9 South Vapes

First Look - 9SV Toms River

2013-09-06T17:16:00.000-04:00

First Look - Inside 9South Vapes Toms River!

It's Pumpkin Season!!!

2013-09-03T17:02:00.001-04:00

Pumpkin e-Juice Flavors are Here!!!

......

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Latte

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Hot Pumpkin Cider

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll

2013-08-30T20:12:00.000-04:00

9South Vapes on the Radio!

Click Link to Listen

Big Thank You and Shout Out to W.O.N.D. Radio for Having us!!!

Vaporizer Voltage & Ohms Chart

2013-08-12T20:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a handy chart for Vapers using Vaporizer Mods. This little gem will certainly help anyone out who is confused on what voltage to run their atomizer.

Guide to Rebuildable Atomizers!

2013-08-12T15:26:00.001-04:00

GUIDE TO REBUILDABLE ATOMIZERS

Many people have recently heard about the new trend in vaping, and that is rebuildable atomizers aka “rba” or “rda”. What is a rebuildable atomizer? Simply put, it is an atomizer composed of two pieces made of stainless steel or another form of metal, a “deck” or a “base”, and a “top cap”. On the bottom of the deck, there is a native 510 connection, and on top there are generally two posts, a negative post and a positive post. Through these two posts you attach either kanthal or nichrome resistance wire by threading the wire through the holes located on the previously mentioned positive and negative posts. The top cap has an air hole drilled on the side, unlike conventional atomizers having the air hole located on the 510 connection. The top cap is held on by o-rings so that you can adjust the amount of vapor, and throat hit delivered from your coil.

What are the advantages?

In my honest opinion, if your coil is built properly, you will be rewarded with of the most satisfying vapes of your life. The amount of vapor produced is incomparable to any other device. You will be able to “blow clouds” as we like to call it, which you have to admit is amazing. Second, the flavor is unbelievable. You will be shocked with your first “toot”; subtle notes from your juice will be brought to life, providing a more drastically flavorful vape. Next, the throat hit. Many vapers are vaping anywhere from 1.8% - 2.4% nicotine on other devices, which produces a very satisfying throat hit. With a rebuildable atomizer, the amount of nicotine consumed sky rockets, which in turn, you will have to lower your nicotine level to roughly .6 – 1.2, to replicate the same throat hit and nicotine absorption. Last but most certainly not least, the versatility, you can install single coil, dual coils, even quad coils. The ohms (resistance) can be manipulated by the gauge of wire, or the amount or wraps used for your coil. Most importantly, the structural integrity is phenomenal. Most being made of stainless steel, you can run it over with an 18 wheeler, and still vape as if nothing ever happened.

What are the disadvantages?

There are not many disadvantages when it comes to rebuildables, most being personal preference. Carrying a juice bottle can be considered a negative, but to me it’s honestly no big deal. Having to drip ever so often can be sort of tedious to some, but in return there is no other type of atomizer/cartomizer that produces the flavor of dripping on a rebuildable. Lastly, having to “re-coil “can be troublesome, when re-coiling, you need a general knowledge of ohms law (will be further discussed), dealing with small objects, an understanding of wire gauge, and patience. I will say, re-coiling is not something to be taken lightly, I will explain in more detail how to safely enjoy your rebuildable atomizer.

Wire gauge

Kanthal is the most commonly used resistance wire when rebuilding an atomizer. It comes in a wide variety of sizes; the thinnest recommended being 34 gauge, and the thickest being 26 gauge. Keep in mind, the higher the gauge the thinner the wire, the more resistance per foot, on the other hand, the lower the gauge, the thicker the wire, less resistance per foot. When using anything under 26 gauge, the risk of shorting out the coil causing a catastrophic failure becomes substantially higher. Which is why at 9 South Vapes, we do not recommend using such wires.

Which gauge wire, for what resistance?

