Hookah air quality? Doesnt taste the best!! Like scuba tanks!!!

[makahaman]

Hookah air quality? Doesn't taste the best!! Like scuba tanks!!!

Hi everyone, I just recieved an Airline Hookah from Florida. I went diving the past 3 days and it works great, the only problem is that the air doesn't taste nice and fresh cold like scuba tanks! How is the air quality on these things? I had a Brownies Third Lung before and it was good too, I like it because you can stay down for 3 hours. I am only diving in the shallows like 15 feet and under. I spray the engine down with Boeshield T-9 like they say but am afraid of contaminating my air supply. Today when I dove the air wasn't the best tasting like a scuba tank, is this a common thing that I need to deal with? Like I said I don't want a contaminated air supply, I tend to worry about that. Any suggestions? Is the air in the hookah kind of stale tasting? Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

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[CASPER-2]

MY KEENE ELECTRIC WAS FINE AND MY HONDA GAS OCTOPUMP IS FINE
CAN YOU FLUSH YOUR HOSE WITH SOMETHING - EVEN IF YOU PUT MINT WITH WATER OR LEMON OR SOMETHING

 

[makahaman]

Okay, so do you think it's quite safe? Just the air is different from scuba tanks. Okay, I'll try putting mouthwash or something good tasting and smelling and go from there...

 

[Jason in Enid]

I dont know anything about your setup so it's all just guesses.... is it battery or gas powered? If it's gas, could you be getting exhuast into the compressor? Compressors put out moisture too, could there be mold in your reserve tank or air line? Do you hang them straight to drain after use?

 

[TheRingFinder]

Great knowledge on TN, but in this case - I would go to the source.

Hookah direct drive scuba diving equipment sales. Hose diving hookah

 

[ARC]

Ok... here is the deal...
Snorkel for comp MUST be adequate height above comp... and air direction matters... this is IF your tasting a slight "fumage"...

IF this is not the "taste"... Lines should be cleaned thoroughly... or changed out.

Lines that have had water sitting in them for long periods will produce mold and mildew inside of them.
Bleaching them from time to time then rinsing and drying well can solve this.

PS> MAKE SURE... this is NOT fumes... OR you CAN or WILL die... or become sick.
Mold and mildew is also NOT a good thing for your lungs... brain etc.

Extreme care should be taken when diving... NO MATTER the depth...
It only takes one breath of water to drown.

I am a Comp diver and have been for most of my diving career...
But tanks and comps have plus and minus attributes.
In many ways Comp diving is much more dangerous than tank diving if not aware of very simplistic problems that can arise.

 

[frogmaster-riviera]

I am not used to hookah but I am with scuba air compressor. To what I know the hookah engine should be a free oil engine.

The 2 enemies of an air pump are:

- CO/CO2 coming from the petrol engine exhaust (electric with battery should be an option)
- oil coming from the compressor itself: need to use synthtic oil for breathable air. It is a quite expensive oil around $100 per gallon.

I don't know if there is a filter catridge locate on the air outpout of your hookah...like on air compressor which is used to remove humidity and bad tastes: should be change according to temp & humidity conditions. Its life cycle can be divided by 4 between winter and summer!

 

[CASPER-2]

I am not used to hookah but I am with scuba air compressor. To what I know the hookah engine should be a free oil engine.

The 2 enemies of an air pump are:

- CO/CO2 coming from the petrol engine exhaust (electric with battery should be an option)
- oil coming from the compressor itself: need to use synthtic oil for breathable air. It is a quite expensive oil around $100 per gallon.

I don't know if there is a filter catridge locate on the air outpout of your hookah...like on air compressor which is used to remove humidity and bad tastes: should be change according to temp & humidity conditions. It's life cycle can be divided by 4 between winter and summer!

JIM IN MA. MADE A SPECIAL INTAKE FOR MY GAS ONE - ONE IT COMES WITH THINK HAS FILTER THOUGH TOO

 

[CASPER-2]

IT HAS SMALL HOLES ALL THE WAY AROUND FROM LIKE HALF WAY ON UP - SO HIGH ENOUGH ABOVE THE EXHAUST

 

[frogmaster-riviera]

Casper... what do you mean "holes" half way up ?
JFYI... your exhaust should be set in a "shoot away" angle depending on application setting...
And your intake tube should be sucking air as high up as you can get it...
Do you ever taste exhaust ?

