Smoke Machines FAQs

Not if used sensibly with common sense. The only danger involved is if the cases are opened (thus the risk of an electric shock - as with every electical applicance) or if the casing of certain units are touched (they can get very hot and may burn you). The smoke which comes out of the smoke nozzle can also be very hot and often there are notices on the machine itself warning of this. Under no circumstances should you touch the nozzle that the smoke comes out of - this will always be very hot (200 celcius +) when the unit is switched on (and for quite a long time after it is switched off until it cools down completely).

Manufacturers often warn that you shouldn't install the machine where the public can touch it or touch the hot smoke being generated. The recommended distance ranges from 50cm - 3 metres. If you need the smoke to appear in a public area, one way to get round this safety recommendation is to use ducting to allow you to keep the machine well away. Smoke machines should always be used in a well ventilated area. In case the unit's temperature control malfunctions, it is also wise not to install a machine above people's heads.

You must be very careful when using dry ice smoke machines in confined spaces, as the carbon dioxide produced displaces oxygen in the air and can cause suffocation. Actors shouldn't really lie down in the smoke. There are alternatives to dry ice for low lying smoke, such as chiller units for normal smoke machines and special all-in-one low smoke generators. Think of the poor musicians in the orchestra pit! The moisture in the cloud of dry ice fog sometimes de-tunes their instruments. Check with the machine's manual for details.

You must use the fluid recommended by the manufacturer of the machine. Using other fluid could not only damage the machine (and void the warranty) but also create toxins in the smoke or make the machine produce a wet fog which will leave residue on surfaces. Even a slight change in the mixture of smoke fluid can cause this. Safe, non-toxic smoke is your responsibility!

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Are smoke machines a risk to health?

The smoke that is produced from either the water or oil based smoke machines that we sell is non-toxic and safe when you use the correct fluid. For more information, please read the health & safety documents for each type of smoke fluid we supply, which can be found on each smoke fluid product information page. For certain people with asthma or breathing problems, dense water-based smoke can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. It's not advisable to make or use a home-made smoke fluid mixture. Always use professionally manufactured fluid. Non-toxic smoke is your responsibility. You can search for: ESTA - fog and smoke working group - examining the effects of fog and smoke on health.

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What safety advice is there for smoke machine use?

For water/oil based machines:
The nozzle and sometimes parts of the casing of the smoke machine (except handle) get very hot. Don't touch the hot areas. The areas that get hot may have a warning note on them. The smoke that comes out of the nozzle is fairly hot and it is always advisable not to go any closer than 50cm in front of it. It shouldn't be installed where the public can get closer than 50 cm from the smoke from the nozzle. Smoke machines shouldn't be installed directly over the public's head. Sometimes they can spit hot fluid out of their nozzle which can burn. Smoke machines are very high power electrical units, often using more than 1kW of electricity, so be careful not to use them in wet places such as outside or where they may get wet.

For dry ice machines:
Dry ice is sub zero and can cause frostbite if handled with bare hands. Always use special gloves to handle dry ice. Dry ice shouldn't be kept in airtight containers.
Don't let people lie down in dry ice fog. They could suffocate. The CO2 produced by the dry ice is an asphxiant as it displaces oxygen. Dry ice machines boil water. This water is not only very hot but very heavy too, so it's advisable not to struggle lifting these heavy machines alone.

ALSO: Please be careful when refilling smoke machines with fluid - mop up any spills, as people can slip on any fluid left on the floor (it is more slippery than water).

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How long does the smoke hang in the air for?

We supply different smoke fluids that will disperse at different rates. Some, such as Le Maitre's Quick Dispersing fluid and Antari's Super fast dissipating fluid can disperse as quickly as steam - disappearing seconds shortly after exiting the smoke machine nozzle, making it great for effects where a large build up of fog is not wanted. Other fluids make smoke that hangs in the air for hours. Our Phantom Hazer's output will hang for 3 - 4 hours + and can remain persistent even in very hot environments. It all depends on the application and the smoke machine you are using, but if the smoke machine is in a theatre or other location where ventilation is an issue, a fairly quick dispersing fluid should be used so that the location doesn't get fogged up too quickly. A nightclub would normally use a long lasting fluid so the smoke picks out light beams and so that they don't have to keep activating the smoke machine which tends to bring attention to itself (or ideally use a hazer).

