Two Main Sites to bookmark
www.theshisha.com - www.shisha.co.uk
Shisha Hire:
www.shishahire.co.uk
FAQS
Q:
Is Shisha Harmfull?
Technically speaking yes, although only
negligibly. The water takes away approximately
90% of the harmful chemicals (excluding THC),
and so a pipe contains merely 0.5% nicotine and
0% tar. Also, if its not inhaled, there is no
danger of lung cancer.
Q:
What is a hookah ?
A hookah, also known as a water pipe, arguileh, nargileh, or shisha, is an ancient water pipe used to smoke flavored tobacco.
Q: How often should I clean my hookah?
We recomend that you clean your hookah shaft, base, and bowl after every four or five uses. Maintaining a clean hookah is neccessary for providing an enjoyable smoke every time.
Q: How does it work?
The main body of the hookah is made of a pipe that runs from the top where the clay bowl attaches into the glass base. Surrounding the pipe there is decorative metal.
There is a port for inserting a hose and on the other side there is a one way bleeder valve. Each port has passage into the glass base. There are pipes that have multiple hose junctions and come in 2,3,4 and 6 hose versions.
When you are actually smoking the tobacco is placed into the top clay bowl and is heated with coal. The coal does not actually burn the tobacco as is the case in a pipe or a cigarette. By sucking on the hose the air pressure inside the glass base is lowered and thus water is pulled in from the only available source which is the top of the pipe.
The air flows around the coal, heating them up, and takes the tobacco smoke down the tube into the water of the base. The smoke is passed through the water, which filters, cools, and smoothes out the smoke before it enters into the glass base where it then is rushed through the hose.
The bleeder valve acts as a one way passage for air and is used to blow the smoke that collects in the glass base out of the hookah. The reason for doing this is usually as a result of smoke that is too thick for the likes of the smoker, stale, change of tobacco flavor, or because the tobacco was starting to burn and had become harsh.
Q: I'm new to hookah smoking, how easy is it
to get started?
Getting started is actually very simple!
If you don't already have a hookah just visit
our products
page and simply pick the hookah of your choice,
next choose the flavor(s) of tobacco and the desired
type of charcoal and wait for them to arrive.
Once you have recieved your hookah, tobacco and
charcoal visit our website and check out our "Set-up Instructions", there you will find step by step instructions
on how to get started and you will be smoking
like a regular in no time.
Q:
How long should each bowl last?
The average bowl with two to three smokers
should last anywhere from 45 min.
to 1 hr. Make sure you keep it lit by having red
hot charcoal burning at all times.
Q: How to set up the hookah for a good experience?
Setting up the Hookah for a good time is easy but does require some experience, good technique, and a little luck at first.
First the Hookah should be cleaned thoroughly, if not every time, then at least every few smokes and usually when changing the flavor of the tobacco. The base should be washed out and water should be ran through the Hookah pipe. Use a thin cleaning brush. Initially the water running through the pipe will come out slightly yellow; continue until it is clear. Make sure that the ports for the bleeder valve and the hose are also washed out. A common mistake in the desire for the perfectly clean Hookah is to wash out the hoses. Most hookah hoses should NOT be washed, but instead they should be blown clean. The reason for this is that the water will either rust the hoses made with metal tubing or will cause the hoses constructed from composite fiber to begin breaking down. In either case this will eventually result in the need to replace the hose.
Some of our hoses are washable and are made specifically to allow you to run water through the hose and thoroughly clean them out before each smoke.
Once the base is clean put water to a level that will result in the hookah pipe being submersed in about 1.5 inches of water. Too much will result in the water bubbling up into the hose during the smoke. Once the water is placed into the base the top Hookah pipe can be attached. Sometimes it helps to wet the grommet that fits on the hookah pipe so that it easily slips into the base.
After this is done the hose can be attached, and again it is sometimes better to wet the grommet.
After these steps are completed the next and most important step is the making of the tobacco "head". Before placing the tobacco into the bowl try to break up the clumps and remove any large pieces of leaf stem. The loose flake tobacco should be placed in the bowl ensuring it is evenly spread around, packed lightly, and not so high that the aluminum foil is in direct contact with it. Once this is done a piece of normal kitchen aluminum foil should be placed over the top of the bowl. The foil should be stretched tight to hold the weight of the coal and you should ensure enough foal is used so that it doesn't easily start to become undone.