Taste exhaust = headhake
Bad taste = bad oil engine (mineral) => change to a synthetic breathable version and / or air filter needs to be change

 

[ARC]

My rig... fresh out from winter storage.

 

[ARC]

Well no further comments from OP...
Hope the guy is "still with us"...

Like to know the "outcome" and deductions from "taste" etc...
Or IF the problem was resolved. etc. etc.

 

[frogmaster-riviera]

I know petrol version are easier to use, but if I had to buy one I will preffer'an electric version. When I see how it's hard to get a good air quality on compressors running electric motors...just can't imagine the nightmare with something floatîg on the sea with a small 2 stroke petrol engine...

 

[ARC]

I know petrol version are easier to use, but if I had to buy one I will preffer'an electric version. When I see how it's hard to get a good air quality on compressors running electric motors...just can't imagine the nightmare with something floatîg on the sea with a small 2 stroke petrol engine...

lol... heh
Good luck... electic would be dead...
I run for hours my friend.
That not a "small motor" ... pic must be deceiving your eyes.

I would NEVER trust electric for more than 30-45 mins without a gen... then you are doubling the load.

I stay underwater for hours at a shot frog... more than 6 in a day with 4-5 breaks,... sometimes less.

 

[frogmaster-riviera]

why not use a tank (cyclinder) ? at low depth with a 15l @240 bars = 135 cu.ft I can detect over 4h ... no engine to run and can't be seen from the shore.

 

[ARC]

why not use a tank (cyclinder) ? at low depth with a 15l @240 bars = 135 cu.ft I can detect over 4h ... no engine to run and can't be seen from the shore.

Cant be seen from shore ? I WANT TO BE SEEN ! heh
Tis a good way to die here...
No one seeing you in the water is a death wish.
Besides... I have a boat...
That compressor does not "float"... heh...
Um... I can stay down all day ... 6-8 hours if need be.

I have a full blown custom dive boat... Little hard to "not be seen" ... I stand out like a sore thumb.
AND... I do nothing that I should "hide" from anyway.
And when I use a detector in the water someone needs me to locate something for them...
Most times... it is an expensive anchor that they lost.
I do not dive and metal detect for things like coins or relics and such.
It is illegal in the areas that I volunteer and in many places here to do so...
While out on the water I am cleaning up trash... and assisiting others...
And only really dive to recover things for others.
In fact... I do not even recreational dive... not in many many years...
I dive for someone or something...
Or ...
I don't dive.

I metal detect the beaches and surf like everyone else... AND my favorite... Permissions.
But am fully geared and trained to dive for anything and reovery in all forms...
and can work circles around the best... so I have been told...
Have been diving since very young...
My father... a well known man... a very successful man... rest his soul... taught me by age 5-6 to dive.

---------
Besides if you like having to fill and lug tanks...
I don't anymore... Did that for almost 20 years... I got smarter
I can be on a spot and in the water simply by starting my engine...
haul to spot...
kill boat engine...
set anchors...
start compressor engine...
throw on belt and mask...
And dive in face first holding mask on...
straight to bottom and on it.

All before you have even geared up. :P

PS> Electric hookah is for a weekend warrior kinda thing... not for serious diving.
Those have no "ummpf".
I need the horsepower

 

[SurgTech57]

Hey Casper,
Question for you. With regards to the HONDA GAS OCTOPUMP how does the sound of the gas engine affect your hearing on your headphones while underwater?

 

[Jason in Enid]

Hey Casper,
Question for you. With regards to the HONDA GAS OCTOPUMP how does the sound of the gas engine affect your hearing on your headphones while underwater?

It doesn't. If you are within a few feet it would be noticeable, but under normal circumstances you don't even notice it.

 

[CaptEsteban]

I hope that the original poster has solved his problem !! As stated by others, those rigs can be dangerous & at times, be more dangerous than SCUBA !

 

[Octopulse]

I have the gas Airline hookah as well. The air tastes just fine to me and I love this unit, well thought out and great quality.
Make sure to run the compressor and let the yellow air hose and reg dry out after washing thoroughly.
The sound is barely noticeable as the engine/compressor is mostly isolated from the diver, even at 10 feet. I like to be able to hear the unit slightly....very reassuring that it is operational and functioning correctly.
I also enjoy the compressor air not being too cold and not too dry.