As it turned out, many do not quite understand, or do not understand at all, Why does a hookah need a valve?. Some people think that this “thing” is for the hookah man to rehabilitate the hookah, but it is not necessary to use it himself. There are also individuals who, with a smart look, begin to turn the valve with the wording: “We do this so that the draft is normal.”
First, let's understand the purpose of the valve. It is designed for purging a hookah: you blow into the tube, and excess air from the flask goes through this very valve, so as not to create strong pressure on the water, otherwise it will rise up the shaft and ruin your tobacco. Why even blow out the hookah? The fact is that even if there is a valve, there is still pressure on the water, because There is still some resistance at the valve, and a column of water still rises through the shaft, but this pressure is not enough for the water to reach the bowl. So, this “rising” water pushes the air that is there out of the shaft, which comes out through the bowl and thereby cools the tobacco inside.
When should you blow out your hookah? In general, stable blowing after several pulls will help stabilize the temperature in the bowl, i.e. prevent overheating. In general, a “wake-up call” is the feeling that the tobacco has begun to burn and the inherent bitterness. In such a situation, the first thing you need to do is get rid of excess heat: remove the coal, remove the cap, etc. Then thoroughly blow out the hookah. This does not always save: there is tobacco that is very difficult to restore; or the tobacco may have already burned.
The valve is present on almost all modern hookahs, but their design and, accordingly, resistance may be different. Those. if you blow too hard into the same one, there is a chance that the cup will still flood; but it has a very “light” valve, and no matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to fill it.
The standard element of the valve is a ball inside it, which, when inhaled, plugs the purge hole, and in the event of pressure on it, with inside opens it. When this ball is made of metal, it tends to rust and “stick” into the hole, which will interfere with purging. If this happens, you should either unscrew the valve and adjust the ball, or hit the valve with something like a metal mouthpiece.
Almost every beginner makes mistakes when first trying to make a hookah. At first, did your hookah often taste bitter, burn, or drag heavily? Then you know what this article is about.
And, sitting in a cafe on a comfortable chair with 4 burnt holes in it, you will see the guys next to you who put two coals in the very center of the bowl and then pull the hookah towards themselves by pulling the hose. Terrible, isn't it?
And this is only in the hookah bar. Can you imagine what such craftsmen can do when trying to make a hookah at home on their own? :)
We've seen guys try to move the coals by hand, forget to use foil, pour water into the flask, or fill the flask all the way to the top.
So, to make sure you and I don't damage our hookahs and our reputation, I've put together this list of the most common hookah making mistakes. These errors are business card newcomers. Let them read, and you can stop yourself and them from making unnecessary mistakes and wasting time and money.
Mistake #4: Coal and bowl
Filling a bowl with tobacco like a pro is no easy task. There are quite a few subtleties, and great amount places for mistakes. The topic of errors when working with a bowl is worthy of a separate large article.
Here are the Top 6 mistakes when working with a bowl and coal:
- Too much tobacco in the bowl
- Too little tobacco
- Lack of holes in the foil (yes, this happens!)
- Quick-light coals that are not fully heated
- An attempt to heat natural coals as quick-fire ones
- No foil or use foil with paper side
Mistake #3: Where is the water?
If you are a regular hookah smoker, forgetting about liquid seems nonsense to you. But many beginners, getting bogged down in clogging the bowl, completely forget to pour water into the flask. This of course means that there is no liquid to cool the smoke. Hot, pungent smoke goes straight into your mouth. Horror!
Many of those who do not forget about liquid do not know how much it is needed. They do not comply with the proportion, and this means either the presence of strong smoke or a water problem in the hookah. The ideal amount of water is 2-3 centimeters above the bottom of the down tube (the part of the hookah that is inside the bulb).
Mistake #2: Playing with fire
Whether it's forgetfulness or testosterone, many hookah lovers love to fool around with hot coals. This usually results in burns on furniture, floors, or friends.
The biggest tip here is don't use your hands. Our body has a certain reflex when feeling intense heat, which can lead to coals flying to the floor. Instead, use tongs when adjusting heat.
And, if you see the coals falling, just let them fall. We have seen several cases where we tried to catch the coals, only to burn our hands, and then the coals fell to the floor anyway.
And, of course, do not move the already finished hookah. This often leads to the coals or the bowl, or even the entire hookah, falling.
Mistake #1: Catastrophe
The hookah valve allows you to get rid of stagnant smoke in the hookah, so your hookah will always be fresh and tasty. A great invention, but not all hookahs have it. And not all smokers know how to use it.
