Trying my carto tank again....but...

[nobreak1970]

I like this thing, it's a smok mini tank. They primed it at the store via the condom method. I asked if I needed to let it sit and they said nope. They said I don't even have to prime it again. I asked them if the top of the carto inside under the drip tip should stay moist looking...they said yes. Well it's not, it goes back to looking white! This has happened every time I try this carto tank. New carto too.
Help?

 

[Rickajho]

To the greater degree it should look at least like it's wet on that end of things. A lot of how important that may be depends on the type of carto - how many coils, and where those coils are positioned in the filler based on design.

Do you know what brand/model carto the sold you? How many punch holes does it have to allow liquid to get in there? Lastly, what's the PG/VG ratio of the liquid you are using?

 

[Topwater Elvis]

How does it vape? burnt taste?
Doesn't really matter what the top of the carto looks like if it vapes well.

Could be the juice you're using is too thick to wick as fast as you vape (needs more or larger holes) or too thin to keep the top of the carto wet looking.

If the tank doesn't seal well (top & bottom caps & around the carto) the internal negative pressure that feeds the carto won't be maintained.
You should see an air bubble rise from the holes in the carto occasionally, if not it is a sure sign the negative pressure is escaping.
The o rings should hold the carto firmly, the top & bottom cap should be difficult to turn.

Even after replacing the o rings with a thicker set I've never had any luck with smok carto tanks.

 

[nobreak1970]

yeah I just noticed my new ejuice is 100% VG so that would explain a lot!

Not sure the brand. They sell mainly smok stuff. Single coil I believe.

I just want to make sure that I don't burn the carto out because of it getting "too dry".
Vapes fine it seems after I do a couple of dry hits, well more like 6.

 

[Ryedan]

My single coil Boge carts don't stay slushy under the drip tip. If yours is vaping well I wouldn't worry about it. It will give you a hint that it's getting dry before it actually burns. If that happens, you'll know you need to change something.

 

[Rickajho]

How many hoo-ooo-ooles? If your VG is on the thick side you may need to use a tank carto with two or three holes.

 

[nobreak1970]

One big hole on the bottom half of the carto.

 

[Margate69]

I use these tanks and even with the 2 hole cartos 50-50 has trouble, I end up having to drip at least 2 times a day for every tank I use (6 for flavor rotation). But I like these because they don't leak compared to the Kanger products I used to use.

Thought of getting a carto punch? Another hole on your cart would help it feed, but I'm not sure you will ever be 100% running 100% if you catch my drift.

 

[nobreak1970]

Cartos are cheap so not going to take the time for a punch. I have dripped to get it to a good level so I'll stick with that.

 

[Baditude]

(click image to enlarge)

Your tank and carto are perfectly normal. Even a perfectly primed carto will look dry after vaping on it a few times. Here's why:

Look at the above image, a cutaway of a punched cartomizer. Each time you take a puff, liquid is not only sucked from the tank, but also from the filler material (red arrows). After a few puffs, the top of the filler will look dry. The juice in the tank doesn't keep the filler wet all the way up, but it doesn't have to. As long as the filler around the heating coil stays wet, there will be no burnt taste.

Now, this brings up an interesting point about dual coil cartomizers. With the top coil located approximately half way up the carto, there is the possibility that the filler around that coil could become dry and burn, depending upon how efficient the wick system is working. I suspect this is why I found dual coils to often taste burnt after using them after a period of time.

I still believe it's critical to properly prime the carto the first time.

Baditude's Cartotank Setup Guide

 

[Skybow388]

I'm
Using 50/50 and I primed it right but I keep having to take hris without heat to keep it from burning it's quite annoying


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Zipp]

You'll want 2 holes for 50/50. 1 hole cartos are better for the really thin stuff. And 3 for anything close to pure VG.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

I'm
Using 50/50 and I primed it right but I keep having to take hris without heat to keep it from burning it's quite annoying


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Could be you're using too much power for the resistance of the carto, or, the carto needs bigger or more holes, or, an o ring is letting the internal/external pressure equalize. Also could be an insufficiently primed carto, you can vape a well primed / filled carto out side a tank or inside an empty tank for quite some time before it burns, they hold 1 ~ 2 ml's on their own.

I always lower the power for the first 20 - 30 drags when using a fresh carto.
IMO, A standard size carto will take 20 - 25 drops, an xl will take 30 - 40 drops to prime properly.