Dripping in the E-cigarette world is the process of manually adding e-liquid solution to your atomizer or fill material to refill your electronic cigarette. We’ve put together information and videos from the experts here in one guide, including tons of instructional videos at the bottom. Have more info to add? Comment!

Before you start:

Many of these methods could violate your e-cig warranty. Some e-juices may not work correctly depending on the e-cigarette brand you use. Proceed with caution and follow safety proceedures from handling e-liquid.

Why drip?

• Dripping is ideal for chain smokers who vape frequently and go through cartridges quickly
• Dripping saves money
• Ideal for people who have repeat problem with their atomizer losing “taste”
• People who want more control over their product performance
• It can give you more vapor, better taste and throat hit
• Hundreds of flavors and strengths to choose from
• You can make your own e-juices

There are hundreds of flavors and mixes available for purchase for this purpose, or you can make your own. Information on suppliers and recipes will be discussed in a later guide.

2-Piece Electronic Cigarettes

The cartridge used in a 2-Piece e-cig is actually a cartomizer (combined cartridge and atomizer). These are ideal for beginners because they are the easiest to use.

They are great for people who tend to wear out regular atomizers quickly and/or do not want to bother with dripping e-liquid continually like in 3-piece models. A well-saturated cartomizer will last for a day or more and is easier than straight dripping into the atomizer.

The white cap on top of your cartomizer that you inhale through is removable. Use something small to fit in the hole in the middle and gently pry the cap off. Once you remove the white cap, you will see a small circular rubber O-ring. This is used to keep your cotton filter in place. Pull out the O-ring.

The Condom Method

Not that type of condom. Condoms are the little plastic caps on new cartomizers–save them.

1. Squeeze 6-10 drops of e-juice into one condom
2. Push the filled condom all the way onto the mouth-end of an empty cartomizer
3. Juice will be forced into the cartomizer
4. Place another empty condom onto the threaded end of the cartomizer
5. To prevent juice leakage, do the Taryn Spin

The Taryn Spin

Use a small drawstring bag, e-cig lanyard or some other modified equivalent

1. Place your filled and condomed cart inside
2. Spin
3. The centrifugal force will force liquid into the filler
4. Do not spin with the battery attached!

Does all that sound too complicated? There are other methods!

The Direct Drip

Plug cartridge thread end with a condom

1. Remove mouthpiece end cap with some tool (paper clips or tweezers work)
2. Stand cartomizers up, with open end facing up
3. Squeeze drops of e-liquid down the walls of the cartomizer (15-20 drops)
4. Replace O-ring and mouthpiece end cap
5. Cover with condom and let sit for at least 30 minutes
6. Make sure threads are dry before replacing on battery

Another easy method

1. Fill condom or small plastic cap halfway with e-liquid
2. Carefully drop threaded end of cartomizer into cap
3. Cartomizer will slowly absorb e-liquid from the bottom up

And another method

1. Add 5-6 droplets in circular pattern to open cartomizer
2. Hold the cartomizer steady at a 70 degree angle adding droplets 3 at a time
3. Wait for e-liquid to absorb
4. Avoid over-filling which causes a messy waste and a gunky battery connector
5. Total e-liquid: about 20 drops

*Some brands use internal reservoirs instead of cotton filler. You may need to purchase single-drop accessories like syringes to refill these.

Tips:

• Blow on cartomizer a few times after refilling to expel extra e-juice
• Refilling your cartomizer too many times may wear out the cotton filler, resulting in a burnt taste
• Freshen your cartomizer by running warm water through it
• Wash your filler or add new filler
• Place your mouth over the open top and gently blow several times to expel water
• Let dry 24 hours

3-piece Electronic Cigarettes

3-Piece e-cigs are easy to fill, but also easy to break. They take some adjustment to get the perfect amount of liquid without plugging the atomizer or leaking everywhere. Purchasing drip bottles or using a nose-drop bottle is recommended.

Mini (standard) e-cigs:

1. Remove mouthpiece from atomizer
2. Drip liquid until it covers the cotton filling
3. Let sit for at least 30 minutes
4. Replace mouthpiece and vape!

Direct drip method (best with manual batteries):

1. Remove mouthpiece from atomizer
2. Remove cotton fiber from cartridge
3. Drip ONE big drop directly on atomizer
4. Replace mouthpiece without the fiber
5. Vape!

Warning
DO NOT use too much liquid in the direct drip method. If liquid leaks into the battery it could break. Less is more! This method requires refilling often, with only about 6 draws before the need to refill.

Pen-Type Electronic Cigarettes

1. Remove the cartridge from the atomizer
2. Remove the mouthpiece from the cartridge
3. Remove and throw away white filler
4. Drip 3 drops DIRECTLY on the atomizer
5. Replace mouthpiece
6. Vape!

Tips:

• Do NOT let your atomizer get too hot or it may break
• Stop vaping if you get a burning/chemical taste. It could mean you are out of liquid
• Wash filler with water if it becomes clogged. Add back to cart and refill with e-liquid.

