SCROLL DOWN TO READ "E-Cigarettes for Newbies"

At THE VAPOR DEPOT we understand the directions that come with e-cigarette kits are sketchy at best. There is definitely a translation issue at play here. Because of this, we continually get the same questions after someone gets their first kit. We’ll try to address the most common ones we get here …

What should I do first?: The first thing you need to do is connect your charger to the plug that came with your e-cig starter kit and then plug it into a wall outlet. The light on the charger should turn green.

Then, grab one of the batteries that came with it (hopefully you ordered a kit that came with two batteries) and screw it into the hole at the front of the charger. With most models, the light on the battery, itself, blinks a number of times, stops blinking and the charger light turns from green to red.

If you DID NOT purchase your electronic cigarette kit through THE VAPOR DEPOT you will likely have to charge each one of your batteries for 8 hours the first time. I know you want to use your “new toy” right away but it is imperative that the batteries get a really good charge right out of the box.

All kits sold by THE VAPOR DEPOT come pre-charged, however, it is recommended that you use your e-cig for only 20 minutes after the initial 8 hour charge and then charge it again for another hour. I don’t know what this accomplishes, but I’m sure some electronic genius out there knows why this needs to be done.  Just do the 20 minute ritual and all should be good!

Please ignore the light on the charger unit. It will turn green way before 8 hours have elapsed. Removing your battery before it has charged for 8 hours may have an adverse effect on its overall life and its useful life between charges. 

The way these things are theoretically supposed to work, is that the light will remain red until the battery is charged. The problem is, it may very well tell you that it is charged 20 minutes later. Technically it is charged but not fully charged. You will only get 10 or 15 minutes of use out of it before it dies if it has only charged for 20 minutes.

If you absolutely must test out your new e-cigarette, assemble it and take a couple of puffs. Then, charge the batteries for 8 hours like you are supposed to.  After each battery has gotten its first really long charge, they only need to be charged for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours when they go “dead” from then on.

It should be noted that taking a few test puffs with a battery that has not been fully charged will produce less than desirable vapor. It is sort of like trying to vacuum with an almost dead battery on your Dust Buster; the engine runs slowly and little to no dirt is picked up!

Okay, my batteries have been charged; now what?: Now, comes the easy part (not that charging the battery was exactly rocket scientist material). Put your e-cig together and start puffing away! There is only one way these things can be put together, so  it’s pretty hard to go wrong here (not impossible I’ve found out, but pretty dang hard!).

If you have a two part model (the kind I do not recommend for both performance and cost reasons), there is literally only one way to do this. Screw the battery onto the cartomizer. For the sake of maintaining my faith in the intelligence of humanity, I really hope this is self explanatory. If you can’t figure out how to screw part #1 into part #2, hand it to a kindergartener and he’ll show you! No but seriously, please keep the e-cigs out of the reach of children!

If you were smart and purchased a three-part model, it might take the kindergartener a couple of minutes longer to figure it out. Screw the atomizer (the metal doohickey that is about half the size of the battery) into the battery (the thing you just charged that has a light on the end of it or the piece that has a button on it). Once those two pieces are screwed together, it’s simply just a matter of pushing a cartridge onto the e-cigarette.  

NOTE: Many times, the atomizers that come with e-cig starter kits have a completely empty cartridge attached to them that is put there solely for the purpose of protecting the atomizer during shipping. Pop this off before putting it onto the battery. An empty cartridge does not have any gauze-like stuffing inside of it and can be thrown away.

Every e-cigarette model’s starter kit that I know of comes with “pre-loaded” cartridges. Pre-loaded cartridges already have some sort of e-liquid in them, so there’s not much you need to do here. Usually, the plastic wrapper that the cartridges come in have what type and strength of e-liquid is in the cartridge written somewhere on the plastic wrapper (sometimes it is written very small, though).

Most of the time there is a rubber/plastic cap on the e-liquid end of the cartridge. Pop the cap off of the cartridge and throw the cap away. Sometimes, there is an additional piece of plastic film under the plastic/rubber cap that is placed there to further protect the freshness of the e-juice inside of the cartridge. If so, that needs to be discarded as well.

The “big hole” side of the cartridge that you just took the cap off of should look like a tube with a piece of liquid-soaked cotton-like material stuffed in it. That is the side that needs to be pushed onto the open end of the atomizer (the “closed end” already has a battery on it). The side with the small hole is the mouthpiece side of the e-cigarette. Your e-cigarette is now charged, assembled and ready for use!

