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FAQs (Kindly constructed by Spiraller)

 

What is an E-NI (Electronic Nicotine Inhalator)?

An E-NI, otherwise known as a personal vaporizer, is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by way of a vaporized solution. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation.

An E-NI usually takes the form of some manner of elongated tube, though many are designed to resemble the outward appearance of real smoking products, like cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. A common design is also the "pen-style", so named for its visual resemblance to a ballpoint pen. Most E-NI's are reusable devices with replaceable and refillable parts. A number of disposable E-NI's have also been developed.

We can point you to wikipedia for an excellent guide. 

Here is a comparison video of the Titan, the DSE901 and the 'Super' which was kindly posted on our forum by Ritalee

Some Terminology  

Battery - The main body of your E-NI. This is rechargeable in the non-disposable electronic nicotine inhalators. Charging typically takes between 1 and 3 hours depending on the model, and will give you power typically for around one hour of heavy vaping, up to 4 or 5 hours of very light vaping, again depending on the model being used.

Atomiser - This part converts the nicotine liquid into a vapour, much as a smoke machine by principle, by heating up a small element. The vapour is the same as a smoke machine!

Cartridge or Cart - These are plastic mouthpieces (disposable) which contain a deep well, filled with a nicotine-liquid soaked wadding.

E-liquid or e-juice or juice - This is the nicotine liquid which makes your electronic nicotine inhalator work. You can buy various strengths from 0 to 36 mg and refill your 'disposable' carts with it.

Analog - The term vapers give to tobacco cigarettes! Analog versus digital!

PCC - Portable Charging Case. This is a box shaped device which allows you to charge your E-NI batteries in your pocket or handbag whilst out and about on the move. Currently, this is not available for all models but is sold by Totally Wicked for the Titan brand E-NI.

USB Charger - This is a charger that you can plug into the computer instead of the mains for charging your E-NI. They are available for most models of electronic nicotine inhalators.

PG - You will see this abbreviation used with some e-liquid sellers, and across the forum, it stands for Propyl(ene) Glycol. See 'What is in the e-liquid' under 'Personal Vaporising Liquids' further down this FAQ.

AG/VG - You will see this abbreviation used with some e-liquid sellers and across the forum, it stands for Aqueous Glycerine/Vegetable Glycerine. See 'What is in the e-liquid' under 'Personal Vaporising Liquids' further down this FAQ.

mg strength - This relates to how much nicotine is within the e-liquid; it can be anything from 0 to 36 my strength.

Dripping - A technique used for nicotine delivery, where the e-liquid is dripped onto the atomiser element. More effective with some models than with others, and some people prefer this to using carts.

Vaping - The term used instead of smoking. We E-NI users vape, whilst others smoke their analogs!

PV - Personal Vaporiser, a posh way of saying electronic nicotine inhalator.

Fluval - the material used in fish tanks, with another use as cart wadding. You have to ensure you use the correct type, which is +2 (see 'cartridges' under 'common questions' below)

New user having problems with your E-NI (electronic nicotine inhalator)? 

The damned thing wont vape?!

See here for a thread concerning this problem. It is often a case of 'trouble shooting' to get to the bottom of the problem; as a new vaper, this can be daunting!

I have problems sometimes in getting a good draw

Angela suggests this here. It is also a good idea to check your cartridge isn't too dry (not enough e-liquid), and that your battery is sufficiently charged, as these are common reasons for your E-NI not producing vapour.

I just got my new E-NI but it has a horrible taste

Don't worry, this is quite normal, read this about 'factory primer'.

I am getting the liquid in my mouth

This happens most commonly when the cartridge has been overfilled or some juice has leaked in transit from the manufacturer. Try not to swallow the liquid and rinse your mouth. For some carts the only solution is to keep wiping the cart. If you have overfilled the cart yourself, you may wish to take the wadding out and 'mop' up the surplus. For some of the more 'awkward' carts your answer is possibly here from igetcha

Maintenance of your electronic nicotine inhalator

There is lots of information about maintenance within our forum.

Using and maintaining your DSE-901 ‘mini’ ecigarette

For an excellent video by igetcha please click here and if you would like to read the thread to this, click here 

Titan Users

Hints and tips can be read here

Common questions asked by new users

GENERAL

What do you recommend I buy when I start out?

