Smoketech Dual Coil Cartomizers are burning inside - possibly dangerous

[synthetic]

I know since 2009 many cartomizers have been dissected and proven to have a burning coil-cover material.

I didn't expect to see this happening in late 2011 and with the latest and greatest stuff which I personally happen to enjoy a lot.

To my utter disbelief and disappointment, I now have 3 Smoketech Dual Cartomizers (1.5ohm) with the burnt material inside. The burning starts as soon as you start using them and by the 50-60th hit the holes start to appear. This is possibly toxic material you're smoking into your lungs.

With cartomizers starting to become more and more popular over the traditional attys, I don't understand why more people are not outraged about this.

The last thing the world of vaping needs is FDA or some other mob outlawing these devices for issues like this.

I understand there are other threads covering this and the most comprehensive one consists of over 500 pages of chit-chat between kind early discoverers of this issue. I thought it would be a good idea to start a new discussion about it.

I'm now sad. I stocked up on these bad boys and now having real doubts about their long term effects. Just what the hell are we burning here? Anyone know?

 

[synthetic]

Just to add a note:

The burning has absolutely no relation with the burning-taste occasionally experienced with cartos. This burning process starts with the very first drag and is usually gone unnoticed with the juice flavor overpowering it.

 

[Critter Man]

Probably polyester.

From this site: http://www.afma.org/f-tutor/health.htm

"Smoke and Toxic Gasses from Fiber Product Fires
Unlike garment fires, where the primary hazard is heat release, building fires can generate both heat and toxic gasses. Often the primary human hazard is smoke and toxic gases. When cellulosic materials, either textiles or wood products, are burned the only gases formed are CO, (carbon monoxide), CO2 (carbon dioxide) and H2O (water). Although carbon dioxide can cause suffocation, the dangerous material is carbon monoxide, which poisons the bloodstream in much the same way as cyanide. The relative amounts of CO and CO2 produced in a fire depend primarily on the amount of oxygen present. Well ventilated fires produce mostly CO2. However, in well-developed building fires, there is almost always a shortage of oxygen and larger amounts of the much more toxic CO are produced.

Some synthetic fibers, such as polyester and polyolefins, also produce only these three gases when burned. Other fibers, such as polyamides (nylon) or acrylics, contain nitrogen and are thus theoretically capable of producing other toxic gases during burning. While small-scale tests of nitrogen-containing textiles frequently show the evolution of toxic materials, such as HCN (hydrogen cyanide), these gases are probably not a major factor in real fire situations. Work at the Center for Fire Research of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has shown that the primary toxicant in most structural fires is CO, regardless of the presence of a wide variety of synthetic fiber products. Thus most common synthetic fibers usually behave no better, nor worse, than other organic materials in large fires."

 

[swedishfish]

Wow, I've been using them for awhile and never had a burning issue. I take them apart and clean them almost every other refill and when I rinse them, they're pure white. I use the clear and they're very easy to take apart and put back together.

Very strange.

 

[swedishfish]

Maybe you should post in Ask the Veterans section and see if anyone there knows.

 

[kaykay]

Wow, I've been using them for awhile and never had a burning issue. I take them apart and clean them almost every other refill and when I rinse them, they're pure white. I use the clear and they're very easy to take apart and put back together.

Very strange.

yeah i have not had this problem and i also use the clear ones..but i have never cleaned one i just keep filling with the same juice b4 is completely dry..can u show me how you clean yours is there a video or a method u use.thnx.

 

[swedishfish]

Synthetic, I'm not discounting what you said, and there is reason for concern. Just from my very limited personal experience with them, I haven't had that happen. Not that that means that much.

Kaykay, it's very easy believe me. I'd never do it if it wasn't.

1. Put the carto on the battery and wiggle it back and forth to remove the outer plastic
2. carefully unwrap the small sheet of batting
3. Hold it in your hand and run it under tap water
4. place on paper towel and dab it dry (takes about a minute to dry)
5. place the inner coil in a cup of hot water. If you see gunk, scrape with tooth pick.
6. roll the little sheet of batting back around the coils
7. place the plastic back on.
8. Done! You can use it right away.

I do it when it starts to get a little funky looking. I use clear juice but my mom uses tobacco juices and they get very dark. Then I clean them.

 

[kaykay]

Synthetic, I'm not discounting what you said, and there is reason for concern. Just from my very limited personal experience with them, I haven't had that happen. Not that that means that much.