34 gauge --------------> 3.0-2.5 ohms

32 gauge---------------> 2.4-2.0 ohms

30 gauge---------------> 1.9-1.1 ohms

28 gauge---------------> 1.1-.8 ohms

26 gauge--------------->.7 ohms and below (experienced users)

Which device for what resistance

Regulated:

A regulated mod contains a chip, which adjust the voltage/ wattage transferred to the atomizer. Also, the chip will monitor the ohms of the attached device limiting the mod to only fire a resistance of 1.3 and above. Due to the limitation, “sub-ohm” coils have to be used on a mechanical mod. Your mod will let you know when the resistance is too low, when a “low load” or “short” message is displayed on the screen.

Which wire is recommended for regulated mods?

When re-coiling for a regulated mod, it is safe to use 30 gauge and above. Our recommended wire gauge is 32 gauge, yielding the perfect resistance per foot to achieve a resistance above the limitation of 1.3 ohms. When wrapping your coil, it will take more wraps of 30 gauge to reach a 2.5 ohm resistance than 36 gauge would, hence why carefully selecting your wire is crucial (use the above chart to choose wire).

Which battery will optimize performance in regulated mods?

When it comes to regulated mods, batteries are not as big of an issue as mechanicals. Regulated mods have built in protection in the chip such as, over heating protection, over discharge protection, an amp limitation of 3 amps, and short circuit protect. We recommend using a good quality battery, with a high milliamp hour fating of “mah”. A good quality battery ensures even voltage loss throughout the battery life cycle, and the high milliamp hour provides long battery life.

Mechanical:

A mechanical device does not contain any chips or wiring. They mostly contain brass contact or some other conductive metal as the contacts. They do not have a chip determining the amp limitation, the amp limitation lies within the battery used. Mechanicals will fire and resistance, so a great deal of safety measures must be taken into consideration. Since the battery is the brains of the operation, we will discuss how to determine which battery is safe for which resistance.

Which wire is recommended for mechanicals?

Mechanicals are a little trickier when it comes to selecting the gauge of wire. With the amp limitation lying within the battery, this is where “sub-ohm” building coils are introduced. Sub-ohm coils are designed to generate a large amount of heat in a short period of time. These coils range from 1.2 ohms down to a dangerous .1 ohm. Here at 9 South Vapes, we highly advise all customers to stay above .6. Anything below .6 should be attempted by advanced users with proper knowledge of ohms law, and battery safety. Staying below 30 gauge will be acceptable; our recommended wire is 28 guage. This wire contains the a low resistance per foot of wire, while still being safe enough to stay in the “safe zone” as we like to call it. The safe zone being between 1.2 and .6 ohms to ensure your battery can safely power the coil.

Which battery will optimize performance in a mechanical?

Before I get into which batteries are safe, I cannot stress this fact enough. NEVER USE BATTERIES THAT ARE UNLABBELED TO USE WITH SUB-OHM COILS. WE DO NOT KNOW THE AMP RATING OR CHEMISTRY OF SAID BATTERIES. Only imr high drain batteries are to be used with sub-ohm coils. The batteries have a safer chemistry and can take the rapid amp draw the coils pull from the battery. Efest, EH, AW, MNKE, Panasonic, LG, Sanyo, and Sony are trusted high drain battery brands.

With that being said, this decision is most crucial when using sub-ohm coils. As with a regulated mod using a higher milliamp hour rating, mechanicals need a high amp rating. There are three different battery size compatible with mechanicals, an 18350, 18490/18500, and 18650. Depending on your coil’s ohms you will need to calculate how many amps you will be drawing from your battery. We recommend using “ohms Law” on iOS and android products, and from computer, use www.ohmslawcalculator.com. A rule we try to implement to customers is, to be safe by only pushing a battery to 80% of the battery’s amp limitation.

18350

Being the smallest battery out of the “18” series, naturally have the lowest amp rating of 6.4A. These batteries can be safely paired with a 1.2-.85 ohm coil. With a fully charged battery(4.2v) on a .85 ohm coil , using my ohms law calculator, that coil will be drawing 4.9 amps, which is well below the 80% amp draw of an 18350.

18490/18500

Being the middle of the road battery in the “18” series, they have a fairly decent amp rating of 8.8A. These batteries can be safely paired with any ohm coil in the “safety zone”, while still complying with the 80% rule. At .6 ohms (lowest resistance to be used), the coil will be drawing 7A, which is exactly 80% of the battery’s limitation.