Most people start with a 'starter kit' from one of the major sellers such as Totally Wicked. The most commonly bought first model is probably one called the 'mini' or DSE-901. It is a great starter model and is sworn by, by many longer term vapers as well. It is available in a few different colours (black, white, silver and pink most commonly; new colours are becoming available).
Alongside your starter kit you are supplied with 5 carts. These are usually of mixed strengths. You may wish to purchase a few more; a cartridge really doesn't last as long as the manufacturers claim. You may wish to look at the FAQ section on strength before deciding which strength of cart to buy.
If you decide that vaping is for you, the next step is to buy a bottle of e-liquid and possibly expand on your number of batteries. It is also a must that you keep at least one spare atomiser as they are the 'workhorse' of the E-NI and have a habit of wearing out and stopping working when you least expect or appreciate it!
The rest, well that gets acquired over time by many people, as they figure out what else they need.
For some people, vaping becomes a serious hobby!
Are the parts from one E-NI interchangeable with other parts?
Sadly, for the vast majority of models, parts are not interchangeable. For example, you cannot put a Titan atomiser onto a DSE901 battery. You can only use same model parts together.
In very rare cases this may not apply, but for the main models, you need to buy the same model replacement part.
This also applies to carts, except in the case of the Titan carts which will fit the DSE901 model.
Always ensure you buy the correct model of replacement atomisers, batteries, and carts!

CARTRIDGES

How long can I expect a prefilled cartridge to last?

Nowhere near as long as the manufacturers claim! Many claim a rather hefty number of cigarettes (as many as 20) as an equivalent to one cart. In reality, one cart is about the equivalent of 5 or 6 cigarettes tops. However, given the price of the carts and the price of e-liquid, this is no big deal. Around three drops of e-liquid seems to equate with roughly one cigarette when using a technique called 'dripping' so it would be fair to say a similar amount applies if topping up your carts with e-liquid.

Can I recycle my carts?

Yes! If you buy some e-liquid from the UK or e-liquid from the US, you can refil your carts by dripping e-liquid into them. Eventually, the wadding will become tired and you will find you need to rinse it out (using just water). Over time the wadding also degrades, and you will find you can no longer use it.

How can I refill my carts?

One method is shown by RitaLee here using syringes, it is a video guide.
Here is a method outlined by Angela which involves soaking the cartridge wadding.

Can I replace the wadding in my carts?

Yes, you can! You can use a product called Fluval which is a filter used in aquariums, see here. If you are in the US, you can also buy a product called polyfil from Walmarts. Both are very inexpensive; simply cut to the same size as your current wadding, and replace!

What is 'dripping'?

You can use this technique in place of using carts in many models of electronic nicotine inhalators. Effectively, you place two or three drops of e-liquid onto the atomiser wick/element/bridge. You need to be careful not to add too much as this will flood your atomiser. This replaces the need for a cart, however, you will still need the cart mouthpiece. The 'dummy' mouthpiece that comes with your e-cigarette is very useful for using with dripping.
Some styles of E-NI are better for dripping with than others. The Evo/Pilot/401 and DSE-901 are both great, for example. The Titan/Joye510 is not so good.

ATOMISERS

How long does an atomiser last?

Some answers are here

How do I clean my atomiser?

Please see the maintenance section above for some excellent videos by igetcha
There is a technique for cleaning here by moog.

My cart wadding is sticking to the atomiser

This can be caused by a couple of things. It is usually either not enough eliquid in the cart, so you are 'vaping it dry', or it can be a small rogue thread of metal sticking out from the atomiser bridge, catching on the wadding. Here is a thread with a discussion of this problem and lots af different advice offered.

BATTERIES

How do I know when my battery is fully charged?

Chargers come with an LED, whether they are mains chargers or USB chargers (chargers which are plugged into the USB port on a computer or USB hub). The LED is usually red when you place a discharged battery into it, and will change colour when the battery is fully charged (typically green, but can also be blue). Some people notice that the LED 'pulses' or gives very tiny blips of the other colour whilst on red and charging. This is completely normal.

How long will a battery take to charge?

Your electronic nicotine inhalator should have a manual supplied with it. For the majority of models, a first use charging time of 8 hours is recommended. After that, most models of E-NI's take between one and two hours to charge on the mains charger. It may take slightly longer if charging through a USB charger, but this is not always the case. You should find that if you have bought a two battery starter kit, one battery charges whilst you use the other.
The PCC for the Titan (Joye510) takes a few hours to charge, typically 4 or 5 hours. From this, you can charge Titan batteries 'on the move' 3 or 4 times before the PCC itself needs recharging. Each Titan battery charge will take roughly 75 - 90 minutes in the Titan PCC.

What available methods are there for charging a battery?

Most E-NI's have two types of charger; a mains one, and a USB one. The USB charger can be used in your USB computer port, in a USB hub, or you can buy a USB cigarette lighter converter for your car. You can also buy a USB-to-mains adaptor for charging.
The Titan (Joye 510) has the portable PCC (portable charging case) available.
You can also convert a USB charger to an 'on the move' option by buying a portable power pack (the pack usually charges through the USB on the computer).

