Where's the outrage about primer?

[JackSam]

So I love my ce2 when they work great but I'm utterly baffled people just put up with this so called 'primer' on atomizers and ce2's. Vendors keep selling parts with it and short of cleaning threads no one really questions it. There's no way this stuff is just PG or anything benign as I've read some claim.

I'm convinced it's remnants of the manufacturing processes which would be anything and everything from oil to coolant to glues/sealants

It's allowed to soak into the wick which is the main delivery for our vaping. Sure cleaning and dry burn get's it it off that main part of the wick, but does it get rid of everything? I had 1 wick that kept giving of the taste for 3-4 cleanings and dry burns. This most recent one I opened up had a clear ring of the stuff around the rubber seals. Most of the ce2, when removing the inner piece it usually has what looks like metal particulate around it, I've seen this on just about every one.

I'm baffled how stuff isn't cleaned properly at factories and shipped with a vape safe solution applied and no one really cares about this. It seems unacceptable to me as this could potentially be significantly worse for us than smoking.

Do any vendors who have their stuff built at the factories actually have any experience or knowledge what the so called primer is, or the manufacturing processes? Is there a cleaning step.

 

[Frick]

My first 510 atty was literally dripping in the stuff (coming out of the battery end). I had read about it so I knew to blow it out thoroughly, but it took a full day to get rid of the nasty burnt oil taste. I sat at my computer vaping this nasty-tasting thing thinking "all these people on the forums talking about how good this vaping thing is must be nuts, because this is just plain gross".

Later that night, the burnt flavor left and I finally realized what all the hype was about. Good flavor and tons of vapor and TH.

Since then, I haven't used an atty that hasn't been thoroughly blown out, soaked in alcohol for 15 minutes, allowed to completely dry and then dry-burned a bit. That's the only way I can get that nasty-tasting stuff out of them.

I agree it is strange that we are worried about diacetyl and other chemicals, yet it is acceptable that new vapers huff on this oily crap for a full day (at least) before it subsides, and even experienced vapers have to deal with at least a bit of it.

This is the kind of thing that will turn off people trying vaping for the first time. I know I almost gave up; had I not soldiered through it, I would have sent it all back for a refund.

 

[JackSam]

I agree it is strange that we are worried about diacetyl and other chemicals, yet it is acceptable that new vapers huff on this oily crap for a full day (at least) before it subsides, and even experienced vapers have to deal with at least a bit of it.

Yup my point exactly, everyone made massive amounts of fuss over diacetyl in flavors but no one worries about burning oil or whatever this substance actually is, yet I see many people have reported headaches from smoking through that burn taste and have experienced this my self even after cleaning them.

On the first dry burn on many of the CE2s you can see the wick turn black and smoke and smell nasty, then once smoke stops it goes back to white. but this only effects the wick by the coils, what about the rest of it?

I don't care any longer if I waste juice, if I get the slightest hint of that burn taste on a fresh / cleaned CE2 it's getting washed all over again. It's just ridiculous to have a product used for inhalation through heating be delivered to consumers like this. I'd love to find out what it actually is.

 

[ManicMaurice]

I always clean new attys with isopropyl alcohol before I use them, I can't stand the primer, nasty stuff.

 

[CardinalWinds]

I don't use CE2's, but some some attys I buy have primer and some don't. If an atty has primer you can usually tell right when you open it because the outside will feel greasy. These I pop in a 90% isopropyl alcohol bath for an hour, let them dry and they're good to go. They come out totally "de-primed". The trick is to do it before you even fire it up for the first time. Once you've heated the primer on the wick and on the coil you have to deal with it for awhile.

 

[Cheeseburgermonger]

I am also angry at the primer. Nowhere in any instructions that come with any unit does it warn about primer. I had no idea what was wrong with my ecig, until I went in the ECF chat room. By the way, I know it's not just PG, because I caught a noxious buzz off of the primer!

I don't mind the chore of cleaning, but I think they should put a warning, at least. Even my toaster oven came with such a disclaimer.

 

[Katya]

Maybe we should stop buying this nasty stuff?

