Smoke detectors???

[becbooboo]

Hi,

Has anyone ever heard of vaping setting off smoke detectors??  I know its not actually smoke but a friend of mine said that some smoke detectors are looking for chemicals as well as smoke.

I am relatively new to this so still at the 'I can't believe its not smoking' phase!

I am not allowed to vape at work as I am a civil servant and because e-cigs are "perceived as a cigarette therefore must not be taken on government property"

I do work some nights though when there is hardly anyone in the building and am thinking can I have a naughty vape in the loo rather than going to stand in the freezing cold exposed smoking area outside.

So is there ANY, even a TINY chance that the smoke alarm could go off??  I know I have heard of people going into airplane toilets to vape, they must have smoke alarms in them?

What do you think??   

Bec xx

[real-player]

 i always vape in hotel rooms like travel lodge premier and the likes but have never had the alarms go off also when i used to smoke i did have a sneeky in the travel lodge room once and got caught because the fire alarms are so sensitive to smoke from ciggys ive only ever heard of smoke  and heat detectors  though lol 
 
 no burning should not make them go off any firemen wanna shed light on this subject feel free to do so

[chops]

They shouldn't get set off. Smoke detectors react to the particles in smoke, which are dense particles.

Inside the detector is a small stream of radioactive alpha particles and a detector. The smoke interferes and 'blocks' the alpha particles being detected which in turn sets the alarm off.The vapour from an electronic nicotine device is water based and not at all dense so you would have your work cut out if you wanted to try and blow enough into the detector to make it set off!!!

The heat produced by the exhaled vapour of an e-cig is simply not enough to set off a heat detector.

HTH

[becbooboo]

Thank you!   Off to work now (on nights hehehehe)

[StevieD]

IF they use optical detectors rather than ionisation detectors then vapour CAN set them off.... but unless you blow it directly at the detector you should be fine.

[chops]

IF they use optical detectors rather than ionisation detectors then vapour CAN set them off.... but unless you blow it directly at the detector you should be fine.

I don't think I've ever seen an optical detector in use, they never actually enetered my head when I replied... thanks Stevie

[rob2278]

IF they use optical detectors rather than ionisation detectors then vapour CAN set them off.... but unless you blow it directly at the detector you should be fine.

I don't think I've ever seen an optical detector in use, they never actually enetered my head when I replied... thanks Stevie

Optical detectors are the most common one's used on fire alarm systems, (for domestic though, they tend to be ionisation)

[chops]

I live and learn... !

[RichJr]

IF they use optical detectors rather than ionisation detectors then vapour CAN set them off.... but unless you blow it directly at the detector you should be fine.

I don't think I've ever seen an optical detector in use, they never actually enetered my head when I replied... thanks Stevie

Chances are you won't know which is which (photoelectric are the more expensive types) and but like Stevie said "yes" you can set those smoke detectors off by blowing vapor directly into it.

Ionization types have an electric current airborn between two plates and smoke (solid particles) disrupt that current setting the alarm off (vapor would actually help the airborn circuit instead of disrupting it).
Photoelectric types use a light beam and sensor that sees the smoke and since vapor can disrupt light just like smoke these types can be set off by vapor.

(edit)
Forgot to mention some detectors use both sensors and a heat detector. The detector usually says the type on the sticker on back.

[chops]

Yeah, I just did a geek google moment to look at the two types, very interesting. There's nothing in it physically . I can see that you wouldn't find it easy to disrupt the optical beam unless as Stevie says you decide to taunt them on a chair

[cram]

I guess mine is photonic...

I just set mine off by blowing vapor into it.

Learn something new everyday!

[chunky1234]

Sat in my non smoking hotel room as i type vaping directly under the smoke detector, nothing going off here.......

[bluenova]

Sat in my non smoking hotel room as i type vaping directly under the smoke detector, nothing going off here.......

Blow into it, just for kicks 

[Phil A.]

Some hotel smoke detectors have warnings about not leaving the bathroom door open as steam from the shower can set them off.
I guess they're optical ones and you could theoretically set them off with an ecig, but you'd have to deliberately blow vapour into it IMO - I've never had one go off when vaping in a hotel room.
However, I'm not sure I'd  risk it if my job was on the line if I got caught...

[becbooboo]

Just got up from last nights shift .

