Refilling carts

[Puffice]

I know this topic has probably been discussed a ton of times on this board but I could not find a old thread. For some reason I just can't seem to get the hang of the refilling and beginning to think it is not me. I've tried several ways that I've seen on video but no go.
First of all I usually get the pre filled anyway and do drip often but...well here is the problem. Once I finish a pre filled I can drip into it for a couple of days but it seems once I set it aside for say a day or so and try to go back to it or fill it, it does not work, the juice it just hot and runs out. I even bought some of the blank ones and tried it for economical reasons and filled them all up and they worked but not too well. So I had a bunch of pre filled that were empty and I had never refilled and I washed them in a pillowcase then let them dry in a window seal for a couple of weeks. Then tried to refill them but still no, just took the juice but got nothing but liquid (a little vapor). For me it's like once they dry out the after the first use their gone, now like I said I can drip a few days on one but once it's dry they stay that way. Any body else had this problem and know of a solution?

 

[MikeyB]

I know this topic has probably been discussed a ton of times on this board but I could not find a old thread. For some reason I just can't seem to get the hang of the refilling and beginning to think it is not me. I've tried several ways that I've seen on video but no go.
First of all I usually get the pre filled anyway and do drip often but...well here is the problem. Once I finish a pre filled I can drip into it for a couple of days but it seems once I set it aside for say a day or so and try to go back to it or fill it, it does not work, the juice it just hot and runs out. I even bought some of the blank ones and tried it for economical reasons and filled them all up and they worked but not too well. So I had a bunch of pre filled that were empty and I had never refilled and I washed them in a pillowcase then let them dry in a window seal for a couple of weeks. Then tried to refill them but still no, just took the juice but got nothing but liquid (a little vapor). For me it's like once they dry out the after the first use their gone, now like I said I can drip a few days on one but once it's dry they stay that way. Any body else had this problem and know of a solution?

Are you letting them dry out with not condom on them, I use to have a issue like this, the juice was drying on the inside if I let it sit around for a day or so and I guess caked the wick to where it would not soak up fresh liquid to burn. If you are not keeping the plastic condoms on them when not in use, try it, solved that issue for me!

 

[Puffice]

Well it is true that I don't keep the condom on them, usually when I get through with a package of the refilled (plus dripping some), I have then went back to refill them but no I didn't have the c on them. But also the ones I washed and let dry, directions did not say to put back the c on them until filled. I just don't know it does seem like once the stuffing gets completely dry it doesn't want to absorb the juice again.

 

[AdAmA]

strange i am still using carts i got a month ago and they are vapin like a champ!! Wow's and CC's I never run them dry....top them off every night.....and they wear condoms at all times..I refill by drippin in the carts then spin drip spin put the condom on and let it sit for Maybe 30min or an hour unless its my go to's which i vape as soon as i top off...hope this helps

 

[Puffice]

Well not sure if topping off means dripping or just refilling but either way as I said if I use a prefilled one and it runs dry I can drip (in screw end) for a couple of days before going dry and hot but if I then put it aside and go back in a day or so to refill it I just get a lot juice and that is if I let it sit for awhile after refilling.I do use my pt most of the time. I did get the blank wow's and filled them and they did better but not as well as the prefilled and then of course the second time of filling they did worse. I feel like I am kind of wasting a lot of juice.

 

[AdAmA]

when i say topping off i take and drop about 10-15 drops in the top of the cart not the batt end when i start losing vapor i make sure they never get close to dry and the carts last a long time for me....

 

[lonercom]

It sounds like you are refilling them without the bottom plug. In this case it will drip to high heaven. To refill, put the ....-plug back in to prevent the flow through and fill until the fiber is damp but not sopping. If you have ever filled a zippo lighter, you know what I mean. I prefer to refill with a syringe as opposed to dripping and spinning but I usually fill 200+ at a time and it's just more efficient.

If the airflow is too tight or the flavor gets harsh then its time to clean them. As with all things related to vaping, there is no "right" way to clean them, whatever makes you happy. I usually wait until I have a few hundred to clean and then soak them in hot water, changing the water until it stays clear, and then boil them for 20 minutes for good measure. After trying so may different ways to dry them I have found that letting them air dry for a week usually does the trick. Again, remember that I have nearly a thousand cartos so I'm never in too much of a rush.

I did notice yesterday that if I overfill a carto, even a cleaned one, the dregs from the bottom come out the top. I'm thinking that I may switch to using my syringe to rinse out cartos instead of washing them to see if it makes any difference. It might be that water is too thin to force out all of the gunk. In this case, I might just have to try injecting plain PG to force the gunk out... This will be a Saturday project and I promise a vid will follow.