Just sayin'.

I tried them and they are not getting another penny from me. There are better choices.

 

[JackSam]

Katya, I'd love to stop buying these, but what's the alternative for something I can fill and forget on an ego batt? Cartridges I can't use at all I have to drip on them every every cigs worth, might as well drip on an atomizer which I have no desire to deal with. Filler based cartomizers are slightly better maybe every 2nd/3rd. These are the most convenient things I've found so far, I can fill 2 or 3 for the entire day and not worry about messing with anything. They also work well once you get past the initial primer cleaning.

I think the next step up would be some bottom feed type box. Not sure I want new equipment though, other than this primer thing I'm happy with the setup.

 

[Katya]

I really don't care for those E2s, honestly. They never worked for me out of the box; nasty primer, DW40 (the Chinese version), dry hits, lousy wicking, leaks, nasty filler cap that's next to impossible to remove and then to replace, you name it. I had a couple of them fixed for me by a master E2 modder, BR. It was like night and day, but even those gunk up after a few hours of use. Need constant cleaning, torching, dry burning. I don't need a hobby. I need a replacement for my cigs. They are high maintenance and I truly dislike Royal Smokers and people who run it.

I've been using Boge 2.0Ω from Liberty Flights (LiteCig carries them, too) with great success. I also used eGo mega atties (modded, of course, those don't work out of the box either). And today I got my eGo-t tankomizers and I'm very happy, so far (only four hours into using them, so I may change my mind.) Give them a try. I got mine from TW, but Cignot already has them and Liberty Flights is going to offer them shortly--probably cheaper than Cignot.

Good luck.

 

[JackSam]

Well I have the boge cartos, they work well enough but the refilling gets to me. These tankomizers look interesting though, haven't heard of them so I'll definitely add them to my list and give them a try next time I'm ordering. Thanks for the suggestion

 

[JackSam]

So reading reviews looks to me the tanks also have 'primer' and require the same cleaning...

 

[fallon74]

I defiantly see your point I can hardly stand the primer myself I always clean the atty thoroughly before vaping.

 

[Scottbee]

So reading reviews looks to me the tanks also have 'primer' and require the same cleaning...

I can say with some confidence that the "primer" that is in the eGo-T units is unflavored 0-nic PG. Pretty dern benign.

And it's there for a reason. It's way too easy for a first-time user to pop an atty on the battery and just start pushing the button. Without the primer the atty would be toast in a fairly short period of time. It's just a precautionary step. It is probably also used as a final "rinse" to purge manufacturing contaminants.

 

[Tol]

I don't know if Outrage is necessarily the right reaction?

I look at it this way:

I don't know the 4000+ chemicals found in cigarettes. I never had Phillip Morris clearly telling me exactly what they all are, and what effect they have one me when I was smoking their cigarettes. They only have a generalized warning that smoking is bad for me on each pack. I know they are bad for me, I smoked them anyway, and never thought twice about "what" was in them other than tobacco. Most of us never do.

At least with vaping you can and probably should clean new atomizers before you use them. It is not hard to do and will remove the "unkown" primer from it. Personally I don't really care what it is. I clean it, it's gone, I vape. My alternative is to refuse to buy this stuff and go back to smoking, which I KNOW for a fact is dangerous as hell. I think I will continue to roll the dice on these products and make them as safe for myself as I personally can, by always cleaning before using it.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[upStomp]

I don't know if Outrage is necessarily the right reaction?

I look at it this way:

I don't know the 4000+ chemicals found in cigarettes. I never had Phillip Morris clearly telling me exactly what they all are, and what effect they have one me when I was smoking their cigarettes. They only have a generalized warning that smoking is bad for me on each pack. I know they are bad for me, I smoked them anyway, and never thought twice about "what" was in them other than tobacco. Most of us never do.

At least with vaping you can and probably should clean new atomizers before you use them. It is not hard to do and will remove the "unkown" primer from it. Personally I don't really care what it is. I clean it, it's gone, I vape. My alternative is to refuse to buy this stuff and go back to smoking, which I KNOW for a fact is dangerous as hell. I think I will continue to roll the dice on these products and make them as safe for myself as I personally can, by always cleaning before using it.