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How long do smoke machines take to heat up for operation?

Some conventional machines take a minute or two, some five or ten, and some longer. Generally the heat-up time is mentioned on our product information page. Many cheaper 'domestic' party smoke machines will have a 'dead-band' which is when the smoke machine needs to re-heat and stops itself from being operated while this happens. This can be a problem when in a situation where smoke needs to appear on cue such as on television or film or at a theatre, but is ususally fine for parties or home use when this isn't so much of an issue.

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Do you sell machines that can be used without electrical power?

Yes - our battery powered smoke machines, and the exterior gas powered smoke gun for outdoor use. We also have a 12v vehicle security smoke screen for your vehicle's security and a 24v unit. You could also use our smoke pellets which are compact and affordable (UK only).

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Can I duct smoke down a length of hose?

On most smoke machines, ducting adaptors are available to allow the connection of a length of flexible ducting hose to the front of the machine for remote smoke placement. It is cruically important that there is a gap between the output nozzle of the smoke machine and the opening of the ducting hose. Smoke needs a good supply of airflow to form vapour (fog) properly when exiting the nozzle of the machine, whilst at the same time drawing in air to the opening of the duct. So attaching hose directly to the output nozzle of the machine with no air gap is incorrect and will lead to a very wet smoke, condensate in the hose, and other issues.

If smoke starts coming out of the machine end of the hose you are trying to put it down, this will be due to a restriction on the hose further down its length, or trying to duct smoke into an area or room with a higher air pressure than the room where the smoke machine is located.

We only recommend ducting smoke down to 25mm on our own machines, and even then only for 4 metres of hose length. Generally, the rule of thumb is 'the bigger the better' with regards to selecting a ducting hose diameter, and this can allow hose to be up to 10 metres in length without causing 'frictional losses' and creating 'back pressure', which is when the smoke is trying to exit from the same end of the hose you are trying to push it down. Larger diameter hose allows smoke particles to travel down it more freely without colliding with each other and the walls of the hose.

Deposition of condensated smoke fluid is inevitable in any ducting system. The choice of a Pea Soup brand smoke machine with their tiny smoke particle size minimises this deposition. (Rocket and Dragon and our PS31 and PS33 smoke generators).

Fans can be used to push smoke out so that the hose is effectively purged of smoke after each issue. This minimises deposition and gives the smoke positive pressure, ideal when carrying out leak tests. Our centrifugal blower fan can take in smoke directly. But you can also fashion your own ducting Y splitter so that clean air from a simple inline or computer cooling fan is pushed down one stem, where it combines with smoke from the smoke machine coming down the other stem of the Y. The resultant mixed fog and air exits the hose under slight pressure.

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How do I clean my smoke machine?

After a while, smoke machines can get clogged up with carbon - a natural by-product of heating smoke fluid. Smoke fluid can be quite a viscous liquid, so it's almost unavoidable that the machine gets clogged over time. To avoid it happening, follow the instructions you get with your smoke machine with regards to cleaning it. Some suggest a litre of distilled water for every 5 litres of fluid that the machine uses, others suggest water and white vinegar after 40 hours of continuous operation. It is arguable that passing what is effectively an acid through the pump, fluid pipes, seals and heater block will not do it much good, and ultimately any vinegar that will be remaining in any of these components when you start using smoke fluid in the machine again will be vaporised so best re-start the machine outdoors.

If storing a smoke machine for a long time, passing deionised water through it before storing can help. This isn't necessary if the unit is being used every day, eg in a visitor attraction. They may also instruct you to take parts of the nozzle to bits and brush them clean, as they can also become coated in carbon. This is when a maintainable heating block is useful, as found in our machines (Rocket and Dragon). Our PS31 and PS33 smoke generators that self-purge themselves after each smoke issue, meaning the heating block never gets clogged, and we also have an optional air-line purge feature in our Dragon unit that can be made to special order.