What is a passthrough and why might I want one?

Our forum member sweeney wrote an excellent review about the 901 passthrough which answers just about everything you need to know here.
A passthrough is the alternate to a battery; it plugs directly into a USB port or hub, or can be plugged into the mains through a USB-to-mains adaptor. It is a battery 'shell' on a thin lead which then supplies the power in place of the battery. It is a fantastic alternate to a battery but not practical whilst out-and-about unless you have an adequately powerful portable power pack. Most main models of E-NI's have a passthrough available. Some of the common models for which you can source a passthrough, are the DSE901, the Joye510 Titan, the DSE801 penstyle, and the M401.
If you are more technically minded, and / or you want to know more about rechargeable batteries and electronic nicotine inhalator batteries, crossbow has written some fantastic information in a thread here.

PERSONAL VAPORISER LIQUIDS

What strength of e-liquid should I use?

This really is a very subjective thing; it totally depends on you, the user. If you are using E-NI's as a method to cut-down and stop smoking, you will find that a starter kit contains five cartridges of various strengths of nicotine. These are designed to help you quit by cutting down the strength each time you 'reload' with a fresh cartridge. It should be pointed out that electronic nicotine inhalators have not been officially designated as a method of quitting or a 'NRT', and should not be marketed as such. However, many people have found them an effective method to cut down their use of traditional cigarettes.
If you are using an E-NI as a  replacement for smoking traditional cigarettes, you can buy a variety of strengths of e-liquid. Most people will recommend the Totally Wicked brand.
Darth Vaper produced a wonderfully simple chart here to give you some idea of what milligram strength liquid might be right for you, when making your first purchase.

How much e-liquid am I likely to use a day?

Here is a definative answer by Keef - like the strength, the amounts are very subjective.

How can I store my e-liquid?

Try this excellent thread and answer by ewac here

How can I equate my nicotine dosage from e-liquid, to the amount of nicotine I smoked in an analog?

Darth Vaper has some good information   here

EQUIPMENT

Where can I buy little plastic dropper bottles in the UK and in the US?

Some people transfer e-liquid into smaller bottles (usually 5ml), for when they are 'out and about', as they are more convenient to carry around. You can now buy these directly from ourselves.

On the topic of health benefits

There is a report conducted by the New Zealand Health authorities (.pdf format) here, and a thread with excellent discussion relating to this is here.

The report of the analysis conducted by Totally Wicked can be found here which is in .pdf format.

There is a good video report from Fox News here, thanks freakinthefield.

The outline to a further toxicology report, and the link to the whole report, can be found here.

What is in the E-liquid?

If you are concerned about what ingredients are in e-liquid, and whether the ingredients are more harmful than cigarettes, there have been studies conducted by Totally Wicked into their e-liquid, and by the suppliers of ECO-pure. Both studies maintain that apart from the addictive chemical nicotine, there appears to be no harmful substance within the liquid. The main consituents of e-liquid responsible for producing the vapour are Propyl(ene) Glycol (PG) and/or Vegetable Glycerine (VG) otherwise known as glycerol or glycerin.

What health benefits have been noticed by vapers on the forum?

This subject attracts a lot of attention, as people who manage to cut out tobacco notice how much better they feel! Here are links to some threads discussing people and their health after 'quitting' analogs.
Coughing up Tar
Health Benefits

Is vaping as harmful as smoking tobacco if you are pregnant?

The simple answer is, we don't know, because there have been no health studies conducted. There has been a discussion on this topic, however, which can be read here. If you are making such a decision, it must be made entirely at your own risk, but the thread does contain some informative material to help you decide.

Flavouring your own eliquid

Totally Wicked sell unflavoured e-liquid in various strengths, to which you can add your own flavourings. The kind of food flavourings you can buy in a supermarket are not really recommended, as so many of them contain oils and sugars which can damage the atomiser. Loranns seem to be the flavouring of choice and they are concentrated enough to only need small amounts. Again, these can be purchased through the Totally Wicked site in the UK. For US customers, you can buy directly from Lorann, here. It's great fun to make your own flavours!

How can I use Loranns and eliquid to make my own flavours?

A video mixing guide can be found here by RitaLee.

What available flavours of Lorann are there? And which of the Lorann flavourings are suitable for mixing?

See here for a full list (thanks WykydRed), and here for a list of the ones recommended and not recommended for vaping (thanks Angela).

How can I make my own menthol liquid?

A recipe for this can be found here, it's igetcha's original and best!

Cutting your eliquid

What is Glycerine used for?

