New to Ecigs and experiencing a problem

[~Mike~]

I did a search but couldn't find an answer to my exact problem. I had been debating e cigs as an option over real smoking for quite some time and finally decided to pull the trigger. I bought a "standard zig cig" kit since, for me, it seemed to be a good value and not too much invested. I'm not sure what model they are besides they're a 510. I'm noticing from reading around and doing other research that there are many different companies that make a 510. Anyway, in the "standard" kit, you get 3 batteries, 3 atomizers, 15 carts (5 prefilled, 10 eliquid ready), a personal charging case and a sample pack of eliquid in various flavors. I'm only having an issue on 1 of the 3 that I have and I'm unsure if its the atomizer is just effed up or if it needs a cleaning. I used this particular one w/ a cherry flavor at first and decided I wasn't really a fan of that particular one. So, I switched to a completely different cart w/ regular tobacco flavored eliquid and took a paper towel and sort of stuffed it in the atomizer to soak up as much of the cherry as possible before refilling. I did double check to make sure there were no fibers or anything stuck in there after this and it was clean. Well, now it tastes like potpouri and it's awful. Because of this fact I'm apprehensive to try and switch flavors on my other 2 for fear the same problem will happen. I've taken that atomizer out and did the hot water cleaning technique I've seen and still have the same awful taste. Its so bad it actually sends chills down my spine lol Does anyone have the key to fixing this problem or am I going to have to just buy another atomizer? Also, the one I'm having an issue with was only used for a couple of hours and all of my ecigs are less than a week old.

Edit for Juice names and flavors:

1.Marlb
2.American Blend
3.Turkish Blend
4.Southern Blend
5.Strawberry bubblegum
6.Michigan Cherry
7.Pina Colada
8.Hazlenut Coffee

 

[CaptJay]

Dont put stuff down your atomizer if you can help it - blowing them out is usually sufficient - but I guess you know that now lol
The ones you didnt stuff with paper: just blow out for flavor changes even if you are using juice-in-carts (ie, not dripping). You can wash the cart filler btw if you want to switch flavors - just fluff it up after it dries and stuff it back inside the cart - you might need to trim it they usually pack a lot in.
To blow out an atty: (do this with cart and battery REMOVED also do this to brand new atties to remove factory primer)
Hold atty in paper towel, open end/cart end upwards. Dont grip it jsut hold it.
Cover opening iwth mouth and blow hard.
ANy old juice (or primer) will come out of the threaded end into the paper towel. Do this until no more juice comes out.
Wipe off threads with paper towel.
Drip a few drops of liquid onto the atty bridge (inside hte atty is a sticky up mushroom shaped thing with mesh on it) and primer puff (puff like a pipe, dont inhale).
Do this a couple of times, adding more juice for each primer puff.
If it gurgles then you added too MUCH juice - go through the blowing out process above. Flooding wont hurt your atty (or battery unless it an auto).
Refill cart filler and reattach - you should be good to go.

The atty with paper towel in it:
Not sure the best way to deal with this - you could try washing it then dry burning it after it dries but it might jsut be done for. If it was me I think Id just get rid of it for peace of mind and buy a new atty.

 

[~Mike~]

here's the order I went about cleaning it...

First- tried the paper towel thing..obviously not good, but I didn't use any force or twisting motions so I know I didn't damage anything. Mostly just stuck the corner in on top of the bridge to soak up what might still be in there.

Second- tried blowing it out until no fluid was visible on a towel and left it sit a while upright for any to drain out that I may have missed.

Third- tried the running it under hot water and hitting it with a blow dryer thing. Again, left it sit on end to let any remaining water drain out if I missed some.

In all cases I switched to a cleaned and refilled cart w/ regular tobacco flavor thinking that maybe whatever caused this seeped into the previous cart and to eliminate that as a possibility. I mean, this atty has maybe been used for 30 puffs....I'm going to be quite irritated if it's shot already...but why the eff would it taste like potpouri?

