PG, water vapor, VG, what makes the smoke?

[Mae]

I have a question I failed to find addressed on these forums and other sites.

Is the E-juice(PG and VG) needed if you don't want the nicotine?
After reading up one what PG and VG is, it sounds like it is an agent used for bio-chemical absorption, allowing the nicotine to be absorbed into the system by vapor.

So, if this is right (correct me if im wrong, my info on PG was moslty from Wiki) then could a cartridge filled with water, instead of this PG or VG mixture -if- nicotine absorption is not the goal, produce the "smoke" ?

Sincerely,
e-cig noob.

 

[WillyB]

PG is what makes the vapor (or fog if you've every been to club that uses fog machines). Glycerin also does but it's a bit thick to use without diluting.

 

[sheep]

My understanding is that the "smoke" is the PG or VG vapor pulling the moisture out of the air. This is why you get a dry throat and mouth vaping.

 

[Katattack]

PG and VG vaporize at a lower heat than water does and they are more visible (as mentioned above grab/stick to ambient moisture). It's the same logic behind why theatrics use fog machines instead of pots of boiling water.

 

[Mae]

Thank you all for the quick answers!
Unfortunately, understanding something new always creates more questions for me.
Has anyone tried it with just water, perhaps when you cleaned one? If so, do you get the same feel of smoking just not the smoke?

If PG grabs moisture from the air, and you inhale it, will it be grabbing the moisture from my lungs as well?

 

[Katattack]

Thank you all for the quick answers!
Unfortunately, understanding something new always creates more questions for me.
Has anyone tried it with just water, perhaps when you cleaned one? If so, do you get the same feel of smoking just not the smoke?

If PG grabs moisture from the air, and you inhale it, will it be grabbing the moisture from my lungs as well?

I would be hesitant to vape just water since it would cool rapidly and I would fear getting too much moisture in my lungs. I'm not a Dr so I can't say for sure but that's where my thought process takes me.
My understanding is...yes PG does dry tissues (though I think it's a cumulative effect) a bit that's why you'll see over and over on these boards "keep hydrated! drink lots of water!"

 

[Mae]

Thank you again Katattack, no matter the outcome of these questions I knew e-cigs would be much healthier for me than regular ones. I just like to understand the way things work when it comes to ingestion.

I appreciate your patience and will do some research on organic and herbal remedies to counter the dryness as I sometimes drink too much water as it is.

I live in a small town so Im glad to have found this forum, I had many questions and majority were answered by just reading what everyone has already provided.

I will be ordering a 901 (I -think- thats the right one for me), and look forward to more discussions and the support you all provide here.

 

[Kilroy]

Enjoy the 901s, they are great.

 

[NCC]

I started a thread to ask essentially the same thing some time back, and it has been asked several times by others since then. I can see how this will continue to be a frequently asked question. And, it can be difficult to find what you're looking for on VBulletin forums.

Here are a couple links to earlier threads on this subject. It's been discussed pretty thoroughly.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-cigarettes-public/76623-what-do-you-tell-people-vapor.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/68669-what-visible-product-composed.html

Check out those threads Mae, and I hope they help.