How do I “smoke” this thing?: First off, we do not “smoke” an e-cig; we “vape.” This terminology may come in handy if you are in a restaurant or bar that has a “no smoking” policy. Thank goodness you are only vaping!

If you have a push button style of e-cigarette, like the Vapor Blaster, Vapor Extreme or Vapor T-Rex (also called a 510, EGO or T-Rex, amongst other things), simply press the button down and begin inhaling. The vapor should come quite easily with this type of e-cig. Remember… The lighter the drag the more vapor you’ll get. With the push-button models you should first press the button as you’re bringing it to your mouth. Drag light and long (for best vapor production) and at the end of your drag let off the button. It’s that simple.

If you have an e-cigarette with an automatic battery like a Vapor Pen, Vapor Mini, TVD Cigar or TVD Pipe (DSE801, DSE901, RN4072, DSE601 or M401), you simply take a drag and the microprocessor within the battery senses you are inhaling and will start releasing the vapor. Although an automatic style e-cigarette battery may sound like it is easier to use, it will take some practice to get it just right. Drawing too hard or too easy will not produce the desired amount of vapor. With ten minutes or so of practice, you should find an amount of suction (for lack of a better term) that is just right for you. We’ve found that the best way to practice is to stand in front of a mirror. Take a drag and watch for the light to turn on on the end of the battery and hold your drag pressure at the moment the light turned on. You’ll find that it usually doesn’t take much pressure which can take a little getting used to. You won’t be disappointed in the long run because the lighter the drag the more Vapor you’ll get.

ONE FINAL NOTE ON USING YOUR E-CIG: There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to using an e-cigarette. It has been estimated that it takes one or two months for beginners to get to the point where they are completely at ease with using their e-cigarette. There are also many different ways of vaping. Some people like to take multiple small puffs (sometimes called “sips” or “mouthfuls”) in succession with small intakes of air in between each sip. Those that utilize this method claim that it is easier on the throat and that it allows them to taste the flavor of the Vapor Juice (e-liquid) better. Others – especially those who are looking for a “throat hit” – like to take one long drag directly into their lungs. You may want to experiment with each method. In time, you will find a way that works best for you (no two people do it the same).

My Atomizer Is Getting Really Hot – Is This Normal?: An atomizer will definitely get warm while you are using it. If it gets really hot, the vapor production actually decreases. It is best to give the atomizer at least a fifteen second break between drags. This will not only prolong the life of the atomizer, but it will result in better vapor production for you.

How Do I Fill My Cartridge With Vapor Juice (E-Liquid)?: If you planned ahead, you probably purchased some e-liquid (also called e-juice) with your e-cigarette. Every e-cigarette kit sold by THE VAPOR DEPOT comes with a bottle of Vapor Juice except for the Vapor Pen Starter Kit.

Filling a cartridge, whether it was a prefilled cartridge or if it is a “blank” is really quite simple; you simply need to add one drop of e-liquid at a time until the filter becomes saturated. A perfectly filled cartridge will look like a “slushy.” There are only three things to remember here:

- If after adding a drop, it still looks like gauze, it needs at least one more drop.

- If after adding a drop, it looks like a little lake, it has one drop too many (not a big deal).

- If after adding a drop, it looks like a slushy, it is perfect and ready to be used!

Depending on the model of e-cigarette you have, if it is a standard “Vapor Mini” e-cigarette a completely dry, blank cartridge will take 10-14 drops to fill. “Vapor Blaster or Extreme” take less and the “Vapor Pen” – like a DSE801 – take two to three times that much to fill. If your cartridge has previously been filled and you are just “topping it off,” it could take anywhere from two to five drops to get the “slushy” effect. Also, if you are observant when filling a cartridge, you will notice that small air bubbles start to form just before the drop that makes it a perfect slushy!

How Do I Know When I Need To Add More E-Liquid?: When the amount of vapor decreases or when it begins to taste like you are “smoking” a sock, it is time to “top off” your cartridge. Believe me, you’ll know!

