What is a Percolator Bong?

This guide covers glass and hardware for use with legal products only, in line with your state's laws. TAG makes no health claims about any material you choose to use.

What is a Percolator Bong?

With an extra water chamber for filtering the smoke, a percolator bong cools the hot gas and smooths the draw through the bong tube. This chamber usually sits in the percolator pipe and comes in several shapes and sizes, with the honeycomb percolator a top choice for its swift, thorough diffusing.

How Does a Percolator Bong Work?

Whether you have a simple tree perc or a more complex turbine style, the process is the same: smoke is filtered through a water chamber, cooling it like antifreeze in your car's radiator. This can happen several times, as in a triple honeycomb percolator bong, so the draw is smooth and cooled.

You may wonder how much flavor you lose by using a percolator attachment for a bong. Diffusing through a bubbling percolator loses almost no taste. The smoothness and cooler temperature of the filtered smoke are well worth it. Most people prefer a glass percolator bong, since the glass does not affect flavor and the look is pleasing.

How To Use a Percolator Bong

Whatever type of percolator bong you buy, there are a few common steps to getting started:

• How to fill a percolator bong with water: Pour water into the tube until it is about a third of the way up the stem. Avoid overfilling, which leads to a watery draw. Make sure all of your percolator slits are just barely submerged.
• How to add dry herb: Grind your dry herb to a medium-to-fine mix, then fill the bowl and pack it loose enough to allow a small amount of airflow.
• How to light up: Put your lips around the top of the tube's mouthpiece and light the bowl. Note: be sure to cover any carb holes in your pipe.
• Taking your first draws: Do not take long draws at first. Take a few smaller ones while uncovering the carb hole, which regulates the flow of fresh air into the tube to clear the smoke.
• Practice makes perfect: Once you get used to your bong, whether a simple setup or a honeycomb percolator, you will know just how much water to add, how to pack and light up, and how to take those first draws.

Hot or Cold: How to Fill a Percolator Bong with Water

We have covered how much water to add to your percolator bong, but what about the temperature of the water? Does it make a difference? The answer depends on whom you ask. There are two camps.

The first camp says to add ice-cold water because the whole point of a percolator bong is to cool the smoke as it diffuses, so why use hot? The second camp says that adding hot water releases steam with the smoke and warms the draw, making for a smoother pull. You will have to decide that one for yourself.

How to Clean a Percolator Bong

A percolator attachment for a bong is a great tool, but like any tool, you have to clean it. Do this regularly, because bongs build up resin on the inside of the glass that only gets thicker with time. And the more complex a bong is, the more there is to clean. So here is a great way to keep your percolator bong clean:

• Gather your cleaning supplies: You will need pipe cleaners or cotton swabs, isopropyl alcohol, coarse sea salt, and storage bags or plastic containers with tight lids.
• Remove the stem and the bowl: Carefully disassemble these and put each into a separate sealed container or bag.
• Add alcohol and salt: Pour enough alcohol into each container to cover the piece, and add coarse salt. If using a sealed bag, use your fingers to rub the alcohol and salt over the stem and bowl. If using a sealed container, carefully roll it around and let it soak for a few minutes. Rinse with warm water and let it dry.
• Empty old bong water and add alcohol and salt: Out with the old, in with the salt. Cover the bottom of the bong with coarse salt, then pour in a quarter cup of alcohol. Be sure to cover every opening.
• Shake vigorously: Not you, the bong. Once it is free of resin, pour out the alcohol and salt mixture and rinse with warm water until no alcohol remains, then let it dry.
• Repeat if necessary: Get as much resin off your percolator bong as possible.
• Clean filters and other attachments: Use cotton swabs and pipe cleaners to remove as much residue as possible. Rinse with warm water until clean and let it dry.