My Hookah Is Not Working (Quick Hookah Fix Solutions)

My hookah is not working! Help! Ever run into this issue? Im sure all of us have at some point. Whether you are a noob at smoking hookah or are an enthusiast thats been smoking shisha for years, we are all bound to running into some issues with our hookah from time to time. Today we will be discussing some of the most common issues that may occur with your hookah and quick fix solutions for your hookah shisha pipe. If your hookah is not working, then you have come to the right place to get it up and smoking again. So let us dive into the most common hookah issues and get them fixed right away.

My Hookah Isn't Working - Common Problems

• Why Isn't My Hookah Blowing Smoke?
• My Hookah Is Too Strong
• My Hookah Is Clogged

Why Isn't My Hookah Blowing Smoke?

This is probably the most common question that we get from our customers. When it comes to getting your hookah to start blowing smoke properly, you are going to have to examine a few things that could be causing the issue. Getting your hookah to generate smoke is quite simple and the issues are mostly minor to fixing this issue properly. Here are a few things to look for to ensure that your hookah is pulling and smoking properly to produce tasty smoke.

1. Make sure your hookah is assembled properly - Check your hookah parts to make sure that they are assembled properly and that there are not any leaks. When assembling your hookah, you need to ensure that all gaskets are properly sealing the hookah stem to the hookah base, the hookah hose port to the hookah hose, and the hookah bowl port to the hookah bowl. These areas of your hookah set should be completely sealed to avoid any air leakage so that it performs properly. To learn more, read up our post on how to set up a hookah.
2. Check Your Purge Valve - This issue is an easy fix. Check your hookah purge valve to ensure that the ball bearing is in and that there are no blockages. Without the purge ball in the valve, your hookah will not generate any smoke and will not pull. Another sign that the issue is a missing ball is when your hookah is not bubbling. The purge ball acts to prevent air leakage into your base and keeps the smoke from dissipating. Also ensure that nothing is blocking the airway of the purge valve to ensure smooth smoking.
3. Manage Your Heat Properly - Often times, your hookah wont blow enough smoke simply because your aren't adding enough heat to your hookah bowl. Ensure that you are using 2-3 hookah coals so that your shisha tobacco warms up enough to generate smoke. A method that I like to use to get the smoke going is by adding hookah coals on to the bowl and waiting 2-5 minutes so that the shisha gets warm enough.
4. Repack Your Head - Sometimes all you gotta do is just repack your hookah-head. Simply remove your shisha flavouring and properly pack your bowl so that enough heat can transfer through. Also you may experience not much flavour if it isn't filled properly. To learn more, check out our post on how to pack the perfect shisha-bowl.
5. Air Leak In Your Hose - If the hose you are using to inhale smoke is punctured then that could be the main reason as to why your aren't getting any smoke at all. Having a hole in your hose will mess with the flow and transfer of your smoke. For a quick fix, try finding the puncture and tape it up for a temporary and easy solution. It is recommended that you do swap your hose out every 30-40 uses as it can get overused and collect the various flavours you smoke. Eventually you wont know what you are inhaling.

My Hookah Is Too Strong

If your asking yourself why your hookah always tastes burnt, this issue could be due to a couple of factors. Sometimes when I am smoking a pipe i come across the issue of inhaling be too difficult as the smoke is way to strong. Here are a couple of reasons why this could occur and how to fix it properly.

1. Overpacked Shisha Bowl - If you are having issues taking a puff, it could be because you added a little too much shisha to your bowl when packing it. To ensure your smoke isn't harsh or too strong, make sure to pack it a mm beneath the rim of your bowl. This will allow proper airflow for heat to transfer while maintaining the right amount of temperature so it doesn't hurt to inhale.
2. Too Much Heat - This issue happens to a lot of hookah smokers where they pack in too much heat. Sometimes we get carried away and want all the smoke but let's take it down a notch. This fix is quite easy. If you have three or four coals on your shisha bowl, take one off and see if it fixes the harshness of smoke. Throughout your session you can adjust by adding or removing your coals to get the proper shisha experience. 
3. Not Enough Water - If you've tried all of the methods above and are still getting heavy to breath smoke then its probably because you don't have enough water in the base of your shisha pipe. This is also a quick and easy fix. Simply add some more water to the base and it should do the trick. We recommend your water level in the hookah base should be at least 1 inch above the end of your stem. This will maximize your pipes performance and allow you to enjoy a pleasurable session.
4. HMD Issues - Using a heat managing device could sometimes cause you harshness if you do not use it properly. If you have over pack your shisha and your HMD is directly touching and blocking the vents then this could be the reason as to why you are getting harsh smoke. Try to avoid overfilling your shisha head when using an hmd so that  there is enough ventilation to allow proper air and heat exchange
5. Coals Are Not Properly Lit - To avoid a bad throat hit, it is very important to properly light your coals properly whether they be natural or quick lights. Avoid using your coals before they are completely lit as this could cause many side affects to your health. One of course being a sore throat but more importantly, you could be inhaling carbon monoxide which could lead to C02 poisoning, fainting or you might even have your lungs collapse. Make sure they are lit.

