i mostly use the SI blank carts when vaping. i have about 20 different flavors of juice so far that i vape (from different vendors). now i have noticed and im wondering if YOU have too that my SI blanks carts after ive been re-filling them start to i assume they are maybe getting clogged up with juice residue and the get harder to get a good vape from or/and the juice flavor starts to taste kinda nasty or kinda dark/burnt flavor? is this normal for carts even in general? i read that we should be able to use and re-fill carts over and over for quite a lot of times, but im sure there is a limit to how many times i can re-fill a cart before it either just dies or it gets burnt or becomes less vapable or something. i have also previously boiled out carts and have also used the plunger flushing method to clean out my used carts , but still after awhile of re-using them that they got all weirded out on me for some reason? they start to taste kinda dirty or they get hard to get a good draw from compared to a fresher newer cart. PLEASE give me your experienced opinion on this? i hate to have to buy new blanks carts a lot more regularly. i also use the T3 tanks alot now which im liking, but i wanna continue using SI carts when i am out and about town.
is this normal for my SI blanks carts to do?
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I think it all has to do with the juice. Darker sweet juices just gunk them up faster. You can clean them, but no matter how you clean them you can't really clean the coil well. If we could dry burn them they would probably taste better longer. Even then, a coil will only last so long before performance drops.
Have your juice preferences changed since you noticed them not lasting as long? Have your vaping habits changed?
Have your juice preferences changed since you noticed them not lasting as long? Have your vaping habits changed?
I think that there a several factors that influence the "life" of a carto. Darker juices tend to clog cartos much quicker. Chain vaping seems to also influence a bit (at least that has been my experience with cartos and manual batteries). I think my average is 12 or so re-fills per carto on darker juices - though I have had a few that lasted 40 or 50 refills on clearer juices.
As far as cartomizers go... they will have to be replaced eventually. You can only clean them a few times before the filler and coil will give out. Maybe keep a large supply of blank cartomizers to use for on-the-go, and use clearo's/T3s while at home.
Even with the T3's, you can clean the heads a few times before they have to be replaced or rebuilt if you are into doing it yourself. As for me, I just get new replacement heads for the T3's.
All juice delivery systems will need to be replaced eventually regardless of the juice that you put in them.
Even with the T3's, you can clean the heads a few times before they have to be replaced or rebuilt if you are into doing it yourself. As for me, I just get new replacement heads for the T3's.
All juice delivery systems will need to be replaced eventually regardless of the juice that you put in them.
First thing to say:
Not to sound pompous...but cartomizers are disposable. Period. They have a finite usable life, that is affected by they type of liquid you use and your vaping style. SI's cartos are the best I've found for functionality and re-useability.
You requested input from experienced vapers; this is mine: A good part of my selection of liquids is how they behave in cartomizers; if I can't put at least 4-5ml through a carto without it gunking up, losing flavor, and generally becoming unpalatable, I don't use that liquid. I can't afford it. I have cleaned cartos, and done a pretty good job, I think, but it's never the same as a fresh one. If I had to, for financial reasons, I would clean them, but then my useful liquid list would be even shorter.
Cindycated knows all the ins and outs of carto cleaning, and can probably give you more input on that front; I think she's probably set some records on extending the life of a carto. I know she's tried a boat-load of stuff that I would have never thought of.
Not to sound pompous...but cartomizers are disposable. Period. They have a finite usable life, that is affected by they type of liquid you use and your vaping style. SI's cartos are the best I've found for functionality and re-useability.
You requested input from experienced vapers; this is mine: A good part of my selection of liquids is how they behave in cartomizers; if I can't put at least 4-5ml through a carto without it gunking up, losing flavor, and generally becoming unpalatable, I don't use that liquid. I can't afford it. I have cleaned cartos, and done a pretty good job, I think, but it's never the same as a fresh one. If I had to, for financial reasons, I would clean them, but then my useful liquid list would be even shorter.
Cindycated knows all the ins and outs of carto cleaning, and can probably give you more input on that front; I think she's probably set some records on extending the life of a carto. I know she's tried a boat-load of stuff that I would have never thought of.