Ever notice that when someone says "To make a long story short..." it's too late?

anyway. Put the buttplug back on and refill away. It will work magnificently!

 

[jamvector]

It sounds like you are refilling them without the bottom plug. In this case it will drip to high heaven. To refill, put the ....-plug back in to prevent the flow through and fill until the fiber is damp but not sopping. If you have ever filled a zippo lighter, you know what I mean. I prefer to refill with a syringe as opposed to dripping and spinning but I usually fill 200+ at a time and it's just more efficient.

If the airflow is too tight or the flavor gets harsh then its time to clean them. As with all things related to vaping, there is no "right" way to clean them, whatever makes you happy. I usually wait until I have a few hundred to clean and then soak them in hot water, changing the water until it stays clear, and then boil them for 20 minutes for good measure. After trying so may different ways to dry them I have found that letting them air dry for a week usually does the trick. Again, remember that I have nearly a thousand cartos so I'm never in too much of a rush.

I did notice yesterday that if I overfill a carto, even a cleaned one, the dregs from the bottom come out the top. I'm thinking that I may switch to using my syringe to rinse out cartos instead of washing them to see if it makes any difference. It might be that water is too thin to force out all of the gunk. In this case, I might just have to try injecting plain PG to force the gunk out... This will be a Saturday project and I promise a vid will follow.

Ever notice that when someone says "To make a long story short..." it's too late?

anyway. Put the buttplug back on and refill away. It will work magnificently!

Ditto to what Loner said; but I will add a couple comments of my own as someone who cleans and refills large batches for a long time as well:

1. Remove all plastic and boil the cartos in an old pot for a good 10-15 min, then set and let cool for about an hour.
2. Fill a gallon ice cream bucket up with warm to hot water, and place in your utility sink.
3. Using a 20ml BD syringe (without the needle), draw the syringe full, place the tip flush with the mouthpiece end of a cart taken from the cooled carto stew.
4. Inject the 20 ml of warm water through the cart out the back until clear - usually only takes one shot, maybe two. Repeat for all and set aside.
5. Dry the cartos per the many suggestions posted here over the last year - I use an air compressor in my garage - completely dry in 5 seconds (and, it fluffs up the batting really well).
6. In parallel, soak all the plastic condoms and mouthpieces in an alcohol solution for about an hour or more for sanitary purposes. Rinse and allow to air dry.
7. Refill using drip or syringe (I prefer syringe as Loner does), then reassemble.

This works really really well for me, and I have been doing this vial trial and error since January using everything I have learned from many experienced users who were kind enough to share their expertise on this subforum. Loner, you will save time and get a much cleaner cart if you force water through the cart rather than passive soaking or even running water from the tap to rinse. I don't care what anyone else says, I save TONS of money cleaning and refilling. Hope this helps some of you new users, as I have tried most if not all of the techniques posted over the last year, and have found this to work the best for me. For the record, I refill about 4 or 5 times between washing, and I only use coolcarts (although this applies to all the carts).

 

[SnowDragon]

Just when I was breaking even, now I have to buy an air compressor!

If I am in a hurry for dried carts I use a raft inflator, like Suave Shampoo it does the same job but for a lot less. +1 on fluffing the polyfill, which I believe makes a world of difference on carto longevity and vaping quality.

Although the darker juices like a Caramel Mocha Frappe is pretty tough to get thoroughly clean...wonder if it has a higher sugar content or something?

 

[jamvector]

Just when I was breaking even, now I have to buy an air compressor!

If I am in a hurry for dried carts I use a raft inflator, like Suave Shampoo it does the same job but for a lot less. +1 on fluffing the polyfill, which I believe makes a world of difference on carto longevity and vaping quality.

Although the darker juices like a Caramel Mocha Frappe is pretty tough to get thoroughly clean...wonder if it has a higher sugar content or something?

Dude, everyone needs to have an air compressor - and a sawzall.

Re dark juice issues, it may be "clean" enough, but may stain the batting to a greater degree than the clearer juices.

 

[JenJen]

I usually just top off for a few days and then toss the old carto into the coffee can (with .... plug and condom) in case of emergency (Flood, earthquake, financial disaster, prohibition etc... and yes, I am very paranoid about my vapes lol)

When I do clean out a carto, I just run hot tap water through for about 30 seconds, blow it out, run water through, then blow until no water comes out then refill - no drying time at all. That is the method that has worked best for me.

 

[Twilight]

I usually just top off for a few days and then toss the old carto into the coffee can (with .... plug and condom) in case of emergency (Flood, earthquake, financial disaster, prohibition etc... and yes, I am very paranoid about my vapes lol)

When I do clean out a carto, I just run hot tap water through for about 30 seconds, blow it out, run water through, then blow until no water comes out then refill - no drying time at all. That is the method that has worked best for me.

