I was talking to DJ in England and we were discussing Fog Machines when she said one night she used too much fog and it set off the fire alarm in the club. I have never had this happen before and was wondering if any of you guys have had this happen. I asked her about her lights and she told me what she was basicaly running so I was able to rule out that fact so as she said it was her fog machine. And yes there is a certain light that will trigger certain fire alarms but I won't list it for obvious reasons. Has this ever happened to you guys?

Sgtdude

Not all but many fire alarm systems measure partical size and density. If the fire alarm system is one of them.... it can be set off by a fog machine. A few clubs and MANY banquet halls have banned the use of fog due to this.

While I'm not allowed to reveal details about WHERE:

I was working a production run of HAIR as a sound tech/sound designer/engineer.

They disconnected the fire alarm system each show because of the heavy usage of fog. But, they had stage hands roaming key areas to ensure there was no problem.

I don't use my fog machines much.

Check with venue policy. Many clubs that revolve around events and concerts will have a fire system in place that is not affected by fog machines. Most modern systems don't have that problem. A phone call can make all the difference.

Thanks for the input..appreciate it.

Wow very interesting... its one of those variables you don't think about until it actually happens, thanks for the input, will have to take that into consideration the next time im using a fog machine

Just did a show over the weekend. One band brought their own fog machine, they really wanted to use it. I wanted to let them. House policy was "no fog machines". Why? Older smoke/fire detection system.

Reason? While the building is maintained and kept in good condition because tehy are contantly booked for events, the smoke detection system hasn't yet gone requestzthrough upgrades.

As always, call ahead. Foggers, hazers, same possible issues.

Setting off a fire alarm falsely can be expensive, or so I've been told. I'm not anxious to find out first hand.

My policy is "fog machines by request only" and "dependent on venue policy". I charge a bit extra for the fog machine right now because of current draw and trying to find a circuit I can run it on, even though they are Fog Storm 700's. With me going in the direction of LED's, this won't be as big of a deal in the future, and even less soon when I go hazer as my current draw will drop again.