Blue Foam
Blue foam has been recommended by many of our readers as a replacement for the white filler used in carts. It keeps liquid from leaking, wicks well and keeps atomizer moist. Plus, it lengthens the time you can vape before refilling. Sometime lasts a day or two.
You can find it online from e-juice or in most pet stores in the aquarium section. It’s called Marine Land and made Rite-Size U. The method below is for 3-piece e-cigs and works best when carts fit tightly on the atomizer

1. Cut foam in 1cm x 1cmx ½ cm pieces
2. Fill empty (510) cart with 12 drops of e-liquid
3. Using tweezers, push the foam into the liquid until saturated
4. Fill the cart with a few more drops of e-liquid
5. Using tweezers pull the foam back to the top of the cart until it is level with the rim
6. Add another drop to the top of the foam
7. Attach to atomizer and vape!

For refilling, simply repeat using the same foam. Wash or change filler every few days.
Sometimes, it may be necessary to let the cat sit for 10-15 minutes to let the liquid wick to the atomizer. This will prolong your vape time.

VIDEOS
Vapor4life’s quick and easy cartomizer dripping tutorial:

Refilling KR808D-1 cartomizers by Ecigreview

Converting cartomizers into atomizers for dripping by gpalmer1234:

A different mod video about converting carts to atomizers by Aerovapor from ECF:

Another video from DoctorVapor, “E-Cig 101 – Class 2 – Attys, Refills, & Dripping”

One more by DoctorVapor, “Direct Drip Mod For Most Atomizers

A great video explaining 3-piece direct dripping in detail from Vaportalk.com:

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This is a question many new to electronic cigarettes don’t know how to answer and once they make their first purchase, they often change their minds. While many e-cig brands still don’t offer many (or any) color choices beyond a cigarette look-alike, custom and alternative colors are becoming more popular.

Battery color choices can vary from pink to green to stainless steel. Patterns can be purchased with anything from flames to wood grain. The swag bag given to this year’s Grammy Award Winners even contained Swarovski-covered batteries. The choices, styles and lengths are endless and can be overwhelming.

We recently conducted a poll of our readers and came up with some surprising reasons why people choose batteries which look just like the real thing vs. batteries which look “anything but” the real thing.

Look-alike electronic cigarette purchasers; what we found:

Most first-time electronic cigarette buyers purchase standard white batteries with filter-colored cartridges—not realizing other choices are available. When given a choice, many choose a traditional cigarette look out of comfort, wanting to mimic the smoking experience as much as possible to make quitting easier.

“I want it to look like a cigarette, it just helps me mentally. In my mind it’s better if things seem the same, even when they are totally different. It helps me”, says Nicole Pennington of Maryland.

Other reasons include social motivators like not wanting to draw attention to their hi-tech device. Blending in with the smoking crowd can initially be important to a long-term smoker. Surprisingly, the opposite is also true. Many long-term smokers, tired of increasing smoking bans and waning social acceptance flaunt their look-alike electronic cigarette in public places.

According to Tom Nichols of Michigan, “I welcome people coming up to me when I’m vaping somewhere cigarette smoking is banned. It gives me a chance to meet people and spread the word about electronic cigarettes.”

“Anything but” purchasers; what we found:

Many people switch to an electronic cigarette style or color which doesn’t mimic a real cigarette after their first purchase. The reasons are varied and often deeply psychological.

Janie Castello, a smoker for 18 years, was able to quit smoking cigarettes entirely after purchasing her first electronic cigarette. “When I stopped smoking I lost my ‘smokers identity’ and no longer wanted to carry the stigma that comes with smoking’, says Costello. “I’m not a smoker and I don’t want to look like one.”

Vapers who often use their electronic cigarettes in places where smoking is banned find it easier if their e-cig doesn’t look like a cigarette.

“I originally thought I wanted to very closely simulate the smoking experience but quickly found that separating myself from the highly stigmatized smokers was better. Everyone kept telling to ‘put out’ my e-cig,” says Paula Smith of California.

Greg Martin chose a stainless steel battery with blue LED because it looks different. “I don’t want to blend in”, says Greg. “I like the way these look high tech and the attention I get is a good ice breaker”.

Whichever battery style you choose, quitting traditional cigarettes is the most important. Finding an electronic cigarette which fits your lifestyle can make the transition easier. While the choices are overwhelming, customizing your experience can lead to greater success. With that in mind, we offer the following advice:

• Choose a brand which offers enough variety so you don’t limit yourself
• Make sure your battery is compatible with other brands so you can mix-and-match cartridges and batteries
• Buy a starter kit with at least 2 batteries and color choice options to find what works best for you
• If you don’t find success with your first purchase, try again! A different brand can make all the difference.

source article : www.vaporacademy.com

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Electronic cigarettes are making a hit in Hollywood and are being spotted hanging on the lips of the elite. Celebrities are usually on the forefront of the latest trends in fashion, lifestyle and health and the battery-powered electronic cigarette is the new favorite.

