Tips For Buying and Maintaining a Bong

Introduction to Glass Bongs

Buying a new bong can be a fun way to improve your smoke sessions and your overall experience when smoking. They offer smooth hits and help filter out unwanted plant matter. If you are buying your first bong or just looking for a refresher before buying a new one, this should answer a lot of your questions.

Parts of a Glass Bong

Before you smoke your bong, it would help to know what goes where and how they function. 

• Base: The base is what gives the bong its stability. Although it is usually solid, beaker bongs have a hollow base that doubles as the water chamber. 
• Chamber: The chamber is the main body of the bong and holds the water.
• Downstem: The downstem connects the bowl to the chamber. It can be fixed in place or be removable. Downstems can contain holes on the end that act as percolators or they can simply connect the bowl to the percolator.
• Bowl: The bowl is the part of the bong where you place your tobacco or herbs. It is typically detachable and can be removed from the downstem for cleaning.
• Mouthpiece: The mouthpiece is the opening at the top of the bong where you inhale.

Choosing the right glass bong for you

You want to make sure you buy a bong you enjoy and that will last you a long time. There are a few factors to consider when buying a new glass bong.

• Size: The size of the bong affects the function a lot. If you are using the bong primarily as a dab rig, you will want to opt for a smaller bong that can provide less filtration and let your hash speak for itself. If you are looking for a daily driver for flower pieces, a larger piece with a high quality percolator might be the perfect choice. 
• Function: Percolators are essentially the engine of the bong. The size and the percolator are two of the main factors that affect the function of a piece. Some of the best percolators to buy are inline percs, tree percs, circle percolators, seed of life and flower of life percolators, and many more. By getting a percolator that provides consistent smooth hits and doesn't clog will allow you to get the most out of your bong. 
• Material: There are a lot of options for materials to make water pipes out of such as ceramics, acrylic, silicone, metal, and soft glass. But without a shadow of a doubt the best option for making pipes is borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass is the best option because it provides the following
• Easy to clean
• Scientific designs and high end percolators
• Best flavor: clean material does not affect the taste of your herbs
• Most designs: there are a ton of options for glass bongs from heady artists and companies.
• Thickness: If you are buying a pipe that can break (glass or ceramic), you will want to buy a thick pipe that can withstand frequent use and wont chip when you set it down or accidentally bump something. At Glass Half Full, all of our pipes are made from 7mm or 9mm thick German Schott borosilicate glass.
• Budget: Everyone has a budget. No matter what yours is, there is a nice bong out there for you. Here at Glass Half Full, we have a wide range of piece available for under $100.
• Aesthetic: If you have found a nice functioning pipe that wont break easily and is within your budget, it's time to consider aesthetics. Find a pipe that will look good daily. This applies to scientific or production glass primarily. If you are looking for heady glass, aesthetic comes first. Just make sure it is well made and will function as intended. 

If you have any more questions about finding a nice bong, just be sure to message us and well help out!

Preparing Your Glass Bong for Use

Before you can smoke out of your new bong, you will need to do a few things to prepare it. Here are a few steps you can take.

1. Clean your bong: Clean out your new bong with soap and water to remove any dust, finger prints or other contaminants that have gathered on your bong while it has been sitting in a store.

2. Fill your bong with water: Make sure to cover the holes of the downstem or percolator. After this, play around with the water levels slightly to get the level you prefer. 
3. Break down your smoking material: Using a grinder, scissors, or any other method to break down your herb or tobacco to ensure an even burn and a more pleasant smoking experience.
4. Load your bowl: Once your herbs or tobacco are ground up, pack your bowl. Place a pinch of the herb in the bowl and push down with your thumb gently to make sure it stays in place. Overpacking the bowl or packing it too tight can result in air not being able to pass through the bowl. 
5. Enjoy!

Using and maintaining your glass bong

Once you have found a bong you like, it is important to know how to keep it looking and performing like new. In short: clean it regularly. Resin and bacteria can build up on a dirty bong quickly affecting the flavor and quality of your material. This can potentially be harmful if left unchecked because harmful bacteria can build over long periods of time. Not only that, a dirty bong can clog the percolator making it function much worse. To clean your bong you will need a few materials.

• Isopropyl alcohol
• Salt
• Pipe cleaner or small brush
• Paper towels
• Hot water

Once you have your materials, the steps to clean your bong are quite simple. If you do this regularly, it should take little to no time. If you take a while between cleanings, it will take much longer to get your piece back to new. 

