dimjim Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Hey guys, I just got a new hookah yesterday from smoking-hookah.com and I'm having some trouble. For some reason, I'm failing to get any reasonable amount of smoke; whereas usually with a good hit you can practically fill a room with your exhalation, this one is no better than a cigarette. Plus, there is little if any taste. I have followed all the procedures and instructions (I think), and the only thing I can think of is the air valve. It doesn't move! it seems to be soldered shut or something. I mean what the hell?! I haven't seen this happen befoe. Anyway, thanks in advance, Jimmy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Is there any way for you to post a picture of your setup? Every hookah that I've seen has a valve that SHOULD screw on and off. Can you see or hear a ball bearing inside the valve? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosebrew13 Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Hey I just got a new hookah also and was having the same problem. The air chamber on mine had to be just the right size. If it had 1/16 an inch to much water no smoke would build up at all. Don't know if this is the same problem you are having but good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Well, its possible that the ball isn't sealing the valve and air is leaking through. Also, check for any other air leaks on the hookah and hose. Like some have suggested in other threads ...put your hand over the bowl (make sure there isn't hot coal on it though!) and try to suck through the hose. You shouldn't be able to if the hookah is airtight. Have you tried using more coal? What coals and tobacco are you using? How high do you fill the bowl? How many holes do you poke in the foil and how big are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yashman19 Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Your problem may infact be due to the blow off valve, but not being able to tighten or loosen it has nothing to do with it. There should be a ball bearing inside the valve. When you blow into the hose, the ball falls out of the hole letting air out. But when you suck in, the ball fills the hole, not letting any outside air in. This is what that valve is supposed to do. If you do have a broken valve, it means the ball bearing isn't doing its job. Like Brad mentioned above, check to see if your hookah is not airtight. Take the bowl off of the top, cover hand over the stem, and suck in. Your problem sounds like an air leak. If outside air is getting in through your hookah anywhere else besides the top stem which you are covering, then its not airtight. If you do find a leak somewhere, contact your vendor and let them know of the problem, and they should help you out. You could find the leak and patch it yourself, but I would want a working hookah, not a broken one that you fixed, its not right Brad covered you well enough, but I thought I would confirm what sounds to be your problem. Once you find out if its airtight or not, let us know, and we'll try to help out more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavlakos_politakos Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 yea....what they said.lol.its pointless to repeat all that but yash and brad sound just about right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 I don't think the valve is the problem. It sounds like there is a fault in the assembly or equipment integrity.When smoke and flavor are weak, these are the most common problems, I've found:1. Humidity shock: open your tobacco to the air for several hours, before smoking. 2. Gaskets/seals: Make sure all three gaskets (head, hose and jar) are tight. Use electrical tape under the gasket in question (on the male surface) if the hose or jar gaskets are loose. If the head gasket is sealing poorly, use additional head gaskets. Poor seals allow additional air to leak in, diluting the smoke and making for a weak hit. 3. Leaky hose: Check it by plugging one end and suck through the other, it should feel slightly tighter than drawing thick chocolate shake through a straw. If if feels like the pressure is leaking, there is a problem with your hose, try to ascertain where the pressure is leaking from and repair with electrical tape. A leaky hose is similar to a poor seal. Also check the holes to make sure nothing is obstructing them. With the hose off the hookah, draw through the hose without plugging up the end. It should feel open enough to breathe through it and not feel like you're not getting enough air.4. Make sure the tobacco, when in the bowl, should touch the sides of the bowl. Gaps create poor heat transfer which results in weak smoke. Try adding enough tobacco to fill the bowl, some brands of tobacco smoke poorly in smaller quantities.5. Make sure the bowl is dry before you pack the bowl. Water will dowse the temperature and the smoke production. Additionally, what brand are you smoking? See if any of these work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimjim Posted January 12, 2006 Author Share Posted January 12, 2006 Thanks guys, that really helped. It turns out to be a problem of the shaft and bowl connections not being quite airtight, which is a design flaw because they don't fit securely enough together. While the valve may not be the problem, I'm still going to get them to send me a new shaft. What brand tobacco would you recommend? I'm currently just using samplers of shisha nakhla, which don't smell/taste as strong as the stuff I used to smoke. Hell, this could be the problem. Thanks a lot, Jim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LB] Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 [quote name='dimjim']Thanks guys, that really helped. It turns out to be a problem of the shaft and bowl connections not being quite airtight, which is a design flaw because they don't fit securely enough together. While the valve may not be the problem, I'm still going to get them to send me a new shaft. What brand tobacco would you recommend? I'm currently just using samplers of shisha nakhla, which don't smell/taste as strong as the stuff I used to smoke. Hell, this could be the problem. Thanks a lot, Jim.[/quote] Great ! welcome to the forum its great to see you found your problem, that problem can usually be solved by cramming a grommet or paper towl inbetween your bowl and shaft. but sometimes you will find even your hookah is airtight, you may still have problems producing adequate amounts of smoke. Feel free to browse the forum for setup tips, search for Cypress Video, and watch his instructional video, it should be quite informative. hope we can be of service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmexx Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I missed the whole problem solving part so I'll just come in a little late to welcome you to the forum and good luck with your future sessions ;-).Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I was on the right track.... Glad to see you got it all worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavlakos_politakos Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 like jmexx said good luck and welcome to the forum and may you have many happy hookah sessions ahead of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al-bab Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 I ordered from smoking-hookah.com before so perhaps i can be of some assistence. 1. Their instructions say "fill the base with water, about 1 inch will do." What they fail to mention is that the base has to be submerged in 1" of water, not 1 inch of water total. 2. Are you using the coal that they gave you? If so, I would assume that that would be your problem. The coals are really really cheap, smell really bad and don't produce enough heat. 3. They say that they include the grommets. However, with my shipment the guy "forgot" to give them with mine. I spoke to the sales rep and he sent me the grommets free of charge. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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