How hookah works

First of all, lets talk about all the elements there are on the hookah.

From top down we have: 

CoalTray: Or commonly called plate, is a place that catches ashes or charcoals from the head in in case of tip over. Plus this plate acts as a place where you can ash out the charcoals.

Stem: This is the main part of the hookah. The one that cools down the hookah vapors  and cleans the smoke from any tar or any other harmful things.

Base: Usually has water in in and filters the smoke from the juices or any tobacco particles.

Diffuser: Small part on the end of the stem that has holes in it. It submerges one inch down from the water level and this creates a vacuum when pulled. 

So lets talk about what really happens when we inhale or pull the hookah.

You take a hint from the hose, the air that you are pulling goes from the top of the hookah where the bowl with flavor is. This flavor is heated by charcoals. At first this vapor is hot. It goes down the stem cools down a bit, meets water, cools down even more, and finally travels through the hose to your lungs. This multi step process contains cooling down and filtration. Not that long ago, large hookahs were popular due to the fact that the further the vapor travels the cooler it gets. This is the reason small hookahs use to overheat. Nowadays, many engineers at the hookah companies’ found a way to absorb and redirect that excess heat. Stems got shorter, but materials and forms became a little different. Now one might think that the water is the main cooler of the vapor. Indeed it is, but the other, more substantial role it play.js is to cool down the stem. In conjunction, water and stem acts as a radiator that takes away the heat from the vapor so you can enjoy nice, smooth vapor on the exhale.