I replaced my smoke alarm, and before I mounted it, I decided to blow a puff of vapor into it to see what would happen. The alarm went off. I guess the vapor does contain some component that's in smoke.
e-cig and smoke alarm
- Thread starter bruiser
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Try opening a bag of microwave popcorn just popped next to a smoke alarm and it will go off to
I would think that any vapor that has particles that block the sensors would cause a reaction.
I vaped on the plane from Seattle to New York and again on the return trip. I didn't try to stealth vape because I just didn't have the will to put up with any potential hassle. So ... I just made regular trips to the restroom.
I've read that the smoke detectors in plane restrooms are very sensitive but my Oh-My-Gawd-I-Hate-Flying-And-I'm-Going-To-Die-Screaming vaping didn't set it off. Later I read that some brave soul blew directly into the detector and then spent an indeterminate time explaining himself to the flight attendants.
Bob
I've read that the smoke detectors in plane restrooms are very sensitive but my Oh-My-Gawd-I-Hate-Flying-And-I'm-Going-To-Die-Screaming vaping didn't set it off. Later I read that some brave soul blew directly into the detector and then spent an indeterminate time explaining himself to the flight attendants.
Bob
I believe it was Steve from Puresmoker that set an alarm off in an airplane bathroom 2-3 years ago...haha. Most smoke detectors work like a garage door sensor. They use a low power laser and if the beam is interrupted in any way...the small photo sensor triggers the alarm.
No, they don't. They don't do any chemical analysis at all. They only measure the amount of particulates in the air and sound the alarm if they get too thick. It can be any kind of particulates -- smoke, dust, steam, vapor, it doesn't matter which.
It's not a chemical analysis, and it depends on what type you have.
How Does a Photoelectric Smoke Detector Work?
A photoelectric smoke detector is comprised of a few simple parts; a T-shaped chamber with a small light bulb or LED aimed toward the top of the T, a lens to focus the light into a concentrated beam, and a photodiode which detects the presence of the beam. When functioning normally the LED emits light in a steady beam at the photodiode. The sides of the T-shaped chamber are vented and open. As smoke rises, it would rise up to the smoke detector and seeps into the vents of the chamber. By doing so the smoke obscures the light, preventing it from striking the photodiode. When this happens the alarm is triggered.
Ionization Smoke Detectors
The most common type of smoke detector is the ionization model, which uses a tiny ionization chamber to detect the presence of smoke. The ionization chamber is flanked on opposite ends with metal conductors through which a live electrical current flows, powered either by 120 volt home wiring or a battery. The chamber also contains a trace amount of a radioactive substance called americium-241. This substance sheds radioactive alpha particles that ionize the oxygen and nitrogen atoms present inside the chamber.
When ionization occurs, free electrons are cut loose from their oxygen and nitrogen atoms and receive negative charges. The negative free electrons become attracted to the positive conductor in the chamber, while the other positively charged particles get attracted to the negative conductor. This clears the inside of the chamber and strengthens the electrical current between the conductors.
As smoke seeps into the ionization chamber through vents, the smoke particles attach themselves to the free electrons and reverse the ionization process. This pulls particles away from the conductors, creating a sharp drop in current that the device can detect. When a large enough decrease occurs, an alarm sounds.
How Does a Photoelectric Smoke Detector Work?
A photoelectric smoke detector is comprised of a few simple parts; a T-shaped chamber with a small light bulb or LED aimed toward the top of the T, a lens to focus the light into a concentrated beam, and a photodiode which detects the presence of the beam. When functioning normally the LED emits light in a steady beam at the photodiode. The sides of the T-shaped chamber are vented and open. As smoke rises, it would rise up to the smoke detector and seeps into the vents of the chamber. By doing so the smoke obscures the light, preventing it from striking the photodiode. When this happens the alarm is triggered.
Ionization Smoke Detectors
The most common type of smoke detector is the ionization model, which uses a tiny ionization chamber to detect the presence of smoke. The ionization chamber is flanked on opposite ends with metal conductors through which a live electrical current flows, powered either by 120 volt home wiring or a battery. The chamber also contains a trace amount of a radioactive substance called americium-241. This substance sheds radioactive alpha particles that ionize the oxygen and nitrogen atoms present inside the chamber.
When ionization occurs, free electrons are cut loose from their oxygen and nitrogen atoms and receive negative charges. The negative free electrons become attracted to the positive conductor in the chamber, while the other positively charged particles get attracted to the negative conductor. This clears the inside of the chamber and strengthens the electrical current between the conductors.
As smoke seeps into the ionization chamber through vents, the smoke particles attach themselves to the free electrons and reverse the ionization process. This pulls particles away from the conductors, creating a sharp drop in current that the device can detect. When a large enough decrease occurs, an alarm sounds.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
