Electronic Cigarettes and Cartridges – How to get the most out of your Cigarette?

Electronic cigarettes are the latest in nifty gadgets that have been brought to the market as an aid to help people through the transition period when they are working on quitting smoking.  Getting people to give up smoking is one of the toughest jobs ever – but now there are many more tools available like chewing gum and patches.  The newest tool of course is the electronic cigarette – and quite possibly one of the most effective.  It contains a small amount of nicotine in the form of a solution which is delivered as an aerosol mist.  This vapor gives users the needed hit without the rest of the toxic substances that are a part of cigarette smoke.

After 6 months of use, quite a few people were able to cut down on their cigarette use by more than half.  A good number of people were able to cut out smoking altogether.  With results such as these, people opting to use the electronic cigarette can rest assured that they are getting the best tool on the market.  Of course, abstinence is always a good thing and a real possibility – but an unenforceable one.  There are people who question the efficacy of e-cigarettes and vocally recommend the use of tried and tested products like Nicorette gum and patches.

Of course, there are people who have tried e-cigarettes and swear by the product.  For those who are considering using it, here is some information on ordering and how to handle refills. Electronic cigars may seem to be expensive to buy, at the outset but there are ways to make it cost effective.  Buying refills rather than pre-packaged cartridges is much cheaper and here are a few ways to save a bundle while in the process of quitting.  One thing people have to know is that there are only two items that need to be refilled – the cartomizer and the cartridge.  While there are as many varieties as there are cigarettes – the refill process is basically the same for all of them.  Every electronic cigarette manufacturer has information on their website on the construction of the cigarette, usage and how to do refills.

How to refill cartridges:

The cartridge is one of the most important parts of the electronic cigarette.  It is usually made of plastic and has a filling made of polyfiber in a hollow cavity.  Cartridges can be refilled by a couple of different methods:

·         Drip Method: This is a common and easy way to do a refill.  Materials required for the job are 2 paper clips, a paper towel, liquid and the cartridge.  The cartridge is removed from the atomizer and wiped down to ensure it is clean.  Straightening out the paperclip, the user has it insert it into the cartridge without getting stuck in the stuffing. Use it to pull the stuffing to one side; tilt the liquid bottle and pour the liquid into the cartridge. Stop pouring when the level is about a quarter inch from the top – the stuffing has to be moist and not soggy. Remove the paperclip and let the stuffing fill up the cartridge.  Put it back into the atomizer and it is ready for use.  This is one of the easiest ways to do a refill, anywhere, any time.

·         Injection Method: The materials needed for this job are almost the same – paper towels, needle and syringe, cartridges and liquid.  The first step is the same – remove the atomizer from the cartridge and wipe down the exterior of any liquid that may have leaked or spilled.  After attaching the needle to the syringe, insert it into the liquid bottle and take out the necessary amount – 1 or 2 ml. should be more than sufficient for an average atomizer.  Insert the syringe into the atomizer and fill the cartridge up – start to remove the needle as it is filling up to ensure that it spreads evenly.  Make sure not to overfill – the cartridge can be inserted back into the cigarette and it is ready for use.  This method requires a little more care and different items – so the recommendation is to do it at home.  People are able to gauge how much liquid is needed as they get practice.

How to refill Cartomizers:

A cartomizer is a combination between an atomizer and cartridge – this is where electronic cigarettes differ in construction.  Refilling cartomizers is not that different from a cartridge – the same two methods can be used to do refills on cartomizers as well, but some cartomizers are constructed in such a way that the drip method is not very easy to implement.

·         Drip Method: Materials required for the job are cartridges, paper towel, liquid, paper clip and pliers.  The battery is detached from the cartomizer and wiped clean of any excess liquid and debris. After straightening the paper clip, use the pliers to bend a portion of it to a 90° angle – this is used as a handle to pop the top of the cartomizer.  Depending on the construction, this is the only part keeping the stuffing in the cartomizer.  Remove all the stoppers so that the stuffing becomes visible.  Tilt the cartomizer just a bit, and using the paper clip pull back the stuffing.  Drip the liquid in slowly so that it is filled halfway.  Start turning the cartomizer a bit and add a few more drops to ensure that the stuffing is well soaked but not dripping.  Replace the cap, attach the battery and the cigarette is ready for use.

This is the best way to refill the cartomizer – it is no doubt a little more tedious than doing the cartridge.  Handle the cartomizer carefully so that it doesn’t get damaged in the process, otherwise it has to be discarded.  One can also resort to using the drip method to fill the cartomizer but this takes a while longer and may not be filled as well as it is necessary.

Electronic cigarettes are quite a nifty invention and surely there are going to be many more innovations in the product to make it more effective in the delivery of nicotine.