Why do you put water in hookah?

Hookahs, or water pipes, are traditional Middle Eastern smoking devices that have become popular across the globe. Taking a casual drag of hookah is one thing, but what if you want to set up your own hookah? If you're lost and looking for a little bit of help, you've come to the right place.

1. 1

   Clean the hookah. Wash the hookah with water and a soft brush before using it for the first time, and whenever it gets dirty. Disconnect all parts first, and wash every one except the hoses; assume these are not water-safe unless labeled otherwise. Wipe it dry with a towel and leave it to air dry before you continue.

   • Cleaning after every session is ideal, but definitely clean whenever you see residue on the vase, or when the smoke doesn't taste right.
   • A long, thin brush helps you reach inside long parts. You might find good brushes at stores that sell hookahs.

2. 2

   Pour cold water into the vase. This is the large glass container at the base of the hookah. Fill it enough to cover 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the metal stem, or slightly more. Leaving space for air is important to dilute the smoke and make it easy to draw on the hose. If you have a mini hookah, you may only be able to cover ½ inch (1.25cm) of the stem to leave room for air and avoid soaking the hoses.

   • The stem is the metal tip at the bottom of the central hookah shaft. Slot the shaft on top of the vase to see how far down the stem goes.
   • The water doesn't filter out nicotine and other chemicals nearly as much as most smokers believe. Adding more water won't make the hookah safer.

3. 3

   Add ice (optional). Although hookah smoke, properly drawn, is not harsh at all, a nice cool temperature will make it even more pleasurable. You may need to pour out some of the water to adjust it to the correct level, as described above.

4. 4

   Insert the hookah shaft into the glass base. Lower the shaft into the base, so the stem enters the water. There should be a silicone or rubber piece that fits around the top of the base to make it airtight. If the fit isn't airtight, the smoke will be thin and difficult to pull.

   • If the rubber piece won't fit, wet it with a little water or a drop of dish soap.

5. 5

   Connect the hoses. The hoses slot into holes on the side of the shaft. Just like the base, these holes should be airtight fits. Some hookahs seal the hole if there is no hose attached. On other models, you'll need to attach all the hoses even if you're smoking alone.

   • Double check your water levels before connecting. If the water levels are too near your hose connections, the water could ruin your hoses.

6. 6

   Check the air flow. Place your hand on top of the hookah stem to block air from entering the hookah. Try to inhale through a hose. If you can get any air, one of the connections is not airtight. Check them all for tight fits and rubber or silicone seals.

   • If you're missing a seal, look for "hookah grommets" to find a replacement. Tightly wrapped athletic tape can make a temporarily, mostly airtight seal.[1] X Research source Go to source

7. 7

   Position the metal tray on top of the hookah shaft. This tray catches hot embers and excess tobacco if and when they fall.

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1. 1

   Stir the shisha. Shisha is just tobacco packed in liquids that add flavor and thick smoke. These liquids tend to settle to the bottom, so give it a quick stir to spread them around.

   • For your first time smoking a hookah, consider using tobacco-free hookah molasses to practice the setup. Tobacco can be very harsh if you make a mistake.
   • Shisha comes in many different flavors, which significantly change the experience. Sample several to see what you like as a novice hookah smoker.

2. 2

   Break up the shisha and place it in the bowl. Fluff up pieces of shisha and drop them in the bowl. Press lightly down to make a flat layer without compacting the tobacco. It should stay fairly loose so air can easily flow through it. Fill the bowl nearly to the top, but leave at least 2mm (3/32 inches) of space above the tobacco so it doesn't burn.[2] X Research source Go to source

3. 3

   Cover with heavy-duty foil. Lay a piece of heavy-duty foil over the bowl, stretching it taut. Crimp it around the edges to secure.

   • If you only have standard duty foil, use two layers.
   • You can use a charcoal screen sold for this purpose instead, but most users prefer the foil.

4. 4

   Place the bowl on top of the hookah shaft. This should fit securely into another rubber piece, for an airtight fit.

5. 5

   Poke several holes through the foil. Using a toothpick or paper clip, poke about 12–15 holes through the foil surface. Test air flow by drawing on the hose as you do this. If you have trouble pulling air, add more holes.

   • Some people like to poke all the way through the shisha to provide channels for heat and air.

6. 6

   Light two or three coals. There are two types of coals used for hookah. Follow these instructions depending on which one you have:[3] X Research source Go to source

   • Quick light coals: Hold with tongs over a nonflammable area. Light with a lighter or match until it stops smoking, then wait 10–30 seconds until covered in light gray ash and glowing orange. These are convenient, but give a worse, shorter smoke. Some people even get headaches from smoking them.
   • Natural coals: Heat directly in a stove flame or on an electric burner, but never where ash could fall into the gas line or on a glass stove. The coal is ready once glowing orange, usually after 8–12 minutes.

7. 7

   Transfer the coals to the foil. Place the coals evenly ringing the edge of the foil, or even slightly overhanging the edge. A common mistake is to pile the coals in the center, which can easily char the shisha and create harsh, short-lived smoke.

   • Many smokers prefer to let the shisha warm up for 3–5 minutes before they start smoking. This lets you smoke with gentle breaths, enhancing the flavor.

8. 8

   Inhale. Once the bowl is warm — or right away, if you're impatient — inhale through one of the hoses. Your breath pulls air past the coals, causing them to heat up. If you pull too hard, the air will get hot enough to char the shisha, and you'll cough on a lungful of bad-tasting smoke. Pull with short, normal breaths. Smoke at a relaxed rate, pausing to give the shisha time to cool down.

   • If no smoke appears in the vase, inhale in a series of short, sharp puffs to light the tobacco.

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 27 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 1,577,366 times.

Co-authors: 27

Updated: March 4, 2022

Views: 1,577,366

Article Rating: 87% - 96 votes

Categories: Pipe Smoking

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• "Bought a shisha from Tunisia on a previous holiday and wanted to take it camping, but had not set it up in a couple of years. This was informative and saved me a huge headache as we had a trial run. The information about placing the coals was good, as I would have burnt the tobacco. Thank you for a lovely apple shisha smoke, and hopefully an enjoyable camping trip!"

• "I just bought a hookah for the very first time after trying them in Egypt, but didn't have a clue how to set it up. This article was brilliant and by showing visually step by step, makes it very easy to follow. Thank you."

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  "Was unaware of the use of coal. Not sure I understand the concept or reasoning for it. Having never used a hookah, all the information was very appreciated."

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  "This article is helpful to us because many things are common in day-to-day life, but we don't know about them, so the article is helpful."

• 

  "I finally learned how to. Other websites didn't explain it right and I ended up doing it wrong a couple of times."

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  "It showed me exactly how to hook my hookah up, and the pictures were great due to me being a visual learner."

• "It helped me a lot. After reading the instructions, I prepared a nice hookah by myself!"

• "Handy in showing step-by-step how to setup and use the hookah. Cheers."

• "I added ice to the water. It makes it much smoother when inhaling."

• 

  "Very informative, user friendly and the pics are great. Thanks."

• 

  "The way things were broken down in each section helped a lot."

• "Never used a hookah before, very informative! Thanks."

• "Perfect! Was able to follow along step by step!"

• "Whole page was helpful and accurate. Thanks!"

• 

  "Very good descriptions, excellent."

• 

  "Very effective and easy to copy."

• "Most helpful, thank you!"

• 

  "First time so it helps!"

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