How do I Keep from Getting E-Juice in My Mouth?: One of the reasons people get e-liquid in their mouths, is that they are holding their e-cigarette incorrectly. Your e-cig needs to be angled so that it is pointing slightly downward toward the floor. If the battery end is higher than the mouthpiece, it is a simple matter of gravity taking over, causing the liquid to flow downhill into your mouth. A more common reason is due to overfilling the cartridge. And the most common reason is because you are accustomed to dragging like you would on a traditional cigarette. Pulling or dragging too hard will bring liquid into your mouth guaranteed.

• HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR ATOMIZERS: We've already gone over how to use your atomizer but that's not all that's involved. About once every 2 weeks (give or take) you'll want to perform a cleaning on them. The VG (vegetable glycerin) in the Vapor Juice will, over time, begin to build up on the tungsten element in the atomizer decreasing it's ability to heat sufficiently and atomize. There are a couple of things you'll need to have on hand in order to perform the cleaning... You'll want to purchase some electronics cleaner (basically compressed air in a can). You can get this at almost any office supply store. You'll also need a bottle of Normal 0mg Vapor Juice (acts as an excellent flushing agent and will not dry out critical parts within the atomizer). Finally, get yourself a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Take the straw off of the canned compressed air and attach an old cartridge to it (be sure to remove the cotton like material first). You may need to widen the vapor outlet hole on the mouthpiece in order to get the straw to slide into it (you can do this by simply reaming it out with a pocket knife). With the straw in the mouthpiece, add a few drops of Super Glue where they connect and allow it to dry. Then, for added strength, tightly wrap the connection with a little electrical tape. You've now made your own e-cig blow gun! Okay... Let's get down to business now. Remove the cartridge from your atomizer and, with it still attached to the battery, take several long drags on the atomizer. The purpose of this is to get the atomizer nice and hot (this will burn off the VG build up). Next add approximately 4 drops of Normal 0mg Vapor Juice down the inside of the atomizer. Then take more nice long drags until the atomizer gets hot again. Now remove the atomizer from the battery and attach the atomizer to the empty (padless) cartridge you attached to the straw and your can of compressed air. Grab a paper towel and cup it around the end of the atomizer that attaches to the battery and pull the trigger on your compressed air can. Run the air through it for at least 4 seconds. This will blow out the solution and VG build up. Leave the atomizer attached to the compressed air can and take a basic ball point pen and plug the hole in the center of the atomizer where it attaches to the battery and re-wrap the area with the paper towel again. Now pull the trigger on the air can for another 4 seconds. This should clear the atomizer's air inlets of any debris. Now dip a q-tip in the rubbing alcohol and clean the threads on the atomizer. You're almost done! Remove the atomizer from the straw attachment on the air can and screw it back onto the battery. Take your bottle of Vapor Juice and add 3 or 4 drops down the center of the atomizer. Then make sure your cartridge is full and the pad is as close to the top edge of the cartridge cup and then press the cartridge back into the atomizer. You're done! You should now experience much better performance out of e-cig. If this procedure doesn't help then it is likely that you atomizer has a partial burn-out of the tungsten element. Simply bring your atomizer to any Vapor Depot location to have it replaced or call to arrange replacement by mail at 1-877-867-0965.
• HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR BATTERIES: E-cig batteries are pretty simple to maintain. When it comes to push-button batteries it's practically brain-dead easy! With push-button batteries all you need to do is make sure your threads stay clean by wiping them down every so often with rubbing alcohol. Automatic batteries require the same attention. another thing you'll need to do with auto batteries is, once a week, lay a Kleenex flat on a counter or table and take the battery and stand it up, threads down, on the Kleenex. Leave it there for a solid 8 hours or over night. This allows any liquid that may have dripped into the switch compartment to drain out. When it comes to adjusting sensitivity of an auto battery's switch it is recommended that you bring the battery to your nearest Vapor Depot store to have that done. If you live too far away from a store call in and we'll be happy to give you a step by step on the procedure.
• HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR CHARGER: Chargers are very easy to maintain... When you clean the threads on your battery, clean the threads on your charger. It's that simple! The same cleaning procedure goes for the Blaster PCC (personal charging case). Dip a Q-Tip in rubbing alcohol and swab clean the threads in your charger and connections in the PCC.
  

More Questions?: We can’t possibly remember all of the questions that we get asked about these things when a new user first gets their kit. This page may very well be updated as we encounter more questions from first time e-cig users. If you have a question about your new e-cigarette that you would like answered, please ask it by sending us an email to thevapordepot@yahoo.com. Who knows? Your question may be so great, that it makes it into the body of this page!