A discussion of glycerine can be found here

Where can I buy Glycerine (glycerin/glycerol) in the US?

Both Propyl(ene) Glycol and Aqueous Glycerine can be purchased directly from the Totally Wicked US site or alternatively, a thread discussing suppliers can be found here

Where can I buy Glycerine in the UK?

Again both Propyl(ene) Glycol and Aqueous Glycerine can be purchased directly from the Totally Wicked UK site or alternatively can be purchased from Boots The Chemist, from the food colourings and flavourings section in a supermarket, and more info can be read here and here.

My glycerine seems too thick and gloopy. How can I resolve this?

There is a discussion on this problem here and a nice little recipe by JRBinFL here

 Eliquid Flavours

Can I buy a sample pack from TW?

This is a very common question. In the UK, Trading Standards do not allow small bottles to be used unless they are CHIP complaint, and TW cannot source such small bottles. The answer from Pillbox can be read here. Other companies may well sell these samples but they are breaking TS standards to do so. You may be able to buy sample packs in the US from other stockists.

What flavour eliquid can I buy that mimics tobacco?

A thread discussing this can be found here and another discussion is here

How can I find out more about the different flavours of e-liquid available?

There are a few threads discussing flavors. There is also a dedicated 'Taste Review Panel' who regularly review the TW flavours. To-date, here are links directly to the different reviews:
cola
red bull-ion
ginseng
lemon
virginia
state express
minty choc chip
watermelon
Other flavor discussions and reviews by forum members:
Orange
Coffee
Red bull-ion
a discussion of Hilton and French Pipe
Virginia
Coconut (thanks GarryDibley)
Marlboro 24mg from TW (thanks GarryDibley)
Cherry 18mg from TW (thanks GarryDibley)

Miscellaneous Questions About Electronic Cigarettes and Products

Can I use an electronic cigarette on an aeroplane?

There are a few companies who have disallowed the use of electronic cigarettes on planes. Most companies seem to allow vaping, but it must be noted that vapers tend to be discreet about it, and some sneak to the toilet to vape! The biggest concern seems to relate to taking your device and liquid through customs. Those forum members who have taken an electronic cigarette abroad have used sense and caution in taking their equipment onto the plane, following any regulations regarding glass bottles etc, and have had little in the way of problems.
It must be noted that some destination countries such as Australia may have banned electronic cigarettes, and you must check the laws in your destination country before flying. There is a list on wikipedia from the link at the top of this FAQ (what is an electronic cigarette); the list is probably not comprehensive but mentions some of the main countries and their legal status with respect to e-cigarettes.
Here are some links to discussions about flying:
Airports and Planes
Cartridges on Planes
My First Experience Vaping On a Flight to San Fransisco

 Buying from Totally Wicked

Where can I buy TW products?

If you are in the UK, click here. The US site is here

Can I order from TW UK if I live in the US?

Some info is here about the length of time it might take, and customs

Who do I email for problems with my order from Totally Wicked or for queries to Totally Wicked?

You can email infototallywicked-eliquid.com. There is also a board on this forum dedicated to USA customer service. You can Ask Alex in this section

I want to post on the forum

We love new members! You'll find us to be the friendliest forum about vaping on the net, and we welcome members worldwide
Here is a quick rundown of our boards if you are unsure where to post your comments or questions.

New Members please do introduce yourselves to us here, we have a fine welcoming committee.

If our FAQ hasn't answered your specific query or you need further help, please visit our Questions and Answers Board.

If you have something interesting to raise, or you'd like to join in the general discussions about vaping, visit our General E-smoking Discussions Board.

For making new friends and chit-chat about everything else, we have a friendly General Discussions Board.

If you have a question you believe only Totally Wicked can answer, such as a question on stock or delivery, this is the board for you (please note that in general, queries placed here are only answered by Totally Wicked's Alex between 9am and 5pm UK time on weekdays).

We have our very own Scandinavian Board, Nordiske kunder, moderated by Thor.

If you'd like to discuss a flavor you've tried, find out more about flavors, or ask for advice on flavors, try the Flavour Discussion Board.

If you like to do a bit of electronic engineering and you're into 'modding' your e-cigarette, here is the Modifications Board.

If you've got a flavor e-liquid you're not too fond of or you'd like to open up a sample swap, try the Trades Board.

To sell something you no longer want, or possibly grab a bargain, go to the Sales Board.

Here is a brilliant 'how to' list by crossbow when trying to do fancy (and not so fancy) things when posting.

Very many thanks to all the members who have contributed to the answers on this FAQ, without whom, this FAQ simply wouldn't exist! New vapers the world over salute you!