How do you know when a carto needs replacing?

[gizmondothefirst]

Been quite new to vaping I'm still not sure what the tell tale signs are for a dying carto?

When a carto reaches the end of its useable life does it just stop working/burn out or does performance drop?

I ask because I have really only used Boge carto's and unlabeled SR carto's regularly and so far they are all performing as they did initially.
I am 5 weeks in and have being using about 11 of these on a rotational basis. Some flavours I have loved and therefore used the carto more than the others that I haven't liked as much.

But I have noticed that on some flavours the vapour produced and TH and obviously taste are rubbish compared to direct dripping into an atty. (Even on brand new carto's) (I am now testing all flavours by direct dripping so I don't commit yukky ones to a carto) And I therefore wondered if the actual carto's are beginning to reach the end and have thus reduced performance?

I am a tight git and believe in getting every last bit out of everything so I haven't thrown any away and have so far put it down to the juice not being comatible with the carto

Silly question I know, but one I had to ask

[DiscoDes]

Generally when the vapor production drops off or the draw becomes very tight this is the end of the line for them. If you are just using one you should get between 3 - 7 days out of a Carto IMO before it need replacing.

[gizmondothefirst]

Thanks Des.

I have read before about them lasting 3 - 7 days, but I couldn't remember reading if they die gracefully and stop immediately, or if its a prolonged process?

I really only ask as I have had a couple of juices that perform amazingly when direct dripped into an atty, but when put into a carto everything is muted - flavour, vapour, throat hit etc - and its recently occured to me whether I have been right in thinking that the juice is incompatible with carto's OR the carto itself is under performing, either through age/use or from manufacture? (ie duff carto)

I guess the only way to know for sure would be to fill another carto and see what thats like? (Something I didn't want to do before as I didn't want to waste juice and a carto!)

[domesticextremist]

What Des said, also, the filler loses its ability to accept juice, so it gets
easily overfilled.
By the time you've got rid of the excess, it dries out again.

Simply put if you find yourself chgging away really hard to get any vapour
and faffing a lot cleaning excess juice and topping up too often, bin it.

[domesticextremist]

Though I should say I seem to get longer out of mine than Des.
It's probably down to the juices we use.
I have one still going strong after two months

[maccafan]

Mar 1, 2012 10:28:43 GMT domesticextremist said:

Though I should say I seem to get longer out of mine than Des.
It's probably down to the juices we use.
I have one still going strong after two months

My 808 carts seem to last forever..I am still using the ones I bought around 15th Jan..

Have been through a few cleaning cycles and still snap & crackle.

[gizmondothefirst]

2 months sounds impressive!!!
Is that a regularly used carto, or one that comes out every now and again?

I've just bitten the bullet and cracked open a new carto and tried a juice I've had problems with - lets see?!

[domesticextremist]

Yes, used every day for at least a few hours.
I keep it topped up with my fave FV Mango juice.

[gizmondothefirst]

Thats pretty impressive!
I cracked open a new carto and filled with juice and, as before, everything is muted!?? It seems to have a hint of burnt rubber, which I thought would fade after a while, but a couple of hours in and its still there?

Is it possible that some juices just don't do well in carto's?

[gizmondothefirst]

Mar 1, 2012 10:31:38 GMT maccafan said:

Mar 1, 2012 10:28:43 GMT domesticextremist said:

Though I should say I seem to get longer out of mine than Des.
It's probably down to the juices we use.
I have one still going strong after two months

My 808 carts seem to last forever..I am still using the ones I bought around 15th Jan..

Have been through a few cleaning cycles and still snap & crackle.

What cleaning process? Do you mean 'boiling in a pan'?

[Roger]

I think you just know when a carto is on the way out. I get a general dissatisfied feel, doesn't taste as good, not so much vapour, I've even occasionally seen a brown liquid coming out of one of the holes (crud off the coil prolly).

It's one of those feelings that grows the more you use them.

[gizmondothefirst]

Mar 1, 2012 14:27:06 GMT Roger said:

I think you just know when a carto is on the way out. I get a general dissatisfied feel, doesn't taste as good, not so much vapour, I've even occasionally seen a brown liquid coming out of one of the holes (crud off the coil prolly).

It's one of those feelings that grows the more you use them.

I guess so, but what if you got that 'dissatisfied feeling' with a fresh carto, used for the first time?

[blakey]

Mar 1, 2012 14:23:18 GMT gizmondothefirst said:

Thats pretty impressive!
I cracked open a new carto and filled with juice and, as before, everything is muted!?? It seems to have a hint of burnt rubber, which I thought would fade after a while, but a couple of hours in and its still there?

Is it possible that some juices just don't do well in carto's?

Sounds like a dodgy carto batch to me I've had this before and it seems to be something to do with the filler material inside, Got some more and they were fine. The only juice that taste's any good in them is menthol or really strong flavours that can overpower it. Boges used to be bullet proof once upon a time.............................
>

[gizmondothefirst]

I have a feeling it is that as the only juice I get that satisfied feeling with is menthol, coffees and RY4/Marlboro's.
The unlabeled cartos I have all have a taste/hint of burnt rubber, regardless of the voltage I use? :-[

[flipflop]

Mar 1, 2012 15:12:53 GMT gizmondothefirst said:

Mar 1, 2012 14:27:06 GMT Roger said:

I think you just know when a carto is on the way out. I get a general dissatisfied feel, doesn't taste as good, not so much vapour, I've even occasionally seen a brown liquid coming out of one of the holes (crud off the coil prolly).

It's one of those feelings that grows the more you use them.

I guess so, but what if you got that 'dissatisfied feeling' with a fresh carto, used for the first time?

Hi gizmondothefirst,
I have just switched from cartos to clearomizers, and I shout out loud love em.
I'm only on my first day with them, but I instantly prefer them to cartomizers. You should give them a look over, if your not completely happy with cartomizers.
If your interested, I got mine from safercigs.
I don't know how to link the site and what not, but if you check out the thread on "IF YOUR THINKING OF BUYING A RIVA, READ THIS" maccafan and suebam have linked the clearomizers to the site.
Hope this makes some sense,
And sorry if I haven't helped you with your question.