I have about 100 cartos that my wife and I use. I find I can refill them 10-20 times before cleaning. I have a plastic bag set up and when they just stop drawing well, I toss them in the baggy. After a month or two I have 50 or so bad ones. I clean and reuse them. (my cleaning method is outlined below) They are never quite as good as new, but they're not bad.
1. remove plastic end piece and soak cartos overnight in everclear...or vodka.
2. rinse in strainer with hot tap water
3. boil for 5 minutes...rinse and repeat
4. continue to boil and rinse 4-5 times until all oder is gone
5. bake a 200 degrees on cookie sheet for 1 hour or so
6. turn off oven and leave cartos to cool inside the oven
7. I let them air dry for several days, but you could probably skip this if you don't have many
After 9 months, I've probably clean each cartos only a couple of times, and most are still being used. I think I have thrown away about 3 or 4 that just stopped working.
1. remove plastic end piece and soak cartos overnight in everclear...or vodka.
2. rinse in strainer with hot tap water
3. boil for 5 minutes...rinse and repeat
4. continue to boil and rinse 4-5 times until all oder is gone
5. bake a 200 degrees on cookie sheet for 1 hour or so
6. turn off oven and leave cartos to cool inside the oven
7. I let them air dry for several days, but you could probably skip this if you don't have many
After 9 months, I've probably clean each cartos only a couple of times, and most are still being used. I think I have thrown away about 3 or 4 that just stopped working.
ya, and the more I vape with my t3 system the more I like my t3. im getting to the point where vaping with carts is un pleasurable...mainly because the above issues I have with carts getting funky. problem with a t3 system is I have so many juices in rotation i'd have to buy a lot more t3 tanks. so ive been vaping a t3 and then when I get bored with that juice I empty the juice back into the juice bottle and rinse the t3 and fill it up and im good till I desire a different flavor. I have only 5 t3 so far, im gonnna buy more when I can afford to get about another 5 to seven...
I like SI's cartomizers and try to buy them 10 boxes at a time. That way they're only 1.50 each. I keep cleaning simple, just plunger clean with hot water. When I notice the draw is getting tight I finish the carto and then pitch it or remove the stuffing to make a tester out of it.
What works best for me is to have both cartos and a variety of clearomizers like the mini T3 on hand. That way I have lots of options for the different types of batteries and juices that I use. Each person has to determine through trial and error which combination of hardware works best for them.
What works best for me is to have both cartos and a variety of clearomizers like the mini T3 on hand. That way I have lots of options for the different types of batteries and juices that I use. Each person has to determine through trial and error which combination of hardware works best for them.
What happens is that the sugars burn up and form a big clump of stubborn, hard, crusty carbon crud around the tiny coil (kind of like the stuff you get when you bake something sweet and it drips down into your oven). When that clump becomes big enough, it will keep e-liquid from accessing the coil to create vapor and/or block the air tube. The carto will also get really hot around the coil. How long it takes for this crud BB to form depends a lot on the juice.
There's really no good way to get rid of the clump, except to thoroughly clean, let completely dry and dry-burn the carto (carefully, very short bursts till you see orange through the air tube, and no more than that), then clean and let completely dry again - only problem with this is that there's a very good chance that you'll singe the filler; then there will be no way to get rid of the burnt taste and it's basically toast. But if you don't singe the filler, that's more life out of a disposable carto that's living on borrowed time anyway. Of course, dry-burns are a piece of cake on clearos, where there's no filler.
When you're still getting good performance but the flavor is meh, then simply cleaning and completely letting dry would probably be enough to bring it back to life. I keep a lidded jar of cleaner of your choice (water, vodka, denture tabs, whatever you wanna use - even Dawn, but it's a PITA to rinse off) next to the sink and drop my spent cartos in there, to give it time to soak before the next cleaning. Soaking does nothing to loosen the crud around the coil where the metal wire is wrapped, but it does pretty good at cleaning the ends, exposing some wick.
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I have also used the little plastic type tooth picks...look like tiny brushes...to unclog that hard gunky stuff on cartos. Gently push thru the bottom hole and kinda scrub. Have to be a little careful not to actually dislodge the coil...only happened to me once. Sometimes all of this seems a little pointless for a cheap carto, but I'm a cheap sob.
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