The Definitive Hose Thread...

[HooKendo]

Hey guys, first time poster here.  Anywhoo, I've been into hookah for a few months now, and I'm really starting to enjoy it! Two of my best friends bought a hookah for their apartment last fall, and ever since then its been in constant use (We have a large circle of friends who all enjoy a good puff once in a while).  Although we're not hookah maniacs, it gets used at least once or twice a day by a variety of different people.  With this constant use, though, a big problem has arisen; the hoses have turned pretty rancid .  I don't think there's any mold, but they just taste like bitter, stale smoke. So far, we've been using the one's that came with it, and I think it's either time to get some new ones, or find a magic way to clean the old ones.  I've checked around on the few hookah forums I've found, but all I can find involving hoses is a few tidbits here and there, nothing concrete or explored in depth.  So, I've got a list of questions that I can hopefully get some definitive answers on by a resident hookah expert...
1) How often should you replace hoses (assuming one use per day)?
2) Which hoses are washable, but not specifically labled such?
3) Which hoses absorb the least smoke?
4) How can you actually "dry wash" a hose, and is it effective?
5) Is it necessarily the end of the world if you wash an unwashable hose?
6) In the end, which hose/s should I buy on a budget of under $20?
7) Any other hose care tips would be great!
Thanks guys.

[cypress]

First let me ask whether or not you change flavors and what flavors do you use.

And I guess to answer all your questions get a Mya Saray Washable hose. You are going to need about 5 if you mix flavors often.

1 for Double Apple and Licorice
1 for Citrus fruit flavors.
1 for Capaccino
1 for floral flavors
1 for buttery fruit flavors.

IF you just want one hose then after about 5-10 minutes into the smoke you will stop tasting the previous flavor.

Also, one other hose killer is overfilling the vase with water. I too
was a victom of this. To test it out, fill the vase up to the way you
normally do. Then with the hose off suck on the receptacle where the
hose goes. If you taste water when ssucking then you are putting too
much. What happens with a non washable hose is that the spring inside
starts to rust.  You might can salvage you hose by beating it
against the wall or ground and blow out through your hose.  To dry
a washable hose is top swing it outside untill nothing comes out and
let it sit a day without using it.  Good luck.

[Puff]

  Another thing you can do to an unwashable hose is pour about a pencap full of lemon juice in it , cap both ends and let it run back and forth several times uncap it hang it by one end and let it drain overnight. The lemon taste will go away after the first bowl you smoke and it will smell fresh like what you just smoked.

[ZAP]

I say the best option is to make a hose.  Get a hose from an
aquatic store and just basicly be creative.  With the one I made
the pull on it is absolutely fabulous.  It isn't restricted one
bit and it is 100% washable and the plastic will not pick up any flavor
at all.

[Puff]

Yeah making them is easy and the clear plastic is cool for watching the smoke go thru.

[HooKendo]

I assume that the clear plastic tubing they sell at Menards and Home Depot is the same thing as an aquarium hose.  I think that's a great idea, but is there anything you guys have done to "dress up" your hoses.  It seems like such a waste to put clear plastic tubes on such a beautifully decorative device as a hookah.  I mean it sure is practical, but ugly in contrast

[Mathazar]

Now that everyone has answered your technical questions,  let me
be the first to offer you a place to buy FANTASTIC washable hoses for
those on a $20 budget:

www.Hookah-Hookah.com

They have Plethor Washable hoses that are the best I've ever
used.  They have smoothe polished stainless steel mouthpieces and
are wrapped in leather that is secured by gold string.  These
hoses are over 6 feet long and are washable.  I simply wrap my
hand around the faucet and then slide the end with the mouthpiece thru
my fist,  and then I turn the water on high.  All the brown
gunk comes flowing out of the other end of the hose that is spiraled in
the sink.  I let the water flow for awhile even after the gunk has
disappeared just to make sure I've gotten most all of it out.  I
then drain all the water out of the hose into the sink.  After
that,  I hang the hoses over the shower bar and let them dry-out
for a couple of days. 

And that's it,  with these hoses you'll never have to replace another hose ever again.