Didn't dare risk it once I got into work last night,  I am such a wimp!  Ho Hum, lepers corner for me!!!!

On the plus side when I did go out last night there was a lassy from a different department who tried my ecig and she was really impressed, took the website etc.  So at least I may have helped point someone new in the right direction.

I certainly didn't know there was so much to smoke detectors 

Bec xxx

[canniscam]

Just got up from last nights shift .

Didn't dare risk it once I got into work last night,  I am such a wimp!  Ho Hum, lepers corner for me!!!!

On the plus side when I did go out last night there was a lassy from a different department who tried my ecig and she was really impressed, took the website etc.  So at least I may have helped point someone new in the right direction.

I certainly didn't know there was so much to smoke detectors 

Bec xxx

Sweet!

Next time give them the phone number and they can get a discount on their first order and you can get a bit of credit on your account!

Casey

[Cheekiecharlie]

I thought it was water vapour we breathed out

[AWOL]

Oops. Have been vaping in a tiny 12' x 8' room in guest house for three nights.
After reading this post just noticed smoke detector, with light on, so is operational.
No smoke alarms or fire drills so far.
Phew..

[canniscam]

I thought it was water vapour we breathed out

Cheekiecharlie,

Don't worry it's not smoke .. It's just that there are different types of smoke detectors those that use a ion detector which should be tripped by vaping and those that use an optical particle counter which can be tripped by vaping. The second kind measure the particle density of the air between the emitter and the receiver and above a certain threshold it will trigger the alarm.   Even so you generally have to be right on top of the detector and exhaling in the direction of the sensor ports to trigger them.  The vapor generally dissipates too quickly to maintain a high and dense particle count similar to smoke.

Casey

[AWOL]

Yet another benefit of vaping then...

[chops]

Yet another benefit of vaping then...

What, 'mysteriously' being able to set them off without breaking the glass... 

[AWOL]

Lol - vaping in hotel rooms :-)

[MONTY1003]

Hi all this is my first post I joined forum so I could read up on mixing my own flavours and by what I've read I got it spot on....
Well done me!!!!!!
Regarding do e cigs set off smoke alarms the answer from me would be yes  lol , I recently stayed at Blackpool for a footy tournament and was sat on bed vamping there was no probs at all , so curiosity got better of me I stood on bed god big lung full of vapour and blew it direct at detector , all ok at 1st lights flashed briefly so tempted another big lung full and blew direct again haha this time oh yes it reacted the alarm sounded caused full power cut throughout b and b disco the lot luckily we were with a team of friends and parents and as they know me as shall I say mischievous once the manager had a word and told me just to sit and gape he didn't mind .
On return to bar and disco I was welcomed with a warm round of applause and the words it could of only bn you.....,
 
So my answer to the related article of smoke detectors is depending on lung capacity and how close you are to devise, so I will leave it for you to decide..

MONTY

[chops]

HI monty, a very warm welcome to the forum and lol @ your story... I rest my case on the mysterious alarm-setting-off temptation then

[AWOL]

HaHa.....and a cheerful Hello.
Good crack,,,,,,,
Am gonna stay seated whist vaping in room.

[RichJr]

Welcome to the forum Monty. Funny story. Stick around, we tend to be a fun bunch.

[smokeless]

I've heard at least one anecdotal story of someone who went in an airplane restroom and blew vapor directly into the smoke alarm and it went off. But smelling no fumes and seeing no "smoke" by the time the attendants went to check it out, they could only blame it on a faulty alarm. That said, I've vaped in many a hotel/motel room and never set off an alarm. But I wasn't jumping up and down on the bed trying to test things, either.

[Larry]

I had a smoke detector that went off every time someone took a shower.  The detector was mounted across from the bathroom.  Even exhaling air would make it go off so smoke detectors aren't perfect.

[watchman]

Never tried blowing straight into an alarm at my age they're way too high and I've got COPD so the lung power is it bit down,,but I've vaped in hotels airports and aircraft loos with no problem and cinema's and the odd ship as well, Have more trouble at work than anywhere, slapped wrist for vaping at my desk a couple of times when I've forgot myself.

Kev

[rich5872]

 ::)hmmmmmm  things to do when your bored..........................................................nope, mine is not set of by vaping. Probably just as well seeing as its 11.30 and the wife and kids are in bed lol!!!!