Need a good suggestion as to where to get juice from too...the stuff I have is ungodly harsh, but it's better than all the flavors I have left in the starter pack

 

[CaptJay]

It might taste like potpourri cos your burning bits of paper towel. It might also be awful juice lol Or a combo of the two.
Harsh taste often means too high nic level (even great juice can be ruined if the nic level is too high for your comfort zone) - what nic strength are the juices you bought already?
DId you buy all PG or PG/VG mix or all VG? That can affect taste as well.

 

[~Mike~]

Thank goodness when you mouse over those abbreviations it tells me what they mean lol I haven't quite caught on to all of them yet.

The one I'm currently using is a 26mg nic level and the ones in the starter pack were 12mg. As to what they're made with...I have NO idea at all. All I can tell you for sure is the tobacco flavored ones (12mg) are somewhat thin and runny and the flavored ones are thicker. As for the higher nic level I'm currently using...thick as well. I need to get some new stuff that I actually know what it's made with and probably tastes better.

 

[~Mike~]

Since it was brought up...do you have a suggestion as to where to get decent juice from? And I'm noticing that all the tobacco flavored ones claim to taste like tobacco and don't even come remotely close....at least not the 5 different flavors I have lol

 

[CaptJay]

Well if its thin its probably all PG, thicker ones could be a mix though if you got your kit at cignot the starter carts are all PG - I get most of my juice at TV (Tasty Vapor) and DIYFlavorshack (DIY Flavor Shack by E-Cig Smoke Store) at 80% PG to 20%VG mixes but there are LOTS of good juice suppliers around; everyone has their faves

 

[zbasspro]

I suggest Don @ Backwoods Brew, he has his own custom line, and I haven't had one yet that I didn't care for. That includes the ones I would normally find appealing to women cause I order for my wife from him as well. He's always ore than willing to take the time to "walk" you through things as well. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...90149-backwoods-brew-now-selling-offline.html

Heck use the search function and see the reviews he gets! Wow!

 

[~Mike~]

Ok, thanks for the help. I've come to the conclusion that with the little knowledge I have on these things...I managed to mess up 2 of my 3 atomizers. Probably during 1 of the many cleaning processes I went thru trying to get rid of that nasty potpouri taste. Now, 1 still has it and the other tastes like its burning. I'm noticing now I probably need walked thru how to use one of these properly. I.E. flavor changing which is where I'm pretty sure I got screwed up to begin with. I probably only have 1 good atomizer left cuz it's the only one I haven't messed with besides topping off lol

 

[Upinthehills]

Is the taste you are getting kind of perfumey or floral? I've gotten that taste with a lot of juices, I think it's mostly dekang juices. Find a good US supplier that makes their own juice. I don't think anything is wrong with your atomizers, don't throw them away.

Some US juice vendors that sell sample sizes for you to try are:

FreedomSmokeUSA FreedomSmokeUSA

Johnson Creek has two sampler sets. The Red Oak line is all VG.
Samplers - Red Oak Sample Pack
Original Smoke Juice - Original Sample Pack

Ms T’s Bakery Essentials also has 5 ml bottles you can buy individually. Ms Ts Bakery Essentials Inc.

VaporBomb has 5 ml bottles you can buy individually. VaporBomb.com

 

[SimpleSins]

I got started with e-cigs about a week ago. I had enquired on a work-related site whether anyone had tried them and someone who had used them to successfully kick tobacco about six months ago provided some guidance and sent me here. Another woman and I started our shopping about the same time and we've exchanged a couple of emails. She has mocked me because I've ordered about 30 cartomizers and asked me whether I planned on putting every flavor in its own cartos. I told her that, yes, until I have decided whether I like a flavor or not, it will indeed go into a cartomizer, at which point it will graduate to carts in either my tobacco, fruit, pastry, chocolate, or coffee atomizer just so that I can avoid the situation you're experiencing right now.

 

[Upinthehills]

SimpleSins, your shopping "friend" should really come see my stash. LOL

Welcome to ECF! You'll find that many, many folks here have huge collections of vaping stuff. You're among friends with your 30 cartos.

