IBTanked Carto-Tank Question

[Sed Contra]

I'm loving the vape, but I do have one specific question. I've seen it mentioned in a few places that one should not fill more juice into the top of the carto because it can alter the airflow (which doesn't make sense to me), while I've also seen it recommended to make sure that the carto tank never appears dry. These seem contradictory, and I'd really like to know what's what.

Similarly, I noticed once that I got some burnt hits. The voltage wasn't too high, so I checked the carto and the top was dry. I put in some more juice directly on the top of the carto, waited a few minutes, and everything was fine again - no burnt hits. I just got my first carto-tank yesterday, so I'm new to this, and I'd really like to know what's going on.

Also, how long should I expect a carto to last in a carto-tank if I'm more or less chain vaping? More or less, I hit the thing every couple of minutes. I blow through Protank heads in about a day or so, and I'm hoping that the carto-tank has much better longevity!

Thanks!

 

[Baditude]

I've never heard that you should not "top off" the carto in a cartotank should you desire. It's usually not necessary if the tank is wicking properly, although many do top off the carto during tank refills.

It's perfectly fine to look at the filler in the top of a carto after a few vapes and it to appear dry. When you take a puff, you are not only pulling juice from the tank, but from the top of the cartomizer, also. The tank will never "catch up" to keep the entire carto filler wet like it was when you initially primed the carto, but it doesn't need to. As long as the filler surrounding the heating coil stays wet (bottom of the carto), there should be no danger of burning the filler resulting in a burnt flavor. The below graphic should help visualize the flow of juice in a cartotank.

click to enlarge

A possible exception to the above is if you are using dual coil cartomizers in your tank. Being that the upper coil is located about mid shaft of the carto and likely above the wick holes of the carto, there's a possibility that the filler around the top coil could get burnt. This is one of the major reasons I switched from dual coil carts to single coil.

Knowing the above to be true, the inital priming of the carto is the most important step to determine the overall lifetime of that carto in a tank. My blog on a cartotank setup demonstrates the method that I use. You can find it by clicking the number 9 beside the blog entries under my avatar.

With certain dark flavors or thick e-liquids, or any situation in which the carto seems to be wicking slow and be on the dry side, you may need to do occassional "primer puffs". These are taking a puff, or pull, without power on. This allows more juice to get to the carto without vaporizing what little may be already there. The technique that pipe smokers use is ideal in this situation. (Short hard puffs.) PBusardo can be observed doing this technique when vaping his cartotanks during his videos.

How long a carto will last in a tank varies upon several factors. Thick or darker flavors will clog the filler material faster than a clear or thinner juice. Higher voltage used in a low resistance coil will shorten its lifetime. Heavy chain vaping obviously will shorten a cartomizer's life. Typically, this can range from 2 -3 days to as long as 2 -3 weeks. I typically use up to a dozen cartotanks simultaneously, and switch tanks 3 - 4 times a day. This allows the carto to last longer in the tank, and I get to enjoy a variety of different flavors and not get bored with only one or two.

 

[BernieVideo]

As you can see from my banner, I have been vaping about as long as you have. I started using a carto tank about 3 weeks ago.
It took a little while to get comfortable with using cartos correctly. There is so much contradictory info about how to prime and use and maintain them. I am like you, I am hitting that thing all day, and often.

You didn't mention what type/size of carto tank you are using or what it is sitting on top of. That info might help inform us of what is going on.

I am using a small no name carto tank on top of an eGo Twist. The tank is just slightly wider than the eGo, and I use a small decoritive ring to make it all look nice. I never put the voltage above 4 volts, and usually a bit below 4 (3.7ish volts). I find that gives me plenty of vapor and works well with the flavors I use.

The one thing I kept reading is about keeping the top of dual coil cartos wet. The term I keep reading is that it should look like a slushy. Um, that never made any sense to me. I find that if my carto is too wet, it gurgles and spits.

A lot depends on the carto itself. Some have 1 hole, some 2. Some have tiny holes, some bigger holes, or slotted holes. I tried each of these and the one I have settled on is the Boge Dual Coil with the 1 larger laser cut hole. I find it wicks really well, and I almost never have a burnt hit.

As for topping off the tank. I do this, mostly to keep plenty of flavor in the tank. I sometimes mix flavors, or add some menthol juice to freshen up the flavor.

