Starting Hookah Build -- Hose Suggestions Please!

[mlt34]

Hey, I'm starting to build my hookah. I've got a blue glass vase for the chamber, a ceramic bowl, a clear plexiglass tube for the stem (should be cool seeing the smoke come down the stem) and I just bought a 3/8ID clear vinyl hose today at LOWES.

One immediate problem is with the hose. It has a distinctive vinyl taste/smell when you inhale it. I don't have it attached to anything yet, i've just tried breathing through it to check how restricted it is. Does anyone know how to get the smell/taste out of it? I've already run hot water through it to straighten it out, but the water doesn't seem to have made the smell go away...

Can anyone offer any suggestions to help me get rid of teh vinyl taste/smell.

Also, any other suggestions in general?

[Bulldog_916]

Smoke a strong flavor as your first smoke. Run warm water and lemon juice or liquor through it. Until the initial smokes impart their flavor on the hose, you're going to get that vinyl taste.

Make sure it's all air tight, that's about my only suggestion. Also, I wouldnt use plexiglass so close to the bowl with the heat on it. Could release some odd inhalants.

[SimplexCoda]

I would suggest putting your hose in some very hot, but not boiling, water. It would probably make the taste less, but if it doesnt it will make it more flexible.

[roadie]

Hey, I'm starting to build my hookah. I've got a blue glass vase for the chamber, a ceramic bowl, a clear plexiglass tube for the stem (should be cool seeing the smoke come down the stem) and I just bought a 3/8ID clear vinyl hose today at LOWES.

One immediate problem is with the hose. It has a distinctive vinyl taste/smell when you inhale it. I don't have it attached to anything yet, i've just tried breathing through it to check how restricted it is. Does anyone know how to get the smell/taste out of it? I've already run hot water through it to straighten it out, but the water doesn't seem to have made the smell go away...

Can anyone offer any suggestions to help me get rid of teh vinyl taste/smell.

Also, any other suggestions in general?

I don't know which hose you bought, but I just purchased a 1/2" hose from Lowe's specifically for water/food use and there is no smell/taste at all. It was precut to 10', about $3 I think.