Pipe Cleaning With Warm Water

[jpmcwjr]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry for your experience, but whatever happened wasn't due to flushing it with hot water. The one time I'd hold off on this is after a deep reaming; the hot water flush is usually the first step in a thorough cleaning, using harsher methods later if needed.

As the chief promulgator of this method, and with a desire to understand all the physics I can, are there any other details you can provide?

And have you posted here before under a different name?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sable brush you ran warm water thru a briar pipe
How long did you dry it out.

I usually let them dry overnight, (ca. 50% RH at 70º is usual in my house) but I have smoked a few immediately after the flush and there was no problem.

I was to understand water swells the briar and can ruin the pipe.

Briar doesn't absorb water quickly at all. - Tests of long soaks, dishwashers and swimming pool immersion show this, and:

There's more moisture "pressure" smoking a full bowl. By pressure I mean a combination of water vapor or steam, time and temperature. E.g., 45 minutes of 120º vapor is likely to cause more water to be absorbed in the briar than a 15-30 second flush with water.

 

[sablebrush52]

Sable brush you ran warm water thru a briar pipe
How long did you dry it out.

I was to understand water swells the briar and can ruin the pipe.

We have a member here who did an experiment, leaving a pipe soaking in water for days, if I remember correctly. He then let it dry out for several days, at the end of which he inserted the stem, which fitted perfectly.

I rinse the pipe, stem removed, for about 30 seconds to a minute, with the water trickling in at a rate that brings it to the rim without it overflowing. Then I wipe out the chamber with a wad of paper toweling and use a few tapered bristles and fluffies to clean out and sop up the airway.

The amount of time I wait to reassemble the pipe varies with the pipe because the effect on the briar varies with the pipe. Most of them are good to go within 15 to 30 minutes, but a few require a good hour or more, and a fw that can take several hours before the briar returns to its proper dimensions. I've yet to have a pipe that would not go back together.

I don't run hot water though a Vulcanite stem as that can make it go gray, and with some old stems, seems to bring the sulfur to the surface. Vulcanite stems get alcohol. Acrylic stems get warm water as alcohol is destructive to acrylic.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

I used the warm water method after resisting for the longest time. No harm done. But I had let a lot of pipes accumulate that needed cleaning, which is not my usual practice. I wouldn’t say that they were as clean as I normally get them using my usual methods after each smoke. No miracles. No great drawbacks.

 

[trubka2]

I started doing the warm water rinse a couple months ago. Now I do it as often as I can because it makes my pipes smoke drier and cooler, and I can taste the tobacco better.

 

[davek]

I rinse my cobs with hot tap water when they need a deep cleaning. I fill the bowl with alcohol and let it sit for a while. Then I run hot tap water through the pipe. Then, immediately while still warm, I take the cleaners to it.

Then, I let it sit to dry for about a week.

Does make it taste more neutral and I do like the taste of a seasoned cob, but it comes back fairly quickly.

 

[seldom]

Isn't that from Cat in the Hat?

What would make you say that? Perhaps you are you are playing tit for tat? The shower may make it smell like a flower, and no longer nasty and sour...

Have I mentioned that,
I will not smoke it in the bath?

I will not smoke it in the shower,
I'd much rather just scour,
I don't care if I sound vain,
I will not smoke it in the rain,
I will not smoke in the water,
I will not smoke it with an otter,
I will not smoke it under the spigot
Will not smoke it with a cricket

I hope you have now heard my gripe
I will not, cannot smoke wet pipe.

I like cleaning my pipe with water lukewarm,
It helps keep it in good form!
This has now become the norm,
It works! It works! I can confirm!

 

[goldenmole]

I am settling in with some popcorn... This is a highly emotionally charged topic in this forum ... right up there with tobacco delivery customs charges!

 

[jpmcwjr]

For a very few, yes, but don't get your hopes up.

When I first posted on this, one guy got so bent he PM'd everyone to send me to the nuthouse. But since then, many long time and well respected guys have tried it and either said no harm, no foul, or loved it.

Ah, the long reach of pipe cleaning fluid makers' marketing departments!

 

[mikefu]

For a very few, yes, but don't get your hopes up.

When I first posted on this, one guy got so bent he PM'd everyone to send me to the nuthouse. But since then, many long time and well respected guys have tried it and either said no harm, no foul, or loved it.

Ah, the long reach of pipe cleaning fluid makers' marketing departments!

Oh no! Not the cleaning fluid! The pirates are gonna go crazy!

 

[Burley Guy]

I‘ve never cleaned a pipe with water and not sure I would, however, on rare occasions when I buy an old pipe or I just want to start fresh, I‘ll pack the bowl with Kosher salt and fill it with alcohol and let it set for a couple of days.

 

[brian64]

This has now become the norm,
It works! It works! I can confirm!

This has now become the norm,
But I will not, just will not, conform.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Ah, the long reach of pipe cleaning fluid makers' marketing departments!

Not here, haven’t bought pipe sweetener for well over 35 years.

 

[anotherbob]

It might just be because I like cleaning with alcohol gives me an excuse to get a decent bottle after all, but I will not wash my pipe with water. I can't shake the feeling that it might be one of those things that doesn't harm often, but when it does you get the advice to never do it.

 

[didimauw]

Don't have to buy any special cleaning fluids, and no strange aftertaste!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

It might just be because I like cleaning with alcohol gives me an excuse to get a decent bottle after all, but I will not wash my pipe with water. I can't shake the feeling that it might be one of those things that doesn't harm often, but when it does you get the advice to never do it.

I've done it hundreds of time and it hasn't hurt ever. What do you think is going to be damaged? You should clean your pipes as you wish but make the decision based upon facts.

 

[sablebrush52]

For those of you who harbor real concerns about exposing your briar pipes to hot water, I have an absolutely fool proof solution.

Never smoke anything in them.

Never.

Because every time you smoke a bowl of something you unleash an onslaught of steam (which is heated H2O in case you were unclear on the principle) throughout the interior of your pipe.

You expose your briar to the ravages of hot water for minutes, sometimes hours at a time, with every bowl that you smoke.

So it makes perfect sense to protect your briars from exposure to hot water by never, ever, smoking them.

There. I have given you the perfect solution to your concerns. No need to thank me.

Don't you all feel better now?

 

[anotherbob]

I've done it hundreds of time and it hasn't hurt ever. What do you think is going to be damaged? You should clean your pipes as you wish but make the decision based upon facts.

I can't drop the feeling there is some infrequent issue that is serious enough to warrant the don't do it ever mantra. I don't know what the problem could be. Then again my currently cleaning methods are doing fine so...

 

[brian64]

This thread has finally convinced me.

I've already transitioned to doing almost everything in the shower anyway...it's high time I moved my pipes in there too.

 

[saintpeter]