Electronic cigarettes or “e-cigs” produce a pleasant water vapor instead of smoke and don’t contain the harmful tar of traditional cigarettes.

The list of Hollywood e-cig users continues to grow with several (unpaid) endorsements of the product including Katherine Heigl’s 2010 The Late Show appearance with David Letterman.

Johnny Depp’s character in The Tourist puffs on an e-cig throughout the film, using them in places where a traditional cigarette would be banned, like the in train scene with Angelina Jolie.

Another e-cig appearance in the media includes a spot on reality show, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as Allison casually puffs on one during a dinner at Camille Grammer’s home.

All of this media attention is only the tip of the iceberg and shows the electronic cigarette has hit the mainstream and become a socially acceptable alternative to cigarette smoking.

The long list of celebrity electronic cigarette sightings include: Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris Hilton, Brittany Spears, Kate Moss, Tom Petty, Taryn Manning, Kevin Federline, Twilight’s Nikki Reed, Danny Bonaduce, American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest, Baseball star Jose Conseco and many others.

source article : www.vaporacademy.com

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E-cigs are continuing to capture the attention of science with a new study coming out in April’s edition of The American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The study, conducted by John Ayers, Kurt Ribisl, and John Brownstein, all PhD’s from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, compared the amount of Internet searches for traditional smoking cessation products to the amount of searches for electronic cigarettes.

The study was conducted between January 2008 and September 2010, examining the amount of keyword searches in the U.S. Canada, Australia and the U.K. The phrase “ENDS” which stands for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (or electronic cigarettes) was compared to terms associated with smoking cessation products like nicotine patches, nicotine gum and prescription drugs Chantix and Champix.

The results? Electronic cigarette searches increased in all nations studied by drastic amounts, outpacing some traditional smoking cessation products by up to 550%. E-cig searches surpassed searches for products available to consumers far longer which proves there is substantial interest in the product despite the lack of studies available.

In addition, researchers found a correlation between a high amount of searches and countries with the strongest anti-smoking bans like the U.S. This could point to people using e-cigs to circumvent smoking restrictions or a possible correlation between smoking bans and people’s desire to quit smoking. Either way, electronic cigarettes have become a huge success and are likely here to stay.

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Two months into a new policy banning smoking from submarines, smokers are turning to electronic cigarettes to make the transition.

The new policy banning cigarette smoking was put into effect Jan. 1^st after a 2009 study found unacceptable levels of secondhand smoke when the subs were submerged. It is similar to other recent smoking bans in indoor areas such as base office buildings.

“This environment where our sailors are breathing air that’s recirculated makes it unique,” said Cmdr. Christy Hagen, spokeswoman for the Navy’s Submarine Force Pacific in Hawaii. “The policy was necessary in order to protect the health of all submariners.”

Life can be hard on a submariner where deep under the ocean surface for months at a time inside a metal tube. Families feel even farther away with long stretches without access to phones or email. Before the smoking ban, 30 to 50 percent of ship crew were smokers.

Fortunately, submariners aren’t required to go cold turkey. Nicotine is still allowed in the form of electronic cigarettes, patches, gum and chewing tobacco. For many, the most difficult adjustment seems to be the loss of regular visits to the smoke pit to break in their day. This is where electronic cigarettes provide a welcome alternative.

“Without the e-cig I would be completely on edge or gaining weight from overeating. It’s not like there are many distractions down there”, says Lieutenant David Hunley.

Smoking is still allowed at the discretion of individual commanders on the sub deck while surfacing and in ports.
source article: www.vaporacademy.com

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Lillian Pierce’s mother Janice is in the advanced stages of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or (COPD). COPD is known as the tobacco disease resulting in permanent, incurable damage to the lungs which progresses over time. Doctors warned Janice for years to give up the habit but she persisted, smoking a pack or more a day into her late sixties–despite failing health.

Lillian watched her mother smoking her entire life, and consequently became a smoker herself. While they were both aware of the dangers, neither was able to kick the habit and over the years, she watched her mother’s health slowly deteriorate due to smoking related illnesses. Now in the late stages of COPD, Janice’s prognosis is poor and she is often in the hospital on a weekly basis for monitoring.

“It’s been really hard this past year,” said Pierce. “Because of her poor health, doctors are actually against her going through nicotine withdrawal, yet she needed to get off smoking cigarettes. We tried patches and gum and other prescription drugs but mom was miserable until we tried an electronic cigarette.”

Increasingly, hospitals are allowing –and doctors are even recommending–electronic cigarettes to their patients during hospital stays. Recently, a Tampa, Florida hospital officially approved e-cigarette smoking for patients and employees. Even if the battery-powered cigarettes are not officially approved by a hospital, many doctors look the other way when it comes to patients using them.

“Now when she is in the hospital, mom is more comfortable and I’m so grateful for that. I’ve begun using electronic cigarettes myself so my daughter doesn’t have to watch me go through the same painful disease,” said Pierce. “It means everything to me.”

SOURCE ARTICLE :http://www.vaporacademy.com/

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