Of course everyone knows smoking is harmful to your health. And does it harm fire safety? This question sparks most debates about indoor vaping.
Is a thick cloud of vapor able to cause water to pour from the ceiling? And can vape smoke set off sprinklers or not? Let’s take a cool-headed look at how sprinklers really work and why fears often are simply fears.
The Secret Science: Can Vape Smoke Set Off Sprinklers (And Why Not)
Lots of people are ready to compare a sprinkler with… a non-smoker’s nose. Why? Because they think it will react to smoke right away.
Imagine a glass bulb filled with liquid. When the temperature shoots up, the liquid expands. The bulb breaks and releases it. This mechanism is connected to a fire sprinkler sensor, which is designed to detect heat (instead of visible vapor).
What Activates a Fire Sprinkler?
It’s critical to know that a smoke sprinkler reacts to heat, not visible smoke. The temperature needed to activate a smoke sprinkler is usually something like 135–165°F. Vape aerosol is simply not capable of heating the air to such temperatures.
We discussed this point in detail in the article Does Smoke Set Off Sprinkler Systems? | Sprinkler Myths, which clearly explains the difference between smoke and heat.
How Fire Sprinklers Detect Smoke and Heat
Sometimes people confuse the fire sprinkler with a fire alarm. But in fact they are just different elements of the same system. Yes, a fire sprinkler sensor can trigger an alarm. However, it won’t activate without overheating.
That is why the article What Causes a Fire Sprinkler To Activate emphasizes that the key trigger is temperature, not the visual effects of smoke. So when people ask, will vape smoke set off sprinklers? It sounds logical, but the answer is boring: no, it won’t.
Can Vape Smoke Set Off Sprinklers, or 101 Myths About Vaping And Safety
In practice, FirePro Tech experts encounter several hard-to-kill myths (not as many as 101, but still a lot). Here are the most popular ones:
- Any kind of smoke equals to water falling from the ceiling;
- Vape and sprinkler are incompatible because vaping smoke is almost like fire;
- A small room increases the risk.
But can vape smoke set off sprinklers in reality? Well, many people think smoke can cause a fire sprinkler to be activated. It’s actually a myth that doesn’t stand up to facts.
Why Vaping Isn’t the Villain Here
The vapor from electronic cigarettes is just an aerosol. It dissipates as quickly as you blink. And of course it doesn’t really have time to heat the air. Even if you exhale a thick cloud, the temperature around a sprinkler does not rise to critical levels. And sprinklers stay passive until they overheat. So, vape and sprinkler simply don’t consider each other as a threat.
This principle gets explained step-by-step in the guide How Do Fire Sprinklers Work.
Can Vape Smoke Set Off Sprinklers Accidentally?
Well, can vape smoke set off sprinklers with no reason? Short answer is almost never. Accidental activations happen but for other reasons. And here are some of them:
- intense local heating;
- equipment malfunction;
- aggressive chemical vapors.
Vaping isn’t one of them. And not even theoretically.
The Real Triggers You Should Actually Worry About
Everything seems to be more or less clear with vaping. Surely candles are also no big deal for sprinklers, you think?
Well, no. Any fire sprinkler is afraid of open flames (which candles produce), as well as overheating equipment and real fires with thick smoke. So be careful.
No Safety Drama: Be Careful Instead
You already know the answer to the most important question about vaping, but for 100% success, you need to know a few best practices.
To keep the system working right, don’t cover your sprinkler with decorations. And, of course, don’t tease your sprinkler with a nearby heater. Last but not least, make sure to maintain your system regularly.
This is what every pro home services contractor recommends. Like FirePro Tech, which deals with real incidents every day.
Tips to Avoid Unnecessary Sprinkler Activation
If someone asks you: can vape smoke set off sprinklers? You already know what to say. Anyway, it’s best to:
- avoid releasing clouds directly under the sensors;
- ventilate the room;
- take into account the rules of the specific building.
This really reduces the risk of false alarms from a conventional sprinkler.
Final Thoughts on Fire Safety and Indoor Air
No worries, we won’t recommend that you read Allen Carr’s book or tell you about nicotine patches. Our article exclusively answers the question: will vape smoke set off sprinklers?
Well, in short, fire sprinklers don’t react to vape. But it still makes air quality worse and settles on surfaces (which is also not cool). Therefore, the best option is good ventilation or the outdoors. Your fire sprinkler will remain calm, and the air will be cleaner.
Don’t think that smoke can cause a fire sprinkler to be activated. And to ensure that your sprinkler system is in good condition, feel free to contact the experts at FirePro Tech for maintenance assistance.