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You are here: Home > FAQ
#Here are some Frequently Asked Questions....

How do I to put together my kit?
I'm vaping but it tastes terrible
I am puffing but there is no vapor – what now?
How long do carts last?
Is using a eCigarette cheaper than using regular cigarettes?
What is in the liquid used for vaping and is it safe?
How much eLiquid will I use?
How do I refill a cartridge with eLiquid?
What is 'dripping'?
What is flooding?
Maintenance of your atomizer


#How do I put my kit together?
Check out our New to eCigs page!

#I put it together and I'm vaping but it tastes horrible! And/or there is no vapor!
If the vapor “tastes bad”, or tastes “burnt”, stop vaping immediately and read these instructions to find out what is causing this:

a. Remove factory eLiquid from the atomizer.
Your first time using a new device, you need to make sure you clean the factory eLiquid from the atomizer. Always take 5-10 puffs when first using a new PV, without inhaling to remove the factory liquid that coats the atomizer to protect it in shipping.

b. Your cartridge may be dried out.
Pull the cart off to check the poly filling inside. If it looks singed to a more solid white in the center of the polyfill, and dry around it, you can do a few things to wet it down (drip, inject, tap town, etc.). If parts of the polyfill have been caught on the atomizer coil package (inside the atty tube), and threads are pulled out from the bottom of the cartridge, there may be fibers getting melted, meaning polyester fumes are released. Not good! Clip any loose threads protruding above cart edge. Use tweezers to remove any fibers inside the atomizer.

If the fiber is dried out a lot, you can replace it with a full one, top it off with a few drops, or refill it completely. Some people do not refill cartridges, preferring instead to drip eLiquid directly onto the atomizer coil inside the tube.  This is called 'dripping' and not for the pure beginner. Done wrong, you can easily disable your ecig.  See 'dripping' below.

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#I am puffing but there is no vapor – what now?
a. Is the battery charged? 
If you press on the battery button and there isn’t a continuous light (not blinking), then the battery may need recharging.  Sometimes the light will begin blinking just a second or two after pressing – that means it is almost too low to vaporize.  Try replacing the battery.

b. Is the battery securely screwed into the atomizer?
Not too tight – just make sure the two pieces are seated to each other.

c. Is the cartridge empty? Dry?
Covered elsewhere in this FAQ, under ‘refilling’ and directly below this FAQ...

d. Is the atomizer flooded?
See ‘Flooding’.

e. Is the atomizer ‘dead’?
With the cart removed, press the power button and listen to the atomizer:  is it ‘fizzing’?  Crackling, popping?  If not, it could be dead, either temporarily or permanently.  (Keep in mind that the ecig is a ‘consumable’ item, it does not last forever.) Over time, certain eLiquid products (dark, rich flavors or those with sugar, etc) can create a coating over the heater coil that prevents atomization.  Try another atomizer.  And try cleaning the ‘dead’ atomizer (explained below).

If you hear fizzing, cracking or popping noises while pressing the battery button, then the atomizer (atty) it is NOT dead – possibly just flooded. 

Look inside the atomizer tube and repeat the button push, for a maximum of 5 seconds.  If it is ‘alive’, it should heat up quickly and burn off excess fluid, which could be inhibiting vapor production.  It may even glow.  This is called a ‘dry burn’, and is one technique for reviving atomizers. (See ‘flooding’).  You can repeat this cycle several times, but be careful not to overheat the coil inside.  If the coil is getting red while you ‘dry burn’, blow some cool air down inside the atomizer tube while doing the burn, to avoid permanently damaging the coil.

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#How long do Cartridges last?
Carts and fluid delivery are a major frustration point for western users. And the manufacturers make rather exaggerated claims regarding cartridge life, as well as battery life.  A lot of folks wash, repack and re-use carts – it's up to the individual once you understand how they work. Modifications (“mods”) on Personal Vaporizer cartridges abound, as users attempt to solve design limitations. Search YouTube.com for tutorials on 'cart mods'. Of course any mod use may effect the life and warranty of the product, so proceed at your own risk there.

A basic rule we can offer is to keep the atomizer a little more on the ‘wet’ side than the ‘dry’ side. If you don’t ‘drip’ (see below) then that means keeping the cart from drying out is a priority. You want to get a full rich vapor with each draw. And finding the right ‘draw’ strength and length is as important as keeping things moist inside. Experiment. Slow, long and steady is recommended. I sometimes ‘prime’ the atomizer with a short tiny puff or two, before a long draw. Like lighting a pipe.

Until you get into your own individual ‘groove’ with your PV (Personal Vaporizer), you will likely “vape” a cartridge pretty dry.

CAUTION: Cartridges on most ecigs contain numerous pieces, some very small. Do NOT bite down hard on cartridges, as this can dislodge the tiny pieces and cause a choking hazard. Properly dispose of any cartridge immediately if you think the cartridge parts are coming loose.

