Smoking weed has many ways, but a bong is one of the most popular and effective. It’s fast, easy, and delivers a thick, cool cloud of smoke.
Whether you’re new to smoking or an avid user, there are a few things you need to know about how does a bong work. It’s simple, but there are a lot of different parts that need to be cleaned regularly for it to work correctly.
The Bowl
The bowl of a bong is the bulbous attachment where you pack your dried herb before lighting it. It’s often removable, which allows it to function as a pull or slide carb if you need to clear it for a rip.
This part of a bong also holds the water, which cools and filters your smoke as you inhale it into your lungs. There are various bowls, including those made from glass, ceramic, and metal.
These materials all have their unique qualities. For example, glass is light and can be easily cleaned.
Another option is ceramic, an excellent choice for those looking for an ancient material that can absorb and disperse heat. Ceramics is also highly durable and can handle repeated heating and cooling cycles. It’s also less likely to flavor your hits than glass.
The Downstem
Whether you’re using a bong or dab rig, the downstem is critical to smoking a joint. It is the module that draws smoke from your bowl piece into the water chamber of the bong, allowing it to be cleaned and filtered of any tar or other toxins before being inhaled.
The downstem is often removable, letting you replace and clean your bong quickly and easily. It also gives you the option to add or remove a percolator and diffuser, which are both helpful in enhancing your smoking experience.
Grab a ruler or tape measure to find the correct downstem length for your new bong. Slide it into the female ground joint of your pipe until it is about one inch from the bottom.
The Percolator
A percolator is a water-based filter that cools down smoke to make it easier to inhale. This can help smokers achieve a smoother hit, less coughing and more enjoyment from their bong.
There are many types of percolators, each with a slightly different effect. Some percs, such as showerhead and recycler percs, filter smoke through multiple chambers before it hits the bowl of a bong, while others, such as spiral and Faberge egg percs, filter smoke through a single coil in the base of a bong.
The most common type of perc used in bongs is the honeycomb or fritted disc perc, which creates a lot of little holes in the base of a bong. This makes it ideal for filtering large amounts of smoke, which helps to get you stoned faster than a regular bong.
The Mouthpiece
Unlike a pipe, a bong gives a more pleasant smoking experience as it cools and filters the smoke through water. This helps you draw more of the cannabinoids and terpenes from your weed.
A bong mouthpiece can be made from a variety of materials. For example, some bongs use glass, and others use plastic or silicone.
To begin smoking a bong, place your lips over the mouthpiece and apply light pressure to form a seal. Do not wrap your lips around the outside of the mouthpiece, as this is bad etiquette.
Once your lips have formed a seal, inhale from the bong. The suction created will pull the herb from the bowl and travel up the downstem into the bong’s chamber.
Then, you can remove the bowl from the downstem to inhale all the accumulated smoke in the chamber. You can also clear the chamber with a quick inhale before you take another hit.