18650

This size battery fulfills any sub-ohm builders dream. Being the largest “18” series battery, they fluctuate between amp rating between brands, 10A being the most common, while the MNKE, Sanyo, and Sony cells being 20A and higher. With a 10A rating, the batteries are great for the advanced builders. You can safely push a .5 ohm coil and still be in the 80% range. These batteries also have the highest milliamp our rating from (1600-2000 mah), in turn you will have the most vape time from an 18650 than any other “18” series battery.

How do I determine the ohm (resistance) of my atomizer?

There are two methods to check the resistance of your atomizer.

First, being a multi meter. A multi meter is an electronic measuring instrument that combines several measurement functions in one unit. You can test voltage left in a battery, also check the resistance of your atomizer. To check the resistance, you turn the dial to the ohm symbol, and touch the positive lead to the positive post on the deck, and the negative lead to the negative post on the deck. This method is very accurate; as long as you test the resistance the unit itself contains, by touching the positive lead to the negative lead together, and recording the reading, and then subtract that number to the atomizer resistance displayed on screen.

Second is an ohm meter. A ohm meter is as simple as screwing atomizer to the female 510 connection on the unit, and flicking a switch. When the switch is in the ON position, the resistance will be displayed on screen.

Different types of wicks.

Wicks are used for exactly what their name state, a material that wicks liquid to the coil. The coil is wrapped around one of three different kinds of wicking material, to create a coil.

Silica- most common type of wick currently used. Silica can withstand high temperatures, making it ideal for beginners. You will not be able to permanently burn your wick, the dry flavor you may encounter is from a lack of liquid on the coil. Also, these wicks are very versatile in the sense that when you want to change flavors there is little to no traces of the previous flavor used. There is no preparation time needed, just cut a length, and use.

Eko-wool-a braided silica wick with similar features as silica. Eko-wool can withstand high temperatures, never burn, delivers liquid, and forging when switching flavors, similar so silica. There is no preparation time needed, just cut a length and use.

Cotton yarn-100% organic cotton yarn must be used, must also be bleach, dye, and fragrance free. There is a preparation time when it comes to cotton wicks. You must cut a length of yarn, and boil it for 15 minutes. After the initial boil, drain the water, and boil again for an additional 15 minutes. Strain, damp dry with paper towel, then let it air dry overnight. After all the prep is over, cotton provides the cleanest flavor out of the three, in my opinion. It also transfers liquid very rapidly, making it the ideal wick for sub-ohm coils. Cotton is a very absorbent material, which translates to more liquid storage, leading to longer vape time between dripping. The dark side of cotton is you CAN NOT DRY BURN. It will burn permanently, and there is no going back. You must replace the wicks when this happens. Also, changing is a little more difficult with cotton. Since the material is so absorbent, you will most likely have the previous flavor linger when changing flavors. I recommend this wick for the more experienced users.

How to build a coil

There are four steps to building the perfect coil.

Decide which type of wick you will be using.
Select the gauge of wire correspondent to the resistance you desire.(above)
Wrap the desired amount of wraps around your wick.
Make sure all coils are space evenly apart.

How to install the coil

There are two styles of posts to attach your coil to.

First, is the “thread” style. Holes are drilled into the posts where you will thread your coils through, making sure the first and last coil are not touching the posts. There will be screws on top of the posts; once you thread your coil it is as simple as screwing down the screws to capture the wire. Remove excess wire, and adjust the coils if they have been disturbed.

Second, is the “screw capture” style. There are no holes drilled into the posts. Instead, you place the coil in front of the post, and wrap the wire around the top screw threading. Make sure your coils do not touch the post, it will create a short. Once the wire is wrapped around the screw threading, tighten down the screws to capture the wire. Remove excess wire, and adjust the coils if they have been disturbed.

Types of coils

Single coil- A single length of resistance wire wrapped around a wick, then attached to the negative and positive posts.