 

[~Mike~]

I have a whole whopping 15 carts and thats about it lol Then again, I've only been at this a week. I haven't even given up analogs yet because of the issues I'm having and skepticism I had in the beginning. I think if I could get whatever my issues are worked out, going analog free wouldn't be an issue at all...

Upinthehills- yes...its a very floral perfumey taste. I've tried everything I can think of to get it out of there but it seems to be stuck forever. Even after the cleaning I used the High Nic liquid I mentioned previously that doesn't taste that well and still got the same after taste. Is there a better cleaning method I should try maybe? I tried Listerine and about 5 mins of running hot water thru them, used a hair dryer, blew them out with my mouth and a paper towel, and then tried a dry burn....got the floral perfumey smell out of the atomizer finally but the taste is still there.

 

[Upinthehills]

Mike, I think it's in the juice you're using. You clean it, but then you vape the juice with that same taste, so it's back in there again. Once you have some better juices that taste may linger on the atty for a bit, but it will go away pretty quickly.

I know it's frustrating, but don't give up. You'll get it.

 

[~Mike~]

Mike, I think it's in the juice you're using. You clean it, but then you vape the juice with that same taste, so it's back in there again. Once you have some better juices that taste may linger on the atty for a bit, but it will go away pretty quickly.

I know it's frustrating, but don't give up. You'll get it.

I wish it was the juice that was the problem...but the problematic juices are the ones that were in the starter pack that came with my kit. The juice I put in there was a totally different one from a different company and everything. We'll label them Juice A and Juice B now for clarity...

Juice A came with my new 510 kit (ZigCigs Standad Kit) and I believe to be the ones that started this problem. I put this juice in the unit, was good until a top off was needed. Flavor was Michigan Cherry. Topped off, changed mind and did the blowing it out and paper towel thing I previously mentioned(now know that was a horrid idea).

Juice B is the juice I had previously from a kit that I found out about 2 days after owning it was a really bad buy decision(SmokingEverywhere). got duped by a guy in the mall because I hadn't done my research ahead of time. It's a 26mg nic level, tastes not so great and is really harsh on the throat. This is the juice I placed in a clean, never filled cart and attatched to the atty after I had cleaned it.

Even after a good cleaning to where the perfumey smell was completely gone out of the atomizer finally, tried Juice B and still got the same bleh taste. I've been running solely Juice B in 1 of my 3 510's and don't have this issue in that one...just the other 2 I've tried different flavors in. The 2 flavors were Strawberry Bubblegum in one, and Michigan Cherry in the other. The bubble gum wasn't bad, but quickly lost its novelty and didn't taste that well...the cherry was the same which is why I tried to change both of them to a regular "tobacco" juice. Going thru the "blow out" process as many have mentioned for a simple flavor change...but now I have this problem lol

Sorry for the long post, but I think I explained it better this time around than the first...


EDIT: Also, I'm going to update the OP with what the flavor choices were in the Juice A starter pack as well as here. Just in case someone new decides to read thru this...
1.Marlb
2.American Blend
3.Turkish Blend
4.Southern Blend
5.Strawberry bubblegum
6.Michigan Cherry
7.Pina Colada
8.Hazlenut Coffee

 

[Upinthehills]

Ahhh, I see. I think you're going to have to just vape through it. It will eventually go away, especially since you're using a fairly strong flavor.

I drip when I vape. (Man, that sounds bad.) Part of why I drip is because I like to change flavors often. When I have one that isn't good, I just vape through it. I'll often do a lot of puffs without inhaling, just blow out the vapor. The bad stuff does usually go away. I've only had a couple of things that took forever to get rid of, mainly strong cinnamon and a mint.

 

[~Mike~]

I'm to the point now where I'm making 1 of my 3 last me all day because the other 2 make me wanna throw up when I taste that. I've also just been swapping batteries on this atomizer to keep it going. I need to get paid...I need to juice lol I'm broke til next friday tho :-(