Bong Percolators & Ash Catchers NZ: What They Do and How to Choose

If you've had your bong a few weeks, you've probably noticed two things: it's getting harder to clean, and the hit feels harsher than it did on day one. That's usually the cue Kiwi smokers go looking for a percolator or an ash catcher — the two most common upgrades for any glass bong or water pipe. Here's what each one actually does, and how to pick the right one for your setup.

What Is a Percolator?

A percolator is a built-in glass diffuser inside a bong's chamber that breaks smoke into smaller bubbles as it passes through the water. More bubbles means more surface area contact with the water, which cools the smoke and filters out more ash and debris before it reaches you. Percolators come in plenty of styles — tree, honeycomb, showerhead, spiral and inline are the common ones — and you'll find them built into many of our glass waterpipes, from single-chamber pieces right up to multi-arm designs.

What Is an Ash Catcher — and Why Add One?

An ash catcher is a separate glass attachment that sits between your bowl and your bong's joint, catching ash and gunk before it ever reaches the main water chamber. Most ash catchers hold their own splash of water and often include a mini percolator of their own, so you get a second stage of filtration and cooling. The real benefit is upkeep: your bong's main chamber stays cleaner for longer, because the ash catcher takes the brunt of the residue and is much quicker to rinse out on its own.

Percolator vs Ash Catcher: What's the Difference?

A percolator is part of the bong itself — it's fixed in place and can't be removed. An ash catcher is an add-on accessory that attaches externally, which means it can be swapped between pieces (as long as the joint size matches) and cleaned separately in seconds. If your current bong doesn't have a percolator, an ash catcher with a built-in perc — like our Glass Six Arms Percolator Ash Catcher — is the easiest way to get extra filtration without buying a whole new piece.

How to Choose the Right Ash Catcher for Your Bong

Three things matter more than anything else:

• Joint size: Ash catchers are sized to match your bong's joint, almost always 14mm or 18mm. Check your bong's joint size before buying — a mismatched size simply won't seal. Our Glass Drop Cone Ash Catcher (14mm) and Eight Arms Percolator Ash Catcher (18mm) cover the two most common fittings.
• Joint angle: Most bongs use a 90° or 45° joint. Match the angle so the ash catcher sits upright rather than pouring water sideways.
• Arm count: More percolator arms mean finer filtration, but also more drag when you pull and more surfaces to clean. For everyday use, a 4–6 arm design is a good middle ground; go higher only if smoothness matters more to you than easy cleanup.

If reclaim (leftover residue) is a concern, a design like the Reclaim Ash Catcher with Silicone Jar collects it separately for reuse instead of letting it build up in your bong.

Keeping Your Percolator and Ash Catcher Clean

Percolators and ash catchers both work best when they're actually clean — buildup in the arms restricts airflow and defeats the purpose of having them. A soak in isopropyl alcohol with coarse salt, followed by a warm water rinse, clears most residue in a few minutes; our full walkthrough is in How to Clean a Bong: The Easy 5-Minute Method. For dedicated brushes and cleaning solutions, see our cleaning products range. Because an ash catcher detaches, it's usually the quicker of the two to keep spotless — one more reason it's a popular first upgrade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do ash catchers make hits smoother?

Generally yes. By pre-filtering smoke through an extra stage of water (and often a mini percolator), an ash catcher cools the smoke further and removes more ash and debris before it reaches the main chamber, which most smokers notice as a smoother pull.

Will an ash catcher fit any bong?

It will fit any bong with a matching joint size and angle — most commonly 14mm or 18mm, at 90° or 45°. It won't fit if the sizes don't match, so always check your bong's joint before ordering.

Are more percolator arms always better?

Not necessarily. More arms increase filtration but also increase drag, meaning you have to pull harder, and there's more surface area to clean. Many smokers find 4–6 arms the sweet spot between smoothness and ease of maintenance.

Can I use a percolator ash catcher with a percolator bong?

Yes — the two stack. The ash catcher filters first, then the bong's built-in percolator filters again, giving you two stages of diffusion in one setup.

How often should I clean an ash catcher?

As a rule of thumb, whenever you notice visible residue building up in the arms or chamber — for regular use, that's typically every one to two weeks. See our cleaning guide for the quickest method.

Browse the full range of bong accessories at Greenhut, or shop our complete bongs and waterpipes collection to find a piece that suits your setup.