Dual coil- Two lengths of resistance wire wrapped around two separate wicks. To install attach two coil ends to the negative, and two to the positive opposite of each other. When building a dual coil, you must keep in mind, you are running those coils in parallel. Meaning the overall resistance will not be split in half rather than doubled. ex. two 3 0hm coils will not result in a 6 ohm coil, instead you will end up with a 1.5 ohm resistance due to the resistance being split in half. The possibility of dual coils shorting is most certainly a risk, so do not attempt without proper knowledge and experience.

Triple/quad coil- If you are a beginner do not attempt under any circumstance. Triple/ quad coils put a lot of strain on your battery, unless you have thoroughly done your research, do not attempt.

In closing, if you thoroughly read this guide and understand what it takes to build a coil, you will wonder why you have not tried them earlier. Just remember, safety, safety, safety. We do not want anyone to harm themselves, because of a minor error. Lives, it’s all we care about.

FAQ:

Q. Why is the vapor not as thick as I would like when using sub-ohm or standard coils?

A. Simple, it’s your air hole. To create “clouds”, you must have a perfect combination of air to vapor. The lower the resistance, the larger your air holes need to be. With standard coils, you may also need to increase the voltage of your device.

Q. Why is my button getting warm on my mechanical mod?

A. If your button is getting hot to the touch, immediately remove your battery. Your resistance is causing your atomizer to draw more amps than your battery can handle. You have one of two options; either get a new battery to handle the amp draw, or rebuild you coil to accommodate the amp limitation of your battery.

Q. When re-coiling, why is part of my coil glowing red, even though they are covered in liquid?

A. This is what we call “hot spots” or “hot legs”. To remedy the situation, push your coil closer to the posts, remembering not to have the coil touch the posts. Also, play with the spacing of your coils, a little nudge in the right direction can make all the difference.

- Fluffy Jacob Castoire

Keep Vaping!!!

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Flavor of the Week!!!

2013-08-12T15:05:00.002-04:00

Flavor of the Week!

9 South Vapes "Dimple" e-Liquid

FireWorks

2013-08-10T18:14:00.000-04:00

9SouthVapes "FireWorks" e-Liquid is Now out Of Season!

Thanks for making this July a Record Breaking One!!!

....

Inside 9 South Vapes - Galloway

2013-08-10T17:37:00.002-04:00

9South Vapes Galloway NJ
407 South Pitney Road
08205
(609)-241-1461

Inside 9 South Vapes - Tuckerton

2013-08-08T02:09:00.003-04:00

9South Vapes

Tuckerton NJ, 08087

17 E. Main Street

(609)-294-6463

iTaste VV

2013-08-08T02:04:00.002-04:00

iTaste VV V3.0

Quick Details:

Size:1515108.5mm	Battery Capacity:800mAh
Operating Voltage:3.3V-5.0V	Charing Time:1.5 Hours
Colors:White, Black, Chameleon, Pearl Chrome	Release Date:2013.05.25

Brief Features:The iTaste VV V3.0 is a microprocessor controlled variable-voltage/variable-wattage (VV/VW) personal vaporizer that lets you adjust the voltage or wattage in seconds with just a few button presses. It's quick and easy!

Main Features:

Variable Voltage:

voltage can be adjusted from 3.3 – 5.0 volts in .1 volt increments.

Variable Wattage:

Wattage can be adjusted from 6.0 – 11.0 W in .5 watts increments.

Ohms meter :

Resistive Load Detection.

Puff Counter:

The puff counter will record how many puffs you have taken. The records will be cleared when the device is turned off.

Short Circuit/Atomizer Protection:

Short Circuit/Atomizer Protection helps protect the iTaste VV against faulty atomizers.

Over-Discharge Protection:

The iTaste VV monitors the battery voltage and will automatically turn off when the battery is discharged.

LED Battery Indicator:

The iTaste VV battery utilizes an advanced capacity display via green, yellow and red LED lights. Users will know the battery’s capacity via the color of the LED Button.

The LED lights will show green, yellow or red to indicate full battery life, half capacity or charging needed.

Superior Battery Life:

The iTaste VV e-cigarette features a built-in 800 mAh polymer Li-Ion rechargeable battery.

