DIY Hooka Owners- filter question

[BoatandBeach]

For those of you who built your own hooka rig, what filter setup are you using? Everything else on the setup is either very straightforward or well documented, but filter selection is not.

From prior experience in a different industry, I know of a setup that will certainly work and probably be overkill for $250 US. But if there is a reliable filter system for less than that I'd be interested to hear about it.

For those that feel the need to cite the potential perils of a diy system, please refrain. That ship has sailed.

Thanks!

[boden36]

I do not use a filter. If your compressor is oil free you may not need one. I have not experienced any adverse effects over many years of use, but I only use it occasionally and for short periods when I need to scrub the prop.


Regards,
Richard.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by boden36

I do not use a filter. If your compressor is oil free you may not need one. I have not experienced any adverse effects over many years of use, but I only use it occasionally and for short periods when I need to scrub the prop.


Regards,
Richard.

Ditto. Filter the air going in and the only "contaminant" should be a little water in the receiver which is drained with a small bleed valve.

[RaymondR]

Since I used an auto aircon compressor with a pressure switch controlling the electric clutch I needed an air receiver to keep the cycling rate within reason.

The receiver was fabricated from about one metre of 5" OD SS pipe.

The air from the compressor went into the bottom of the receiver where it passed through multiple layers of felt and SS mesh to separate out any oil and water mist and was drawn off the top of the vertically mounted receiver through a felt bag of activated charcoal which was a tight fit in the top of the receiver.

It was a dual use arrangement where the 120 psi air was also used for air tools for the maintenance of a steel boat hence the high volume and pressure. It worked well for both functions and I was able to use a small 1/4" ID hose on a standard regulator mouthpiece for the hookah.

[Bruce K]

Before the advent of commercially available hookahs, and oil free compressors, we built a hookah using a Twin cylinder Clisby compressor driven by a Briggs & Stratton engine (Stolen from my mother's rotary hoe used in veggie garden), used some special oil i think from a vegetable source, in the compressor (mineral oils cause Lipoid Pnuemonia if inhaled as micro droplets. From compressor the air went through a copper coil of about 6' in the sea water thence to an oil/water separation filter, thence to a DIY filter containing activated charcoal with sanitary pads on either end, stuffed onto a bit of 2" water pipe, air was always excellent. The frame was made from 2" water pipe, and was use as an accumulation tank. Ran 3 divers to at least 40 meters depth. from memory the pressure was about 130psi. SeaBee regulators with a non return valve worn on the weight belt.

[sailorboy1]

I use a regular air compressor filter screw on filter that was in the same isle at store with the compressor fittings.

I don't understand those that don't use a filter. There is going to be dirt and rust in the compressor tank.

[deblen]

Oil less compressor?


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[rpjn59]

I have a unit by 'sink' and does not have a tank, hense no worries about rust and such.

[jmschmidt]

$99 oil free compressor will do the job by itself. I put a filter on mine and after 50 or so dives it was totally clean, no oil, no water, no solid particles. Waste of money and time.

[psneeld]

Agree....only use a filter now that I am back to a pancake tank style compressor.


When I used a tankless, oil free compressor...never had any issues...but thinking back on it..... the small, inexpensive filter available at LOWES that I have now could have been used just as an extra precaution.

[Ramona]

I use an oil less diaphragm compresser, 12v. On the air intake I have about 50mm of plastic hose with a couple of layers of pantyhose stretched over the end to keep wild life from being sucked in.

[sailcrazy]

Following. I use a rebuilt Thomas oil-less direct-drive compressor, and have only a water seperator on the output side. But I only have 1 set of lungs, and they're worth preserving! A filter, even if it collects nothing, seems like a good idea. I'm also really interested in what everyone uses for an air-reservoir. I tried a 1-m length of heavy wall 4" PVC pipe with a cap on each end......at 110psi it blew apart, sending bits everywhere!!

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by sailcrazy

Following. I use a rebuilt Thomas oil-less direct-drive compressor, and have only a water seperator on the output side. But I only have 1 set of lungs, and they're worth preserving! A filter, even if it collects nothing, seems like a good idea. I'm also really interested in what everyone uses for an air-reservoir. I tried a 1-m length of heavy wall 4" PVC pipe with a cap on each end......at 110psi it blew apart, sending bits everywhere!!

As you appear to have learned experimentally air receivers can come apart quiet vigorously and produce dangerous shrapnel. About the cheapest way to get an air receiver is to use a butane/propane gas bottle.

[quartersplash]

20 years ago I built a hooka for my bottom cleaning. Used a surplus dual diaphragm compressor from a dental office (they need clean air for their tools) and built a schedule 80 6 inch plastic pipe about 16 inches long. I drilled a small hole in it to add a bleeder pop off valve that was pressure adjustable. When the pressure was over what was needed to operate, it would open and drain until the pressure was back to allowable limits. They are cheap insurance, like less than $5... I also have an air line filter that collects water and any dirt and has a pet cock at the bottom to drain anything accumulated. Worked very well and had maybe $100 total in the setup...

[BoatandBeach]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll be using the standard (USA) Craftsman/Porter-Cable oiless pancake compressor that's ubiquitous at the big box stores.. I'm planning to clean the tank out well before u start using it for hooka, and installing a coalescing filter and perhaps a 5-10 micron filter downstream.

I know what works for an industrial 24/7 cycle setup, but am looking for cheaper options for a 2 hr per month setup at depths less than 8'.