Arizer Extreme Q and V-Tower Parts Guide: What Wears Out and What Still Fits
In short: on an Arizer Extreme Q or V-Tower, the consumables are screens, balloon bags (Extreme Q only) and, over time, the silicone whip. Glass doesn't wear out, but the cyclone bowl and elbow are the pieces that get dropped. Arizer lists its cyclone and Connoisseur bowls as fitting the Extreme Q, V-Tower and current XQ2 alike, and the bowls, screen caps, whip and elbows below are all listed for the Extreme Q, V-Tower and XQ2. The glass heater cover inside the unit is the exception: Arizer sells it for the Extreme Q and V-Tower, not the XQ2.
This guide is for people keeping an older Arizer desktop running. It covers how to confirm which unit you have, which symptom points to which part, the consumables and breakables, and the spares you get from Arizer. If you're still choosing between generations, read Extreme Q vs XQ2 first.
- Which unit do you have?
- Symptom to part: a quick diagnosis
- Screens and screen caps
- Balloon bags and balloon parts
- The whip
- Bowls and elbows
- Heater cover, power and service
- Fit table
- Quick answers
Which Unit Do You Have?
Arizer describes the Extreme Q and V-Tower as dual-wall stainless steel units that stay cool to the touch, with a glass cyclone bowl sitting on a glass-covered heater. What came in the box tells them apart, and it decides which spares you need.
- Extreme Q: the one with a remote control and a three-speed fan. It shipped with both systems, a 3-foot silicone whip and a balloon kit with a frosted glass mouthpiece, plus an all-glass mini whip for filling bags.
- V-Tower: the stripped-back version. It has the same four-button control panel but no remote, no fan settings, a 3-foot whip and no balloon kit. Arizer lists it at 170 mm tall on a 165 mm base.
- XQ2: the current model. It's included here because so many spares are shared.
Arizer's V-Tower support page lists no fan, so it's a whip-only unit. If a second-hand V-Tower came with balloon parts, they came from another kit and won't give it a balloon function.
Symptom to Part: A Quick Diagnosis
| What you notice | Likely part | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Balloon takes more than 2–3 minutes to fill | Dome screen or balloon | Arizer's own advice: clean or replace the dome screen and the bag first |
| Bits of herb in the whip or mouthpiece | Bowl screen | Fit a fresh screen or screen cap and check it sits flat |
| Bag goes cloudy, creased or won't hold vapour | Balloon bag | Replace the bag and keep the mouthpiece and connector |
| Chip on the rim or a hairline crack in the bowl | Cyclone bowl | Stop using it. Arizer says to examine dropped glass for cracking, chipping and weakness before use |
| The glass inside the heater is cracked | Glass heater cover | Arizer spare (see below) |
| Fan, display or power faults | Electronics | Don't open the unit; contact Arizer service |
1. Screens and Screen Caps
Screens keep herb in the bowl and clog with residue, so they're the most frequent purchase. Both the Extreme Q and V-Tower came with one spare flat screen and one spare dome screen. In Arizer's own range, flat screens go in the bowl, and dome screens go in the glass elbow and mini whip, so check which one you're replacing.
For the bowl, our screen caps are made for cyclone bowl use on the Extreme Q, V-Tower and XQ2. They're 16 mm across and 12 mm tall:
- Stainless steel screen caps, pack of 10, or pack of 20 if you use the unit daily
- Brass screen caps, pack of 15
There's no fixed replacement interval. Change a screen when the draw tightens or, on the Extreme Q, when a bag takes more than 2–3 minutes to fill, which is when Arizer suggests cleaning or replacing the dome screen and balloon. For choosing between metals, see stainless steel vs brass screen caps.
2. Balloon Bags and Balloon Parts (Extreme Q Only)
Bags are a consumable. Our listing describes the usual reasons for replacing them: cloudy, creased, stained, loose or split bags. Our replacement balloon bags come twelve to a pack, measure about 58 x 38 cm and are made from heat-resistant polyester film for the Extreme Q and XQ2 balloon systems. They're bags only, so you keep your existing frosted glass mouthpiece and connector.
One tip from our listing: avoid overfilling bags, to reduce the chance of one bursting.
