Air hockey is one of the most addictive game tables you will ever try because the game is fast and very intense. But if you don’t have good air hockey accessories, you won’t be able to enjoy hockey the way you should.
The construction of the table is as much important as the air hockey table parts and accessories you use to play hockey. Today I want to share with you what are important air hockey parts, what are they used for and how you should call them. There aren’t that many air hockey accessories, which is great because I like when things are simple. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to know a thing or two about them, like what are they called or how do you use them.
That is why I have gathered air hockey table parts and accessories you can use to improve your game, protect your table from dust or debris or simply make the entire hockey experience better.
Air Hockey Table Parts And Accessories
Air Hockey Pucks
Those two are the most important parts of the table because you use them to play air hockey. The table hockey puck is a small thin plastic you have to hit to score the goal. It is like the real puck in the ice hockey. They are mostly in the shape of a circle, but there are also octagonal, triangle, hexagon and square ones that will spice up the game because they don’t bounce off like circle ones. Air hockey pucks mustn’t be too light or they will fly off the table so you have to make sure that you use a good quality product. If you buy one of the best air hockey tables then you don’t have to worry about the puck’s quality, but if you buy a cheap air hockey table, I suggest you replace the puck with a better version.
Light Up Air Hockey Pucks
There are different types of air hockey table pucks and one of them are also light up or LED air hockey pucks. As the name says, these pucks are light up so you can even play the air hockey in dark room. Of course you can use light up air hockey pucks in a lighted room, but the light effect looks cooler in the dark.
Battery Air Hockey Pucks
Light up air hockey pucks usually need a battery for the light, but there is also something called rechargeable air hockey pucks or maybe a more suitable name in this case, air hockey discs. They are battery powered air hockey pucks and you need to recharge them after less than an hour long game, but the advantage is that you can play the air hockey on any table which isn’t necessary an air hockey table. These air hockey table discs have a powerful fan inside them, so they will slightly hover over the table and won’t bounce.
Small Air Hockey Pucks & Heavy Air Hockey Pucks
On the market, you can find air hockey pucks for air hockey tabletop and for full-size air hockey tables. The difference between them is that tabletop air hockey pucks are lighter and they have much smaller dimension than full-size air hockey pucks. You can also buy small air hockey pucks for kids’ air hockey table that is not a tabletop. Big air hockey table pucks are heavier so they don’t bounce off the table and they are more enjoyable for adults.
Professional Air Hockey Pucks
As with the hockey table size, there is also standard air hockey puck size. Professional table hockey pucks have to be 3 ¼ inches in diameter and only in red, yellow or green color. They are made for a high speed game. If you are buying pucks for your hockey table then check other options because professional air hockey pucks also have a higher price.
Quiet Air Hockey Pucks
If you are a parent of a small baby that finally fell asleep but you really want to play air hockey, then quiet air hockey pucks are a great solution. Even if you don’t have a baby, but don’t like the clack sound of the table hockey puck. The reason why they are quiet is that they are coated outside with a rubber.
Air Hockey Strikers
Air hockey strikers are tools you use to strike the puck. Air hockey strikers are also called air hockey paddles or pushers. Air hockey pucks and paddles are the most important air hockey parts because you can’t play hockey without them. One of the rules in hockey is that you mustn’t touch the puck with your hand, only with air hockey paddles. Their design is simple, they look like a puck with a handle. Just like pucks, air hockey pushers also come in different designs. The high-top strikers are the most common and people often describe them as a „small sombreros“. The other strikers are called flat-tops and they have a shorter nub so they aren’t like sombreros.
Professional Air Hockey Paddles
There are also some rules regarding air hockey pushers. Air hockey pushers can’t exceed 4 1/16 in diameter and they can’t be heavier than 6 oz. Of course, they have to be symmetrical. The only rule about the color of the air hockey paddles is that the outside of the paddle shouldn’t match the playing surface of the hockey table.
Air Hockey Pucks And Paddles Set
A lot of the time you will need to buy both air hockey pucks and pushers. You don’t need to buy them separately, you can just buy an air hockey striker and puck set. There are air hockey pucks and strikers sets with 2 pushers and 4 pucks, sets with different shapes and colors of pucks and also professional sets of air hockey table pucks and pushers.
Air Hockey Table Fan
If you aren’t very familiar with the air hockey tables, then you might ask yourself: “Why would I need a replacement air hockey table motor blower?” Well, the air hockey fan is actually a very important part of any air hockey table. The air hockey table fan produces an airflow for the puck to move constantly around the playing field. The air hockey table fan (also known as the blower) has to produce steady and strong airflow so the table hockey puck can stay in motion during the entire match.
Most of air hockey fan motors are 110V and 120V and that is more than enough power to produce strong airflow. There are few air hockey tables that are equipped with two blowers so you can be sure that those tables have great and strong airflow. It is smart to buy an air hockey table that runs on electricity from the household, which means you have to plug it in the socket. I would avoid tables that have an air hockey fan motor which runs on batteries because they are weaker and they will run out of power fast.
Scoring Systems
There are two types of scoring systems on air hockey tables; manual and electronic scoring systems. The manual scoring system is usually located right above the goal and you have to move the pin to keep track of the score. The electric scoring systems are mostly automatic which means that they keep the score without your intervention and some may come with sound systems.
They are mostly located on the side of the table, right by the center line. They can also be above the playing field – those are called the overhead scoring systems. They have their own construction and you can buy them separately for your table. Most scoring systems run on batteries but there are few ones that are attached to the power source for the air hockey table fan so they use the power from your household. For your electronic scorer, it is also important that the air hockey scoring sensor works properly, otherwise it might not count every goal.
Air Hockey Table Cover
The air hockey table cover is not technically one of the air hockey spare parts for sale, but air hockey table accessories. It means that you can play hockey without it (it won’t affect the game) but it is nice to have one. The air hockey table cover is important because it protects the table from debris when you aren’t using it. If you don’t cover the table you can get particles of dust in the holes for the airflow and they will clog. If that happens you won’t have strong airflow on the field and the puck won’t move fast.
The air hockey table cover prevents those particles from entering the holes and it keeps the entire playing field clean which is very important. The air hockey cover is one of the most useful air hockey accessories because it will keep your table in top shape for a long time. The only thing you have to know about air hockey table covers is that you have to check the dimensions before you buy one because they have to fit perfectly on the table to work perfectly.
Air Hockey Table Leg Levelers
Most air hockey come with leg levelers which are used to keep the table perfectly leveled on any floor. During an intense game or long time use, the leg levelers can loosen up and break or bend. And in case this happens to you, I recommend you to get replacement set of air hockey leg levelers to continue enjoying you hockey table.
Conclusion: Importance Of Table Hockey Replacement Parts
As you can see, there aren’t that many air hockey table parts for sale you have to know about. The most important ones are definitely air hockey pucks and paddles, but you mustn’t forget about the air hockey blower fan too. If you get a good quality air hockey parts you will have a great table that will last for a long time.
Now that you have read this article about air hockey table accessories for sale, you can keep looking for a perfect air hockey table. Whether it is an arcade hockey table or cheap hockey table that you are looking for, we have covered them all.