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What is 'dry ice'?

Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide gas. It's called dry ice because when it 'melts' it changes in state from a solid directly to a gas without ever becoming a liquid. This process is called sublimation. When dry ice is put into boiling water it sublimates and creates these clouds of thick heavy fog - cold water vapour and CO2, which clings to the ground (because it is cold and more dense than air). The fog is odourless and colourless as it is literally clouds of water droplets (and it can therefore leave the stage slightly wet). The Peasouper is a dry ice machine that self-contains this effect for convenient use.

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What's the difference between dry ice, liquid nitrogen, oil and water based smoke machines?

Dry ice and liquid nitrogen smoke machines both create a heavy low lying fog effect with water. The materials they use to create this can be tricky to get hold of for most people, hard to store, and the effect can now be easily created on demand by new electronic water based versions. However, dry ice really does give the greatest low lying fog effect quietly, so if you can find a local dry ice supplier (or make it yourself with special attachments for large liquid CO2 cylinders) your life is easier.
Large US theme parks have been known to use LN2 foggers as it gives a superb and reliable effect and leaves no residue or chemical mess. It also disperses quickly and causes no irritation to even sensitive asthmatics (the majority of the air we breathe is nitrogen). They also use pressurised water-misting foggers in many water rides which just use normal water under high pressure (low running costs for heavy use).
Oil based smoke machines produce smoke than can withstand much higher temperatures than water based fog. Ideal for fire safety training which may also include real flames (water based smoke would simply evaporate and disappear into the flames if used in conjunction with them). Oil based machines that we supply are less toxic - the hang time of the smoke is so long that you have much less smoke chemical in the air than with water based systems. Feedback from customers suggest they are less irritating to breathe in for persons suffering with existing breathing conditions. They are also ideal for fire training scenarios, as the smoke doesn't layer or disappear at high temperatures like that of a water based smoke.
Water based machines are now the 'standard' smoke machine in entertainment applications. There are many different types of water based fluid which hang in the air for a long time or disperse quickly like steam. It's the easiest way to make controllable smoke at a reasonable price which is one of the reasons why it's the most popular.

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How do smoke and fog chillers work?

Fog chillers cool the conventional 'hot' smoke from a conventional smoke machine to sub-zero temperatures so that it sinks to the ground with a similar effect to that of dry ice or liquid nitrogen. They can save money in the long-term for installations, as dry ice and liquid nitrogen can be expensive to deliver and doesn't last very long, even if correctly stored. Special molecular or quick dispersing fluid is used with fog chillers for two reasons - it makes the fog last the same length of time that dry ice fog would before disappearing, and if longer lasting fluid was used when the smoke warms up again it will rise and fill the room with normal fog that hangs in the air.
Le Maitre make a popular fog chiller unit. They convert fog from the normal smoke machine into heavy fog by chilling the fog to sub-zero temperatures using a liquid CO2 cylinder. It's so much more easy and convienient than dry ice and more easily stored for longer lengths of time.
Other chiller units are simply large refrigeration systems. They don't use any CO2.
Be aware that some 'fog chillers' require you to put dry ice or conventional water ice into them to chill the fog (which doesn't make them as convienient as chillers that don't use ice, but the dry ice will last longer and doesn't produce water after melting so nothing needs to be drained away).

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What is a hazer?

A proper hazer is a machine that creates a very fine even haze which is used to enhance lighting beams. Hazers don't create clouds of thick smoke like smoke machines for special effects. They're favoured by television studios as the haze is almost invisible (for the cameras to see through it) yet it picks out light beams like smoke does. There is a glut of cheap hazers which are actually no more than a small smoke machine with a fan which inevitably produce a very cloudy, 'clumpy' effect. We don't sell those because we don't think they provide a very good haze effect. See our hazers available.

