Who doesn’t enjoy a nice hit from a bong? Even with electric dab rigs and a plethora of vape products available, there’s still nothing like using your trusty old bong to enjoy your herb. And any type of bong will do the trick. Everything from a bubbler bong, perc bong, or anything in-between, smoking weed just hits differently when you use a bong.

That is, as long as you know what you’re doing. A key aspect of a good hit from your bong is getting the water level right. If the water level isn’t right, and you have too much or not enough water, your experience will be sub-par.

So, how much water do you put in a bong? It's something you probably never thought about, and you just toss some water in your bong and take a hit. But your water level is something you should be aware of before you toke.

The amount of water you need will vary depending on the size and design of your bong, so there is no right or wrong answer. You just have to be sure your bong has enough water to filter and cool the smoke before you inhale it. That’s the whole point of having a bong.

It can be a little confusing to figure out the correct water level if you don’t have much experience, but some tips and tricks can help you get things figured out.

 

Why Does My Bong Need Water?

Why do we bother with water anyway? Do we only put water in there to get the cool bubbly sound? Even though that sound is a cool side-effect, the water serves a pretty important purpose. The water in your bong gives your weed smoke the cool, smooth flavor bongs are famous for.

Without water, your bong turns into a giant glass pipe. And that’s not a bad thing, but it defeats the purpose of having a bong in the first place. You’ll get similar flavors to using a traditional spoon pipe, but if you want those flavors, just use a spoon pipe.

 

Why Is The Water Level Important?

In addition to flavor, the water in your bong also has the important job of filtration. Water filtration keeps the ash, tar, and other particulate matter created when combusting dry herb out of your lungs. It also makes the smoke smoother.

Bong water is also an aerator, meaning when the smoke is drawn through the water, it’s scattered into tiny bubbles. This cools the smoke before it reaches your lungs so you don’t get a blast of hot smoke typical with a hand pipe or blunt. 

And if there’s too much water in your bong, it’ll be harder to smoke. Your lungs will have to work harder to pull the smoke through the water. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to work that hard to take a hit.

On the flip side, if you don’t have enough water, the smoke won’t be filtered and you'll end up with harsher hits.

 

How Much Water Does My Bong Need?

Okay, enough delay. How much water does your bong need to properly filter the water and give you that smooth hit? The short answer is that it needs enough water to submerge the bottom of the downstem.

Depending on your bong, that’s usually about half an inch. If you have a diffused downstem, your water needs to be high enough to fully submerge all of the slits.

If the slits and the main opening of the downstem aren’t submerged, you’re bypassing the water filter, turning your bong into a gigantic hand pipe.

 

Filling Your Straight Tube Bongs Or Beaker Bong

These bongs have a simple downstream so just pour the water down through the mouthpiece at the top. Give it enough water to submerge the downstem at the bottom.

If you want, you can take out the downstem and pour the water in there, but that can make it hard to judge the right amount. So you’ll probably end up removing the downstem a few times until you get it right.

 

Filling Your Percolator Bong

Filling a percolator bongs or a water pipe isn’t as straightforward. These bongs have several chambers that need water. The best way to fill a perc bong is to pour water into the mouthpiece.

The water can get stuck in the upper percolators or chambers. If it does, force the water into the lower parts of the bong by blowing through the mouthpiece. Tilting the bong can also get the water to run down to the bottom of it.

Once the water has settled, make sure the percolators are submerged. Add some extra water if you need to, but don't overfill it. If you add too much, just tilt the bong and pour out the extra water from the bottom through the downstem.

 

Adding Water To A Bong With Ice

If you’re a savvy stoner that adds ice to their bong water, we’ve got you covered. Adding ice to your water makes the smoke even colder, giving you a nice smooth hit. Fortunately, if you add ice, the water level you need won’t change.

The smoke will melt the ice, and as it melts, it’ll increase the water level in your bong. Keep an eye on your water level as it increases; if it rises too far, it’ll make hitting the bong harder on your lungs. You might also get some dirty bong water in your mouth, and no one needs that.

 

When Do I Need To Replace My Bong Water?

You should change your bong water every 1-3 smoke sessions to ensure you have healthy and tasty smoke. But you shouldn’t leave water in your bong. I know this seems extremely inconvenient, but adding fresh water every time you smoke ensures you get the clean hits.

Adding new bong water every time you use it will also prevent mold and mildew buildup. It also reduces the time you’ll be cleaning your bong, so you can spend more time smoking.

 

Try Some Flavored Bong Water

If you have to change your bong water so often, you might as well try some new things, right?

Next time you refill your bong water, try some flavored bong water. Adding flavor to the water also adds flavor to the smoke as it passes through. In addition to flavored water, some people even use other liquids like tea.

This is a great way to spice things up if you don’t like the taste of your dry herb. It’s the most cost-effective way to try a new flavor if you’re getting bored with the taste of dry herb. If you really want to spice up the flavors, you can check out dry herb vaporizers!

 

Grab Your Next Bong From Daily High Club

Daily High Cub has a selection of the best bongs out there. We offer bongs made of durable borosilicate glass and other high-quality, safe materials, like silicone bongs.

We also have a subscription box that sends you a brand new bong every month, with tons of other goodies!

Bongs provide an unmatched smoking experience. Glass bongs and water pipes filter fine particles from the smoke and deliver smooth, cool rips. Perc bongs offer greater diffusion, condensing, and cooling of the smoke for massive hits!

You can’t go wrong with a bong. Just add the right amount of water and enjoy your cannabis.