Keep getting dry hits on a carto tank

[Margate69]

Strawberries and cream 60/40 18mg

smok DCT / smok Woo 5v regulated mod

Tried different coils and dripping on it. Dripping makes it taste better, but it floods immediately so I believe it is feeding. But I still get that dry cotton taste after about a half hour. I have some fluids that are too thick to feed properly, so I punch an extra hole in the carto, and all is well. This one floods out with 3 holes instead of two.

Any clues here?

 

[Topwater Elvis]

What brand of carto's? some have a more dense / tightly wound poly fill than others.
Are you properly priming the carto's before installing in tank? standard size takes approx 20 drops, xl 30 - 40.

 

[Margate69]

What brand of carto's? some have a more dense / tightly wound poly fill than others.
Are you properly priming the carto's before installing in tank? standard size takes approx 20 drops, xl 30 - 40.

Smok carto's xl and yes I always drip prime them before I vape. Fill till excess drips, wipe clean, install.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

I've never had any luck at all with smok carto's (dry taste wicking problems or flooding), for some folks they work fine.

I use 1 - 4 holes in boge and 2 hole ikenvape with 50/50 pg/vg.

 

[Margate69]

I really only have a problem with this combo at the moment. I lost my SID that I had been using with this mix and all was well. Ugh... so irritating. But I have been using these cartos for a long while and it has all worked out. I switched from glassos due to leaks

 

[Iffy]

Too many punches or a pinched/nicked o-ring.

BTW, I've never experienced 'flooding' and 'dry hit' with any combo at da same time.

 

[Margate69]

My problem isn't flooding or leaking. It isn't feeding fast enough. I'm afraid you misunderstood my post.

Adding a punch, or dripping to refill the carto are things I have tried to fix the problem. They caused the flooding.

 

[gingersnaps]

Have you tried priming by taking some dry pulls on it? Drip priming will leave dry spots even though you think its full.

I will drip then roll it between my hands. Redrip and repeat till it comes out the holes then once in the tank do some dry pulls and even more juice gets in. When I do this it primes well enough i can chain vape. I use high vg juice and never add extra holes.

 

[Baditude]

Are you getting this with just one carto or more than one?

If it's just one carto, it could be just a wonky carto. Dry hits or dry cottony taste can be from inadequate wicking which you've already suspected. A two-hole laser-drilled carto should be able to wick a 60/40 pg/vg juice. Instead of adding a third hole, maybe try adding a small amount of water into the tank. It might thin it down enough to wick better before resorting to adding another hole, and you won't notice any flavor drop off.

Are these dual coil or single coil? If a dual coil, the top coil sometimes doesn't get enough juice around it and can create a funny taste; especially if you are a heavy repetitive vapor. Try doing some primer puffs - pulls without power to wick more juice into the carto.

Strawberries & Cream sounds like a sweet flavor. Some of these juices can carmalize on the heating coil(s) and create strange tastes. Don't attempt to "dry burn" a carto.

What resistance coil(s) are you vaping at 5v? LR or even SR coils may cause dry hits or a dry cottony taste at that voltage.

 

[Margate69]

Are you getting this with just one carto or more than one?

If it's just one carto, it could be just a wonky carto. Dry hits or dry cottony taste can be from inadequate wicking which you've already suspected. A two-hole laser-drilled carto should be able to wick a 60/40 pg/vg juice. Instead of adding a third hole, maybe try adding a small amount of water into the tank. It might thin it down enough to wick better before resorting to adding another hole, and you won't notice any flavor drop off.

Are these dual coil or single coil? If a dual coil, the top coil sometimes doesn't get enough juice around it and can create a funny taste; especially if you are a heavy repetitive vapor. Try doing some primer puffs - pulls without power to wick more juice into the carto.

Strawberries & Cream sounds like a sweet flavor. Some of these juices can carmalize on the heating coil(s) and create strange tastes. Don't attempt to "dry burn" a carto.

What resistance coil(s) are you vaping at 5v? LR or even SR coils may cause dry hits or a dry cottony taste at that voltage.

Quick answers as I am on my way out.

Dual coils carto 2.0 ohm

I'm going to try adding a little water to a tank, I've tried 2 coils already , three if you include the one lost on my SID

I realized the problem with single coil on my woo a long time ago, you helped me there too I believe lol.

