Filtration Tips for Your Pipes

As most veteran smokers know, there’s nothing like a smooth, clean hit. Dry hits tend to scorch our delicate throat tissue, and sometimes we can even inhale bits of burnt ash that can turn any smoking session into an unpleasant experience. Whether you’re tired of ash clogging up your pipe or are looking for an easy way to achieve smoother hits, the right filtration technique can go a long way in creating a decent session. Check out our favorite water and dry pipe filtration techniques below.

Use a Screen

The easiest way to prevent ash from clogging a dry pipe, accidentally inhaling ash, or from ash falling into a water pipe, is to use a screen over the hole (or punch) to physically block the ask from falling in. Screens help block large pieces of ash from getting pulled through the device while still allowing the smoke to travel through the tiny holes. There are mesh screens that will fit differently sized pipes, and even glass screens that come in different shapes. Metal screens may add flavor to the smoke, but are durable. Some users prefer glass to keep with the congruency of their piece. Both are easy to clean with an alcohol solution and some gently scrubbing.

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DIY With Cloth

If you need a quick DIY solution in a pinch, you can wet a thin cloth, like a cheesecloth, ring it out, and place over the mouthpiece before inhaling. This will filter the smoke, and may even cool it down a bit if you use cold water to wet it. This method is best used for dry hand pipes such as spoons, chillums, or pieces with larger mouthpiece holes and not a lot of extra filtration.

Add Some Ice

Ice is a great natural filter for water pipes. Many water pipes now come fitted with ice catchers (indents or spikes built into the neck of the pipe) to keep the ice in place. The ice will eventually melt for an easy clean up, but the trick is to finish your session before the ice has time to melt and overflow your water pipe. Users can also use chilled water instead of room temperature water to filter the smoke if their piece doesn’t include an ice catcher.

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Go Full-On Perc

If you’re really serious about filtration, you may want to upgrade your piece to one with a percolator (perc). Percolators divide the smoke before it hits the water, which allows more surface area to be cooled by the water at once. There are many different percs available today, so it’s really about researching the features that are important to you and picking one based on your own preferences. Some percs are simple, straightforward, and easy to clean, where others have multiple arms, filter more, but are more difficult to clean. Another benefit to percs is that they can add style to your piece and can be a great talking point to discuss with your friends. Plus, they’re just fun to watch in action.

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The next time you want to try a filtered hit, remember these techniques above. If you’re curious about ash catchers and what they do, click to read more here. Have any more questions about the products we mentioned above? Ask us in the comments below.

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