A typical disaster scene looks like in the following way:
The smoker tries to blow out the smoke using reverse draft. But either because the hookah does not have an air valve or the ball bearing is stuck, the smoke does not come out.
So the smoker blows harder and harder and BOOM! Water, air, smoke shoots up from the hookah from all sides, douses all smokers with a terrible-smelling liquid and sometimes burns them with hot coal.
To avoid this, always blow softly. If smoke does not come out, make sure the valve is not blocked.
So let's follow the process of evolution and learn from the mistakes of those who started smoking hookah long before us. Prepare your bowl properly, fill the flask with water, treat the hot coals with respect, and blow lightly through the valve.
Follow these rules and your hookah will remain amazing and enjoyable.
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Did you lose your hookah valve during a wild party with friends, a trip out of town, or did it “evaporate” in a surprising way? What to do now, since valves separately in hookah stores are almost impossible to find, why not buy a new hookah because of such a trifle? Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem.
If you read my article, then you know for sure that this thing is very necessary, and has far from a decorative function. It is impossible to imagine a good modern hookah without this small detail, although old models from half a century ago were not equipped with valves.
You may have lost the valve itself or the ball that is inside the hookah. Both of these parts can be replaced quite easily.
Replacing the hookah valve
Let's assume that you have lost or somehow broken the valve cap of your hookah. Don’t try to find caps in hookah shops, it’s unlikely that you will succeed. It’s better to go to a hardware store, taking the hookah shaft with you, as you will need to select a part of the required diameter. Which part exactly? Regular anchor. The choice of anchors is so wide that you can not only easily find a replacement valve cap, but you can even match the color to your hookah, if this is important to you.
Ball for hookah valve
You could also, by some miracle, lose the hookah valve ball itself. But why a miracle? This part is quite small and very easy to lose. Often, the original metal ball of the hookah valve is specially replaced with a plastic analogue so that it does not stick during hookah smoking, because if the ball sticks, there can be no question of any quality smoking! Moreover, our people most often have not heard that the hookah needs to be blown out regularly.
Now you will no longer need a hardware store, but a weapons shop. As a replacement for the hookah valve ball, you can use pneumatic bullets. You can also use balls for bearings.
That's all the solution to the problem, if the information was useful to you - like it!
HOW AND WHY TO BLEED A HOOKAH AND WHAT IS A BLEEDING VALVE IN A HOOKAH
WHY DO YOU NEED TO BLOW OUT YOUR HOOKAH AND HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY
Hookah models are usually equipped with a valve for purge, but not all owners pay attention to it and know why to purge the hookah. Often beginners are not even aware of this function, but it is important for normal smoking. And if there is something wrong with the tobacco, for example, it tastes bitter for no obvious reason, it may be necessary to blow out the hookah to correct the situation. This is not difficult to do, so no problems will arise, but the taste and sensation will be better.
FEATURES OF USE
Not everyone knows how to blow out a hookah, or that it should be done as often as possible. Then the tobacco will heat up more evenly, so you won’t have to worry about bitterness while smoking.
- How to use purge valve in a hookah? It is not difficult. For about every ten puffs while smoking, you should exhale once into the purge hole. This allows the accumulated gas to be removed. It is also worth blowing slowly and smoothly, you do not need to exhale sharply with all your might, as this can cause water to begin to flow down the shaft. In addition, it is better to first check whether the ball in the valve is stuck, otherwise there is a risk of flooding the hookah bowl with water during this process.
- If everything is in order with the valve and it is in good working order, then excess air will come out after purging, and the tobacco will no longer overheat and taste bitter. You need to blow out the hookah for about ten seconds, this is enough for the bowl to cool down.
- How to check the valve before smoking? To do this, you need to assemble the hookah, but do not put the bowl on it yet. At the same time, close the shaft from above with your hand and try to inhale through the hose. If the valve is closed during the test, then no air should flow at all when inhaling.
- Sometimes a ball gets stuck in the valve, this happens because resins accumulate from the smoke, which creates problems. In this case, it is necessary to rinse the structure thoroughly, and then return everything to its place in order to use the hookah again.
Blowing out a hookah is not at all difficult, but this method allows you to smoke without bitterness, which is very important. If you periodically blow out the hookah, the sensations will be much more pleasant, so you should not miss this opportunity. In order for the method to work, you need to follow the above-mentioned frequency of purging, and it is also better not to leave the hookah for a long time while smoking; you should not take long pauses.