510 Threaded:

The iTaste VV is threaded to accept 510 accessories, including the iClear10,iClear16 and iClear30 clearomizers.

ON/OFF Battery Switch:

Quickly clicking three times will power the device on or off. Once the device is on, holding down the button will activate the battery. This safety feature prevents the atomizer from turning on while it's in your pocket or bag, as well as inadvertent settings changes.

10-Second Cutoff:

If the button is held down for 10 seconds or longer, the iTaste VV will shut itself off until the button is released.

Passthrough:

The iTaste VV is charged through a Micro USB Port. You can recharge it with any standard MicroUSB cable. It can also work as a pass-through device for simultaneous vaping and charging.

Settings Retention:

The device remembers the last voltage or wattage used when switching batteries.

Display Information:

The bright display shows resistance (ohms), voltage, wattage, atomizer voltage output, puff count, and last-used settings.

iTaste VV V3.0 kit:

1x iTasteVV (V3.0) 800mAh Polymer Li-ion Intelligent Rechargeable Battery

1x iTaste USB Retractable Cable

1x USB A/C Power Charger Adapter 110V/220V (CE, ROHS ,FCC Certification)

1x Instruction Manual

1x iTaste VV ( V3.0) gift box package

5x iClear16 Dual Coil Clearomizers (empty /blank )

iTaste SVD

2013-08-08T02:03:00.001-04:00

iTaste SVD

Quick Details:

Size:(109.7-139.7) *23.5	Battery Capacity:900mAh; 1800mAh; 2600mAh
Operating Voltage:3V-6V; 3W-15W	Charing Time:1.5H-5.5H
Colors:Stainless Steel	Release Date:2013-03-07

Brief Features:

The iTaste SVD (Superior Vaping Device) is a tube style, variable voltage, variable wattage Electronic Cigarette, made of Stainless Steel. The iTaste SVD is sleek, with easy to use functionality.

Variable Voltage: voltage can be adjusted from 3.3 – 6.0 volts in .1 volt increments.

Variable Wattage: Wattage can be adjusted from 3.0 – 15.0 W in .5 watts increments.

Short Circuit Protection.

Reverse Battery Protection Circuit

Battery Voltage Detection

Resistive Load Detection ( Ohms meter )

ON/OFF battery switch

LED Battery Power Display

Low Voltage Warning

Overtime Vaping Warning

Telescopic Tube supports 18350, 18500 or 18650 batteries

Battery safety protection

Myriad compatible ( Thread fit iClear10 ,iClear16, iClear30,CE4,CE5 ,eGo, T2,T3 , VIVI NOVA and 510 etc )

Change battery and switch VV or VW have parameter memory function

Built-in 3 digit display ( Ohms meter , Volts /Watts , Atomizer voltage output )

iTaste SVD Starter kit:

1x iTaste SVD

2x iClear30 Dual coil

Clearomizers with cozy

rotatable drip tip

3x Rebuildable Dual Coils

1x Beauty ring

1x Short Telescopic tube ( fit IMR18350 battery)

1x Long Telescopic tube ( fit IMR18650 ,18500 batteries)

iTaste MVP

2013-08-08T02:00:00.003-04:00

iTaste MVP iClear 16 kit

itaste mvp

Quick Details:

Size:4122107mm	Battery Capacity:2600mAh
Operating Voltage:3.3-5.0 V	Charing Time:3.5H-5.5H
Colors:Silver, Titanium Blue ,Black	Release Date:2012-10-08

Brief Features:Innokin iTaste MVP is a long-lasting variable voltage VV box mod featuring 2600 mAh battery and dual coil clearomizer Innokin iClear
Features in Brief:
Myriad compatible ( Thread fit CE4,CE5 ,eGo, VIVI NOVA and 510 etc )
Operating Volt adjustable ( 3.3-5.0 Volts in .1 volt increments )
Puffer accounter
Polymer li-ion rechargeable battery
Portable power source for electronic products
Long live energy 2600 mAh
Battery capacity display
ON/OFF safety switch
Passthrough
Standard Micro & 2.0 USB Socket
Short circuit /atomizer protection
Over-discharge protection

Innokin ITaste MVP Variable Voltage Starter Kit:
1x iTaste MVP
2x dual coil XL Clearomizers (iClear 16)
1x USB cable
1xtransparent carrying case

iTaste 134

2013-08-08T01:57:00.002-04:00

iTaste 134

Quick Details:

Size:	Battery Capacity:Support 18650 Batteries
Operating Voltage:	Charing Time:
Colors:stainless steel, stainless steel with black plating	Release Date:07-25-2013

Brief Features:

The iTaste 134 is a microprocessor-controlled VW personal vaporizer that lets you easily adjust the wattage with a rotational wheel.