I purchased a really thin long drip tip/tank filler thinghy because I read it would be easier and it plugs the top of the carto so you cant flood it when filling. I found that thing to be of no help at all! so I just fill very carefully now. I resist the urge to fill the tank all the way to the top. That seems to help me avoid flooding the carto.

I do sometimes, carefully add just a few drops to into the top of the carto, being careful to drop along the sides of the carto and not into the center tube, just to wet the top a bit. I think of it as insurance against burnt taste.

I am curious about the single coil cartos that Baditude recomends. None of the local B&Ms near me carry them, so I haven't tried them yet. But I will.

PS... that Baditude guy...his posts have helped me a lot. He is a great source of useful info.

Good luck.

Vape ON!

 

[Elantis]

Looks like most of your questions have been answered in the previous posts, and Baditude is an excellent member source for anything Carto/Tank related. Reading his blogs was my initial venture into Carto/Tanks and helped me tremendously.

I have other tanks, but tend to rely on my IBTanks exclusively. I love the simplicity of use and ease of filling (I do use their carto tool and it works for me.) But for a new tank and carto - I pretty much stick with the "fiddling with the thingy" method and it has never failed me on carto priming.

 

[Sed Contra]

As you can see from my banner, I have been vaping about as long as you have. I started using a carto tank about 3 weeks ago.

Congratulations!

It took a little while to get comfortable with using cartos correctly. There is so much contradictory info about how to prime and use and maintain them. I am like you, I am hitting that thing all day, and often.

You didn't mention what type/size of carto tank you are using or what it is sitting on top of. That info might help inform us of what is going on.

I just got a Provari Mini a few days ago. Inside the IBTanked tank is the XL carto that came with it (1.8 Ohm XL Smoktech, I think); it's NOT a dual coil carto.

The one thing I kept reading is about keeping the top of dual coil cartos wet. The term I keep reading is that it should look like a slushy. Um, that never made any sense to me. I find that if my carto is too wet, it gurgles and spits.

I think that Baditude answered this above. With a dual coil carto, one of the coils is higher than the other; if it gets dry, it'll burn out. What I have found, though, and I think Phil/Pete/Lou Busardo mentioned this: part of why some think that a carto tastes better is because the filler "perfumes" the vape, and since smell is a big factor when it comes to taste, the theory is that cartos taste better to some people for that reason. I've actually done an experiment where I've put a few drops of whipped cream flavored juice to top off the carto and the result was lovely - same thing for a few drops of Ms. T's Banana Doodle - the smell seems to effect the flavor of the whole tank.

A lot depends on the carto itself. Some have 1 hole, some 2. Some have tiny holes, some bigger holes, or slotted holes. I tried each of these and the one I have settled on is the Boge Dual Coil with the 1 larger laser cut hole. I find it wicks really well, and I almost never have a burnt hit.

I'm wondering if I'm going to have to punch a third hole for some of the 100% stuff that I like.

As for topping off the tank. I do this, mostly to keep plenty of flavor in the tank. I sometimes mix flavors, or add some menthol juice to freshen up the flavor.

I think that we're totally on the same page here. Sometimes I'll add menthol, too...other times whipped cream. I love mixing!

I purchased a really thin long drip tip/tank filler thinghy because I read it would be easier and it plugs the top of the carto so you cant flood it when filling. I found that thing to be of no help at all! so I just fill very carefully now. I resist the urge to fill the tank all the way to the top. That seems to help me avoid flooding the carto.

I love the tool, myself, but whatever works for you!

I do sometimes, carefully add just a few drops to into the top of the carto, being careful to drop along the sides of the carto and not into the center tube, just to wet the top a bit. I think of it as insurance against burnt taste.

I think that I'll occasionally check just to make sure that it doesn't get dry. Good call thinking of it as insurance.

I am curious about the single coil cartos that Baditude recomends. None of the local B&Ms near me carry them, so I haven't tried them yet. But I will.

PS... that Baditude guy...his posts have helped me a lot. He is a great source of useful info.

Agreed! Baditude has been extremely helpful and generous with his advice.

Good luck.

Vape ON!

Same to you, buddy!

 

[WattWick]

The IBtanks comes with a quite ingenious device, or rather... thingy... that works wonders for that initial carto filling.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...s-forum/339809-do-you-fiddle-your-thingy.html

 

[Sed Contra]

The IBtanks comes with a quite ingenious device, or rather... thingy... that works wonders for that initial carto filling.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...s-forum/339809-do-you-fiddle-your-thingy.html

So this is basically the "condom method" with the "thingy," right?

