Soot deposition on the ceramic filter is an important issue that all VaporGenie pipe users must be aware of. Soot will be deposited on the ceramic filter whenever the flame is contacted to the ceramic. This causes some bad things to happen: 1) the incompletely burned flame components create disagreeable flavors, unhealthy particles and dirty vapor, and 2) the soot will eventually clog the ceramic filter, rendering it unusable. This is why we always tell people to never ever contact the flame to the ceramic. The flame does not crack, burn or in any way damage the ceramic. The underlying ceramic is fine. But the soot causes problems.

Soot buildup does not happen with normal, proper use of the VaporGenie, wherein the flame is not contacted to the ceramic. Soot appears as a pitch-black area on the dark gray ceramic. Soot will not damage the ceramic, but it will eventually clog the ceramic filter after repeated improper uses. When clogged with soot, the ceramic filter will be impossible to inhale through and of course it will therefore not function. Partially clogged filters will have impaired performance.

This is what soot deposition looks like. The black circle is soot. Normal, clean ceramic appears gray. Do not worry about your filter if you notice a black spot like this. It will disappear with normal use and it will not affect the performance. The heat from the applied flame will eventually cause the soot to burn off.

This is what a soot clogged filter looks like. It is completely black. If this is what your filter looks like, you have been using your VaporGenie improperly. It will become clogged if you continue to contact the flame to the ceramic. VaporGenie does not provide warranty replacements for soot-clogged filters. Please clean the ceramic using the vacuum cleaner method described below.

Soot can be removed pretty easily. The best method for removing soot is to put the filter unit on a vacuum cleaner intake. The vacuum cleaner will draw air through the filter, just like normal inhalation does. While air is being sucked into the filter, direct a lighter flame at the filter, so that the filter is heated red hot (both torch and candle flame lighters will work). Only a small portion of the ceramic will be heated red hot, and this portion can be moved around to all the areas that have soot. Do not touch the flame to the ceramic (that will deposit soot). This process is amazing to watch: the soot just disappears like it was never there. It burns away completely and cleanly, leaving no residue. If the vacuum cleaner is powerful, the air velocity through the filter might be excessive. If this is the case, then create a vent in the vacuum hose so that less air is pulled through the filter. Pictures show a side view and top view of the process. The black tube is a vacuum cleaner air intake.

Note: This procedure is NOT normal or routine maintenance. With normal use, you will NEVER need to do this with your VG. This soot-removal process is ONLY necessary if your VG has been so thoroughly abused and misused for such a long period of time that the ceramic filter is clogged with soot.

We no longer recommend the water cleaning method because this damages the wood (causing it to crack) and because it leaves a residue on the ceramic. Please only use the vacuum cleaner method to remove soot from wooden Vaporgenie pipes.

Removing soot from Glass VaporGenie pipes: We do not recommend the vacuum cleaner method with glass VaporGenie tops. We have not heard of a problem using this method, but we suspect that the heat could cause the glass to fracture. So we recommend the following method to clean soot from glass VG tops. Remove the wire retaining ring with pliers or a tweezer (grasping the tiny wire tab), and remove the ceramic filter. Then, heat the ceramic filter with a propane torch to cherry red. This will completely burn off the soot. The heat will not damage the ceramic filter. Then, replace the ceramic filter and retaining ring. Do not crush the ceramic filter when handling it.

If you have a red/orange deposit on the ceramic filter, that means your VaporGenie has been used with a conventional flint lighter. Conventional flint lighters produce toxic flint dust, and this flint dust accumulates on the ceramic and appears red. This red deposit will not affect the performance of your VaporGenie. See our warning about toxic flint dust here.

Extra filter tops cost $25, and extra pipe bottoms cost $25 (including postage) - Click here for info on ordering replacement tops