After this use a toothpick to randomly place holes in the foil with a higher concentration in the center of the bowl. It is important to not make the holes too large or too small as both will result in an unfavorable smoking condition. After the bowl is made, moisten the bowl grommet and place the bowl on the top of the hookah pipe.
At this point the Hookah is completely assembled.
The charcoal or shisha lite should be lit outside or in a well ventilated area. Once the coal is fully lit, place it on top of the bowl toward the edges of the rim. This will prolong the life of the tobacco and will make the smoke more controllable. We recommend you start with two coals and then later transition to one coal to continue smoking. It is important to move the coals around the head to ensure that all tobacco is used evenly and to prevent it from burning.
There is a very different distinct taste that will occur when the head is burnt. Some people have different thresholds before they consider it burnt. Find yours.
This should be used as a guide to help you set up the Hookah for a good time. Remember you will only get better by practicing and experimenting. We recommend sticking to one flavor and try smoking it various times so you can tell the difference in the smoke as a result of the way you set the hookah up.
Q: Think you have a leak?
If you notice that there is not a sound of the smoke going through the water you probably have a leak. The easiest thing is to ensure you have enough water in the base. Also check to ensure you have a tight fit at the tobacco bowl to hookah, the hose is inserted properly, and the hookah to base connection is snug. If this doesn't fix the problem try reseating the parts by lightly wetting the grommets to make sure they fit properly over each other. If you can isolate the problem you can use a paper towel or some aluminum foil to provide a quick temporary solution, but you will need to replace these parts. Check out our grommets.
Q: How to Salvage a Bowl of Tobacco
You are just getting comfortable enjoying the Hookah when you notice a change in the taste and the smooth smoke now getting harsh; you take another puff and after coughing up a lung you realize the tobacco is burning. You can redo the bowl or try a few things to salvage the tobacco.
The easiest thing to do is to immediately remove the charcoal and softly blow into the hose. Blowing into the Hookah will remove the foul tasting smoke from the vase through the bleeder valve. Blowing into the Hookah will also cause air to move up the stem and through the bowl cooling down the tobacco. If you are using a multihose Hookah make sure that when trying to clear the vase that you leave the other hoses unplugged, and then plug the extra hoses to blow air up the stem and through the bowl. Doing this alone and repositioning the charcoal is usually enough to save the bowl.
If this doesn't help or you feel that a little more attention is needed, you can remove the charcoals and lift the charcoal screen (or foil), and blow directly onto the tobacco to cool it off. When you lift the charcoal screen you might see a few sections when the tobacco has turned black. If this is the case, you can remove those sections of tobacco. Another thing you might notice when you lift the charcoal screen is that a few pieces of the tobacco have actually clung to the underside of the screen. Remove it because it is burning and ruining the flavor of the rest of the bowl.
When you put the screen and coal back on the bowl make sure you carefully manage the coal.
If none of the above helps you will have to redo the tobacco.
Q:
When will my order be shipped?
All orders are processed immediately and shipped
within 1-2 business days of purchase. All domestic
shipping is done via DHL and will take anywhere
between 1-5 business days for arrival.
Q:
How will I be able to keep track of my package?
All Parcelline shipments will include
an automated e-mail containing your tracking number
which will be sent out once your order is processed
and shipped. You may track your package by clicking
on the link here
after 12-24 hrs of receipt of e-mail. UK orders
are sent by registered post and this can be tracked
at the link here.
Q:
I don't have a credit card, can I still order
from your site?
We offer other payment options
such as cheque or money order by mail for your
convenience. You can contact us by e-mail.
Q:
Do you ship outside of the United Kingdom?
We offer international shipping to anywhere in
the world. However we request that you contact
us with your exact order and we will reply
to you with a quote and instructions on how to
make payment.
Q:
Can you please tell me which is the best (cheapest) shipping method for German purchasers?
This depends on the weight, but mainly it's surface mail, but for large items we use Parcel line.
When you add the items to your shopping cart and start to check out you have diffrent shipping options with prices at the side, so you can see what is the cheapest shipping method.
Q:
I need a Hookah pipe by tomorrow. Is there anywhere I could pick one up in London rather than getting it sent?
Sorry no, we are a mail order company and only deal with mail orders.
Everything goes through our accounts system and we do not sell from the warehouse at Woodford, sorry.
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