Main Features:

Scale Display Wattage Scale display
wattage offers more intuitive control and more accurate performance

Variable Wattage
The wattage adjusted with the rotational wheel to 6.5W, 7W, 8W, 9W, 10W, 11W, 12W, and 12.5W

Battery Level Indicator
The iTaste 134 battery capacity is displayed via green, yellow, and red LED lights. Green = Fully ChargedYellow = Half DischargedRed = Charge Needed

High compatibility 510 connector
Will fit iClear10, iClear16, and iClear30 clearomizers, as well as standard 510 accessories

ON/OFF Battery Switch
Quickly clicking the power button three times will enable or disable the battery. Once enabled, holding down the button will activate the device.

Replaceble Batteries
The iTaste 134 supports 18650 batteries.

Testing Battery Sponsored by: http://www.fairy-gift.com/batteries-c-20.html

Other Features:
10-Seconds Cutoff, Short Circuit Protection, Reverse Battery Protection Circuit, etc.

Taste 134 Starter kit:
1x iTaste 134
1x iClear30 Dual coil Clearomizers with rotatable drip tip
1x Beauty ring

Why Won't My Atomizer Fire?

2013-08-07T18:15:00.002-04:00

How To Tell if a “DOA” is Really a DOA

D.O.A. - Dead On Arrival

One of the Most frequent problems / questions we receive is ... "My Atomizer will not Fire and i just purchased it!" or "My Battery will not Fire any Atomizers". This is a common problem for New Vapers and No need to worry this is a very simple fix.... Please Read On!

Every once in a while we’ll get a customer saying something along the lines of “1 out of every 5 cartomizers doesn’t work”. While manufacturer defects can occur, it has been our experience from testing of our inventory that the DOA rate is very low, at least any order of magnitude its lower than the 5%. So why are these customers having such bad luck with their Cartomizers / Atomizers?

The most likely culprit is the “center post” of the battery. If you look closely into the threaded hole of the battery (where you screw in cartomizers), you can see a metal post in the middle, ringed by a white plastic ring. (see picture below)

This is the battery’s “center post”, and it needs to make contact with the similar center post on the bottom of the cartomizer for the ecig to work properly. Over time, especially if the cartomizers or USB charger are screwed on too tightly, (this is why we stress the "Finger Tight" method) the battery’s center post can get depressed. If it gets pushed down too far, it won’t make contact with the cartomizer’s center post no matter how hard you tighten it. And when this happens, the electric circuit which powers the ecig is broken so the ecig won’t produce any vapor, even though the cartomizer is actually fine. This isn’t something that would show up with every cartomizer, though, because there’s a little variation in how far each cartomizer center post is pushed out. Use a cartomizer with a “protruding” center post and it works fine. Use one with a “recessed” one and it won’t produce any vapor.

If you experience a “DOA”, one simple solution is to use a pin or a pair of micropliers/tweezers to pull out the center post on the cartomizer very slightly. You can then screw it on to the battery and the cartomizer should make contact with the center post. If the cartomizer works, you know that the issue is with the battery’s center post, and not the cartomizer (it could also be that the cartomizer center post was installed too recessed, but that is less common). We advise against trying to “pull out” the battery’s center post, because A. It’s much more difficult to do. B. You could break the battery.

You can always stop into any of our locations and we would be glad to reset the connections on any battery and or Cartomizer/Atomizer for you!

Thanks Keep Vaping!!!

9 South Vapes

Tanks Cracking???

2013-08-07T17:51:00.001-04:00

Why Do Some E-liquids Crack Plastic Tanks?

