How to Troubleshoot a Glass Bubbler That’s Not Working

How to Troubleshoot a Glass Bubbler That’s Not Working

Posted by Vaporizer Chief on 28th Mar 2022

Switching from a standard pipe to a glass bubbler is a gamechanger, and few people ever go back once they get that first cool, filtered smoke into their lungs. A glass bubbler uses a water filtration system through which the smoke passes, instantly making it smoother and easier to inhale. But, like all pieces, a glass bubbler does need to be maintained regularly to keep supplying you with gratifying hits of smoke.

If your glass bubbler isn’t working properly, there are several common issues that we’ll go over to help you address the underlying problem and get back to smoking in no time.

Problem: Your Clouds Taste Burnt or Stale

Perhaps the most common compliant is a burnt or stale taste. Naturally, when we spend money on flower, we want to be able to enjoy the taste of its delicious terpenes, and the last thing we want is a flavor experience that’s unpleasant. Most often, the problem is that the water in the bubbler needs to be replaced.

As the smoke passes through the water each time you fire a hit, that water is getting dirtier and dirtier. And, eventually it’s not only going to stop filtering the smoke, but the smoke is going to carry the taste of that stale water.

The Solution: Ideally, you should replace the water in your bubbler each time you use it. This means that before loading the bowl, you run the bubbler under the faucet of your sink, to completely get rid of the old water and fill it with new water. Run the water through the pipe however many times are necessary until the water is completely clean.

Problem: You’re Getting Hardly Any Airflow

Another somewhat common problem is that you’re not getting the same amount of airflow that you’re used to. In other words, you’re inhaling through the mouthpiece, but it seems like the air is struggling to make its way through the stem. This would indicate a clog, which can occur for various reasons. One is that you’re not cleaning your pipe regularly, and so there’s a buildup of resinous residue on the interior of the stem, creating something of a blockage. Another issue could be that debris got into your mouthpiece, and, has now become a clog.

The Solution: We said that you should clean out your water before each use, but it’s also best to clean the entire pipe. Run water thoroughly through the stem, and use some type of narrow poking device to really get in there and dislodge anything that can be creating a blockage. While it’s best to do this daily, if you can only get around to it weekly, that might be good enough as long as you’re not a heavy user.

Problem: You’re Getting Water in Your Mouth

If you go to take in some smoke, but instead end up with a mouth full of water, then you’re not alone. This is actually a pretty common complaint when it comes to bubblers, and the problem isn’t actually the bubbler itself, but how you’re hitting it.

The Solution: With a glass bubbler, you need to exercise some control over how you pull. Basically, you need to pull less hard each time you take a hit, because otherwise, you’ll inevitably draw water out of the chamber and into the mouthpiece.

Problem: You Broke Your Bubbler

Let’s say you knock over or drop your bubbler, and now there’s a crack, a chip or a chunk missing. Well, if this happens, unfortunately the only real thing you can do is replace the entire piece. Handling broken glass is dangerous, and inhaling through a broken glass pipe is even more dangerous.

Bubblers: Easy to Use, as Long as You Take Care of Them

Bubblers are generally very user-friendly, and as long as you use them properly and clean them as needed, you should be able to enjoy them for a long time to come, all while knowing that you’re getting the perfect amount of cool, filtered smoke each time you fire a hit. As you can see, the problems above all come with extremely simple solutions.