Just my 2 cents.

I've yet to disagree with anyone displaying a Big Lebowski avatar, and this is no exception.

 

[caffeinated]

It only took a couple of times huffing primer before I learned my lesson. All atomizers get an alcohol bath before I use `em. Since starting that practice, I haven't tasted any of that nasty stuff at all.

 

[Scottbee]

I will agree that not all primer is created equal. I get some atties from a source (that will remain nameless) where I swear to Gawd that the primer is mixed with cyanoacrylate (super glue). If left un-rinsed, the first few vapes will generate a white film and that "super glue" smell.

That's unsettling.....

 

[Frick]

I can say with some confidence that the "primer" that is in the eGo-T units is unflavored 0-nic PG. Pretty dern benign.

I ordered a 510 kit and an eGo kit from Cignot, based on recommendations here at ECF (and they certainly are quick shippers) and of the four attys I received, every one of them is loaded with stuff that is clearly not unflavored PG. Although I do realize that what's shipped with the eGo-T may be different.

Here's what Cignot's shipping insert says:

A Tip to begin

The atomizers need breaking in. They are shipped with a primer on them from the manufacturer that has a nasty taste. A good way to get through the break in period is to drop a drop of e-liquid directly on the metal bridge [...] This not only helps with the nasty initial taste, it gets the wicking material [...] wet. [...] Drip a drop or two direcly on the metal bridge then [put on a cart] and vape vape vape, drip another drop and vape, vape, vape.​

It's way too easy for a first-time user to pop an atty on the battery and just start pushing the button. Without the primer the atty would be toast in a fairly short period of time. It's just a precautionary step. It is probably also used as a final "rinse" to purge manufacturing contaminants.

I could understand that if it were PG (on my 510 attys), but it's clearly not.

The manufacturers could simply provide their own instruction sheet, to keep newbies from frying attys.

I don't know if Outrage is necessarily the right reaction?

I look at it this way:

I don't know the 4000+ chemicals found in cigarettes. I never had Phillip Morris clearly telling me exactly what they all are, and what effect they have one me when I was smoking their cigarettes. They only have a generalized warning that smoking is bad for me on each pack. I know they are bad for me, I smoked them anyway, and never thought twice about "what" was in them other than tobacco. Most of us never do.

At least with vaping you can and probably should clean new atomizers before you use them. It is not hard to do and will remove the "unkown" primer from it. Personally I don't really care what it is. I clean it, it's gone, I vape. My alternative is to refuse to buy this stuff and go back to smoking, which I KNOW for a fact is dangerous as hell. I think I will continue to roll the dice on these products and make them as safe for myself as I personally can, by always cleaning before using it.

Just my 2 cents.

The "it's got to be better than smoking tobacco" argument isn't a good one. Is sucking some kind of manufacturing oil, vaporized on a hot coil and inhaled into the lungs, any better or worse than cigarette smoking? I don't want to be the test subject. We know from a whole lot of research how bad cigarette smoking is. We don't even know what the "primer" consists of, let alone any research on inhaling its vapor.

You're stating this as if everyone who buys a new e-cig kit is going to know to soak the atty in alcohol before vaping. But, the instructions say no such thing, and manufacturers have to assume that the vast majority of people aren't going to try to "clean out" their brand-new e-cigarette of nasty primer.

 

[Neon]

I want to know whats in them too.

 

[throatkick]

Frick, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle. While the primer can be vile, there are ways around it and it doesn't require too much effort. How do you eliminate the chemicals from a cigarette? How do you even find out what all of them are? By researching and reading obscure testing results? Does anyone even really know each and every one of those chemicals?

You say you don't want to be used as a test subject ( and we all agree with that) but we already HAVE been used as a test subjects for years. Asking questions does help provide answers but let's do it in a constructive and positive way. Ask your supplier. Look up the manufacturers and call/email them. You have a good question; now try to contribute the answer as well.