Post by jezza on May 28, 2013 23:47:43 GMT
E-cig & Vaping Frequently Asked Questions. (Work in progress, please let me know if you see anything wrong, inaccurate or something I wrote randomly about kites! 
Also feel free to make up some more bits for this and I'll add them).
What is vaping:
Vaping is a safer alternative to smoking and in very many cases has assisted in the cessation of tobacco cigarette smoking completely.
How does it work:
An e-cig basically consists of a battery, a container for e-liquid and an atomizer. It's similar to a kettle in the way atomizer with battery power turns the e-liquid into vapor very much like steam. It doesn't produce smoke (just a steam/vapor substitute) and is non toxic to those around you because the vapor evaporates very quickly after leaving the users mouth. A correctly setup and good e-cig will also produce a 'throat hit' the same as a regular cigarette which satisfies that particular need for the smoker who is converting to e-cig.
What is e-liquid:
E-liquid is made from Propylene Glycol and or Vegetable Glycerin both of which are approved by various health authorities around the world and used in various medical applications. Both of these formula are mixed with food flavorings to produce a desired taste, a small percentage of nicotine is also added.
E-liquid comes in many different flavours from traditional tobacco flavour through to exotic tastes such as pineapple etc. The average price of the liquid is around £5 for 10ml which depending on your habit can last a week through to a month if you're a real light smoker.
How strong is e-liquid:
Strengths go from .0% to 3.0% normally, a heavy smoker may require a higher percentage to produce the same chemical reaction in the body once smoked as vapor. Please remember that e-liquid is a poison in higher doses and must be stored responsibly. E-liquid can also be home made providing care is taken during manufacture.
How safe is it:
Studies show when compared to real cigarettes which contain many harmful ingredients e-cigs are very safe*.
*This isn't to say they are completely safe, because they've not been on the market that long extended studies haven't been possible so as with everything they may have a risk that is yet unseen. Nicotine is also still an addictive substance and should be treated with caution as it may increase heart rate.
Real cigarettes contain over 4000 chemicals and 69 of them can cause cancer, as of now none of the components that make up e-liquid have been known to do that.
How will I benefit:
You will regain many of the senses/health aspects tobacco smoking remove such as smell, taste and overall well-being. Your house, clothes, car etc will all smell better as will your breath and body. The only smell vaping will produce is a very faint odor of whatever flavour you use such as vanilla which dissipates in seconds.
You may find when you first start vaping you feel different or get a sore throat, this soon goes and the other side effects are often related with giving up poisonous substances in cigarettes more than from the e-cig.
So what should I buy:
Many e-cigs are on the market such as disposables and the much flaunted 'sky cig' and 'e-ciglite' often seen in daily newspapers. While good in the short term they can prove expensive, dont give that vaping'kick' like real cigs and are sometimes unreliable so it is better to move on quickly to something that does a better job. They are however much more acceptable in visual appeal and come in useful when out because they often come with a mobile charger that looks like a cigarette packet.
E-cig lites and skycig (and others like it) use an electronic valve system so when you inhale it vapes the fluid for you. While very convincing for a new vapor and looking almost identical to real cigarettes they as previously stated are wide of the mark when compared to something such as an EGO e-cig.
Batteries choice and life
The most popular fit of battery has the 510 fitting and is almost the universal fit which is used on the EGO series and others such as the skycig etc. Skycig auto valve batteries will fit on an Ego CE5 cartomiser although it wont give the same amount of vape strength. You can get different sizes of battery depending on power required and how long you want them to last. On average for me I get 2 or 3 days out of each of my Ego's but they must be reaching the end of usable life (i've had them 6 months!).
E-cig usage:
I will use the Vision EGO CE5 ecig as an example of a good device mainly because it's the most well known and widely used. Others are available badged up differently or completely different that do the job just as well. These kind of e-cigs don't look like cigarettes though and use a button instead of an electronic valve but don't let that put you off because they are far superior to the cigarette looking versions.
The Vision EGO e-cig comprises of a battery which is changeable and rechargeable. A container for your e-liquid often called the tank or cartomisor. Also contained in the cartomiser is the 'head' this has a wick and a coil built into it. Regular CE5 heads come in different ohm ratings from the light strength burn of the 3.2 up to the 1.2 which produce much vapor and throat hit.These heads will eventually wear out and some models such as the CE5 can be disassembled and the heads replaced for a couple of pounds. Complete heads only cost on average a fiver so if it can't be disassembled it's not really a big deal. Longevity can be from weeks to months depending on the power of battery, coil strength, how much u use it and how it's looked after. You can clean them in the sink by taking them to pieces and placing in hot water (not the battery though!).
To use a Vision Ego you charge your battery, switch it on via pressing the button on the side 5 times until the light flashes, connect the cartomiser, unscrew the tip and fill the tank being careful not to get any fluid down the very small air hole on the head. If you get fluid down it unscrew the battery and blow the cartomiser through via the tip, then wipe the battery connection if some fluid has got on it.
Now just press the button, relax and smoke it as you would a normal cigarette. Many people are able to stop smoking real cigarettes withing days of taking up vaping. I have given up 2 years and wouldn't even dream of smoking a real cig again, I just don't have the desire, to me they stink and smell really bad. I much prefer my icecream flavour
-----------------------------------------
Editors notes:
I'm reserving a few posts down for links and other things I may have left out and stuff that anyone wants to contribute such as information on mods, recommended vendors etc.