 

[Sed Contra]

I'm wondering if the Protank II and iClear 30 would fit in the smallest "thingy" for upright storage. I think that I'll call them about that on Tuesday.

 

[Baditude]

The one thing I kept reading is about keeping the top of dual coil cartos wet. The term I keep reading is that it should look like a slushy. Um, that never made any sense to me. I find that if my carto is too wet, it gurgles and spits.

This is the best description that most carto users have come up with. The filler should look completely saturated, without juice getting into the center air channel. I use a wooden toothpick gently in the air hole to keep juice out while filling. No need to blow out the hole when finished.

A lot depends on the carto itself. Some have 1 hole, some 2. Some have tiny holes, some bigger holes, or slotted holes. I tried each of these and the one I have settled on is the Boge Dual Coil with the 1 larger laser cut hole. I find it wicks really well, and I almost never have a burnt hit.

Agreed. Not only will the number of holes and size make a difference, but there are differences between the filler in the different carto brands.

Boges have a more densely packed filler, making them a little more difficult to fill by the drop method, and may also wick slower in a tank. They also are less likely to flood than Smoktech.

Smoktech's filler is less dense. They filler easier, wick easier, but are more likely to flood. Ikenvapes tend to fill the middle ground here.

If having issues with either dry hits/poor wicking or flooding/gurgling/spitting, perhaps try one of the other brands to see if they work better for you, depending upon the other brand's characteristics.

Draw technique is also important with a cartotank. A short hard pull can eventually flood a cartomizer with too much juice. A more recommended technique is a long, gentle, draw - much like imagining sucking on a straw in a thick milkshake.

I purchased a really thin long drip tip/tank filler thinghy because I read it would be easier and it plugs the top of the carto so you cant flood it when filling. I found that thing to be of no help at all! so I just fill very carefully now. I resist the urge to fill the tank all the way to the top. That seems to help me avoid flooding the carto.

I find filling a tank only 80% full allows for the proper negative pressure within the tank to function best.

Not sure if you were using the tank tool correctly. I find using one indispensible when setting up my tanks or doing a refill. Using one also prevents wear & tear on the important o-rings.

I am curious about the single coil cartos that Baditude recomends. None of the local B&Ms near me carry them, so I haven't tried them yet. But I will.

Ikenvapes are only sold on the online Ikenvape website. The owner commissions an un-named China manufacturer to make these to his specific specifications. I and those who use them find these to be a superior cartomizer compared to Boge or Smoktech. Better flavor and longer lasting. Due to the business arrangement with the manufacturer, the vendor receives a limited number of cartomizers each month. When supplies are offered, they typically sell out within 24 - 48 hours. Most folks who use these feel the wait is worth the trouble. I use Smoktech single coils as my backup cartomizer.

PS... that Baditude guy...his posts have helped me a lot. He is a great source of useful info.

Agreed! Baditude has been extremely helpful and generous with his advice.

 

[Baditude]

So this is basically the "condom method" with the "thingy," right?

Ummm. It's sort of its own technique. But it is similar.

I never cared a whole lot for the Fiddle with your Thingy method, but many do prefer it. What I don't like about it is it, like the condom fill technique, is it is a "blind" method. You really can't "see" how wet the carto is. It's a guess, at best. I never mastered the technique - either not enough juice or too much and flooded the carto.

With the "drip & flip" method that I use, I always have visualization of the wetness of the filler, and can add more juice as needed.

It doesn't matter what method that you end up using, as long as it works for you.

 

[The Ocelot]

There are lots of ways to fill cartos (I always try any new ones I read ) This is one I probably use most often (or a variation of it); there are pictures of what cartos should look like wet:

The Ocelot Method of Carto Filling (aka The Upside-Down Condom)

ETA: There's a link in my signature to a short video of how to do a "Hot Swap."

 

[Sed Contra]

When it comes to initially filling up a carto (not for a tank), I do use the condom method per Phil/Pete/Lou Busardo's recommendation. Then I refill by the drip method, if you will. It is blind, but until they come out with clear cartos, it has worked for me. Unless I see that a carto is slushy before hitting it, I'll drip a bit, and then before I put it away, I drip some more. I put a condom on the battery end when I store them (upright), too, but I don't push the carto all the way down, lest anything that drips out gets on the threads.

