Answer:
See our Hookah Setup Guide for instructions on turning your hookah session into a Hookah Masters session.

Answers:
First, make sure the hookah is set up according to Hookah Setup Guide. If the Hookah Setup Guide has not been followed, take a part your hookah with extrme caution. Remove the charcoal from the hookah bowl by placing the charcoal on the charcoal tray. Proceed to take apart your hookah and follow the Hookah Setup Guide.

Faulty hookah setups can effect the thickness of the hookah smoke dramatically. If your hookah, hose, and bowl are not air tight, the thickness of your hookah smoke may suffer becuase the more air coming from extraneous sources will decrease smoke thickness and taste. Check the connections between the bowl and the hookah pipe, and the hose and the hookah pipe. The Hookah Setup Guide explains how to fix air leaks invading your hookah.

If smoking a single hose hookah, the hookah valve may be the cause. If the hookah valve does not have a metal ball blocking the inflow of air, the thickness of the smoke will suffer. Follow the Hookah Setup Guide to ensure proper hookah valve setup.

If this is a multi-hose hookah, ensure that the other hoses not actively inhaling are "thumbing" the mouthpiece. When inhaling and other hoses are not closing off the mouthpiece, the low pressure in the hookah base does not form because the open hose allows air to replace the displaced air, rather than air being pulled through the hookah bowl, where the smoke comes from. By "thumbing" the mouthpiece, air can only enter from the hookah bowl, creating the thick smoke.

Another common problem, the hookah hose is punctured or not connected well to mouthpiece or tailpiece. Follow the Hookah Setup Guide discussing how to check the hose for holes.

More hose FAQs.

Answer:
Buy BB's. Unscrew the escape valve cover, insert BB, and rescrew the escape valve back on. Test if BB is working by inhaling once the hookah is completely set up, but before you light the coal. If difficult to inhale, BB is working. Now try exhaling gently into hookah to determine if you can exhale in case the hookah gets harsh.

Alternaively, cover the valve with a peice of aluminimum foil so that air cannot be inhaled. Note, however, that clearing the hookah smoke by exhaling will not be possible because the escape valve is closed up. Exhaling will push the water up the top of the hookah pipe, soaking the tobacco with water, and possibly extinguishing the coal as well.

Setup