If you’re already enjoying e-cigarettes, you might want to save some money by refilling the cartomizer yourself. Preloaded cartridges can get costly in the long run, so learning to refill them is a good habit to adopt. It’s easy to do if you have the right equipment.

Tools Needed

With tank systems, depending on how you plan to refill your e-cigarette, you don’t need any tools.

To refill other e-cigarettes, you will need a dripper or syringe to draw the e-liquid from the bottle. You’ll also need a toothpick, tweezer or jeweler’s screwdriver to remove the rubber cap and pad so you can access the filling.

Methods

• To refill your e-cig with the drip method, you need to open the cartridge. Then remove the filling with the toothpick or screwdriver. Drip a small amount of e-liquid into the cartomizer. Replace the filling. When the filling has absorbed the e-liquid you dripped into the cart, drip a few more drops onto the filling to fully saturate it. Don’t add too much e-liquid. The filling should be saturated without any e-liquid pooled above it. Then close the cartridge and your e-cigarette is ready for action.

Some vapers prefer to drip without the cartridge, but be careful, as this can lead to a hot atomiser – and burnt lips!

• The injection method of refilling requires an injector or syringe. The syringe’s needle can penetrate the filling, allowing you to directly place the e-liquid into the filling without having to wait for it to be absorbed. First you need to draw out about 5 to 10 ml of e-liquid from the bottle. Then remove the cap and rubber grommet at the back of the cartomizer. Stick the syringe’s needle into the filler material at the upper-most or North position and deposit a small amount of e-liquid. Then repeat this step at the bottom of the filler and on both sides. Once again, be careful not to overfill the cart. You can also use the syringe to add flavor to your e-cigarette. Replace the cap on the end of the cart and wipe it clean if you spilled any e-liquid on the surface.

• With the tank system, refilling your e-cigarette can be as simple as opening the cartridge, squeezing e-liquid directly into the cartridge, replacing the cap and inserting the cartridge into the atomiser.

After you’ve filled your e-cigarette, squirt any leftover e-liquid back into the bottle. Then cleanse the syringe with cool water and enjoy your e-cig.

Electronic cigarettes have become a popular alternative to smoking, but when considering making the switch, many people find that choosing the right type of e-cig can be difficult. There are three different types of e-cigarettes to choose from; the cartridge system, the cartomizer system and the E-liquid refill system. Familiarizing yourself with each type can help in knowing which e-cig would be best to fit your needs.

The Cartridge System

Cartridge e-cigarettes contain three pieces; a pre-filled cartridge, an atomizer and a battery. The unit is assembled by inserting the cartridge into the atomizer and screwing it onto the battery. As the battery heats up the atomizer, using a wicking action, it heats up the liquid in the cartridge, turning it into a vapor that is inhaled. Cartridge systems offer ease of use, making them convenient to use while driving or when away from home. They also do not require the need to fill cartridges, eliminating the sometimes-messy job of filling your own cartridges.

E-liquid Systems

E-liquid electronic cigarettes are similar to the cartridge system although they do not come with prefilled cartridges. Instead, their cartridges are blank and require filling. Although this does take more time than using a prefilled cartridge, filling them yourself allows the choice of a wide variety of different flavors and strengths. They are also more affordable than prefilled cartridges. Refill cartridges hold about 5 to 8 drops. Once the liquid is used in the cartridge, it will stop producing vapor. The cartridge will then need to be refilled. This does takes a little time and patience. With the use of a syringe, the cartridge can be refilled making it the least messy way to refill cartridges. Cartridges will need replacing on occasion, as they eventually wear out.

The Cartomizer System

Cartomizers contain two pieces, an atomizer and a cartridge that are combined into a single unit and attached to a battery. The cartomizer is constructed entirely different than cartridge systems. Unlike atomizers that have their heating element on the end of the atomizer and the liquid in the cartridge, a cartomizer has a heating element that goes inside the center of the cartomizer, allowing the entire center of the cartomizer to heat for providing better vaporization. They are refillable and are faster to fill than blank cartridges. Cartomizers can hold about 25 to 30 drops of e-liquid, equivalent to about a half of pack of cigarettes. They do not, however last as long as cartridges. For those who like to change flavors often, additional cartomizers will also be needed.