newbie mistake with a carto

[spookyelectric]

So I was impatient about waiting for the delivery of my organic Bed of Roses e-liquid from Virgin Vapor. I did something experimental, which was rather stupid in hindsight. I dripped some rose water on a carto filter in an attempt to get some of that rose flavor in my vape. The wet filter was harder to vape at first, then worked normally the rest of the day. The rose water did NOT impart any flavor to the vape. And at the end of the day, the carto completely died. No battery issue, just a fried carto. I'll think twice about adding random things, especially water-based, to my cartomizers. Thank goodness it was just a five-dollar carto, not a more expensive set-up. I suppose it also could have been dangerous if the liquid shorted out the battery. I feel pretty embarrassed now...

 

[WCSR]

Lessons learned. Without them, we'd all be making the same mistakes over and over again.

 

[sailorman]

Don't be embarrased. The water didn't kill the carto. The batting around the coil dried out somehow, perhaps as a result of something in the rose water. If you had kept on topping it off and replacing the lost water with juice, it should have stayed wet. I routinely "vape through" the water I use to rinse out CE2 type clearomizers. As the water steams off, the juice replaces it. In your case, it sounds like it was a normal burn out. Possibly something in the rose water coated the coil, or the area around it, and prevented the juice from absorbing into the batting around the coil.

Juice can short a battery just as well as water. In fact, distilled water is a terrible conductor. The stuff dissolved in water is what conducts electricity.

 

[spookyelectric]

thanks for the info, sailorman. It is a touch disappointing that the carto only lasted for about two days then. I was hoping I would be able to refill these cartos multiple times and that they would last SOME time longer... Looks like that until I switch to hardier equipment I will still be more dependent on the mall kiosk. :/

 

[Dana A]

If you are a heavier vaper try topping off every few hours to insure that it is always plenty wet. Good luck

 

[sailorman]

You were topping it off weren't you? You can't just vape on a cartomizer until it's empty. You have to add juice at the slightest hint of a burned taste or as soon as you notice the vapor thinning out. Strictly speaking, you never refill a cartomizer, you just top it off. The more frequently, the better and the longer it will last.

 

[spookyelectric]

You were topping it off weren't you? You can't just vape on a cartomizer until it's empty. You have to add juice at the slightest hint of a burned taste or as soon as you notice the vapor thinning out. Strictly speaking, you never refill a cartomizer, you just top it off. The more frequently, the better and the longer it will last.

Yes, I vaped it until it was dry. So, you're saying that I probably burned out the carto due to it being empty? That's good to know. It means that I'll have to carry around some liquid which is a little extra hassle but it's worth if f I don't burn so many cartos out. Thanks for the info!

 

[WCSR]

Yes, I vaped it until it was dry. So, you're saying that I probably burned out the carto due to it being empty? That's good to know. It means that I'll have to carry around some liquid which is a little extra hassle but it's worth if f I don't burn so many cartos out. Thanks for the info!

Either that, or get larger "XL" style cartos...or a large volume clearomizer. I actually fill several cartos up, cap them, and put them in a case to take with me when I'm going out. I have a few clearomizers, but they can be a little cantankerous for me.

 

[Pappy]

Spooky, I would recommend getting some clearomizers. They allow you to see how much liquid is left, and they don't leak like my cartomizers do (because, regardless of how careful I am filling them, I always seem to get some juice in the airhole in the cartos). Plus, you can rinse them out and re-use them much easier than boiling cartos to try to rid them of the old juice.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about: Vision eGo CE4+ Clearomizer DV Edition (LR)

 

[Flyer]

Or a tank with replaceable cartos? A 5ml tank can last a good long while and you can see when they are getting low. Flavor/draw changes, just replace the cheap carto. My way of reasoning anyway.

 

[spookyelectric]

Thanks for all the advice, guys! I am a bit leary of clearomizers just because I've read some of people's issues. They sound theoretically good though. I might give em a chance, but all of them aren't much larger than a cartomizer are they? I sure like my current cig case and wouldn't want to have to quit using it.

My current system is to have an extra filled carto in my case when I go out. I don't vape enough to need more than that, really. I may start carrying a bottle of liquid too, but I have some nagging fears about losing it or having it leak in my pocket

 

[sailorman]

Most clearomizers are about the same size as regular cartomizers. There are larger ones, like the ego Vision, aka Stardust, aka CE4. The Stardust holds about 1.8ml. That's about twice the juice of a regular sized cartomizer. There are yet bigger ones, but when they get past 2ml, they're called "tanks". They work the same way, but they're just big.

Most of them are very slightly bigger in diameter than a regular cartomizer and, like cartomizers, they come in regular and XL lengths.

Many of them are finicky and need some tweaks to really work well. That put me off of them for a long time. Then, I discovered one that worked great straight out of the box and never leaks at all. It's the Fluxomizer from Gotvapes.com
I use the XL size and it holds about 1.5ml. Since there is no filler material taking up space, they hold a little more than an equvalent sized cartomizer. More importantly, they use ALL the juice. There is no left over juice like a cartomizer has when it starts to burn. You don't have to top them off. You just refill them when they're empty. And, even more more importantly, there's no filler interfering with the taste and you can refill them with a different flavor, easily clean them and they last a lot longer than a regular cartomizer. There are so many advantages to them that people were willing to tweak them to make them wick right, which was always the weak spot for the CE2 clearomizers. Now they have CE3 clearomizers with the coil at the bottom, so wicking isn't a problem.

Here is a CE2 Fluxomizer XL

Here is a bottom coil CE3 type Clearomizer

Here is a big 5ml "tank" type clearomizer

 

[spookyelectric]

Is there a way to tell if they are compatible with an RN4081 battery? I guess a good vendor's website would list that info. Also, can such a slim, low power battery handle vaping a clearomizer? I suppose I could just upgrade to a 510 style battery or something else that's hardier, but currently I do enjoy a smaller PV profile.

 

[gabhla]

I've had great experiences with the clearomizers. Sure, you'll get a bad one but not too often. They enhance the vaping. Also, as previously stated you may want to look into an XL battery and a tank. My ego-t and tank last me most of the day.