Same here....no drying time either...I just refill right after cleaning and they work perfect.

 

[jamvector]

JenJen/Twilight, I do this sometimes as well in between cycles. But if I am going to recycle 100 or more carts, and can clean the entire batch properly, removing all the old juice, and restoring the polyfill to near-new condition, it actually is very efficient (takes me about half a day, can watch football at the same time, etc). In addition, it is much more sanitary; I would rather store 100 boiled, clean, refilled cartos in my ammunition cases than 100 used cartos fermenting in a pail. I know a lot of people don't care, or use the excuse that PG is a preservative, etc, but I don't like to reuse things that have been in my mouth then sitting in a bucket for two months growing bacteria. Warm water will not kill germs and bacteria, and for those that don't boil, at least do a quick soak in alcohol before rinsing (this is especially important for the mouthpieces and condoms). Perhaps it is just me, but I find it amusing that people run around with masks on during flu season, but fail to take simple sanitary preventative measures such as these. Each to his own, take it or leave it I guess.

 

[Twilight]

JenJen/Twilight, I do this sometimes as well in between cycles. But if I am going to recycle 100 or more carts, and can clean the entire batch properly, removing all the old juice, and restoring the polyfill to near-new condition, it actually is very efficient (takes me about half a day, can watch football at the same time, etc). In addition, it is much more sanitary; I would rather store 100 boiled, clean, refilled cartos in my ammunition cases than 100 used cartos fermenting in a pail. I know a lot of people don't care, or use the excuse that PG is a preservative, etc, but I don't like to reuse things that have been in my mouth then sitting in a bucket for two months growing bacteria. Warm water will not kill germs and bacteria, and for those that don't boil, at least do a quick soak in alcohol before rinsing (this is especially important for the mouthpieces and condoms). Perhaps it is just me, but I find it amusing that people run around with masks on during flu season, but fail to take simple sanitary preventative measures such as these. Each to his own, take it or leave it I guess.

I should have elaborated......I blow a few large syringes of boiling water thru the carto right before refilling. I only have a few empties at a time that I clean out and refill. I don't have hundreds sitting around in a bucket growing microbes. I have been told on this forum that PG is an anti-microbial......hopefully that will keep us vapers from getting the flu this winter....wouldn't that be another great result of vaping?

 

[chadley]

I prefer the Taryn spin method. Works like a charm for me Some carts I can refill 10 plus times, and others are not so good.

 

[jamvector]

I should have elaborated......I blow a few large syringes of boiling water thru the carto right before refilling. I only have a few empties at a time that I clean out and refill. I don't have hundreds sitting around in a bucket growing microbes. I have been told on this forum that PG is an anti-microbial......hopefully that will keep us vapers from getting the flu this winter....wouldn't that be another great result of vaping?

My point was that the PG inside the cart is NOT "sanitizing" the outside of the mouthpiece or the condoms. And, you don't need "hundreds" to grow bacteria, just a couple lying around for a week or so are enough to potentially create unwanted exposure. For my refilling between washes, I routinely use a clorox wipe to disinfect the mouthpiece end before replacing the condoms. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I don't drink out of the same glass over a two week period without WASHING it with soap - I don't consider just rinsing off my dishes or silverware between uses adequate either.

 

[Twilight]

My point was that the PG inside the cart is NOT "sanitizing" the outside of the mouthpiece or the condoms.

Thanks for pointing that out Jamvector.
How does everyone properly clean the gunk out of their battery (thread area) so that it continues to draw properly? I understand that Isopropyl Rubbing alcohol shouldn't be used due to it's effect on the silicone inside the threaded end of the battery......suggestions?

 

[Twilight]

I routinely use a clorox wipe to disinfect the mouthpiece end

Okay, now I am having a "Monk" moment........better safe than sorry eh?
Flies love e-juice.....keep that in mind when you leave your ecig, cartos and juices out...

 

[Puffice]

Thanks for all the info and Loner I will try the bplug, guess it wasn't a good idea to pitch them when I took them off. I do keep some but it never occurred to me and I keep my stuff in a medium box that is full so it was my solution. Guess I'll get a bigger box. I do have tons of used carts and some that I did wash and as I said never worked the same and not sure why. But I did open a few of those I had filled (not the washed ones) and was only getting air and hot juice and they appear soggy yet they vap as though they are dry with bits of juice. So I am still working on it. Got to figure it out though cause as I said I am wasting too much juice that is not being vapped!

 

[lonercom]

You'll get a system going: