What Is A Percolator Bong?
A percolator is a smoking apparatus that filters and cools smoke before you inhale it. The percolator typically comes in a dome shape but there are countless styles and shapes in the market. It is a second water chamber for your bong and thus provides even greater filtration than an ordinary downstem. The filtration process, or diffusion (the scientific term) is basically a cooling process which refines the smoke and eliminates unnecessary chemicals within the smoke. Percolators come in a variety of shapes and materials, which this article will explore.
Bong Percolator Types
Percolators come in an impressive variety of shapes and sizes, however they all function similarly in that the main goal is to add filtration to the smoke that is being pulled. You need to decide for yourself what type of percolator is best for you as far as the balance between function, design, and price.
You may be wondering what is the most popular of all percolators? In most circles, the honeycomb percolator would be viewed as the most popular. The unique thing about the honeycomb percolator is that it has lots of tiny holes, thus giving it the appearance of a honeycomb. The tiny holes serve the purpose of increased diffusion of smoke--think of each hole as all being tiny contributors to the filtration process.
Perhaps the most stylish and impressive looking percolators is the tornado or cyclone turbine percolator. The tornado percolator is created with turbine discs that have many slits that hit the smoke at an angle. This design forces the smoke into a vortex similar to a tornado allowing for maximum diffusion.
What is the best percolator for a beginner user or someone on a budget? It would certainly be the tree percolator. This classic percolator consists of many narrow vertical tubes. These narrow tubes split up the smoke as it goes through the percolator, allowing for, you guessed it, effective filtration. The tree percolator is a step above the diffused downstem, which is a very basic type of percolator. Often times these are found within breaker bongs that have a simple design and are cheap in cost. Still, the diffused percolator contains multiple holes or slits that allow for more water filtration than a regular downstem.
Double Percolator Bong
The double percolator bong is exactly what it sounds like, it is a single percolator apparatus that is comprised of two percolators. This type of construction provides extra water filtration for even smoother hits. These types of percolators are gaining in popularity as it creates a truly unique pull.
Honeycomb Percolator Bong
The shape of honeycomb percolators is the main feature that allows this particular style to filter smoke so efficiently. The round discs fit into the tube of the bong and the smoke is pushed into the tiny holes, which diffuses the smoke.
Best Percolator Bongs
There are a wide variety of styles of percolator to choose from. Here, we will go over the wide array of percolator styles. To start off simple, the diffused downstem is the most basic type of percolator. It can be constructed as an immovable part within the bong itself or can come as an insertable piece. The downstem is a simple vertical piece that hits the water at the base of the bong. The diffused downstem has slits or holes for smoke filtration that put it a step above an ordinary downstem.
Next, an inline percolator is a more intricate design. It is a horizontal facing tube with several slits in it that serve to diffuse the bong smoke. This creates a more refined smoke as it filters through the many slits within the percolator.
What is the most mathematically beautiful and perfect geometric shape? Well, many mathematicians would say the circle. Circular percolators are self-explanatory; they are rounded like a disc with slits on the outside and have a terrific aesthetic to them. With the circular percolator, it is attached to the bowl at the bottom of a downstem.
There are also many options that really exhibit a remarkable design aesthetic to a percolator. For example, the matrix percolator has both horizontal and vertical slits, resulting in, at once, a beautiful pattern and large amounts of diffusion.
Perhaps, the most eye-catching design aesthetic of all percolators is the swiss perc. These types of percolators are truly a work of craftsmanship that have a series of holes within the base of the bong that gives the swiss percolator perhaps the most unique look of them all. Of course, the functionality is stunning as well, whereby the holes act as a filtering mechanism, and many bong enthusiasts say this type of percolator offers the most pure pull of smoke.
Bong vs Percolator Bong
Here we want to explore the difference between a bong with a percolator and a bong without one. Explore the benefits of each while maintaining a neutral stance on which is better.
Downstem vs Percolator
The main difference between a classic downstem bong and a percolator bong is the percolator. The percolator breaks down the smoke, allowing for more filtration when it travels through water so you can enjoy much more enjoyable and smoother smoking.
Downstems are more suitable for people on a tight budget and who are not really hell-bent on getting a pure, filtered pull from their bong. A downstem is simply a tube that sits at the base of the bong and is connected to a water chamber within the bong. One advantage to an ordinary downstem is they are easier to clean because percolators tend to have nooks and crannies that are harder to get to and typically require some kind of powerful cleaning liquid.
Percolators are for the more advanced user or connoisseur if you will. There is a deep reservoir of designs and styles of percolators that serve the very significant purpose of cooling and filtering smoke as it travels up the bong.
Dab Rig vs Percolator Bong
A dab rig is also known as an oil rig. It is used to smoke various types of concentrates as opposed to ordinary flower. The dab rig is a special attachment that is commonly made of glass. The dab rig needs to be constructed to withstand extremely high temperatures as this heat level is required to successfully burn oil or resin products. Just like percolators, dab rigs offer many shapes, forms, sizes, and colors available. So, to reiterate, a percolator is a premium filtration device for dry flower whereas a dab rig is for oil, wax, or resin concentrates.
Percolator Bong vs Vape Pen
A vape pen is something to mull over purchasing if portability and discretion is the most important thing to you. A vape pen has three main components. First, a mouthpiece to inhale vapor or smoke. Next, a heating component known as the atomizer and third, a battery to power up the atomizer. You can vape in a dry herb vaporizer, wax, or oil in a vape pen. These pens are light, small, and discreet compared to any kind of percolator smoking device. They heat up liquid which you can then pull through the pen’s mouth tube allowing for on-demand smoking. Consider a vape pen over a percolator if your biggest priority is convenience and inconspicuousness.
How to Clean a Percolator Bong
Cleaning a percolator bong can be tricky. The best way to clean your percolator is to fill the bottom of your water pipe with a cleaning solution. This can be a store-bought cleaning solution specifically made for cleaning glass pipes, or it can be a simple salt and alcohol solution. Next, cover all the holes of your smoking device with your hands, or you can purchase caps that plug up your devices while you wash it. Once all holes are covered, shake it vigorously and see the resin melt away. Once all the resin is blasted by the cleaning solution then remove the liquid and loose resin from the percolator. Make sure you rinse all parts of your bong or pipe after you apply a cleaning solution to it.
Percolator Bongs for Sale
Percolators are for sale at brick and mortar headshops. These are retail outfits that are specifically geared to providing various kinds of smoke products. Of course, if you shop online, and certainly most people do, you can browse and shop percolator bongs right here at vapevetstore.com where shipping in the US is always FREE.
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