Slotted Cartos from Hell, er Vapor Phoenix

[Skullman]

Hey All: I'm having a Real Puzzling Dilemma here. I purchased some tank Cartos from Vapor Phoenix because I needed tanks that would work with some of these Volatile eLiquids I purchased. I received the tanks they look just as advertised. Slotted Cartomizers already installed looking good.

I took two of them and filled them with eliquid let em sit to fill. Later on I went to vape them and found that both seemed flooded. I vaped on em for a while but I got nothing but gurgling then juice in the mouth. Tried em on different devices & different voltages, Still Flooded? I then took fresh cartos and swapped them out Ocelot style with the juice still in the Tank. This time I did not let em sit I primed the Cartos by hand then went to town vaping on em. Great Vape big clouds vaped like they should. But wait........

After setting them down for some time they acted just like the first round all flooded & gurgling then juice in the mouth. This time I blew em out then re-installed and again vaped great! But..... set em down a while and again all flooded, gurgling and juice in the mouth! This has happened with all Six of the Slotted Cartos I Purchased from Vapor Phoenix.

I brought this up in a previous post and a few of you responded having a similar experience. I would like to know how many of you are out there having this same problem? Or have at one time?

I swapped all the Cartos out with Smoktech and Boge Punched Cartos from my other tanks and No Problems! I only have this Flooding Problem with the Slotted Cartos!?? They are basically worthless now! I have wasted I don't know how much eLiquid Blowing em out and swapping them out I've gone though a bunch of paper towels and tissues cleaning up the mess!

I'm real frustrated with these Slotted Cartos and I'm not really getting a good response from Vapor Phoenix with the Problem? Like I said to Vapor Phoenix I could see maybe if there were a couple I was having this problem with but I'm having this problem with all Six of the Cartos I purchased from them! Honestly what are your thoughts on this? Have you seen or heard of this before? I've had to take Cartos from my other tanks to make these work.

I was told from Vapor Phoenix to follow their instructions that they need to be "Broken in" they need to be "Seasoned" that they "Will work it out over time" that I should "Really Vape on them till the wetness goes away!" Problem though, the wetness does not go away? They say that having six in a row not working correctly is "Very Slim." But yet here I have Six that are all doing the same thing!?? What are the odds? They have offered me a 20% discount on purchasing replacements for these but come on? Just going by their own statement saying; that having six in a row not working correctly is "Very Slim" Well, I beg to differ!

This has been going on for weeks I would like to get this figured out and sorted out!

Any and all Your input would be Most Appreciated!

I do want to state that I have had no problems with any of the other items I purchased from them in fact I'm Real Happy with everything else!

It's just these Frustrating Slotted Cartos!

Thank you
Skullman {:{}

 

[Sheila Michele 1971]

hmm, if your ejuice is 'thin' slotted might flood them. If you have any high vg percentage juices, Id use those cartos with those juices. (I only slot for the thicker juices myself - I punch with the other juices)

 

[GraceH]

Slotting is only for really thick juices. like higher then 75% vg. Or they will flood.

 

[volume control]

Your juice is just too thin for slotted cartos

 

[The Ocelot]

Hey Skullman! Didn't we have this conversation before? It appears you didn't read my thread about those cartos.

I bought the same small tank (with an installed carto) from Vapor Phoenix; plus extra replacement cartos the same as what was installed. I specifically bought 2.6Ω-2.8Ω cartos (instead of my usual LR) to try out my new mod. In the picture on the website the cartos appeared to be Smoktech knock-offs, except with a slot, not a laser punch. I was fine with it being a knock-off.

When I got them, the first odd thing I noticed was the filler didn't go up as high as the "regular" single-coil Smoktech or Boge cartos I was used to. The filler only went up to about the red line shown above. The rest was just a tube.

I primed one of the new cartos (which I know very well how to do [read my blog]) with my usual 70%pg-30%vg juice and I put in it one of my glass tanks. The carto read at 2.6Ω, so for a starting point I set it to 4v (that's ≈ 6.2w). The draw was very tight and the thing started frying almost immediately. Carto tanks are what I use 90%+ of the time; the juice had been my ADV for over 6 months; the problem had to be the carto.

I cut it open, removed the filler and looky what I found:

In this picture I cut part of the "sock" away to show the coil. It was the "sock" that was burning:

A horizontal coil, wrapped around a wick, inside of a sock? No wonder it was burning.

A "regular" single-coil carto is constructed like this:

It took me quite a while before I was able to identify the carto as a CE2 carto. I didn't know CE2s were even made as tank cartos.