The small balloon hardware (the connector that clamps the bag to the mouthpiece, and the silicone balloon caps) is sold by Arizer. Their balloon mouthpiece uses an 11 mm male glass joint, which is worth knowing if you ever mix parts from different kits.
If your bags fill with loose bits, try the mini whip adapter with a built-in glass screen. It's designed for balloon connection, and the screen is part of the glass, so there's no separate mesh to replace.
3. The Whip
The stock whip on both units is 3 feet of silicone tubing. Silicone tubing tends to stain and stiffen with years of use, which is the usual reason to replace it. Arizer sells tubing by the 9-foot roll for people who want to cut their own. If you'd rather have a whip that's ready to use, our ultra-thick silicone whip is 90 cm long, 12 mm outside and 8 mm inside, with 2 mm walls. It comes with a mouthpiece and is made for the Extreme Q, V-Tower and XQ2. Why we made it thicker explains the design.
Using a water pipe? Arizer's own tip is to fit a glass elbow at each end of the whip, one in the bowl and one in the water pipe. Their elbow has a 19 mm male joint, so check that your water pipe takes that size before you buy anything.
4. Bowls and Elbows: Replace When Broken
The cyclone bowl comes off hot at every session, so it's the part that gets knocked into taps and dropped on tiles. Arizer lists both its Glass Cyclone Bowl and its Glass Connoisseur Bowl as fitting the Extreme Q, V-Tower and XQ2, and our bowls use the same 83 mm by 25 mm format:
- Cyclone bowls, pack of 2: the like-for-like replacement
- Cyclone bowls without the black wrap, pack of 5: the sensible buy if breakages are a regular thing
- Glass Connoisseur bowls with a glass screen, pack of 2: the XQ2-style bowl with a glass screen built in, listed for all three units
The differences are covered in cyclone bowl vs Connoisseur bowl.
On the whip side, the glass elbow is the next most breakable part. Our glass elbow adapters come as a pair and fit the Extreme Q, V-Tower and XQ2. The original Extreme Q elbow takes a separate dome screen. Arizer also sells an elbow with a built-in glass screen. Our elbow comparison explains which suits you.
5. Heater Cover, Power Adapter and Service
- Glass heater cover: the glass sleeve inside the unit that the bowl sits on. Arizer sells it with its screen and insulation sleeve, plus step-by-step repair instructions. It's made for the Extreme Q and V-Tower and doesn't fit the XQ2, so order by the look of your unit.
- Power adapter: Arizer sells one 110–240 V, 19 V DC adapter listed for the Extreme Q, V-Tower and XQ2, with North American, European, UK and Australian plug options. Use that rather than a generic laptop brick.
- Remote control (Extreme Q): handy but not essential. Arizer says the temperature and three-speed fan can be set from the buttons on the unit as well.
- Fan and electronics: Arizer warns against opening the unit. Email service@arizer.com with a description of the problem, the serial number from the bottom of the unit and your receipt. The heating element has a lifetime warranty, but glass isn't covered at all.
Extreme Q and V-Tower Replacement Parts: Fit Table
| Part | Extreme Q | V-Tower | XQ2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen caps (stainless or brass) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cyclone bowls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Glass Connoisseur bowls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ultra-thick whip | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Glass elbow adapters | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mini whip with glass screen (balloon use) | Yes | Fits, but no balloon function (no fan) | Yes |
| Balloon bags | Yes | No (no fan) | Yes |
| Glass heater cover (Arizer) | Yes | Yes | No (different part) |
Everything we stock for these units is in the Extreme Q and XQ2 replacement parts collection. If you're unsure about a part for an older or modified unit, send us a photo before you order.
Quick Answers
Do XQ2 parts fit the Extreme Q?
The parts listed above do. Arizer lists its cyclone and Connoisseur bowls for both, and our screen caps, whip and elbows are made for all three units. The exception is the internal glass heater cover, which is a different part on the XQ2.
Can I still get V-Tower replacement parts?
Yes. Bowls, screen caps, whips and elbows are all listed for the V-Tower, and Arizer still sells its glass heater cover. Bags aren't relevant, because the V-Tower has no fan to fill them.
What should I keep spare for an Extreme Q?
A pack of screen caps, one spare bowl kept wrapped in a drawer, a pack of bags if you use balloons, and a new whip once the old one has gone stiff. Check whether you need a flat bowl screen or a dome screen for the elbow before you order.
