Recyclers are currently a hot trend in the smoking world, with glass blowers and designers alike becoming ever more creative in their designs. These devices are either fitted to handle dry herb or concentrates, but removable attachments may allow for interchangeable use. For strictly dry herb use, the piece will simply be called a “recycler” or “recycler water pipe.” Recyclers used for dabbing concentrates are called “recycler dab rigs.” These water pipes use a two chamber system and an extra tube (called the intake) for transporting the water containing the vapor up through the device before recycling back down. Recyclers not only offer users the smoothness of water filtration to their inhalations, but do it in a way that efficiently cools the vapor as well. Many users now prefer recyclers over traditional water pipes for their extra filtration properties.
How does a recycler work?
These specialized water pipes work by first filling the base with water and loading product into the attachment piece (downstem for dry herb or nail for concentrates). Once the product has been lit and the user sucks in on the mouthpiece, the smoke will travel through the downstem into the base chamber where it will mix with the water for filtration, then up through the intake stem to the second chamber where the vapors are released close to the mouthpiece as the water falls back down into the base chamber to be recycled back through.
The water containing the vapors can be recycled through the device as many times as the user wants, or until the mouthpiece is full of vapor and the user is ready to inhale. Often times, recyclers include percolators at the base of the downstem or as part of the design of the lower chamber for extra filtration. There are many types of percolators on the market today offering different filtration processes for users to choose from.
Benefits to using a recycler
The unique design of recyclers allows the smoke to cool in the water longer, as it travels through the device with the water until the very last moment before it enters the mouthpiece. For users who prefer cool, smooth hits, this is the biggest benefit to these devices. This particular characteristic also helps dabbers tone down their potent dabs, making it easier to inhale an already concentrated hit.
Another advantage that prolonged water filtration offers is it allows less time for vapor to air contact. The longer smoke interacts with air, the staler it can become. With recyclers, the only time the vapor connects with air is right before the mouthpiece, leading to fresher and tastier hits. The last benefit to recyclers is that the second chamber often acts as a splashguard to the mouthpiece making it difficult for the user to accidentally inhale a mouth full of water. As the water already approaches the mouthpiece close enough, this benefit becomes even more necessary to a recycler user.