Nowhere on the website (at least at that time) was it stated that the cartos were CE2 and not a "regular" vertical single-coil. I sent an email to Vapor Phoenix, and since I knew what the carto actually was, the owner (Adam?) didn't even try to give me any "give it time to break in" cr@p.

I didn't ask for my money back; I contacted him to tell him about the cartos. You see, I had talked to the owner on the phone about something else prior to my purchase and he seemed like a nice young man. I figured he had been ripped off by his supplier and didn't know what the cartos were. Well, wrong. He knows. It's a great disservice to his customers not to be upfront about what the cartos really are. The cartos can be used, just not quite in the way most of us are accustomed to.

BTW, a good quality, well primed carto has no "breaking in period." You fill them, let them sit for a couple of minutes for the liquid to settle down (about 30sec for me, I have a short attention span), and then vape the puppies.

This is part of the email I got from Vapor Phoenix:

...they are designed differently than most cartos. They are manufactured by Microcig and have the same type of coil placement as a CE2 cartomizer, which also has a horizontal coil. I also noticed you are running them at 4 volts, which can be a little high for them, despite what the math may say. These SCTs work great on a standard Ego battery at around 3.6-3.8volts, and may solve your problem of overfiring and slight burning. Thank you and VAPE ON!!


If I'd wanted cartos that couldn't go over 5w to use on an eGo, I would have bought them.

Rawr

 

[Skullman]

Sheila Michele 1971
hmm, if your ejuice is 'thin' slotted might flood them. If you have any high vg percentage juices, Id use those cartos with those juices. (I only slot for the thicker juices myself - I punch with the other juices)

GraceH
Slotting is only for really thick juices. like higher then 75% vg. Or they will flood.

Volume Control
Your juice is just too thin for slotted cartos

Hey Sheila Michele: This was something I considered right quick! But lets understand that I purchased these Tanks with the Cartos pre-installed and as replacements for each. They were Pre-Slotted as I had already decided I was not going down the the Punch your Carto road. No where did they advertise that you had to use a certain type of liquid or variation in them!

But as You, GraceH & Volume Control point out and I'm assuming from personal experience or something that I need to use Only thick Liquids with them. OK, well if that is the case no where was it listed that this is how these cartos are to be used! But I indeed did try this experiment!

Six Tanks (3 Tanks from VP) Six Slotted Cartos (all from VP) and Various eLiquids from 70%Pg 25%VG to 50/50% PG-VG to 100%VG yet still the same results! The only difference was the thinner liquid gurgled more and more in the mouth all % Ratios Flooded! I will point out that every Carto Vapes Fine when Not in a Tank! Put em in a Tank they Vape Good for a little bit but they soon drown in juice. Not one not two but all of them!

Now lets just take all this into consideration; All the time I have spent (weeks) following Vapor Phoenix instructions because I was told the Cartos will season and work themselves out. Then all the eLiquid that has been wasted blowing out these cartos, leaking from changing em out. And now that I have ZERO Boba's left I'm not happy about how much was wasted as I/we can Not get Boba's right now! And after all this, I still have Six Cartos from Vapor Phoenix that have Not seasoned or worked themselves out!??

Put it all together....

Hence My Frustration!

Skullman {:{}

 

[Unforeseen]

Moved to Assorted PV Topics - Cartomizers

 

[Skullman]

Hey Skullman! Didn't we have this conversation before? It appears you didn't read my thread about those cartos.

~BIG SNIP HERE~ {:{}

A "regular" single-coil carto is constructed like this:

It took me quite a while before I was able to identify the carto as a CE2 carto. I didn't know CE2s were even made as tank cartos.

Nowhere on the website (at least at that time) was it stated that the cartos were CE2 and not a "regular" vertical single-coil. I sent an email to Vapor Phoenix, and since I knew what the carto actually was, the owner (Adam?) didn't even try to give me any "give it time to break in" cr@p.

I didn't ask for my money back; I contacted him to tell him about the cartos. You see, I had talked to the owner on the phone about something else prior to my purchase and he seemed like a nice young man. I figured he had been ripped off by his supplier and didn't know what the cartos were. Well, wrong. He knows. It's a great disservice to his customers not to be upfront about what the cartos really are. The cartos can be used, just not quite in the way most of us are accustomed to.

BTW, a good quality, well primed carto has no "breaking in period." You fill them, let them sit for a couple of minutes for the liquid to settle down (about 30sec for me, I have a short attention span), and then vape the puppies.

