sugars and not volatile chemicals. It is a food grade pharmaceutical and its potentials, as follows:

Extraction- Isolated glycerol fats through an Hydrolysis method
Shelf life- 5 years
Notes- Stores well under dark and cool conditions and is extremely volatile to light exposure.
This variety of Glycerine is suitable for food and cosmetic use and is USP standard 99.7% (the rest is water) with no added stabilizers, preservatives and other ingredients.

Specifications
Color- Clear
Odor/Taste- Flat aroma, very sweet flavor resembling syrup.
Glycerol content- 99.8%
Fatty Acids and Esters- 0.3
Specific Gravity- 1.29
pH- 7
Heavy Metals - <5 ppm
Chlorides- <10 ppm
Chlorinated compounds- <30 ppm
Sulphates- <20 ppm
Moisture- 0.13%
Organic Volatile Impurities- None detected
Diethylene Glycol and related compounds- No trace amounts detected
Vegetable Glyceine
Vegetable glycerine comes to us through a very complex and sophisticated method of extraction known as Hydrolysis, and the end product that we refer to as "Vegetable Glycerine" is usually the by-product of another oils production. The basics of this system is that the fats and oils of a raw ingredient (usually palm or coconut oils) are split into crude glycerol fats, under the combined action of water, temperature and pressure. These temperatures can exceed 400° degrees and the material is usually kept under pressure for 20-30 minutes. What is actually occurring is a sort of "counter-flow" where the water absorbs glycerol from the fatty acid phase of the oil production. After this phase this glycerol is isolated and further distilled to give buyers a standard 99% Glycerine product.
Vegetable Glycerine is a clear, colorless, and odorless liquid with an incredibly sweet taste having the consistency of thick syrup. It is used as an agent in cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoos, soaps, herbal remedies, pharmaceuticals, and other household items. Because it is soluble in both, water and alcohol, its versatility is a major benefactor in its purported growth and popularity within the manufacturing sector. It is invaluable as a natural source ingredient with emollient like properties which can soften and soothe the skin and it assists the outer epidermis is retaining moisture. This helps to explain why it is one of the most popular cosmetic additives used today.
Other uses include its solvency action which aides herbalists in extracting botanical properties from plant materials without the use of alcohol. This is especially helpful for those with alcohol sensitivities as most liquid herbal extracts contain alcohol. But given its severely limited shelf life, extracts made from Vegetable Glycerine typically have a shelf life of 14-24 months whereas alcohol extracts can have an extended shelf life of 4-6 years.
Food grade glycerin is just the same as comparable to a corn syrup with properties that are designed to extract the flavorings of biological products.


Glycerol is used in medical and pharmaceutical and personal care preparations, mainly as a means of improving smoothness, providing lubrication and as a humectant. It is found in cough syrups, elixirs and expectorants, toothpaste, mouthwashes, skin care products, shaving cream, hair care products, soaps and water based personal lubricants. In solid dosage forms like tablets, Glycerol is used as a tablet holding agent. It is also an ingredient in cigarettes that is used as a humectant. For human consumption, glycerol is classified by the U.S. FDA among the sugar alcohols as a caloric macronutrient.
As a 10% solution, glycerol prevents tannins from precipitating in ethanol extracts of plants (tinctures). It is also used as a substitute for ethanol as a solvent in preparing herbal extractions. It is less extractive and is approximately 30% less able to be absorbed by the body. Fluid extract manufacturers often extract herbs in hot water before adding glycerin to make glycerites.[4][5][6]
Used as a laxative when introduced into the rectum in suppository or small-volume (2to10ml)(enema) form; irritates the .... mucosa and induces a hyperosmotic effect.
Glycerol is a component of glycerol soap, which is made from denatured alcohol, glycerol, sodium castorate (from castor), sodium cocoate, sodium tallowate, sucrose, and water. Sometimes one adds sodium laureth sulfate, or essential oils for fragrance. This kind of soap is used by people with sensitive, easily-irritated skin because it prevents skin dryness with its moisturizing properties. It draws moisture up through skin layers and slows or prevents excessive drying and evaporation. It is possible to make glycerol soap at home.
Topical pure or nearly pure glycerol is an effective treatment for psoriasis, burns, bites, cuts, rashes, bedsores, and calluses.[Needs footnote.] It can be used orally to eliminate halitosis, as it is a contact bacterial desiccant.[Needs footnote.] The same property makes it very helpful with periodontal disease; it penetrates biofilm quickly and eliminates bacterial colonies.[Needs footnote

On May 4, 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration advised all US makers of medicines to test all batches of glycerine for the toxic diethylene glycol.[14] This follows an occurrence of 100 fatal poisonings in Panama resulting from a Chinese factory deliberately falsifying records in order to export the cheaper diethylene glycol as the more expensive glycerol.[15] Glycerine and diethylene glycol are similar in appearance, smell, and taste. The US Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was passed following the 1937 "Elixir Sulfanilamide" incident of poisoning caused by diethylene glycol contamination of medicine.

As per wickpedia, or however it is spelled...LOL

 

[JohnnyVapor]

I think Deita is probably referring people worrying about VG and acrolein on the forum a while back.

Thanks for the info, I didn't think about searching on this site, I just went hog wild digging through complex chemistry documents thanks to google.

 

[donnellyk]

I was initially dissapointed in the VK vapor production, it is true it gets better as the cartomizer gets broken in. The 510 and 801 provide more vapor but I chose the VK for certain places where I don't want to drip and fiddle...I now enjoy them very much, especially after I refill them with my own juice mixes (add some VG)...