Problems with 2 hole-punched cartos and leaking?

[Rocketpunk]

Hey, guys. Been loving my carto tanks, but here recently I've tried the two hole laser-punched cartomizers, and I've had major problems with them sucking up waaaay too much juice, flooding, and leaking. My juice mixture is 80/20 pg/vg, so it's not very viscous. I use about twenty drops to prime the carto, then I fill the tank. I sat it down for just a couple of minutes, and when I picked up my pv, the juice was almost completely gone, sucked up into the carto! I unscrewed it and blew through the air hole with the connection end in a rag, and a TON of juice came out.

I've never had any of these problems with single hole-punched cartomizers. Anybody else experiencing this? I hope the manufacturers don't start making all their replacement cartos two-hole. I like the option of 1 hole.

For the sake of redundancy, I use the factory-made laser-hole "punched" cartomizers, not the DIY punched cartos.

P.S. Lasers, cartomizers, atomizers, volts, wattage, I am in sci-fi vaping HEAVEN. Now I know why my girlfriend hasn't taken to me vaping... It's so right up my alley it takes my attention ever slightly away from her! ;-)

 

[tnt56]

I've had a few carto's flood when I filled em to much but not nothing like your talking about.

 

[Baditude]

Did this happen with just one carto, or more. Could have just been a defective carto if it was just one.

When I use Smokteks, I use a single hole (laser-drilled) for any juice that has less than 50%vg. I use two holes for anything that has more than 50%vg. Has worked for me.

 

[Rocketpunk]

So far I've exclusively used Smoktek (is it SmokTech, SmokTek?). No Boges, no Ikenvapes.

So far it's happened with three of the 2-hole punched cartos.

The first two were most definitely SmokTek, the third (the one today) is from AltSmoke.

It has the AltSmoke logo, and beneath that it says "SC 2.0" (I'm assuming single coil, 2.0 ohm). This is the first time I've ever had replacement (i.e., flanged) cartos with logo imprints.

I buy most of my hardware from my B&M store, and they usually stock only SmokTek products. When I came in yesterday looking for a five-pack of single coil replacement cartos, they only had two in stock (two individual cartos, not two 5-packs). The owner went into the back and found a box of 150 single coil replacement cartos. I bought five of those, had no idea they were AltSmoke and not SmokTek (the ones I've been getting were single-hole SmokTeks).

I bought these inadvertently thinking they were single hole. It wasn't until I got home and opened up the box when I realized they were two hole. I had previously bought two-hole cartos from Mt Baker Vapor (SmokTek) a while back and tried them. Those were the initial two that flooded. And now this one, from AltSmokes.

Wow, I just reread this, hope it makes sense...

EDIT: They don't exclusively sell only SmokTek, they are a licensed genuine Joyetech distributor, too.

 

[Amish Ed]

Definitely seems like too many holes for 80/20. Try a thicker juice and see what happens.

 

[The Ocelot]

Hi! I usually get the ones with one hole (SmokeTech 2.0 ohm XL), but the last time they only has the two holes in stock. I don't like them either - I mostly use a 70pg/30vg ratio. I haven't had them flood, but the draw is way too light/fast/whatever you call it. I have also run into a problem with cartos punched by people (rather than laser punched), because the holes were too large and the metal surrounding them was convex.

 

[zapped]

Plug one of the holes with a toothpick...shrugs

 

[Baditude]

Plug one of the holes with a toothpick...shrugs

Another option is to cut off the end of one of the carto condoms so that you have a sort of carto sleeve, and add a single small hole for one of the laser-drilled holes in the carto. The other hole is now effectively plugged by the new sleeve.

 

[fourthrok]

I don't know if the sleeve thing would work..I mean, how would you get the carto in there? And what about topping off? That could be a problem. I don't know what the deal is about the flooding with the two hole. I'm a very heavy vaper that draws hard and fast...so one hole isn't enough to keep up with me and keep the coil/batting wet so I punch two holes. One on each side...and one a bit higher up than the other. My juice is low VG 85PG/15VG and thin, but I really do vape hard! lol! Anyway...I've got to think somehow it had to do with the material in the carto sucking up the juice too much too fast...or maybe the tube inside was faulty from the factory..a crack or leak or something. I was thinking about getting some Altsmoke 2ohm SC cartos, but am re-thinking that now. I've never used them and have no idea what material they have in their cartomizers.

BTW...it's SmokeTech. The "tek" version as in SmokTek spelling is for a vendor. SmokeTech is a manufacturer.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Well, I've continued using the carto and it's working just fine now. No leaks. I guess I didn't prime the carto enough originally, and the two holes caused the filler to suck it up too fast.

 

[Tibby]

I posted the exact same scenario a few weeks ago. Go with the 1 laser hole with that pg/vg ratio. Buzz's idea with the toothpick plug is a good one if the carto is still poppin!

 

[Rocketpunk]

Definite learning curve.

Primed a new replacement 2.0 ohm carto with 15 drops of caramel coffee juice (80 pg/20 vg), slid the carto into the tank, and filled the tank 2/3rd's full. I spent a good 5 minutes watching air bubbles come out of the holes. I could actually see the level of juice lower in the tank.

Now everything seems to be working.

I already have a girlfriend. I don't want any more finicky things in my life anymore! ;-)

I let it continue absorbing until those air bubbles went away. Went to blow out excess fluid into a rag and there was none. Cool! I re-filled the tank, and there has been no leaking issues since then. Rocking

 

[Baditude]

Definite learning curve.
Now everything seems to be working.

So, what are you doing now that is different than before, when you had the flooding/leaking?

 

[RedHen]

I am having the same problem after switching to a 100% vg juice. My cartos are flooding like MAD. Maybe I need to NOT prime them and just let them sit for a while like you described?

 

[tooBerk]

I assume you're not placing the end-cap (after refill) with your fingers blocking the hole. This makes a air pressure to the carto and tank resulting continuous leak.
* Probably you already knew that. Just sayin my 2 cents.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Nope. RedHen figured it out. After seeing how much juice (almost 3 ml) got sucked into my carto by itself alone, I only primed the carto by 2/3rds. About 15 drops.

Watched about 2.5 ml of juice get sucked into the holes within 5 minutes. TONS of air bubbles.

I wonder if priming cartos with these two holes is even necessary.

 

[RedHen]

hmmmmm I am tempted to try this with my VG juices but I love them and don't want to waste another single drop on a potential flooded carto.

 

[2GLR]

Check your top oring. Having one of those nicked or cut will cause flooding.