Water Plus Pipes Equals?

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Disaster and misery?

Sucess and total satisfaction?


I'm wondering if it's ok to wash my pipes out with warm water. I've been doing it for years now, but I'm wondering if it's gonna jump up and bite me in the ass when I least expect it.

-Funkenhouser

 

[fireground_piper]

Catastrophic failure is right around the corner. You will lose everything.

 

[Sigmund]

First off, if you get it all over the outside of the pipe you will have a dull pipe and it will need a new coat of wax and buffing.

Ive done it on a few that were just filthy. I think its a safer idea just to not let them get nasty.

A couple of folks have had their stain wash off.

So proceed with caution.

 

[sablebrush52]

Welcome back!
Been doing it for years with absolutely no ill effects. Never washed off a stain, but I don’t own cheaply made pipes.

Really leaves my pipes fresh and ready to go.

 

[Sigmund]

Here is an older thread about it

I did find it useful on a pipe where the stem was a bit loose. Probably smoking it a number of times would have done the same.

In Praise Of Water Rinsing a Briar Pipe :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion

I use the exact same on my meerschaums. The interesting thing to me is that the hot water will bring out color that you wouldn't otherwise see. A preview if you will. This phenom disappears as the pipe dries.

pipesmagazine.com

 

[pappymac]

As long as you aren't using some type of soap or detergent, a quick rinse in water after the pipe has cooled down isn't going to hurt it. Briar is a wood after all and shouldn't absorb the water from a quick rinse.

I don't have a problem rinsing acrylic stems in water either but I don't use water on Vulcanite ones..

 

[STP]

I run water through the bowl and out the stem. Twisted paper towel and pipe cleaner to clean and dry, and voila, fresh pipe. Practiced this cleaning method for yrs without any issues

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I've had great success with water rinse. It works with my Meers as well. Nothing quick about it, I rinse for at least 30 seconds to a minute.

 

[pappymac]

Nothing quick about it, I rinse for at least 30 seconds to a minute.

Do you tell your wife or girlfriend that "30 seconds to a minute" is not quick for you?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Do you tell your wife or girlfriend that "30 seconds to a minute" is not quick for you?

30 seconds to a minute is forever.

 

[jpberg]

Funkenhouser, you damnedable troll.

Welcome back!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Another plus with a hot water flush: you can do so the minute you finish a bowl. Stem in, so it gets cleaned, too.

I think I was the first guy to really put it out there, and have been doing so for 7-8 years with no problems.

Hot water on a vulcanite stem will bring out oxidation that is there, but won't cause it. A light rub with a cloth with mineral oil restores it fully.

 

[burleybreath]

A toilet paper vs. bidet analogy springs to mind.

 

[Chalaw87]

Im glad someone posted, cause I have some questions about water flushing:

jpmcwjr touched on this but I assume hot water if the pipe is still hot, and cold or hot water when the pipe is cool.

1 Do you separate the stem and stummel when flushing (assuming the pipe is cool)?

2 Do you separate the stem and stummel to dry the pipe?

3 Is the rest period still about 24 after water flushing?

4 Can you water flush meerschaum and morta?

I appreciate the advice.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

1. No

2. No

3. Anything past an hour or two

4. Yes, and yes


You cant hurt the pipe with water. You can wash the damn thing in the dishwasher if you want.

Soak it if you want.

Cheap finish may wash off. But hey, it's not going to stay on anyway if it's made like that.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Im glad someone posted, cause I have some questions about water flushing:

jpmcwjr touched on this but I assume hot water if the pipe is still hot, and cold or hot water when the pipe is cool.

I use pretty hot tap water in all cases.

1 Do you separate the stem and stummel when flushing (assuming the pipe is cool)?

Not at all.

2 Do you separate the stem and stummel to dry the pipe?

No. Once every blue moon I will twist the stem out to clean the mortise.

3 Is the rest period still about 24 after water flushing?

No. You can smoke right away. (More moisture is created by smoking the pipe than a water cleanse.)

4 Can you water flush meerschaum and morta?

Yes on Meers, and can't see why Mortas would be different, though I have no Mortas.

I appreciate the advice.

Happy smokes to you, Sir!

 

[kcghost]

I just use warm water and have never lost the gloss off my pipes. Like @sablebrush52 I don't smoke cheap pipes.

 

[captpat]

Im glad someone posted, cause I have some questions about water flushing:

jpmcwjr touched on this but I assume hot water if the pipe is still hot, and cold or hot water when the pipe is cool.

1 Do you separate the stem and stummel when flushing (assuming the pipe is cool)?

2 Do you separate the stem and stummel to dry the pipe?

3 Is the rest period still about 24 after water flushing?

4 Can you water flush meerschaum and morta?

I appreciate the advice.

1. Yes, it allows access to the area between the bowl and the base of the stem with a mortise brush.

2. Yes, for an hour or so, maybe longer -- no set time.

3. I usually let it rest for a day or so. I could smoke it fairly quickly if I wanted to. I have other pipes so no need to rush.

4. Yes, and Yes

For me, the process doesn't require a lot of precise timing (#3 and 4). I usually couple a water bath with a reaming of the bowl, I don't water flush after every smoke. Wax is applied as necessary after the pipe is dry.

 

[brian64]

Disaster and misery?

Sucess and total satisfaction?


I'm wondering if it's ok to wash my pipes out with warm water. I've been doing it for years now, but I'm wondering if it's gonna jump up and bite me in the ass when I least expect it.

-Funkenhouser

Damn...they let Funkenhouser out of the gulag. Only after full conditioning into the water cleaning cult...but everyone has a breaking point.

I hate to tell you RBF, but those memories of doing water cleaning "for years now", were falsely implanted in the gulag laboratory. It's possible to achieve total recall, but it involves painful extraction of an implanted device.

 

[jpberg]

Damn...they let Funkenhouser out of the gulag. Only after full conditioning into the water cleaning cult...but everyone has a breaking point.

I hate to tell you RBF, but those memories of doing water cleaning "for years now", were falsely implanted in the gulag laboratory. It's possible to achieve total recall, but it involves painful extraction of an implanted device.

I remember the guy doing the implanting asking for a source for shoulder length rubber gloves.