Archive for the ‘e-cigarette tips for beginners’ Category

If your favorite nicotine liquid (e-liquid) flavor doesn’t taste the same and your electric cigarette gives you a weak throat hit, you might have developed some tolerance to the  flavor. That’s why using at least three nicotine flavors is a good practice.

My first nicotine liquid, very high on nicotine, felt as though I smoked a conventional cigarette—taste was strong and felt good, and the throat hit hit as hard as it should. I liked it so much that I wanted to smoke only that flavor.

But by the time I finished half the 30ml bottle, the taste and throat hit started to feel weak. After alternating  my favorite flavor with another for two weeks, my favorite flavor felt as good as when I first tasted it.

And remember that when your electric cigarette tastes too light,  tolerance to your favorite nicotine liquid flavor can be only one of the reasons. Always charge the batteries, clean the atomizer, and use fresh and properly-stored nicotine liquid.

If you don’t have enough e-cigarette supplies, you’re going back to your old smelly friend for sure. I didn’t realize how thin the line between e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes is until my only spare atomizer died. I lasted only a couple of hours before I started craving for nicotine and I feel ashamed that I had to purchase a pack of cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are advertised as a way to quit smoking and they are not. They are just a healthier substitute—at least they seem to be. Avoid my mistake: have at least two spare atomizers, two brand new cartridges, and enough e-liquid.

One of the most effective ways to clean an e-cigarette atomizer is using steam. If you do it right, your e-cigarette will make as much smoke as it did when it was new. Steam effectively cleans the inside of the atomizer—the coil and bottom—removing the sticky residue of e-liquid that builds every time you smoke. The residue holds back the smoke, and is unhealthy. For best results, use a portable air compressor after the steam cleaning to unclog your e-cigarette.

Equipment: Home Espresso Machine and Tweezers and Napkin

You need a home espresso machine-one that has a steam nozzle for frothing milk. If you don’t have one and like hot espresso drinks—there are good home espresso machines that go for about $100. They all have steam nozzles. To hold the atomizer under the nozzle, you’ll also need a pair of tweezers.

How to Clean

After you turn on the espresso machine, hold a cup under the steam nozzle to make sure that steam, and no hot water, is coming out into the cup. When there’s enough steam, for a minute hold the atomizer with its open side facing the steam. After the cleaning, blow on the side of atomizer that connects to the battery, over a napkin. You’ll be able to see the yellowish residue that comes out the chamber with the heating coil. Leave the atomizer with its open side down on the napkin. Let the atomizer drain and dry out overnight.

If Atomizer Doesn’t Make Smoke after Cleaning

The atomizer has to dry out after steam cleaning or it won’t work. Some people use hairdryer. But I found that the atomizer will start working after sucking on the mouthpiece repeatedly with the e-cigarette assembled. You don’t have to do it all at once—you’ll get a sore mouth. I know it sounds funny but that’s how I got my atomizer working every time after I cleaned it with steam or unclogged it with compressed air.

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.

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.

The Problem of Comparing E-cigarettes with Conventional Cigarettes

With every technological invention comes new vocabulary. E-cigarette and electronic cigar are examples of words borne on the winds of science; the words have proper place in the English vocabulary. But now we have two main kinds of cigarettes—e-cigarette and what?

We can’t refer to e-cigarettes and the cigarettes invented before them with the same name because they are two different things. I’m offering a number of solutions to this problem, starting with the most suitable term.

How to Talk about Conventional Cigarettes

A conventional cigarette is a cigarette made of finely cut tobacco leaves and wrapped into paper. Conventional smoking is the activity of smoking conventional cigarettes. Use the following expressions to refer to conventional cigarettes when you have to compare them with e-cigarettes:

• conventional cigarette / conventional smoking

• regular cigarette / regular smoking

• traditional cigarette / traditional smoking

• ordinary cigarette / ordinary smoking

How Did I Come Up with These Expressions

The old-fashioned way: by looking into the Roget’s Thesaurus, Merriam Webster’s Dictionary and Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.

What Is a Typical E-cigarette Kit

An e-cigarette starter kit is the basic equipment for your new e-cigarette device. All e-cigarette sellers offer starter kits that usually include:

• 1 atomizer

• 2 batteries

• 1 charger

• 5 cartridges filled with e-liquid.

With their starter kits, some sellers may offer bottles with e-liquid, additional cartridges, or an additional atomizer.

Tip: What to Buy with Your First E-cigarette Kit

Bottle of e-liquid: you should buy at least one bottle of e-liquid. This is important because the cartridges that come with the starter kit will not last long enough—you risk going back to your old smoking habits.

Cartridges: try cartridges with different tastes and nicotine doses (some sellers include this in their starter kits). Ask sellers if they have starter kits with all their flavors and doses—even if they don’t offer the package you’d like.

Before I ordered my first e-cigarette kit, I asked the seller to include all flavors, and he did without charging extra.

Tip: Defective E-cigarettes and Seller Return Policy

E-cigarettes often come defective, my first did. I decided it’s the atomizer and the seller sent me a new one, a defective one. So, I had to purchase another starter kit from a different seller. Here’s what I learned from my mistake:

• Check seller return and exchange policy–-many e-cigarettes come with one year warranty.

• If you e-cigarette is defective (you’ll find out in the first two weeks), don’t try to figure out if it’s the batteries or atomizer. Just return or exchange the kit.