If these quick fixes didn't work then it might be time to modify some of the parts your are using. Replacing your bowl to a new and sturdy model such as a Hookah John head may fix your problems. Switching out foil to a heat management system can eliminate a scratchy throat and swapping out quick light coals to naturals could stop the harshness and burning. You might also want to consider switching out your hookah flavour brand if the smoke is just way to strong. Try brands like Al-Fakher or starbuzz. Some individuals may be sensitive and have side effects to the certain flavour they are smoking so it just all comes down to your own preference and choice.

My Hookah Is Clogged

Sometimes you try to take a puff from the beautiful hookah you packed after a long days work but suddenly your realize that nothing is coming out and it is clogged! Oh now, what do we do? Here are a few reasons why it would be clogged along with how to fix the issue.

1. Clogged Shisha Bowl - Yup, your bowl could be the issue as to why it is hard to inhale or get thick smoke going. Make sure the air holes in the bowl are opened and clean. To do this simply take a toothpick or a hole poker and clean out and residue. Make sure to rinse it with water to get all that old residue out. We recommend you thoroughly clean your shisha head after every session to get optimal performance. If the bowl is too dirty and has seen the best of its days then you can head over to our online shop and pick one of the many quality bowls that are on sale.
2. Not Enough Holes In Foil - If you are still smoking hookah the traditional way and are using tin foil to cover the head of your shisha, not having enough airflow could be causing your pipe to clog up. To ensure that the right amount of airflow is transferring throughout your pipe, make sure to poke enough holes for air to move through. This is an easy fix and will get you up n smoke in no time.
3. Overfilled Your Shisha - Again, over filling your bowl with too much hookah tobacco is a main cause for most of the issues when smoking a session of shisha. If your bowl is clean and you've got enough holes poked in that foil then you should probably look deeper into the bowl. Lower your pack slightly to ensure the holes are not clogged. For those using heat management systems, ensure that the air vents are not blocked to avoid air restriction. 
4. Shisha Stem Is Clogged - When your unable to inhale anything then your stem could be clogged. Bring out your stem cleaning brush and give it a quick scrub thoroughly. Try also using your brush to scrub anything out of the hose ports. After doing this give it a quick rinse and you should be good to go.
5. Purge Ball Check - When you are unable to purge your smoke, the purge ball could be clogged or stuck. Un-screw the purge ball port to check for any residue or rust. Give it a quick scrub and run through some water to open it up. If you are using a metal ball bearing, switch it out to a plastic bearing to avoid further residue and clogging.
6. Water in Shaft - Sometimes we get carried away and tend to mess up making a pipe. If you are trying to inhale and but nothing seems to be working then you could've accidentally added too much water or either filed it through your middle shaft. This is a big no no. Remove the shaft from the base to drain out any water. If your hookah is pulling water, or if you notice water coming through hookah hose, it's a sign to remove some from the base.
7. Hose Is Blocked - Now that you've inspected the majority of your shisha-pipe it and it's still feeling hard to inhale, you might want to check your hose. If it is a washable hose, just give it a quick rinse and air out any moisture. If its a non washable or traditional water pipe hose, then give it a quick blow. It might be a good idea to replace your traditional hose to a medical or silicone model. They are more sanitary and can be easily cleaned. Head over to the shop to check out some of the selection that is available on our catalog.

If you've gone through all of these steps and nothing seems to unclog your hookah then it might be time to say goodbye to your old arigili and replace it with a newer model. In today's industry there are a range of models that are more modern and easy to maintain. Try replacing your hookah-pipe with a stainless steel model as they tend not to rust and can last a lifetime. If you want something that is easy to maintain, choose a hookah that has removable parts to easily clean and swap if a part goes bad.

Shisha Quick Fix Solutions

Every once in a while you are going to run into a minor hiccup when getting ready to prepare a hookah session. We live and learn and gain that experience through trial and error. We hope that this guide could be a great reference whenever you are feeling lost. If you have any further questions please reach out to us directly and we will be sure to assist you!  Be sure to visit our blog if you need help with any replacement parts for your water pipe.