Hey everyone! I’m going to be talking about a problem that a lot of advanced ecig users complain about: plastic tanks cracking. If you don’t know what this means, you don’t have to worry about it. I think this post could be interesting to even those who have never experienced the frustration of a cracked tank caused by e-liquid, so please read on – I promise I’ll do my best to explain everything you might not be familiar with.

First off, what are these “tanks” I’m talking about? Basically, they’re an alternative to the cartomizers with which all of you should be familiar. They’re usually cylindrical, clear, plastic tanks with a post down the middle, although there are plenty of variations on this basic design. And while there are some technical differences in the ways that cartomizers and tanks work, if you’re not familiar with tanks, you can basically just imagine them as big cartomizers made of plastic. (or, in some cases, glass, but today we’re talking about plastic ones)

There are plenty of advantages and disadvantages to using tanks, rather than cartomizers, and I’m not going to go over them here. You can find lots of heated debates on the subject on any ecig forum. A cracked tank can be an annoying expense – there are some pretty fancy ones out there – and the idea of vaping a liquid that can cause a plastic tank to crack makes some vapers nervous. So I’m here to tell you a little about what I know about tank cracking, and why it’s not really a cause for worry – just a fact of life that you need to be aware of if you’re a fan of tanks.

The first step in understanding tank cracking is finding out what plastic the tanks are made of. There are lots of different plastics out there, ranging from the polyvinyl chloride (aka PVC) used in your plumbing to the numerous varieties of polyethylene (aka PE), which are used in soda bottles, plastic bags, and all kinds of other things. Perhaps it goes without saying, but these plastics have very different physical and, importantly, chemical properties.

So what are ecig tanks made out of? I’ve seen a handful of tanks which use polypropylene (aka PP), but it seems that a majority use polycarbonate (aka PC). It’s easy to tell these two types of tanks apart – PP is a somewhat opaque plastic that looks kind of off-white in color, while PC tanks are as translucent as window glass, which may be why PC tanks seem to be more popular. I’ve never heard of a PP tank cracking, so the problem is, to the best of my knowledge, seems exclusive to PC tanks. Therefore, those are the ones we’re going to focus on.

Polycarbonate is in many ways an ideal material for a tank. Physically, it’s a very durable – scratch resistance is one of the main properties for which it’s known – and it’s fully transparent. It’s almost custom made for plastic eyewear, one of its major uses, and since a lot of vapers like to see their colorful juices and check their levels, it’s easy to see why companies have designed tanks using polycarbonate.

Unfortunately, polycarbonate has a dark side. I suspect many of you are familiar with the Bisphenol-A (aka BPA) controversy. For those of you that aren’t, I’ll keep it short: the main ingredient used to make polycarbonate plastic is probably bad for you, and using PC containers to store foods, drinks, and other things you ingest probably isn’t a great idea. I personally don’t think there’s much risk of using polycarbonate tanks to store e-liquid.

But this is all sort of a digression from my main point – lots of people happily use polycarbonate tanks but want to know why they crack with certain e-liquids. So the other, more topical drawback of polycarbonate is that it’s rather chemically reactive compared to other plastics. This means that there are a lot of things that you shouldn’t store in PC containers because they will, at best, rapidly degrade its structural integrity, causing it to crack fairly quickly. It’s pretty easy to find a list of these compounds – just do a search for “polycarbonate compatibility” and look for chemicals labeled “not recommend”, “forbidden”, “severe effect”, or anything else to that effect

If you do this search, you’ll find that there are many, many things you shouldn’t (and arguably can’t) store in polycarbonate. Among them are plenty of nasty things that are unlikely to be present in even the sketchiest foreign-made e-liquid, like chloroform and concentrated hydrofluoric acid. But, hidden in the lengthy compatibility charts for PC are several Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) flavorings, a group of chemicals which includes all flavors that are appropriate for use in ecigs. Prominent examples of these polycarbonate-incompatible flavors include benzyl acetate, a compound commonly used in apple and banana flavors, so that explains why those particular fruity flavors are somewhat infamous for cracking tanks.

