How Much Water Is Ideal?

[arcane_x]

Hi,

I've just finished reading various posts on the effect that too much/less water can have on your hookah session. I've always thought that 1/2 inch above the bottom of the tube is ideal. Is this correct? And what happens if you have too much or not enough water?

Thanks.

[inino]

half an inch to an inch. but honestly in my experiences it doesnt matter much. i get the same results when i fill it up to 2 inches or more.

[ahwahoo2006]

Really, you just have to make sure its not so high that water bubbles into your hose.

[K1024]

there are 2 factors when deciding a water height.

the most important one is not getting water in your hose.

the second is deciding what the best pull is for you. you want the most water you can have without you having to work hard to pull, that way you get the best filtration and the easiest pull.

[Sonthert]

I like to have as much water in as I can. I put water in the jar and then the way I check to see if I have too much water is to suck through the hose port without the hose attached. If you don't get water in your mouth, you don't have too much. After you find out is the maximum you can remove water at your leisure.

[TiLLooR]

I personally like as little water as I can get away with which is typically an inch or inch and a half of water over where the pipe comes into contact with the water.

[antouwan]

you can slightly overfill the base and without the head or hose attached, blow through the top of the stem. you can keep blowing until no more water comes out of the hose port; if none comes out from the start, you know you're good to go.

[gunsboy]

I like to have as much water in as I can. I put water in the jar and then the way I check to see if I have too much water is to suck through the hose port without the hose attached. If you don't get water in your mouth, you don't have too much. After you find out is the maximum you can remove water at your leisure.

That is old school, mouth on the port.. I saw my uncles and older guys that I have seen prepare hookah in Syria do that too.

[redjako]

I always read 1/2", but I get better tasting and fuller smoke with nearly 1.5 inch.

What I do is fill it pretty high, and suck on the hose stem to see if water is literally pulling up easily through it (not through the hose, as you won't notice it...directly suck in from the hose stem).

Then I empty it out accordingly.

[Sonthert]

you can slightly overfill the base and without the head or hose attached, blow through the top of the stem. you can keep blowing until no more water comes out of the hose port; if none comes out from the start, you know you're good to go.

Kinda the reverse of what I do...I'm gonna try that.

I have a couple Syrian pipes that will get water in the hose if the water's 1/2" above the bottom.

[ih303]

After last week's discussion about water level, I tried adding more water in this weekend's sessions. In all honesty, I couldn't really see much of a difference between 1/2" and 1 1/2" up the stem other than difficulty in pull.

On a side note, though. Don't use crushed ice unless you have a diffuser - it clogs the stem.

[Sonthert]

After last week's discussion about water level, I tried adding more water in this weekend's sessions. In all honesty, I couldn't really see much of a difference between 1/2" and 1 1/2" up the stem other than difficulty in pull.

On a side note, though. Don't use crushed ice unless you have a diffuser - it clogs the stem.

Heh heh. I had the same problem using pudding instead of water. The flavor was great, but the pull was impossible.

[mitchard]

I like to have as much water in as I can. I put water in the jar and then the way I check to see if I have too much water is to suck through the hose port without the hose attached. If you don't get water in your mouth, you don't have too much. After you find out is the maximum you can remove water at your leisure.

My exact method.

[ilikemyusername]

After last week's discussion about water level, I tried adding more water in this weekend's sessions. In all honesty, I couldn't really see much of a difference between 1/2" and 1 1/2" up the stem other than difficulty in pull.

On a side note, though. Don't use crushed ice unless you have a diffuser - it clogs the stem.

Heh heh. I had the same problem using pudding instead of water. The flavor was great, but the pull was impossible.

wtf?

[Bookworm]

Heh heh. I had the same problem using pudding instead of water. The flavor was great, but the pull was impossible.

what???


sigged.

[hookah hippie]

I have found that if the water is too high th pull seems restricted it could have been mind over matter but it seemed to make the pull harder. The height above the bottom of the downstem was drastically higher the bottom of the stem and I think thats what caused it when I smoked with a lower level the problem ceased to exist

[K1024]

ive always wanted to use pudding...or soup...

Eric will you make me a tomato soup flavored shisha so i can smoke with a base of tomato soup?

[Click]

ive always wanted to use pudding...or soup...

Eric will you make me a tomato soup flavored shisha so i can smoke with a base of tomato soup?

Eww, throw up 

[mattarios2]

I have found that if the water is too high th pull seems restricted it could have been mind over matter but it seemed to make the pull harder. The height above the bottom of the downstem was drastically higher the bottom of the stem and I think thats what caused it when I smoked with a lower level the problem ceased to exist

and i have always found the more water the easier the pull. But if its at the point where it is almost able to get in the hose but not quite it is too much. So not .5-1 inch but 2 inches or so works very well. I find or my logic is that the less room for smoke the more pressure or the pressure can build up easier (i think) so the easier the smoke shud flow into the hose. We have discussed this topic a lot and i have flip flopped back and forth so maybe it is all in our heads, but i think more water seems to make the flow a little better.

At least in my experiences.