Archive for April, 2009

This was a question asked by one of the readers of e-cigarettepedia. If I have to give a direct answer: many times, depending on how you take care of your cartridges. I bought my first e-cigarette four months ago, and I’m still using 5 of the original 10 cartridges that came with my Super Mini E-cigarette (RN4981) Kit.

When Do You Know that Your E-cigarette Cartridge Needs to Be Replaced

Most e-cigarette cartridges are reusable. You need to purchase e-liquid separately to refill. But the outside shell of a cartridge, the mouthpiece, is made of plastic, and after time the heat from the atomizer deforms its shape until the shell gets cracked. Once the plastic cartridge is cracked, get rid of it or you risk swallowing e-liquid. Besides a damaged cartridges produce less smoke.

The other main part, the piece of polyester batting that holds the e-liquid inside the cartridge, accumulates residue of e-liquid. So, keep an eye on the color of the polyester core. When the core gets darker, you should change the cartridge.

Clean Cartridges in Hot Water

The best way to clean your cartridges is soaking them in hot water. Don’t boil them—they’ll turn pale and start melting. A couple of minutes in hot water is enough, and make sure the polyester batting is completely clean.

Throat Hit Origins

Throat hit is the tingling sensation smokers feel at the back of the throat. It is felt when the inhaled smoke hits the throat. The term is more relevant to e-cigarette smoking because by their very nature e-cigarettes taste lighter than conventional cigarettes. Throat hit is a major concern for e-cigarette smokers because most of them converted from conventional smoking and they are used to the stronger throat hit of a burning tobacco leaf.

So, the stronger the throat hit, the better because  it’s closer to the real thing. Let’s look at some of the factors involved in producing stronger throat hit, starting from the most important.

Throat Hit Factors

#1 E-liquid Quality: Overall quality of e-liquid is cited as the most important factor in producing stronger throat hit. First time buyers of e-cigarette should research the brands that offer e-liquid that ranks high in throat hit.

#2 Nicotine Dosage in E-liquid: The dosage of nicotine can also affect throat hit. High dosage equals stronger throat hit, but again it depends on the overall quality of the e-liquid.

#3 Condition and Proper Maintenance: Life of equipment and maintenance may determine throat hit. Often uncharged batteries and clogged atomizer may cause weak throat hit; so do defective ones.

#4 Device Parts Quality: Throat hit also depends on the quality of the separate parts of the e-cigarette: atomizer, batteries, and cartridges. The model, batch, and brand play a part too.

#5 Smoking Technique: Smoking e-cigarettes takes some time to learn. It is about three times harder to draw on an e-cigarette than on a conventional cigarette. Plus getting more vapor and throat hit depends on the particular way an e-cigarette is drawn on.

E-cigarettes are a  new product, which is why manufacturers didn’t think of a universal carrying case for keeping parts and e-liquid together. The perfect case for an e-cigarette is light and compact, one that fits into a pants pocket and carries at least a spare battery and a 10 ml bottle of e-liquid.

The homemade carrying case I’m using is an aluminum box from ALTOIDS. The metal box even comes in two sizes, both of which I find useful depending on the situation.

Basic Carrying Case for E-cigarettes

I use the smaller ALTOIDS box, the box from 20 piece ALTOIDS chewing gum, to carry one battery, one cartridge, and one atomizer, plus one 10 ml bottle of e-liquid. This carrying case, the more compact of the two, is ideal when you have to be out for a couple of hours. The case will fit into any pocket. I use a folded tissue paper as padding to keep the e-cigarette parts tightly packed and protect them from hitting each other.

Basic Carrying Case for Your E-cigarette

Travel Carrying Case for E-cigarette

When traveling, you can use the larger ALTOIDS box. If you have a super mini e-cigarette, you’ll fit as many as 4 batteries, 2 atomizers, 2 cartridges, and two 10 ml bottles—enough supplies to last you for two days without using the charger.  Remember to use a soft tissue or soft cloth as padding to protect the parts.

