Fog Machine Use

  • Thread starter Thread starter spanny
  • Start date Start date
spanny

spanny

Active member
Not sure if this is the right place to ask questions about fog machines, but figured it's worth a shot...

My band is looking to pickup a Chauvet Hurricane 1200 fog machine. We want it to run fairly lightly in the background like a haze machine continuously, just to be able to see the beams from our lights. Being a water based fog machine and not running it hard, do I run much of a risk setting off smoke alarms?
 
You sure can. Smoke detectors can be set off by a Hazer,fog machine,steam, dust or any type of particles in the air. Check with the owner. Most venues have protocol they follow with the local fire marshall.
 
-let the club worry a bout it-

-I'm so old that we had DRY ICE MACHINES-(a 55 gallon steel barrel that held the DRY ICE with a hose connection & hose bib-(valve)-& a drier vent and duct .... Built into the lid..... I would go over and turn the water on for a bout 15 seconds then when the water was turned off turn the drier vent on-(the duct went under the drum riser)-maybe 10-15 minutes of fog depended on humidity, how hot it was and how much melted, sometimes it was all gone.. melted... Button.... So we went high tech with the new, cutting edge,.. SMOKE MACHEEN'$!!! AND!!! JUST LIKE US!!! It ran on powder!!!!.. Ironically both made you gag, gave you red eye & huge headaches,.. especially the next morning, or was it from that mountain of Marlboro's in the ashtray?... Oh well, looked cool & the chicks dug it... Its only Rock 'n Roll....


---{ TRADE FOR OLD ANALOG RACK GEAR or FOR SALE }---600w---120volts---(m#·V·920)---Smoke Machine-(has the remote option)---
 
Make sure it's not pointed at the back of your amps. That oily shit makes a mess!
 
We used one similar over the last 5-6 years of gigging, never had a smoke alarm go off. Last used June 2017. No issues.
 
we've had a couple of venues that wouldn't allow them due to issues with smoke alarms. These were "corporate" gigs at hotel ballrooms, not your normal bar gigs or venues where you would normally see smoke\haze\fog used.
 
It might depend on the type of smoke alarm they use (I think there are two types, and each works differently).
 
Good to know. Since we'll be running it fairly thin I didn't think it would cause much harm but checking with each venue would be a good idea.
 
I've gigged with them for ~20 years, never set a smoke alarm off.

Now I do know they can, I had a smoke alarm sitting on a shelf in a shop, some dude ripped his vape stick near by (which is basically the same juice) and it set it off.
 
For the effect you really should just get a Hazer they are different for a reason...
 
We used them for years. And yes we did finally set off the club alarm lol. Luckily the booker/bar manager was a good friend so he went pretty easy on us lol. Only set one off though in all the years of use. We had a pro model FQ-100 Fog Generator. That thing was serious business. In fact at some gigs we'd set off flash bombs and run the smoke machine. One gig in particular both went off at the same time, then the smoke machine got hung up (drummer controlled it) and before the first song was finished, you literally couldn't see 10 feet away. Was hilarious, straight Spinal Tap stuff.
 
Hate those things..

I was under a riser fixing a clamp with a spanner wrench, and took a blast full in the face (band had moved it under there without telling me).
As I was the stage & production manager, once I quit gagging & choking, I went up one side and down the other of their managers, and each band member individually until I found out who put it there. Luckily it was not one of my crew.

I was so pissed (like hornets coming out of the nest pissed), I was ready to cancel their set! Promotor got me calmed down a bit... looking back, it's actually kind of funny. lmfao....

Anyway - long story short - be careful with them, and check with the club....
 
spanny":cd8vli3q said:
Not sure if this is the right place to ask questions about fog machines, but figured it's worth a shot...

My band is looking to pickup a Chauvet Hurricane 1200 fog machine. We want it to run fairly lightly in the background like a haze machine continuously, just to be able to see the beams from our lights. Being a water based fog machine and not running it hard, do I run much of a risk setting off smoke alarms?
Click to expand...

I work for a Commercial Fire Alarm Install Company & Yes it will set off the smoke detector or Detectors. Happens all the time, I work in Dispatch/Technician Management & I can't count how many times I have had to dispatch a tech to a property due to a fog machine.
 
Detroit1973":3i3lcv7f said:
spanny":3i3lcv7f said:
Not sure if this is the right place to ask questions about fog machines, but figured it's worth a shot...

My band is looking to pickup a Chauvet Hurricane 1200 fog machine. We want it to run fairly lightly in the background like a haze machine continuously, just to be able to see the beams from our lights. Being a water based fog machine and not running it hard, do I run much of a risk setting off smoke alarms?
Click to expand...

I work for a Commercial Fire Alarm Install Company & Yes it will set off the smoke detector or Detectors. Happens all the time, I work in Dispatch/Technician Management & I can't count how many times I have had to dispatch a tech to a property due to a fog machine.
Click to expand...

I do the same kind of work. Once had a huge corporate building emptied out when the fire alarm went off. Seems one of the girls decided a fog machine would be fun at their Halloween party luncheon. :lol: :LOL:
 
My band used a fog machine when we did a gig back in the 90s and had my buddy controlling it and the lights. It is hilarious to see clips of the third set because it looks like we are in a Vincent Price horror film with all of the smoke.
 
Wayniac3":2c1xv3ml said:
Hate those things..

I was under a riser fixing a clamp with a spanner wrench, and took a blast full in the face (band had moved it under there without telling me).
As I was the stage & production manager, once I quit gagging & choking, I went up one side and down the other of their managers, and each band member individually until I found out who put it there. Luckily it was not one of my crew.

I was so pissed (like hornets coming out of the nest pissed), I was ready to cancel their set! Promotor got me calmed down a bit... looking back, it's actually kind of funny. lmfao....

Anyway - long story short - be careful with them, and check with the club....
Click to expand...


Apologies....but that shit cracked me up lol :lol: :LOL:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top