This is part of the email I got from Vapor Phoenix:

...they are designed differently than most cartos. They are manufactured by Microcig and have the same type of coil placement as a CE2 cartomizer, which also has a horizontal coil. I also noticed you are running them at 4 volts, which can be a little high for them, despite what the math may say. These SCTs work great on a standard Ego battery at around 3.6-3.8volts, and may solve your problem of overfiring and slight burning. Thank you and VAPE ON!!


If I'd wanted cartos that couldn't go over 5w to use on an eGo, I would have bought them.

Rawr

Hey Ocelot: Yes in deed we did. If you recall we spoke about what you discovered. I noticed about the filler being low in the Carto too and it is something I'm thinking may part of the problem that it might be loose or loosely woven allowing flooding besides no sock? My thoughts go this way cause even 100% VG is Flooding them!?? But now I understand between what you and whom ever is replying on Vapor Phoenix that there is a open void below the batting at the top around or near the coil? Is this right?

It's weird? When the Cartos are not in the Tank they Vape good but since I have had to take every one out of the tanks to make them work and as they become un-flooded I did experience a couple burnt moments! But why? They should be still so saturated! Hmmm? But then I look at the design! Ahhh, see they can get thin at the top of liquid where I could see this happening if you Vape hard and there is no tank to keep up with saturation? I just think that these Cartos are just poorly made all around!

Vapor Phoenix or Adam is it? Whom ever has been replying giving me all these instructions saying that they "Vape Great" they just need to be "Seasoned" to work em out. I guess following all VP's or Adam's instructions besides the Cartos not working has done nothing as far as showing them how hard I've tried to make em work showing them there is a problem with the Cartos that they should really back what they sell! I'm basically be told its been to long since I purchased them, referring me to their Return Policy basically giving me the the Business Brush Off!

I'm sorry to see this I really thought that at least he/they/Vapor Phoenix would be more interested in WHY THEIR PRODUCT IS NOT WORKING!!! But I have the feeling Ocelot you are right they fully know what they have and the problems that exist with em they are just stuck with a bunch of inventory it's easier just not dealing with the problem but in the mean time making more of one. Too bad! It goes a long way with me when a business sees their problems back their products and makes sure to set things right! I mean we are talking about a $1.99 item $11.94 in total! Being still a newb at it all with near four months of Vaping I've dropped around $190 dollars with them them and I still need lots of product to keep me going and happy! Things like this make you really think where you want to drop the next $190 dollars!

So, it come to this with Vapor Phoenix there is no warranty with the Cartos they sell and I'm just out the Money the Time invested "Seasoning" them and the juice but the here's the good part they will give me 20% off on purchasing other Cartos from them? Mind you they have No Warranty and Vapor Phoenix will not stand behind them. Am I wrong here that most folks would just say Thank you but No Thank you?

Just My 13cents worth

Skullman {:{}

 

[skoot]

Skullman, I'm right with you on the learning curve. I bought a sh(tload of double pre-punched cartos because I use 100% VG and that's what they recommended. But I like a little more distilled water in the juice, and it's too thin- my cartos ALWAYS flood. I'm in CO at altitude too, so that might play a role. Mine are holes though, so I plugged one hole with a toothpick tonight- so far so good.

The good news is you can probably unload them at a small loss in the classifieds.

One tip- don't fill the tank above the level of the filler in the carto. Liquid will always find it's own level and pour right down the airhole.

 

[Skullman]

Hey Skoot: I'm not so sure I'm really on a learning curve here! I've had other tanks before these Poly Tanks from Vapor Phoenix its just that the Cartos that came with don't work! I have a few Cartos that came with the other Tanks like the Smoktech punched & Boge F16. I have not had this problem with them Only these Slotted Cartos from Vapor Phoenix???

I have various levels of PG-VG mix plus straight VG and only have had problems with these Slotted Cartos? The Hole Punched Cartos all seem to work OK. Yes I have had the occasional bad Carto but never every single one I received Fail!??

There's no way I would pass these Slotted Cartos off anyone else.

So, you thin your liquid with distilled water. How's that working? Do you lose any flavor doing this? I have some VG that seems really thick compared to others that I could see thinning. As of now I have purchased a PG-VG mix of same flavor to use as a thinner with these thicker VG's but that gets expensive!

Skullman {:{}

 

[skoot]

No, I don't think it loses any flavor. I mix 20% distilled water and 20% flavors, but my flavors are all VG/alcohol. I would say you could easily add 10% distilled to your juice- so if you have 30ml of juice, add 3ml of distilled and see how you like it. You can always add more DW but you can't take it out, so add a little at a time.

Those slotted cartos have HUGE holes. Mine are two very small holes, not even the diameter of a toothpick and they work fine with super thick juice.