Kaykay, it's very easy believe me. I'd never do it if it wasn't.

1. Put the carto on the battery and wiggle it back and forth to remove the outer plastic
2. carefully unwrap the small sheet of batting
3. Hold it in your hand and run it under tap water
4. place on paper towel and dab it dry (takes about a minute to dry)
5. place the inner coil in a cup of hot water. If you see gunk, scrape with tooth pick.
6. roll the little sheet of batting back around the coils
7. place the plastic back on.
8. Done! You can use it right away.

i ask cause i had one kind of open up in my pocket and i put it back together but ther was no draw..i could not get anything out of there.

 

[kaykay]

so has it eve affected the draw 4 you?

 

[synthetic]

Keep in mind folks, this is not the filler material burning. It's the coil covers. You cannot see this material unless you completely take the cartomizer apart and open up the piece of fiber or polyester covering the coils.

After having seen other threads about this issue, I'm convinced that the same burning is taking place in most other cartomizers since they all use the same design.

I just cracked open another one which I had only used for several hours (20-40 puffs max) and there are already dark burnt spots on the piece of fiber. I fully fill up my cartomizers using the condom-filling method and blow out the excess. There is no way these coils were dry at any point yet they're burning the material surrounding them.

This is not encouraging at all.

 

[jimbill]

I have also noticed that the pieces that rap around the coil's on mine are burned lol hope it's not too toxic. I put the material under a lighter and it burns in flames so it might not be to bad.

 

[swedishfish]

Yes, I know what you mean about the coil covers. There are two tiny white covers wrapped around the top and bottom coil.

I don't know if this makes any difference but I fill mine with a syringe to make sure there aren't any dry spots.

I haven't read about this happening before. This is the first I've heard about it. I don't even know what the filling material is made of. I'm sure someone here does. Or maybe like I said ask the Experts.

 

[cactusgirl]

Synthetic, I'm not discounting what you said, and there is reason for concern. Just from my very limited personal experience with them, I haven't had that happen. Not that that means that much.

Kaykay, it's very easy believe me. I'd never do it if it wasn't.

1. Put the carto on the battery and wiggle it back and forth to remove the outer plastic
2. carefully unwrap the small sheet of batting
3. Hold it in your hand and run it under tap water
4. place on paper towel and dab it dry (takes about a minute to dry)
5. place the inner coil in a cup of hot water. If you see gunk, scrape with tooth pick.
6. roll the little sheet of batting back around the coils
7. place the plastic back on.
8. Done! You can use it right away.

I do it when it starts to get a little funky looking. I use clear juice but my mom uses tobacco juices and they get very dark. Then I clean them.

It would be great if you could do a video showing this!

 

[hairball]

I've taken some of mine apart after running about 30ml through them to clean. Nothing burned, no filler or the little coil covers. I use dark juices and still nothing. They come out as clean as they were before I used them. Sorry you're having troubles.

 

[swedishfish]

It would be great if you could do a video showing this!

It really is super easy to do. If you have an old one, give it a try! The hardest part is rolling the batting back around the coils to fit it back in the plastic. But if you roll it tightly enough it goes right back in.

 

[swedishfish]

I've taken some of mine apart after running about 30ml through them to clean. Nothing burned, no filler or the little coil covers. I use dark juices and still nothing. They come out as clean as they were before I used them. Sorry you're having troubles.

The little coil covers are dark, but they rinse right off on mine. I've never seen any burning.

 

[Katya]

Yes, they do burn. I've seen many reports like this one:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...1-etc-filler-type-cartos-478.html#post3292093

 

[swedishfish]

Yes, they do burn. I've seen many reports like this one:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...1-etc-filler-type-cartos-478.html#post3292093

Thanks Katya. You clean yours with PG? I should read that section more often.

 

[swedishfish]

I'm thinking I'm glad I got the clear. I can see what's going on and don't let them get dry. I use a thin gauge needle to fill and move it down the side of the carto to the bottom and inbetween the filler when I fill it. When I refill, I put some juice on top and also through the bottom.

 

[Katya]

Thanks Katya. You clean yours with PG? I should read that section more often.

Yes, I use PG or VG to clean my eGo-T atties. Works great! I just vape a tankful of unflavored eliquid, preferably on higher voltage, with or withour inhaling, untill the liquid runs clear. I do that to keep my atties in good working order between cleanings.

Works with cartos, too, but I don't really clean my cartos. I just grab a fresh one.