Do E-Cigarettes Set Off Smoke Alarms?

If there’s one thing that most vaping fans do worry about sometimes it’s the thought of setting off a fire or smoke alarm. When you order e cigarettes online, this thing often comes to your mind.

The consequences, which could range from embarrassment and inconvenience to more serious issues such as fines or warnings, are not something anyone would want to experience.

So, how likely is it that using e-cigarettes will actually set off a fire alarm?

The short answer is that vaping shouldn’t trigger a smoke or fire alarm, but it does happen sometimes. Let’s look in detail at why this is the case, before sharing tips on how to avoid being a victim of the smoke detectors.

Types Of Smoke Detectors

There are three commonly used smoke detectors, and the likelihood of vapor being detected as smoke depends on the type used. These models are:

Heat Alarms

This one is the least commonly used, and the one that poses fewest problems for vapers. As there are no problems with the heat produced when vapers vape, you should face a problem using e-cigarettes around this type of alarm.

So, if you know that you’ll be around the heat alarm, you can order e cigarettes online and use it easily.

Ionization Based Detectors

Ionization based smoke detectors work around a small amount of radioactive material that sits between the electrically charged plates.

This ionizes the air within the device and generates a current that smoke particles break, triggering the alarm. Now, with e-cigarettes producing vapor and not smoke, they shouldn’t often set off ionization-based detectors.

Photoelectric Based Detectors

The final type of smoke detector is the most common and the most likely to be triggered by an e-cigarette.

Photoelectric detectors use optimal light beams to detect smoke within the vicinity. If there’s enough smoke surrounding the detector, the light beam gets broken and the alarm is triggered. This happens even if it isn’t smoke.

Using E-Cigarettes Around Smoke Detectors

There’s no strict rule for using e-cigs around smoke detectors. So, when you order e-cigarettes online, you must keep this in mind. Some detectors may be triggered, some may not.

However, the right thing to do is judge the circumstances on its own merit. If your device produces enough vapor, you’re in very close vicinity to a smoke detector in a crowded or sensitive area, it’s best not to vape.

But again, if you spot heat alarms, you know that it’s safe enough to vape. So, ensure you pay attention to the right fire or smoke alarm when thinking of vaping.

How To Deal With Uncertainty?

The best answer is to cut the risk factor and avoid vaping near a smoke detector. That said, locations that are fine with vaping- apartments and homes, have super-sensitive detectors mounted in a place that’s conducive to false alarms.

The solution would be to vape in an area with good airflow. Also, don’t blow huge clouds near the smoke detector.