Okay, a slightly nutty question

[deliza]

I've been vaping for a little more than a month now, and love it, BUT in the last couple days it has suddenly started to seem different to me. Its hard to explain how exactly, but its like I'm having to draw really hard and still not getting a good hit. I've tried new batteries, new carts, new attys, nothing helps. Ever once in awhile, I'll get a couple hits that seem like old times, but then they go away. I did change to a lower nic level in my liquid though, could that be making this much difference? I'm getting frustrated, please help

 

[Kate51]

Hi deliza,
What are you using, first of all, that will call out some lurking (and helpful) people!
See if that helps!
Usually drawing harder doesn't get better vapor. It can just get you a lot of juice splatting onto your lips or mouth. So if a long, easy draw doesn't heat the atty, something is different. If the cart filler is too far up into the cart, it won't atomize properly, so try to put it well-wetted into the atty (no twisting in or out) with the wicking sticking out past the cart just a bit. If you twist the cart in, the bridge down in there acts like a lever that pushes the wick up and away from itself. The filler has to touch that bridge in order to "wick" more liquid toward the heat.
Do you have the right carts for your atty, do you think?
Now: are you quite sure the battery and atty meet snugly. I don't know what model you're using so this may not be right, but sometimes if the battery isn't making a good connection it will cut down on the heat, so to speak. And does the battery side have a male or female connector? Sound weird, but I have a set that is opposite most others. Anyway, in the center of the connection (battery end) is a little disk. It sort of "floats", and sometimes it can get pushed farther inside the battery opening too far to make a good connection. Use a pin or a small paper clip, if you can make a tiny hook or "L" shape, lower it into the hole, and then very carefully turn it slightly and lift up ever so gently till you can see it move. Be very careful not to pull too hard, it can pop out with wire attached, don't want it to do that. Look to see that is raises up all the way around, not just one-sided up. Then try to make the connection with battery and atty again, see if the atty heats better. That's about all I can think of......good luck. This is aggravating!
PS One more thing to do is clean the connectors, battery and atty. Some people use a little alcohol dampened swab to clean any debri or oil. This can also cause a bad connection. Probably would be smart to do this before trying to pull that center disk up on the battery so you don't just end up pushing it back down again.

 

[deliza]

Ah, that probably would be helpful, wouldn't it

I'm using an M401, and my juice alternates between eliquidplanet and midwestvapor..... started out using 36, went down to using 16 and 18mg.

 

[Kate51]

With so much "modding" going on it's safer to ask! Just for kicks try the easiest thing first, the wick, if it's in good condition, no bumps or hard lumps or too far into the cart holder. Those can be taken out after a few uses and washed, kinda straightened out and reused a lot. If it's flimsy may be time for new. More likely it can get cruddy on the business end and get compacted to the juice doesn't flow out properly and it can make it draw hard. If this isn't the problem go on to the other things. But always pull the cart straight out and push straight in, no twisting. Some are a tight fit, I don't know about yours.
Are you totally away from cigarettes, did you smoke a lot? (2 packs a day is a lot, I used up at least 3 a day when I quit!) 36mg/ml juice is pretty stout! That makes me sick, I tried it one time. I use 24mg/ml, that's perfect for me.

 

[deliza]

Kate51, thanks for all the helpful suggestions!!! I'm starting to think I'm maybe just crazy It doesn't seem to be connections, battery, or the atty (I have a pretty extensive supply, and changing out doesn't effect anything). I do reuse my carts several times, and do get decreased performance when they start getting mucked up, but I've tried brand new ones, same deal. I have also noticed some carts seem to have shorter wicking than others, and the shorter ones seem to slip down and lose connection, so I have to pull them up all the time. They are the carts midwest sells for the 401, so I assume they are the right ones. I didn't know not to twist though, so I'll try to remember that.

In part I think I'm not describing it well enough. I am still getting a good amount of vapor, it just doesn't FEEL right; there is just no kick to it. Maybe it is the difference in nic levels. I was a 2 to 3 pack a day smoker (off the analogs for the most part, aside from a stray one here or there, which now tastes aweful and smells worse), and I vaped the 36 all day every day for the first month without it bothering me a bit. I mainly switched because it seemed the 36 was going to be no longer available, but now if I try to use the little bit of 36 I have left, it makes me sick..... go figure.

 

[Renee]

I know when I go down in nic level it doesn't seem to be as satisfying. Try going back up in nic strength and see if it helps. When I'm really feeling like I need more I use 18 to 24mg and when I'm just using my PV as a pacifier I use the lower strength nicotine.