Of course you can choose different combinations—you’ll learn from experience what exactly to include in your metal box. In the image bellow, the box contains 2 batteries, 1 atomizer, 1 cartridge, and 1 10ml bottle of e-liquid.

Larger Case for E-cigarettes

To find out how to store your e-liquid and why I’m using a 10 ml dropper bottle , read this recent post: Tips for Storing E-liquid.

Yesterday Mark, a reader of e-cigarettepedia.com, asked me the following question:

I was wondering if it was possible to use plain water (or distilled water or perhaps a ‘home made’ mixture) in place of the e-liquid. I have seen the zero nicotine e-liquid.  I would assume that since it has zero nicotine, there is no risk of chemical addiction?  I was looking for information on atomizers, because I was trying to figure out if I could use plain water with one.

Mark’s question made me curious, so I did an experiment:

Experiment Using Water Instead of E-liquid for E-cigarettes

It’s important that I used an e-cigarette atomizer that had been used previously. Used atomizers have deposits of e-liquid that cannot be cleaned completely. And this affected my initial results.

In my experiment, I used a new cartridge, the one without e-liquid, and my super mini e-cigarette. I filled the cartridge with sink water instead of e-liquid. At first my e-cigarette worked as if it was filled with e-liquid—weaker taste, lots of smoke. But after 10 puffs, the smoke tasted more and more like pure water vapor. Ten more puffs and less and less vapor. It also became harder and harder to suck on the mouthpiece.

What Did These Results Mean?

• It is possible to use a dilute e-liquid since deposits of e-liquid in atomizer chamber and water from cartridge produced a lot of vapor.
• You can’t smoke water with your e-cigarette. The e-cigarette might produce a very small amount of water vapor, and you have to suck on your e-cigarette  like a hungry baby at her mamma’s breast.

E-liquid is a food product and has a shelf life. It is also sensitive to heat. I’ve noticed that leaving e-liquid at room temperature and leaving the bottle open spoils the e-liquid flavor and intensity (or the so called throat hit). This makes your e-cigarette taste light and stale, which spoils the pleasure of e-cigarette smoking, so much that you might soon start craving for the real cigarette smoke.

Store E-liquid in Two Different Bottles

If the e-liquid you just purchased comes in a plastic bottle, transfer it to an amber glass bottle. The dark glass does a better job protecting your e-liquid. Store the glass bottle of e-liquid in a cool, dry place—your refrigerator is the best storage place.

Large Amber Bottle for Long-Term Storing of E-liquid next to 10ml Dropper Bottle

For refilling your cartridges, get a smaller bottle to carry around during the day. I find 10 ml amber glass dropper bottle very convenient—I keep the bottle, together with the batteries, atomizer, and cartridge in a box from ALTOIDS. At night leave the small bottle in your refrigerator to keep the e-liquid fresh.

E-cigarette Parts and 10ml Dropper Bottle Fit into ALTOIDS box

E-liquid in Cartridges

E-liquid is also available in sealed cartridges. Cartridges with e-liquid make it easier for you to try new flavors. But once you find your favorite e-liquid flavors, it doesn’t make sense to keep a reserve of sealed cartridges with e-liquid. Whether sealed or opened, the e-liquid stored in a cartridge won’t stay fresh for long. Refill the cartridges with the supply of fresh e-liquid you keep in your refrigerator.

The atomizer is the heart of your e-cigarette, and you should take a good care of it if you don’t want your e-cigarette to have heart problems. The least you could do is to leave your atomizer upside down (side that connects to battery up), at night, to drain deposits of e-liquid.

I’ve researched and found many ways to get rid of the deposits that clog an e-cigarette atomizer. But, for now, I find an air compressor the most effective. Note that this article is based on two successful attempts (read the Important Notes at the end of article).