On the the metal ring going around the endpiece of the hose,  it says: MYA

I think these hoses are made by MYA SARAY.  But,  you can get
them for practically nothing over at:  www.Hookah-Hookah.com 

[NERV]

[quote name='HooKendo']I assume that the clear plastic tubing they sell at
Menards and Home Depot is the same thing as an aquarium hose.  I
think that's a great idea, but is there anything you guys have done to
"dress up" your hoses.  It seems like such a waste to put clear
plastic tubes on such a beautifully decorative device as a
hookah.  I mean it sure is practical, but ugly in contrast[/quote]

if you make a hose dont buy a rubber hose, buy a plastic hose, i made
the mistake of getting a rubber hose and i could never get the rubber
flavor out of it. then i got a toy plastic hose and it works great, ive
been meaning to make it pretty but i havent gotten around to it, you
could either make a sleeve with long cloth and sewing, or there is a
place online that sells hose sleezes but i cant remember which site,
does anyone else remember what site that was?

[NERV]

here is my hose:


i estimate to be a little over 6 feet long


a closeup, its one of those bendy hoses that stays how u bend it (oh
and that blast radius in the top right is form before i invented my
coal lighting chamber)


thats the inside of the hose, the openings are about the size od a
quarter, i have it attached with alot of silicone tape, the super wide
hose along with the homemade diffuser makes pulling almost as easy as
breathing.

[ZAP]

I'll get a picture of mne late.

I had to improvise and make a mouth tip and hard handle for mine as it
was too uncomfortable.  For the handle I used a plastic pipe from
the plumbers which is about an inch wide and is comfortably fits right
over my hose and then covered it in twine to make it feel better. 
For the mouth tip I used a male style dual hose pipe connector.

[NERV]

wow, yours sounds even more ghetto than mine, i guess i got lucky when
i found a hose that was basicly perfect except for looks, i cant wait
to see this...

[Mathazar]

SouthSmoke has very cool hose covers.  They just added them to their site 

[NERV]

those are the ones i was tlaking about, i tihnk theyre 'ok' but i would
much rather make one, ill give it lace and tassles and itll be ready
for prom in no time

[RuarriP]

Hose covers are sweet man, I used a length of 3/4" diameter plastic
hose for a while and it was so ghetto that I was embarassed to bring
out my hookah except with close friends.  I wish I'd had some hose
covers then.  The plastic-fantastic cheap-ass hoses look really
bad guys, I'm sorry to say.  After finding a good supplier I'll
never use plastic tubing again, (except in emergencies)

Might as well use a length of garden hose

Let's try and remember the sophistication and tradition associated with
this hobby, we're not a bunch of kids puffing on a homemade bong
here.  Leave the ductape and garden hose crap in the garage. 
Don't get stuck being "that guy".

Lets put in the extra effort and class it up!!! 
After all, some of us in the forum pay high prices for premium
ma'assal, It's a shame to see good tobbacco go through bad pipes, like
drinking Crystal out of Dixie cups. 

[ZAP]

My hose didn't look that ghetto since I covered the hose in black
velvet.  I would rather have the comfort and the brilliant pull
rather than crappy manufactured ones.  80% of the times I smoke
will be while watching a movie with friends around and they love my
hose too.

[piperdown]

FWIW I got my mya hoses direct from [url="http://www.myasaray.com"]mya[/url] - $7.00 us each plus shipping.

[HooKendo]

So I went out and bought some 1/2 inch plastic tubing from Menards.  Surprisingly, it doesn't quite as ghetto as I thought, with the rubber grommets and all.  After rinsing both hoses out with some formula 420, the plastic taste was almost completely gone.  The taste of the smoke improved ten-fold, not even comparable to the trashed hoses.  In retrospect, 1/4 inch tubes would have been better.  You have to smoke the half inchers very carefully to avoid overdrawing and frying the tobacco.
In the end, the plastic tubing gets an A+ as a temporary replacement tubes (until we order some new washable mya hoses.

[HooKendo]

*Doesn't "look" quite as ghetto*
Sorry for the typo and double post...