Q) WHY DO DJ'S USE SMOKE MACHINES OR HAZER'S?

A) The reason why DJ's use smoke is to create small minute particles which reflect disco lighting effects and make them look pretty.

Q) CAN I USE A SMOKE MACHINE OR HAZER IN ALL VENUES?

A) NO!

Many venues are slowly beginning to ban the use of smoke machines within their venues. Usually this is because the venue is fitted with automatic smoke detection equipment, which detect the presence of smoke and trigger and alarm system.

Many DJs seem to think that venues fitted with Smoke Detectors are taking a personal dislike to them, and that they are being 'victimised'. This is incorrect, because basically we are dealing with an electronic device which detects smoke - ANY Smoke, it does not have the intelligence to separate the smoke involved with fires or the artificial smoke provided by smoke machines.

Q) HOW DO SMOKE DETECTORS WORK?

A) Basically, smoke detectors are a highly sensitive piece of equipment which is constantly looking for 'smoke' particles.

The detector is a relatively basic electronic piece of equipment which constantly samples and monitors the air particles every so many seconds, and closes a relay which triggers and alarm panel if it detects a significant change in the air density or particle content of the air. Unfortunately, when DJ's use a smoke emitting device, a smoke detector can detect the same particles and false trigger, sounding the alarm.

Smoke Detectors don't have artificial intelligence. They are not programmed with complex software and they really can't tell the difference between artificial smoke and the smoke created by a fire.

When triggered, they are just doing what they are designed to do - detect smoke / any smoke and potentially save lives which has been proven hundreds, if not thousands of times.

Q) HOW MANY TYPES OF DETECTORS ARE THERE?

A) Basically there are three different types of detector,

(1) a 'rate of heat rise' detector, which are the old type and which don't trigger by smoke machines, these are few and far between and simply sense ambient temperature of the air and trigger if it senses a huge rate of increase in a short period of time. Because they sense rapid changes in temperature rather than the presence of smoke, they are safe to with a DJ smoke machine.

(2) Ionisation - These work like air quality monitors in modern climate controlled vehicles and can sense minute particles in otherwise clean air - particles which can be created by slow smouldering fires or......smoke machines

(3) Optical - these are like highly sensitive photo detectors, using an Infra red emitter and an infra red detector within a chamber. Air from the room is concentrated into this chamber by natural convection (Part of the reason why smoke detectors have to be mounted on a flat surface in a given orientation), a beam of IR light is shone between the emitter and detector and the intensity compared. If the intensity drops - i.e. caused by smoke blocking the beam, the alarm triggers.

Unfortunately the most common detector in venues these days are the ionisation type followed by the optical ( in other words, the ones most likely to false trigger from smoke machines. )

To test this advice, the battery operated sensors used in most domestic houses are also ionisation types which use the same technology as the detectors used within most venues. Go away and fry some bacon or fire-up the smoke machine and I bet the detector will soon sound! Again no fire, just the fact that the detector has sensed particles in the air, but doesn't know what they are, but will sound regardless!

Q) IS THERE ANY SMOKE FLUID WHICH CAN BE USED TO STOP FALSE ALARMS

A) It doesn't matter what smoke fluid you use, in order to show disco lighting effect beams , the smoke machine will create millions of particles which reflect the light from the effect and show the beam and it is these same particles which will be detected by the modern 2 types of detector within the venue. Basically you have you a particle creator (Smoke machine) and a ceiling mounted smoke detector which detects particles!! not a good combination.

Whether its the particles in artificial smoke or the particles being burned and sent up with the smoke from a fire, smoke detectors really can not tell the difference!

Q) CAN I ASK THE VENUE TO SWITCH OFF THE VENUE SMOKE DETECTORS?

A) You can ask, but you will most likely be declined!. The main reason why fire sensors exist is to create a vital early warning to alert people to the presence of fire and to safely evacuate a building in a timely manner. Removing that early warning, may cause injury or even death and is irresponsible and may even bring criminal charges to the owner. There are both moral and insurance reasons attached to having a fire alarm installed, especially in a venue which is also a hotel and may have sleeping guests several floors above your function room. - THINK before asking.

DJ's wanting the entire fabric and safety net of smoke alarms to be turned off in a venue / entire venue, just because they want to make their disco lights look pretty - is pretty selfish!

Q) WHAT HAPPENS IF I IGNORE THE VENUE WARNINGS AND CONTINUE TO USE MY SMOKE IN THE PRESENCE OF DETECTORS?

A) You will make yourself unpopular to the venue owners and may be asked to leave their premises. You are also at great risk of creating a false alarm situation where the fire alarm is triggered, the venue completely evacuated and perhaps even result in the fire brigade attending. A lot of larger buildings are fitted with direct monitoring to a remote third party service which means the Fire Brigade are automatically alerted and will attend. If the call out is found to be needless and as a result of carelessness then the Fire Brigade my consider levying a charge / fine to the DJ to cover the cost of a false call-out.

Add to this the embarrassment caused to your client, as a result of being evacuated from the building along with other hotel guests because of something that YOU did and you probably won't be very popular and may even be blacklisted from working at the venue again.

Q) CAN I USE MY SMOKE MACHINE IF THE CLIENT SAYS IT IS OKAY AND SIGNS MY CONTRACT?

A) No!, you cannot legally make the client responsible for actions which you chose to do yourself. Besides it is not up to the client to give those types of permission (and they don't have the authority to make decisions for the venue) this matter is between you and the venue, after all, you are working for the client, not the other way around!. Even if the client signs a contract waiving all responsibility on your behalf should any false alarm occur from the use of your smoke machine then it will not remove the right of any third party, such as the venue or Fire Brigade to take action against you or levy a fine. No client can sign away the rights of others to sue or take legal action against you, should an incident, damage to property or bodily injury occur as a result of your actions!.

Q) MY DJ FRIEND SAYS HIS SMOKE MACHINE NEVER TRIGGERS AN ALARM. WHY?

A) Is your friend going to accept the full responsibility if it all goes wrong when you try it??, is your friend going to pay any fine for causing a false call out?. Far too many factors affect smoke use at a venue to say whether an alarm would be triggered when you come to use one. Smoke use is unpredictable and controlled by the size of room, height of ceiling, number and position of detectors, heat rising and the air flow through and around the room.

Is it really worth YOU taking the gamble?!. Always ask a venue owner or manager before you use a smoke machine and If a venue is fitted with smoke detectors, it's probably wise to leave the smoke machine at home.