Where to Find a Portable Air Compressor for Cleaning Your Atomizer

Portable air compressors are very easy to find—just do a quick search online or go to your local Pep Boys store. Price varies from $30 to $100. You don’t need a very powerful compressor—thus the most affordable should be good enough.  The device I’m using is a portable, all-in-one power station that has a built-in air compressor. I keep it in my car. The compressor is for inflating car tires.

portable air compressor for cleaning the atomizer of your e-cigarette

Please note that this method of cleaning might not work with all models of atomizers. I tested it on the atomizer of a super mini e-cigarette.

• Take the air compressor hose and join the air outlet valve to the side of the atomizer that attaches to the battery. See how the valve and atomizer fit. If they don’t, try using the air valve fitting—the one you use to inflate your tires.

connecting e-cigarette atomizer to air outlet valve

• Start the air compressor. Force air through the atomizer’s chamber, but don’t overdo it—just enough air to get the e-liquid deposits out.  Force air only from the side of the atomizer that connects with the battery. If you use the other side of the atomizer (the one that connects to the cartridge, you risk damaging it.

Cleaning your e-cigarette atomizer with air pressure

If your e-cigarette works as good as when it was new, congratulations—you cleaned your atomizer. If it doesn’t, the problem might not be a clogged atomizer.

Important Notes:

Make sure you have a spare atomizer if you decided to try the air compressor.

The first time I used this procedure, I successfully unclogged an atomizer. I forced air through the side of the atomizer that connects to the battery, and I used the compressor for less than a minute.

The second time, my atomizer started working two days after the cleaning. I cleaned the atomizer from both sides, and I used the compressor for more than two minutes. The reason why the atomizer wouldn’t work for two days was probably because some mini part (that was supposed to be dry) got wet during cleaning. So, remember to force air through the side that connects to the battery.

Let’s try to explain the atomizer technology of the e-cigarette in plain English. The atomizer is the part of the e-cigarette that converts the e-liquid into water vapor. The atomizer is a small metal tube. Inside it, there’s a tiny c l uster of metal wires—the heating component, and a micro pump. Depending on the model of the e-cigarette, atomizers vary in shape and size.

The Process of Atomization During E-Smoking

When a smoker takes a drag from an e-cigarette, a sensor (located inside the main body of the e-cigarette) activates the circuit board (also inside the main body). The circuit board, powered by the battery, sends two electrical currents—one to the pump and one to the heating component of the atomizer. The pump forces the e-liquid through the atomizer where the heating component starts vaporizing the e-liquid.

To most people, this sounds confusing because the atomizer comes before the cartridge with e-liquid. And suction goes in opposite direction—from the atomizer to the cartridge. If you want to solve this mystery, and the mystery of scientific writing, check my source—the European patent office. Who knows, you might come up with your own atomizing device.

Atomizer is the Most Sensitive Part of an E-cigarette

Every new e-smoker, sooner or later, learns this. It’s a good idea to keep a supply of spare atomizers, because most atomizers have a short life; and if your only atomizer dies, you risk going back to conventional cigarettes.
PS: Updated June 17, 2009

The model for how the e-cigarette works comes from information I found at the website of the European Union Patent Office. Many e-cigarette enthusiasts claim there’s no micro pump and that it exists only in the patent to confuse future competition.

Miao Nan, the executive director of Ruyan. He is the Chinese equivalent of the popular character in the movie "Thank You for Smoking"

Ruyan ( or Ruyan Group Holdings Limited, based in Hong Kong) was the company that invented the e-cigarette. In 2004, Ruyan first introduced the e-cigar and the e-pipe, and in 2006 the Ruyan E-cigarette, orV8, became available on the Chinese market.

Ruyan’s Patent Wars

The company is involved in several patent lawsuits: Ruyan claims that other e-cigarette manufacturers, in China and abroad, are using Ruyan’s technology illegally. Recently the High Court in China stated that Ruyan is the rightful owner of the atomization method in e-cigarette products.

The Atomizing Technology

The ultrasonic atomizing technology, patented by Ruyan, is a method of dissolving the e-cigarette solution called e-liquid. When a smoker takes a drag on an e-cigarette, the atomizer heats up the e-liquid—this produces the water vapor or the smoke of e-cigarettes.