1. What is an electronic cigarette?

The Electronic Cigarette (also known as a personal vaporiser or PV) is a battery-powered gadget which imitates a regular tobacco cigarette and can deliver nicotine to the user without the combustion and smell associated with tobacco cigarettes. Whilst it doesn’t feel exactly the same as smoking, using an e-cig or “vaping” as it is known, does mimic the sensation of smoking and can satisfy that hand-to-mouth requirement that many smokers have.

2. How do they work?

The majority of e-cigs consist of three main parts, a mouthpiece/cartridge, an atomising device and a rechargeable battery.
Upon inhalation or upon pressing the button (on a manual device) a heating element (atomiser) inside the unit vaporises the liquid nicotine from the cartridge into a fine vapour / mist that replicates the look and feel of smoke.

3. What are the benefits of vaping?

No flame, no burning tobacco or any other substances
No tar
No unpleasant odours or tobacco smells clinging to clothes and hair
Not banned under the UK smoking ban
Simulates smoking
Less costly than smoking
No smoke irritation to your eyes
Huge choice of flavours.
Controllable nicotine level (or even zero nicotine)
More flexible – you can take one or two puffs if you want, rather than feeling you have to finish or waste a whole cigarette.
No more matches, lighters, ashtrays and dirty smelly cigarette butts.

4. Does it feel similar to smoking?

Whilst e-cigs do taste slightly different to regular tobacco cigarettes, they still feel so real because you are literally inhaling and exhaling a smoke-like vapour mist.

5. Is vaping cheaper than smoking?

All tobacco users know that smoking is a very expensive habit. We have seen various e-cig retailers promising all kinds of unrealistic savings. We have performed our own calculations and can state that the average 20-a-day smoker can realistically expect to save up to £150* per month if they switch completely to vaping.
*Our calculations are based on the current price of cigarettes compared to the cost of two replacement atomisers per month, plus cartridges or nicotine liquid.

6. How is it affected by the UK smoking ban?

Lit tobacco produces tar, carcinogens, carbon monoxide and many hundreds of other toxic substances and is a contributory factor in the deaths of over 100,000 people each year in the UK,

  • The UK Government decided to make it illegal to use tobacco based cigarettes in public places by introducing a wide-reaching smoking ban in 2006.
  • Chapter 28, Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 1, Para 2 of The Health Act 2006 states:
  • Therefore, the use of electronic smoking products and PVs is excluded from this Act as these devices contain no tobacco; are not ignited, and produce no smoke from burning substances.

7. So I can really use my e-cig in the pub/restaurant/public place?

At present there is no law against vaping or using the e-smoking equipment public places. Due to public ignorance and general lack of awareness though, you may find yourself having to explain what you are doing is not harmful to others. We do recommend you ask first though.

8. How many regular cigarettes is a cartridge equal to?

We’ve seen all sorts of outrageous claims by various manufacturers and suppliers about how many cigarettes the average cartridge is equivalent to. The false claim of 1 cart being equivalent to a 20-pack of cigarettes seems to be quite a common myth unfortunately and is definitely NOT the experience of most vapers.
In our own experience we have found that the average “mini style” e-cig (901 and 510 models) can be estimated to be roughly equivalent to around 5-10 regular tobacco cigarettes but this very much depends on the strength of the cartridge, the frequency of use and the individual vaping style of the user.

9. How many puffs should I take on my e-cig?

A regular tobacco cigarette delivers approx 12 puffs before it burns down. Many vapers report that they feel satisfied after approx 6 to 8 puffs of their e-cigarette but this is of course unique to most people.

10. What is in the cartridge?

Each cartridge contains a precise amount of liquid which is a mixture of food-safe flavourings, pharmaceutical-grade propylene glycol (PG) and it usually (but doesn’t have to have) a specified level of nicotine added.

11. What is e-liquid?

E-liquid or nicotine liquid or PV fluid, are some of the names given to the diluted nicotine fluid that is used in e-cig cartridges. This liquid can also be purchased separately so that you can refill your own cartridges.

12. Why are the cartridges and e-liquid diluted?

Cartridges and e-liquids do not consist of pure nicotine – that level would be too high and potentially dangerous. In order to mimic the true nicotine yield of a traditional cigarette, a solution is produced which contains a fixed percentage of nicotine. For example, a 24mg cartridge is made from a solution which contains 24mg nicotine per ml of liquid or expressed as a percentage, approximately 2.4% nicotine.

13. How do I store my cartridges and / or e-liquid?

You should store your cartridges and e-liquid in a cool, dry and dark place. Some people like to store their e-liquid in the refrigerator but we do not recommend this specifically.

14. Why are there warning symbols on my e-smoking products?

There are warning stickers on the packaging because the cartridges and e-liquid contain nicotine. Although the nicotine is in dilution, nicotine in its pure form is a poison, and can cause harm. All products containing nicotine must be kept in a safe place and away from children and we are required by Trading Standards to label it as such.
Care should also be taken when disposing of your used cartridges as they can be harmful to the environment – be sure your used cartridges are fully “dry” before disposal.

15. How often should I change my battery?

When you first receive your kit, your batteries may already be partly charged, so you may only need to charge them for a few hours, not the full duration that the manual states.
Once you are regularly using your device, we recommend that you always have one battery on charge or ready charged whilst you are using the other. Depending on your personal vaping habits, you can realistically expect a mini e-cig battery to last a few hours and upwards before needing to be re-charged.
If you are using generic batteries in a high-end or “mod” device, you will usually experience much longer battery life.

16. Does my e-cig require any special maintenance?

You can keep your e-cig in good working order by performing some basic cleaning every so often.
Gently clean the contacts between the battery & atomiser with tissue or a cotton bud to ensure a good electrical connection is made.
If your atomiser isn’t producing good vapour, you may improve performance by sharply blowing it through from the battery contact end into some tissue to clear any excess e-liquid.
Some users find that storing their atomisers overnight on a tissue with the battery contact facing upwards accomplishes the same task.
We advise you have two atomisers and rotate them daily – many users say that this can prolong their life. Regular cleaning is also recommended.
You can find many other cleaning methods on the internet on the specialist e-cig and vaping sites.

17. How long do the parts last?

The e-cig industry is still in its infancy and sadly, there has been and still is a lot of misinformation out there regarding the expected life-span of batteries and atomisers with some companies making impossible claims about the supposed longevity of what are actually semi-disposable items.
Here at Cloud 9, we aim to be totally honest with our customers so that the end result is the best vaping experience possible.
Although the basic e-cig atomisers and batteries are now being manufactured to very high standards, they are functional devices that by their very nature will be used fairly intensively and so they will degrade over time and eventually fail. This is to be expected and these parts should be considered semi-disposable.
You can sometimes extend the life of these parts by following some simple cleaning and maintenance steps, however, you should not expect either batteries or atomisers to last more than a couple of months of average use. If you are a heavy vaper, you can expect their lifespan to be considerably shorter than this.
We are completely honest about this so that you will not be disappointed when they do fail and so you can make sure you have adequate spares.