Newbie Hookah Questions!

[BoyProblems]

So I just bought my first hookah the other day off craigslist, and though I've had a bit of hookah experience before now; I have someone questions I'd love to have answered...

[b]- shaky bowl.[/b]
The bowl never has a nice, snug fit whenever I put it on top of the hookah. Though it's good enough to get the job done, if anyone even as much as knocks the hookah there's a good chance of the bowl just toppling right off. Could it be a problem with the grommet?

[b]- cleaning.[/b]
How often should I clean my hookah to avoid rust and other forms of corrosion?

[b]- trouble putting together my hookah.[/b]
I keep my hookah in pieces in my carrying case when i'm not using it, and whenever I have to put it together for use- I have a lot of trouble pushing it all together. Mostly it's when putting the downstem into the base. Is that just the way it goes, or am I possibly doing something wrong?

Any help would be appreciated!

[dizzbizz]

The bowl problem, is most likely your grommet. Juices can get in between the bowl and grommet causing it to slip, perhaps get a thicker grommet or your can switch to paper towels, that will eliminate the problem. As far a cleaning, make sure you're at least rinsing it out after every session. I scrub my hookah about once a week with a stem and base brush. You wan tot clean to prevent ghosting and some nasty build up, so you can have the cleanest smoke every session. To prevent rust and such make sure it dries well. If you're having trouble putting the stem into the base, youre base grommet is too big. Perhaps go to a local shop with the set up and see what they have that fits better.

EDIT: Any pictures of your new pipe?

[Coleman]

Ok paper towel grommets are perfect I pretty much use them exclusively when I smoke. As for cleaning it all depends on who you are, some do it once a week some do it every time they smoke I would go for the latter

[skeetsak]

get some new grommets for the bowl and get an alien bowl. i use mine every day for all shishas

i clean mine maybe once a month but brush the stem clean almost everythime between uses. i rinse the base with hot water everytime

keep some chapstick in your hookah bag and grease the base grommet to make it slide into the base easier

[mustang67n]

The issue with the bowl on the stem could be the grommet, but it could also be an oddly shaped bowl. I have a mod bowl that is kind of oval shaped on the bottom and it wont seal on ANY grommet i have, other than paper toweling it.
BTW, if you dont know how to use a paper towel as a grommet, you just wet a strip of paper towel, and wrap it around the stem/hose/whatever you are sealing, then you put the bowl on. it works great, and is form fitting.

I clean my hookah very rarely, but you really SHOULD clean it ever time you use it, or at least once a week. Just to be certain it doesn't rust/deteriorate.

The base grommet issue.. It sounds like the grommet is a bit too large for the base/stem combination. I'd suggest looking for a grommet that fits a little better, or rubbing a little water on the grommet before sliding the stem in usually works for me.

I've never used chapstick as skeet suggested, but I'm sure it would work pretty well

[Coleman]

This!