 

[Kate51]

Try mixing a little of your 36 with the 18, if you have a small bottle you can try mixing about 2/3 of the container with 1/3 of the 36, that will bring up the nic to about 24mg/ml
I really don't know if the nic gives it the kick, or if it's the flavor???? I don't get that yet!
But if the 36 is too much now, that's a good thing!! You don't want to use a strength more that you really are satisfied with, over-doing it is just not necessary. I think sometimes with an "automatic" battery, by doing a really long draw seems to heat the vapor a little more? I think that's maybe what you have there; if it is a manual then about a 5 second draw is about right (for me). Maybe that will satisfy better. I wouldn't think there would be anything wrong with your juice if it's just a month old. And, don't forget, as our system gets rid of all the toxins from smoking, it could be that your taste buds are different, your smelling is different, etc. I agree with you too Renee, you need a density of nicotine that keeps you from using it for a pacifier!!!! I see a lot of people say that! Sometimes gets embarrassing, all day you don't get anything done. Anyway, good luck, maybe try a different flavor, etc....keep vaping though, isn't it amazing how bad cigarettes taste now!! They always did taste awful, I think, but killed our taste buds and our noses...

 

[kinabaloo]

If a couple of months on same atomizer, time for a new one.

edit : yes, you said you tried a new atty. Oops ...

 

[LifeLongJoyRide]

If they are the same flavors, you could mix your 36 and lower nic level liquid together to maybe find a happy medium. That way you are cutting down to the lower level gradually and maybe it won't seem like such a drastic difference when you go purely with the lesser nic juice.

 

[mamu]

When I had a 401 my fave was just dipping the atty in liquid and vaping that.

No carts - just dipping the atty just an unch into liquid. Put the mouthpiece on and vape.

I think someone with a 401 said she stored small amounts of liquid in a contact lens case and would just dip the top of the atty into that and vape away.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kate51]

When I had a 401 my fave was just dipping the atty in liquid and vaping that.

No carts - just dipping the atty just an unch into liquid. Put the mouthpiece on and vape.

I think someone with a 401 said she stored small amounts of liquid in a contact lens case and would just dip the top of the atty into that and vape away.

Hope this helps.

I guess I don't get that, a lot of people do it, but doesn't that get rather messy and waste quite a bit juice? I guess I used an 801 because of the cart size (huge) and always had automatic batteries, flooding the atty was a no no. To each his own, I guess.

 

[Jim Davis]

Ah, that probably would be helpful, wouldn't it

I'm using an M401, and my juice alternates between eliquidplanet and midwestvapor..... started out using 36, went down to using 16 and 18mg.

In my experience, the M401 has been a hard hitter. I would look at the juice. 36mg straight is pretty high. Dropping it in half is probably why you miss the hits. I'm using 36mg, cut in half to 18mg, and I get great hits. You've probably gotten used to the 36mg. I suggest you stay with the 18mg for a while, and you might notice the hit coming back after your body adjusts to it.

 

[deliza]

Thanks, everyone, for all the help and suggestions!! I think I am getting it under control now. Once I slowed down and really started paying attention, I noticed I was dragging a little, well, frantically I guess. Slowing it down helped a lot. I also started adding just a little 36 to my 18 today (they aren't the same flavor, but, honestly, a little watermelon in with my mint is pretty darn tasty ), so I wasn't making such a drastic change, which has helped as well. Also, not twisting the carts off and on is helping to keep the wicking where it sould be. SOooooo, I think I am good to go now. Thanks again!

 

[AngeLsLuv]

Thanks, everyone, for all the help and suggestions!! I think I am getting it under control now. Once I slowed down and really started paying attention, I noticed I was dragging a little, well, frantically I guess. Slowing it down helped a lot. I also started adding just a little 36 to my 18 today (they aren't the same flavor, but, honestly, a little watermelon in with my mint is pretty darn tasty ), so I wasn't making such a drastic change, which has helped as well. Also, not twisting the carts off and on is helping to keep the wicking where it sould be. SOooooo, I think I am good to go now. Thanks again!

OOohhh... Last week I took my mint and added watermelon flavoring, and also put mint liquid and root beer flavoring in bottles, both with some glycerine (using 36 liquid).. Boy are they great!!! My next one will be the anise flavoring to probably no flavor liquid when I buy it, or maybe Cream De Mint.. This experimenting is fun!!! I need to remember to get some menthol crystals too