If I still have the problem with water added I may have to assume I have a problem where it is carmelizing the coil. In this case I'll save the juice till I get a new VV/VW.

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll check this post in the morning and let anyone know if anything helped.

 

[Rocketpunk]

You said you are using the drip/flick method? I encounter people on a daily basis who just can't figure out cartos, and I can understand why. They're not immediate like clearos, but the performance they deliver is 100% better. A lot of people just don't have the patience to learn how to prime a carto. It requires very minimal research (unlike rebuildables), and only practice. Practice makes perfect. I won't lie, I messed up the first six or seven cartos I tried before someone finally told me how to properly prime them. I used to count the drops, but that didn't work, as different juices have different viscosity levels, even if they are all "60/40" or "50/50", etc. Basically you hold the carto at an angle, drip drops of juice into the polyfill, rotate the carto with each drop (like a gatling gun), avoid the center air hole, and give each drop a second to soak. When it starts to pool up, flick it REALLY, REALLY hard like the thermometer. I mean, HARD. Keep doing this until it finally comes out of the little hole at the bottom of the carto (not the bottom conntection end, the actual hole drilled into the side). Once this happens, it's sufficiently primed and can be inserted into the tank.

So many people who can benefit from carto tanks are missing out on them because they give up before they master priming a carto. It's not that hard. It only takes patience and practice, and is totally worth it in the end. If all I had to deal with were clearos only (any kind, I don't care which model), I would've gone back to smoking in a heartbeat, just to spite e-cigs.

 

[Baditude]

Quick answers as I am on my way out.

Dual coils carto 2.0 ohm

I'm going to try adding a little water to a tank, I've tried 2 coils already , three if you include the one lost on my SID

I realized the problem with single coil on my woo a long time ago, you helped me there too I believe lol.

If I still have the problem with water added I may have to assume I have a problem where it is carmelizing the coil. In this case I'll save the juice till I get a new VV/VW.

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll check this post in the morning and let anyone know if anything helped.

Did you try reducing the voltage down to around 4v? I don't know how it transfers over with dual coils as I haven't used those in many months, but with a 2.0 ohm single coil @ 5v that would be too high for my preference, especially for delicate flavors like Strawberry and Cream. I use 2.5 - 3.0 ohm single coils with variable voltage and never take a fruit or cream flavor above 4 volts. More like 3.5 - 3.8 volts for the flavor sweet spot.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Something just occured to me. Does everyone know how to flick a thermometer? You don't actually flick it with your fingernail, you hold the top end of the carto in your hand and just shake it REALLY REALLY REALLY freaking hard, like you're shaking a polaroid really fast (no pun intended as per the song). You don't actually flick the carto. Just saying.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Listen to Bad. 4.0 volts/8 watts for people using anything near or around 2 ohms is usually the sweet spot.

 

[gingersnaps]

The high volts can definitely cause issues too if you have it set all the way up. First make sure its well primed. On volts/watts its good to start low and work you way up. Especially on a new carto/clearo ect. I normally like 8w but even a new carto I start back low and work up slowly through the tank till it breaks in.

 

[Rocketpunk]

One thing I've learned is that mentors rock.If you can find someone to show you step by step how to set a carto up, it is priceless.

 

[Bill's Magic Vapor]

This video taught me virtually everything I needed to know to use carto tanks:



I watched this video about 8 months ago and haven't used anything other than carto tanks since for my ADV's. I use RBA's and drippers about 10% of the time. Like Phil, I also use Slap Yo Mama tank tools (Stainless Steel Slap Yo' Mama Multi-Purpose Adapter [SYMSS] - $12.99 : Big Daddy Vapor)



and V2 Carto Punches (V2 Cartomizer Punch - Phiniac Rugged Pyrex Glass Tanks). The V2 prevents the tube from deforming, which is why many carto users buy pre-punched cartos at almost twice the price.



Good luck with your cartos and carto tanks.

 

[Caridwen]

Moving to cartomizer discussion.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

Too many punches or a pinched/nicked o-ring.

BTW, I've never experienced 'flooding' and 'dry hit' with any combo at da same time.

I did just today