At this point, you might ask “So we know why those two flavors crack tanks, but what about the other tank cracking flavors? Why does Mojito Mint crack tanks, for example?” Well, I can’t tell you exactly what compound is responsible, though I can assert that chemical compatibility lists are not exhaustive, and that many GRAS flavorings are fairly obscure chemicals and unlikely to appear on any compatibility chart. And if that’s not good enough, I can point you toCole Parmer’s polycarbonate compatibility page, which classifies “ketones” as having a “severe effect” on polycarbonate, explicitly stating that polycarbonate products are “not recommended for any use” where they might come into contact with ketones…

If you don’t remember ketones from chemistry class, well, let’s just say that lots and lots and lots of flavors are ketones. There are ketones used to impart fruity flavors, there are ketones used to impart minty flavors, and there are ketones used to impart earthy flavors. Name any flavor/smell you like, and a seasoned flavor chemist can probably name you a GRAS ketone which would be useful in recreating it. And, according to Cole Parmer’s compatibility chart, an e-liquid that contains that ketone would crack any PC tank in a couple of days.

So there you have it. Just about any flavor out there can crack a polycarbonate tank, because polycarbonate is a chemically-weak plastic. Some e-liquids won’t crack tanks, and if you like to use plastic tanks, you should stick to those e-liquids.

But if you don’t use tanks, you certainly don’t need to avoid tank-cracking e-liquids on the spurious logic that “anything that cracks plastic can’t be good for a person”. If polycarbonate were a decent proxy for your lungs, you could inhale phosgene all day without any ill effects. And, while I can’t claim there aren’t questions about the long term safety of the myriad flavorings out there which are used in e-liquid, I can tell you that amyl acetate, a well-known tank cracker, is one we’re more confident about the safety of.

Any Further questions please feel free to post and or call any one of our locations!

Thanks Keep Vaping!!!

New Customer Guide

2013-08-07T17:38:00.001-04:00

Congratulations on the purchase of your first personal vaporizing system!

-All eGo Style Starter Kits, with the exception of the Vision PCC which has a 3.2 volt battery, come with a 3.7 volt battery. As the battery's life drains, so does the voltage. This will effect the amount of vapor you see and the throat hit you feel. Nothing better than a freshly charged e-cig!

-To power the battery on/off click the button 5 times simultaneously within 3 Seconds until the light flashes. Powering the battery off is not necessary unless it is placed somewhere where the button may be held in (bag, pocket, etc.)

-Batteries should be drained completely before charging. Batteries will indicate charging is needed with a flashing light and no production of vapor. It is important to let the batteries die completely before charging because re-chargeable batteries develop a memory and if not charged properly, may not hold as long of a charge as they should. The light on your charger will go from red to green when your battery is charged. Initial charge should take a full 8 hours.

-The atomizer/tank or cartomizer is where the fluid will be placed. All atomizers have a lifespan averaging a month. When an atomizer goes bad, you may experience a strange burnt flavor , dry hits, or a decrease in performance. Some atomizers are disposable in which case you will throw away entire atomizer when it goes bad. In the case of rebuild-able atomizers, you need only buy a replacement atomizer or 'wick' when the time comes. Slight leakage is very normal for atomizers, especially those holding large amounts of fluid. Without room for air-flow, the atomizer would not work so some juice may escape.

-The first time a cE2 style atomizer is filled with E-Juice or if a wick has just been replaced, it is important to let the juice absorb into your wicks or cartomizer. If these are dry at all it will cause the wicks to burn. Flip your atomizer upside-down and turn in your hands for at least 60 seconds. Holding your atomizer upside-down every once in a while is also a very good way to maintain and extend the life of your atomizer by keeping the top of your wicks saturated.

- Threading any part of your E-Cig (tank to battery/battery to charger) too tightly can easily damage connection or strip threading; they should only be tightened until they feel secure.

-Cleaning your battery is also another important part of the maintenance. Q-Tips work great to clean the area of your battery where your atomizer is connected.

Congratulations and Happy Vaping! If you have any other questions/concerns feel free to contact us:

Tuckerton (609)294-6463
Galloway (609)241-1461