1. Disassemble your bong: Take apart the bowl, downstem and any other accessories you have for your water pipe. 
2. Soak all your accessories (bowl, quartz banger, terp pearls, dabber, etc) in a bag or container of isopropyl alcohol. Let them soak for a few hours to overnight.
3. Run your waterpipe under hot water. This will allow most of the resin and gunk to clear out of the piece and loosen up any stubborn resin. Once you are done with your first rinse, dump out all the water.
4. Fill your pipe with isopropyl alcohol and some salt: Fill up your piece with a little bit of alcohol and cover the mouthpiece and downstem and give a light shake to get isopropyl in the harder to reach spaces. Once all the resin is removed from the walls of the pipe, dump out your isopropyl alcohol. Some times you will have to repeat this until clean and make people like doing a second cleaning with clean isopropyl. 
5. Clean the outside of the piece with isopropyl alcohol: Use a few paper towels and dip in some isopropyl alcohol. Use this to rinse the mouth piece and outside of the bong to remove any grease, fingerprints, or bacteria from the outside of your glass bong. 
6. Rinse your bong and accessories thoroughly: Remove your accessories from their alcohol bath and give them a rinse until they are rid of any alcohol. Do the same for your bong. You can use warm or cool water for this but make sure to rinse your piece extremely well.
7. Use a degreaser on your bong: By using a degreaser dish soap or a product like Zeps, you can remove any hard water stains that your pipe might have accumulated. 
8. Rinse again: Rinse your piece thoroughly one more time.
9. Dry with paper towels: Dry whatever parts you want to with paper towels.

Tips for maintaining a clean glass bong

In addition to cleaning your bong regularly, there are a few other things you can do to help maintain a clean bong on an ongoing basis:

Use a silicone mat: A silicone mat can help to catch any stray tobacco or herbs that might otherwise stick to your bong. Simply place the mat under your bong when you smoke to help keep it clean. Use a screen: A screen can help to prevent your tobacco or herbs from falling into the water and becoming waterlogged. By using a screen, you can extend the time between cleanings. Use high-quality tobacco or herbs: Higher-quality tobacco and herbs tend to produce less resin and are easier to clean up. By using better-quality products, you can help to keep your bong clean and in good condition.

Use a screen: A glass or metal screen can help prevent loose ash or smoking material from falling in the downstem of your bong and clogging your percolator. You can find screens in a variety of sizes at your local smoke shop.

Store your bong away: When you aren't using your bong, it is important to store your bong safely to avoid getting damaged on accident. You can use a protective case or just put it out of reach. Some basic rules are don't leave glass bongs on the floor and don't leave them around wires like headphones or phone chargers.

Clean your bong regularly: If you follow the steps above once a week or every few weeks you should be ok. Just make sure to take care of your bong so you can enjoy it. Don't be a slob.

Avoid abrasive materials: When you do clean your bong, make sure to avoid using materials like steel wool or scouring pads. These can scratch the glass. Stick to the methods above or a soft bristled pipe cleaner if needed. 

Common questions about glass bongs

Some frequently asked questions about bongs:

• Do they break easily? No. Glass bongs can break if they are dropped or handled without care. They wont break from regular use and typically break because of an accident. Try to avoid accidents by having your own house rules. Some of ours at the office are no bongs on tables with cords and no bongs on the floor. This prevents people picking up their phone and knocking over a piece or accidentally kicking it.
• How do I travel with my bong? You can bubble wrap your bong, use a case like a Pelican case or a padded bag made especially for bongs. 

Troubleshooting common problems with glass bongs

Even with proper maintenance, there may be times when you encounter issues with your glass bong. Here are a few common problems and how to troubleshoot them:

Bubbling: If your bong is making a strange bubbling noise, it might be a sign that the water level is low or that your percolator is clogged. Try adding more water or cleaning your bong to see if it helps.

Leaking: If your bong is leaking, it might be a sign that there is a crack in the piece. Check your glass to make sure it is a leak and not just a splash of water that has escaped the bong. 

Clogging: If your bong is clogging, it could be a sign that the downstem or percolator is too dirty. Try cleaning the bowl or downstem and seeing if it resolves the issue. If it persists, you might have a sub par percolator. 

Tips for Smoking a Glass Bong

Here are some tips that can help you get the most out of your smoking experience.

• Start with small hits: If you are new to smoking or just new to using glass pipes, it is a good idea to start with small hits until you are used to the process. This will help you get a feel for how much smoke you are going to inhale on average and get comfortable smoking a bong before going for huge rips.
• Use cool water: Using slightly cool water can help cool down the smoke and make it easier to inhale. It will also help remove some of the harshness of the smoke and make it easier on your throat and lungs.
• Don't overpack the bowl: It is important to leave enough space in the bowl for air to flow through. A tightly packed bowl can make it hard to draw smoke from and result in no hit at all. 
• Try different bowl sizes: Try different bowls out to see what works best for you. Some people like multiple hits from one big bowl while some like clearing the hole bowl and prefer a smaller bowl so they get fresh flower each time. 
• Clean your bong regularly: Cannot stress this enough. Just clean your bong. 
• Experiment with the water level: Once you get a nice water level that functions, play around by adding more water or taking some away. Some people prefer chuggy hits with an overfull bong while some want a lower water level depending on the piece.
• Try using distilled water: Distilled water will prevent hard water stains from forming on your piece. When you use un distilled water there are minerals like calcium that stain the side of your glass bong over time. Similar to a shower. 
• Use a screen: This will help prevent ash or extra flower from falling down into your pipe. It can help improve airflow as well by helping pack the bowl more evenly. 

Conclusion

Using a bong should make smoking more enjoyable. By following this guide, you will be able to find a piece you love, prep it for use, and keep it maintained and looking like new. Make sure you get the most out of hard earned money and keep the good vibes rolling. Be sure to check out Glass Half Full's online headshop for a wide selection of glass bongs and other smoking accessories. Let us know if you need any help!