What I'm really liking about the carto-tank versus the Protank II is the consistently good vape. The Protank II really does change as I use it and the coil gets mucked up and whatnot, whereas (so far, anyway) the carto-tank seems the same now as it did after being primed and good to go - with the one exception being the time that it tasted burnt (as I described above). Having said that, a fresh Protank II coil does seem to be able to produce bigger plumes of vapor, but maybe that's why I'm killing the atomizer so fast!

 

[Alchemy]

Thank you folks for posting this great information. I just got my first IBTank and well... If it weren't for you folks I'd be drenched in E-liquid and or worse

 

[Sed Contra]

I actually did drench myself in eliquid. Do not remove the top cap to refill! The pressure build up when you put it back on will cause juice to spray out! I lost about 1/3 of a tank of juice that way! Instead, use the tank tool to push the carto down just enough to drip juice along the tool, which will lead it down in the tank; the only thing to clean up, then, is the tool, and the pressure of pushing the carto back into position isn't sufficient to cause leakage.

 

[mattrhdr]

I actually did drench myself in eliquid. Do not remove the top cap to refill! The pressure build up when you put it back on will cause juice to spray out! I lost about 1/3 of a tank of juice that way! Instead, use the tank tool to push the carto down just enough to drip juice along the tool, which will lead it down in the tank; the only thing to clean up, then, is the tool, and the pressure of pushing the carto back into position isn't sufficient to cause leakage.

Haha, you live you learn. I press down just enough with the drip tip still on and use a syringe to fill my IBtanks

 

[Alchemy]

I actually did drench myself in eliquid. Do not remove the top cap to refill! The pressure build up when you put it back on will cause juice to spray out! I lost about 1/3 of a tank of juice that way! Instead, use the tank tool to push the carto down just enough to drip juice along the tool, which will lead it down in the tank; the only thing to clean up, then, is the tool, and the pressure of pushing the carto back into position isn't sufficient to cause leakage.

Will do. Thanks for the heads up

 

[Sed Contra]

Haha, you live you learn. I press down just enough with the drip tip still on and use a syringe to fill my IBtanks

That would work, too. I might do that with really expensive juices so that I don't waste what I would otherwise be wiping off of the tank tool. Good idea. Currently I do have a few extra syringe caps, too, from MBV. Unfortunately they don't fit on Ms. T's Bakery Banana Doodle, which is just killing me with how freaking good it is mixed. I'm using the 22mm XL IBTanked and just 5 drops of the Banana Doodle adds a complexity to fruity blends that I'm vaping. The stuff is too expensive for me to vape it straight (though it's amazing that way), but rethinking it as a "mixer" seems like a more cost effective way to go. Maybe I should transfer the Ms. T's into another bottle and use a syringe cap.

MBV fruits + MBV Whipped Cream + a few drops of Banana Doodle = AWESOME vape.

 

[WattWick]

I actually did drench myself in eliquid. Do not remove the top cap to refill! The pressure build up when you put it back on will cause juice to spray out! I lost about 1/3 of a tank of juice that way! Instead, use the tank tool to push the carto down just enough to drip juice along the tool, which will lead it down in the tank; the only thing to clean up, then, is the tool, and the pressure of pushing the carto back into position isn't sufficient to cause leakage.

Think I've managed to drench myself at least twice in any way possible with a carto tank. To save you one, I can point out that when pushing the carto down to re-fill... do hold on to the bottom cap so it won't come flying off

 

[Sed Contra]

Think I've managed to drench myself at least twice in any way possible with a carto tank. To save you one, I can point out that when pushing the carto down to re-fill... do hold on to the bottom cap so it won't come flying off

After losing so much juice the first time, I was intentional about making sure that the bottom cap wouldn't come off!

Oh, the worst was the first time that I put the Tatroe base on my Protank II and then took it off of my new Provari Mini for the first time. I was so used to taking the big honking Protank II off of a Twist...well, needless to say, this time I unscrewed the tank and left the base on the Provari, getting a full tank of juice all over the Provari and all over my vaping station (a really nice humidor). Again, I'm glad that it was cheap juice and not something expensive...

 

[Beowoulf]

Don't know if OCD will see this but he needs to put a "CART" tab on his site. you can not check your cart until you add something to it.