Vape setting off fire alarm!

[Paul44]

Greetings!

I signed up after searching to see if vapor could set off smoke detectors. It can and I can say so because its happened to me 2 times this evening.

Its only happened after I have changed rda which makes me think it could be due to subtle vapor differences which interest me.

vape on! I look forward to hanging around!

Paul.

PS - I tried to post a video to provide further info but wasnt allowed.

 

[Pinggolfer]

First I ever heard of it. There is no smoke and no heat from vaping. Might be spiders in your alarm.

 

[Mccannch]

Most smoke alarms don't actually sense smoke but instead have a sensor of light that when blocked will set off the alarm, this is why on cold days the steam from a shower can set off a smoke alarm as well.

 

[Miata GT]

Welcome and yes it will! A new shop had its grand opening recently and setting off the alarm got so bad they had to disconnect it for the evening.

 

[zahzoo]

There's 2 types of common smoke alarms...ionization and photoelectric smoke detection. Vapor can set off either one... Photoelectric seems to be the easiest to set off with vapor.

Photoelectric-type alarms aim a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. Smoke enters the chamber, reflecting light onto the light sensor; triggering the alarm.

Ionization uses radioactive material between two electrically charged plates, which ionizes the air and causes current to flow between the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating the alarm.

 

[Paul44]

I switched to Jungle Juice at the same time so you may be right. I think it might be vapours that hang around and build up over time that cause this.

No spiders here lol.

Thanks for the shop info, kinda proves it can happen!

Paul.

 

[tj99959]

I have several atomizers that will easily set off the smoke detectors.

they can also cause me to loose sight of my keyboard

 

[Paul44]

I wonder if its this specific RDA (seems unlikely) or the juice then

 

[Mccannch]

It is the amount of vapor that is produced that is the key factor so it is ultimately a mixture of both that would cause it as well as the number of people vaping in a given room, frequency of vapor, ventilation in the room etc. etc. etc. A large cloud shot directly into a smoke detector would most likely set it off every time I would imagine.

 

[Pinggolfer]

Mine are either 10' off the floor or 9' so I guess that's why I don't have that issue. But wouldn't you have to blow vapor on them to set them off?

 

[Paul44]

Mine are either 10' off the floor or 9' so I guess that's why I don't have that issue. But wouldn't you have to blow vapor on them to set them off?

Not at all, they are not even in the same room in my case.

 

[tehdarkaura]

I set off my detectors all the time... The answer has already been given but to elaborate -- smoke detectors don't actually detect smoke -- they detect tiny particles in the air -- vapor, smoke, paint, anything that can get particalized small enough and get in the sensor will cause your smoke detector to set off the alarm.

I have the radioactive kind here at my home and it is set off by vapor pretty easily -- when my IPV3 arrived I set all of them on the main floor off one by one basically tiny particles in the air block the radiation and the sensor sees that and sets off the buzzer

the simpler kind that just shine a light through a tube and look for a distorion or dimming are likely even easier to set off with vapor.

In my area the local news personality "proved" vaping contains smoke by blowing it in to a smoke detector... sigh... I bet many people bought that too.

 

[nyiddle]

I've done the "smoke alarm challenge".

Take a smoke alarm outside, somewhere where there's wind and your vapor might be diminished, and then standing about 5 feet away, try and get the smoke alarm to go off.

But yeah, there's some common misconception that smoke alarms are intelligent/technologically advanced. Most are essentially low-sensitivity motion detectors. I made a smoke alarm using just a breadboard and some random capacitors/resistors/infrared light when I was a kid.

God, I miss those "100-in-1" electronics kits. I feel like those are really hard to come by nowadays.

 

[NealBJr]

If I remember correctly, it killed a Vaping convention (I believe ecc 2013). The people were vaping in their rooms and it set off the fire alarms and the place was evacuated. Of course there are rumors thatt was someone smoking real cigarettes, but it wouldn't put it past me that it was the vapor that does it.

Fire alarms do not necessarily detect a fire or even smoke. Remember, most fire alarms are designed to be inexpensive, so it doesn't take a sample of air and analyze it. So, vapor, or heat can set them off. Kind of leads me to believe that the convention center must've crimped the budget on getting good smoke alarms.

 

[Chrissi]

Never heard this before... good to know

 

[SunshinePete]

Another reason to be glad I've sworn never to travel by air again, because I might have been tempted to vape in the toilet. On the other hand, I've vaped in train toilets without seeming to trigger the smoke alarm.

 

[vaperature]

If I remember correctly, it killed a Vaping convention (I believe ecc 2013). The people were vaping in their rooms and it set off the fire alarms and the place was evacuated. Of course there are rumors thatt was someone smoking real cigarettes, but it wouldn't put it past me that it was the vapor that does it.

Fire alarms do not necessarily detect a fire or even smoke. Remember, most fire alarms are designed to be inexpensive, so it doesn't take a sample of air and analyze it. So, vapor, or heat can set them off. Kind of leads me to believe that the convention center must've crimped the budget on getting good smoke alarms.

I read somewhere that the Vape Bash in Chicago kept setting off smoke alarms. I wasn't there though so getting that second hand.

 

[Paul44]

Its only happened once more. I think I have narrowed it down to one specific juice. Strange!

 

[Monghul]

Thank God the fireman didnt come knocking!