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#Is using an eCigarette cheaper than regular cigarettes?
In our experience, the cost of vaping is much less than the cost of smoking analogs (regular tobacco cigarettes) – it can be 1/3 one’s analog cost - once one gets setup and finds the best Personal Vaporizer (PV). Depending upon your previous analog habit, the cost can be even less.

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#What is in the smoking liquid (juice or eLiquid) and is it safe?
eLiquid is mostly Propylene Glycol (PG), and/or Vegetable Glycerin (VG), with water, liquid nicotine and a small amount of flavoring (all our Johnson Creek USA made eLiquid products have their ingredients listed directly on the product). 

Some eLiquids are made with Vegetable Glycerin (VG) instead of or in conjunction with PG. Some people may have a slight reaction to PG, and some may have the same effect with VG.  Whether you choose to use PG or VG based liquids is up to you and what works best for you.

We as retailers are prohibited by the FDA from making any claims regarding safety, until clinically recognized tests are approved. Please search the internet and we are sure you will find recent and significant information regarding the effects of these products.

Nicotine on the other hand is extremely toxic if found in pure doses and handled unsafely. Personal Vaping eLiquids are mostly dilutions in very low percentages of nicotine compared to the percentage of water and PG, but is still toxic. Never handle pure nicotine liquids.

Beginner safety tip: avoid getting the eLiquid on your skin – keep tissues handy and wash up – nicotine is toxic and absorbs into skin easily.

Please refer to our Terms of Use for information regarding nicotine cautions.

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#How much eLiquid will I use?
It all depends on your use and technique.  How many analog (regular tobacco) cigarettes do you smoke per day? The average pack-a-day (or less) smoker will generally use 1-3ml of eLiquid per day. Heavy smokers (more than a pack) can use as much as 3 ml or more each day. And multiple-pack smokers can use 3-7ml or even more each day! There are many variables that can affect usage, such as spills, leaks, or flooding, as well as what type and resistance of atomizers you use – so “your mileage may vary”!

If you are a beginner and placing your first eCigarette order we recommend you include at least one bottle of eLiquid in your order. Then observe your actual usage to determine following orders.

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#How do I refill a cartridge with eLiquid?
Beginner safety tip: avoid getting the eLiquid on your skin – keep tissues handy and wash up – nicotine is toxic and absorbs into skin easily.

If the fiber in your cart is dried out a lot, you can replace it, or top it off with a few drops, or refill it completely. You will need a bottle of eLiquid in order to do this. Open your bottle and make sure NOT to get any of the liquid on your hands or the service area (put down paper towels).

You can drip up to as many as 8 -15 or more drops of your eLiquid into the cart's fiber - if it’s near empty. Wait for it to settle in, in between drops, and perhaps, with a straightened paperclip, poke down the side of the cart into the poly fiber to break any air bubbles trapped. Be careful not to let it leak down the sides (into the slots that go outside the fiber chamber) towards your mouth!  Another technique involves using a blunt tip syringe and inserting the filled syringe to the bottom of the cart fiber section, then filling it from the bottom up.

The cart is full when the eLiquid JUST settles below the highest fibers in the cart.  If the eLiquid is pooling above the fibers, remove that extra bit before inserting back into the atomizer.  And make sure no fiber threads extend above the cart fiber well.

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#What is 'dripping?
If the atomizer (not the cart) has dried out too much (which can happen, even if the cart is full and the battery is good) - little vapor will come out.  You can put a drop or two into the atty tube, replace the cart and try again. Not too much, or you’ll flood it. Don’t worry, you will at least once ;-)  See ‘flooding’ below.

“Dripping” is another technique altogether. Users who ‘drip’ abandon filling the cart fiber, or even the cart itself.  Instead, they regularly drip several drops of eLiquid directly inside the atomizer tube when it fails to produce more vapor.  For a 510 or 901 model, these users often drip about 2-4 drops at a time, then vape that until vapor production declines, and repeat.  This can be a very tedious (and sometimes messy and dangerous) technique, and not one we recommend.

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#What is flooding?
Flooding is when there is too much fluid in the atomizer, preventing vaporization. If you hear gurgling sounds when inhaling or fluid is leaking from the bottom of the atomizer, it may be flooded. Remove the atomizer, wad up a tissue or paper towel and place under screw end of atomizer. Blow through the cartridge and this will force excess fluid out the other end of the atomizer. Wipe the threads clean on the atomizer and the battery, and re-assemble.

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#Maintenance of your atomizer
At the end of each day we recommend clearing the atomizer as if it were flooded. See description above. Many users ‘park’ their atomizers every night, upside down (battery connector pointed UP) on a paper towel, to let excess unused fluid drain out.  This may lengthen the atomizer’s lifespan.

Once a week we recommend you place your atomizers in a cup of boiling water for several minutes, then flush with cold water, and blow excess water out as with flooding. Let it dry over night (‘park’ them on a paper towel as explained above) and blow through it again before using. If the atty is still too wet it will not work.

Do NOT use any other cleaner other than water – the atomizer contains delicate silicone parts that can be damaged by cleaning agents.

PLEASE WRITE OR CALL US IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. WE ARE HERE TO HELP!