Also feel free to make up some more bits for this and I'll add them).What is vaping:
Vaping is a safer alternative to smoking and in very many cases has assisted in the cessation of tobacco cigarette smoking completely.
How does it work:
An e-cig basically consists of a battery, a container for e-liquid and an atomizer. It's similar to a kettle in the way atomizer with battery power turns the e-liquid into vapor very much like steam. It doesn't produce smoke (just a steam/vapor substitute) and is non toxic to those around you because the vapor evaporates very quickly after leaving the users mouth. A correctly setup and good e-cig will also produce a 'throat hit' the same as a regular cigarette which satisfies that particular need for the smoker who is converting to e-cig.
What is e-liquid:
E-liquid is made from Propylene Glycol and or Vegetable Glycerin both of which are approved by various health authorities around the world and used in various medical applications. Both of these formula are mixed with food flavorings to produce a desired taste, a small percentage of nicotine is also added.
E-liquid comes in many different flavours from traditional tobacco flavour through to exotic tastes such as pineapple etc. The average price of the liquid is around £5 for 10ml which depending on your habit can last a week through to a month if you're a real light smoker.
How strong is e-liquid:
Strengths go from .0% to 3.0% normally, a heavy smoker may require a higher percentage to produce the same chemical reaction in the body once smoked as vapor. Please remember that e-liquid is a poison in higher doses and must be stored responsibly. E-liquid can also be home made providing care is taken during manufacture.
How safe is it:
Studies show when compared to real cigarettes which contain many harmful ingredients e-cigs are very safe*.
*This isn't to say they are completely safe, because they've not been on the market that long extended studies haven't been possible so as with everything they may have a risk that is yet unseen. Nicotine is also still an addictive substance and should be treated with caution as it may increase heart rate.
Real cigarettes contain over 4000 chemicals and 69 of them can cause cancer, as of now none of the components that make up e-liquid have been known to do that.
How will I benefit:
You will regain many of the senses/health aspects tobacco smoking remove such as smell, taste and overall well-being. Your house, clothes, car etc will all smell better as will your breath and body. The only smell vaping will produce is a very faint odor of whatever flavour you use such as vanilla which dissipates in seconds.
You may find when you first start vaping you feel different or get a sore throat, this soon goes and the other side effects are often related with giving up poisonous substances in cigarettes more than from the e-cig.
So what should I buy:
Many e-cigs are on the market such as disposables and the much flaunted 'sky cig' and 'e-ciglite' often seen in daily newspapers. While good in the short term they can prove expensive, dont give that vaping'kick' like real cigs and are sometimes unreliable so it is better to move on quickly to something that does a better job. They are however much more acceptable in visual appeal and come in useful when out because they often come with a mobile charger that looks like a cigarette packet.
E-cig lites and skycig (and others like it) use an electronic valve system so when you inhale it vapes the fluid for you. While very convincing for a new vapor and looking almost identical to real cigarettes they as previously stated are wide of the mark when compared to something such as an EGO e-cig.
Batteries choice and life
The most popular fit of battery has the 510 fitting and is almost the universal fit which is used on the EGO series and others such as the skycig etc. Skycig auto valve batteries will fit on an Ego CE5 cartomiser although it wont give the same amount of vape strength. You can get different sizes of battery depending on power required and how long you want them to last. On average for me I get 2 or 3 days out of each of my Ego's but they must be reaching the end of usable life (i've had them 6 months!).
E-cig usage:
I will use the Vision EGO CE5 ecig as an example of a good device mainly because it's the most well known and widely used. Others are available badged up differently or completely different that do the job just as well. These kind of e-cigs don't look like cigarettes though and use a button instead of an electronic valve but don't let that put you off because they are far superior to the cigarette looking versions.
The Vision EGO e-cig comprises of a battery which is changeable and rechargeable. A container for your e-liquid often called the tank or cartomisor. Also contained in the cartomiser is the 'head' this has a wick and a coil built into it. Regular CE5 heads come in different ohm ratings from the light strength burn of the 3.2 up to the 1.2 which produce much vapor and throat hit.These heads will eventually wear out and some models such as the CE5 can be disassembled and the heads replaced for a couple of pounds. Complete heads only cost on average a fiver so if it can't be disassembled it's not really a big deal. Longevity can be from weeks to months depending on the power of battery, coil strength, how much u use it and how it's looked after. You can clean them in the sink by taking them to pieces and placing in hot water (not the battery though!).
To use a Vision Ego you charge your battery, switch it on via pressing the button on the side 5 times until the light flashes, connect the cartomiser, unscrew the tip and fill the tank being careful not to get any fluid down the very small air hole on the head. If you get fluid down it unscrew the battery and blow the cartomiser through via the tip, then wipe the battery connection if some fluid has got on it.
Now just press the button, relax and smoke it as you would a normal cigarette. Many people are able to stop smoking real cigarettes withing days of taking up vaping. I have given up 2 years and wouldn't even dream of smoking a real cig again, I just don't have the desire, to me they stink and smell really bad. I much prefer my icecream flavour
-----------------------------------------
Editors notes:
I'm reserving a few posts down for links and other things I may have left out and stuff that anyone wants to contribute such as information on mods, recommended vendors etc.
