Why is My Water Pipe Carburetor Not Working?

Ah! The carburetor of your water pipe isn’t working. That’s a drag! No pun intended. ;)

If your water pipe carb isn’t working, don’t worry! Cloud 9 Smoke Co has the explanation loaded down for you. Though some water pipes may not have a carb hole, you can still experience clogging in the system that will make the carburetor system in your water pipe slack in function.

Without further ado, here’s why your water pipe carburetor isn’t working properly and how you can fix the carb on your water pipe!

Let’s dive in!

So What is a Water Pipe Carburetor?

This is a great question! Carb holes (carburetors) are usually found on the base of older water pipes. Carb holes are where you place your hand over the water pipe to control the airflow inside your water pipe.

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Nowadays, the carburetor system on your water pipe mainly consists of your slide and downstem (if the downstem is removable)! So if your slide and downstem aren’t working properly, we’ve got a fix for that too.

Reasons Why Your Water Pipe Carburetor Isn’t Working

How often do you clean your water pipe?

If you’re smoking from a dirty water pipe, there’s a chance that tar and resin may have coated around the carb hole of your water pipe. When these sticky substances make their way around the base of your water pipe, your entire water pipe begins to decline in function.

Always make sure to clean your water pipe and your water pipe’s carb hole before a sesh! Doing so will eliminate the presence of sticky resin and tar from forming around your water pipe. If resin and tar form around your carb hole, the amount of airflow your water pipe will receive will significantly decline, and you’ll get pretty hot and harsh hits!

How much water are you putting into your water pipe?

If you’re putting too much water into your water pipe, your water pipe’s carburetor may not work as it should. Think about it! We’re trying to manipulate airflow in the water pipe, and if water is in the way, the air has little space to travel. Too much water in your water pipe can result in icky splashback as well as not enough room for air to work in filtrating your hit!

Is the carburetor in your water pipe cracked or chipped?

This may sound like a dumb question, but it’s legit! If your carburetor is chipped, cracked, or fractured, the amount of airflow going into your water pipe will be altered. Sometimes these cracks can cause leakage of water, air, and smoke! So if your carburetor is chipped or cracked, you could be experiencing hits that are not as fulfilling and lacking of terpenes.

To fix this, you can devise a system or find a product to plug or cover the carb hole in your water pipe and use your slide as the carburetor system in your water pipe!

Slides and Downstems

If you have a ground slide, such as the Wig-Wag Martini Water Pipe Slide, the grounded end of the joint of the slide may be too snugly fit inside the downstem. While that’s a fantastic thing, if it takes you a longer time to remove the slide from the water pipe, you could be experiencing stale smoke! No one wants that.

Instead of trying to pull the slide out of your water pipe, try to gently twist the slide in your downstem as you’re pulling it out. The grip between your ground slide and the downstem will begin to loosen and you can pull the slide out with ease! It’s a killer technique that’s saved us a lot of time for us here at Cloud 9 Smoke Co.

However, if your downstem is stuck inside your water pipe… that’s when things get a bit more technical! To remove a stuck downstem from your water pipe, you’re going to need a lot of patience, gentle gripping, and a sink. Yes, a sink!

To remove a stuck downstem, place your water pipe over the sink, grab a pair of gloves with grips (if needed), and begin to work at the gentle twist and pull method. The reason why you’re doing this over a sink is to prevent any broken glass from falling on the floor. Of course, this is a rainy day scenario and the force of your grip is too tight for the water pipe, and when your downstem comes out it could break!

Never, ever try to force a downstem into your water pipe! If the downstem of your water pipe doesn’t fit snugly upon a gentle insert, you may need a downstem that properly fits inside your water pipe.

How Can I Deal With this Issue Less Often?

To save yourself from the headache of water pipe carburetors not working properly, invest in a water pipe that works off the carburetor system of a slide and downstem only! Doing so will save you a lot of work while smoking from your water pipe. It’ll also save you from worrying about the carburetor system malfunctioning. Plus, if the slide and downstem get stuck, you’ll know exactly what to do to fix it!

MOB Glass Crazy 8 Straight Tube ($99.99)

This classic straight tube water pipe features all you could ever need for direct hits blasted straight to the dome! This water pipe functions solely from the slide and downstem, so you won’t have to worry about a carb hole while smoking.

MOB Glass Strawberry Bubbler ($119.99)

The MOB Strawberry Bubbler is a compact water pipe with phenomenal accents of glass blown strawberries. This water pipe features a fixed percolator downstem, meaning that all you have to worry about is removing the slide when taking hits from this cute water pipe! Talk about easy smoking and easy livin’.

MOB Glass Shroom Water Pipe ($149.99)

This amazing novelty water pipe is decked out with glass blown mushrooms! Talk about a sight to see while you’re toking. This water pipe also features a fixed percolator downstem, so all you’ll need to worry about is removing the slide to get the air flowin’ inside your water pipe! Pretty cool, right?

Why is My Water Pipe Carburetor Not Working? - Solved!

Now that you know why your water pipe’s carburetor (carb hole) may not be functioning properly, you can get down to the grind of fixing up your water pipe for an upcoming sesh!

To break it down, here are a few things to consider:

• Is your water pipe clean?
  • Resin and tar could clog and affect the airflow coming from your carb hole.
• Is your water pipe overfilled with water?
  • If water is interfering with your water pipe’s carb hole, you may need to pour some water out so the carburetor of your water pipe can function properly.
• Is the carburetor of your water pipe cracked, chipped or fractured?
  • Any damages done to your water pipe’s carburetor can affect how much air, water, and smoke is being contained in your water pipe. Make sure your water pipe’s carburetor is in great condition, and if it is cracked, install or create a seal and work with your water pipe’s slide for airflow.
• If your slide or downstem is stuck
  • If your ground slide is stuck in the joint of your water pipe, gently twist and pull to release the grip the slide has on your downstem.
  • If your downstem is stuck, place your water pipe over a sink, grab some gloves, and gently begin to work the downstem out of your water pipe.

To completely rid yourself of the headache of working with a water pipe carburetor that isn’t functioning properly, invest in a newer water pipe that operates off the carburetor system encompassing only the slide and the downstem. At Cloud 9 Smoke Co, you can find the best water pipes to buy online (carburetor free)!

As always, happy toking!