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What is the difference between a smoke machine and a hazer?

Smoke machines create thick white smoke, whereas hazers create a thinner haze effect which is barely visible but can definitely be seen when beams of light strike it. Hazers are often used when the blast of smoke from a smoke machine would be too intrusive or noisy. The visibility of smoke created by smoke machines means they're used for special effects, fire training, and all of the other applications mentioned on this site. Hazers can be left to operate continuously and inconspicuously. Most cheap hazers are just glycol smoke machines with a fan. Proper glycerine hazers (MVS, Neutron), oil crackers (DF50) and thermal oil hazers (Phantom Hazer) are what are described as 'professional hazers'.

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How much does smoke machine fluid cost?

Check out our list of all smoke fluid we sell for prices. It can differ considerably for the more specialist mixes such as those which create a fog that disperses quickly or that is specially designed for use in the fog chiller units mentioned in an earlier question. Different fluid types made by different manufacturers cost different amounts, which is why 'generic' smoke fluids are seen as a cheap alternative. On the container it will say "suitable for use in most smoke machines". This is potentially dangerous. Only the recommended fluid should be used in your machine - see next question.

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Do I have to use the fluid that the manufacturer makes for my machine?

This is a very good question. When you buy a smoke machine, the instruction manual you receive with it will tell you that you must use fluid that has been made by the same manufacturer for that machine. Using other types of fluid will invalidate the warranty and could damage the machine. Other fluids may work in the machine, but by no means all. They may create a sub-standard smoke that is unpleasant to breathe and contain toxins that can damage your health, or leave a residue on surfaces. They could also damage your machine. If you do use another manufacturer's fluid in your machine and need to get it repaired under warranty, the first thing the service engineer will do is use a special indicator to see if you've used the correct fluid or not. You will either then be charged for the repair, or it will be sent back to you unrepaired. If you want to see your smoke machine last a long time, we recommend you use the manufacturer's fluid. It is optimised for use in your machine and specifically tested and proven to be safe.

The main reason smoke generator manufacturers state that the chemical used should be their own is that generators are designed around a specific mixture of chemicals, with specific boiling ranges. Using a smoke fluid that for example is based on propylene glycol/water, which has a relatively low boiling range, through a generator set for glycerine / water (with a much higher boiling range) potentially can crack the chemical, forming unpleasant and potentially toxic compounds (acroleins, aldehydes etc). Even changing the percentage of water in a fluid mixture can have an effect.

A number of years ago all the major UK smoke machine manufacturers prepared and signed a joint letter stressing the dangers, or more accurately potential dangers of mixing and matching smoke chemicals, stressing that so called generic smoke chemicals simply could not be relied upon to produce a consistent and safe smoke in every generator.

The use of generic smoke chemical in place of the manfacturer's recommended fluid leaves you wide open to all sorts of legal recourse relating to health & safety, reliability of your machine and servicing costs.

Safe smoke that is non-toxic to breathe in is your responsibility.

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Why is some smoke machine fluid expensive?

Manufacturers use very pure pharmaceutical grade ingredients which have an impurity factor of one per billion or similar (very pure) plus the cost of transportation of bulky heavy fluid containers, often from overseas. Hazer fluid generally costs more than 'normal' smoke machine fluid, as it tends to be more concentrated, containing more active ingredient and less water than more traditional glycol based fog fluid.

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Where does 'dry ice' get its name?

Because the ice is cold (sub-zero) but never gets wet when it melts because it sublimates (see earlier question) turning directly from a solid to a gas without ever becoming a liquid, unlike water ice.

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Can I buy smoke fluid that makes coloured smoke?

No. Fluid that creates coloured fog has been tried, has never satisfactorily worked without seriously damaging the smoke machine and is not available anywhere. The best way to make coloured smoke is to use normal smoke fluid (white smoke) and to colour wash the smoke with coloured lighting. The white fog particles defract the light and make it look like coloured smoke.

You may see certain smoke fluids are coloured themselves (usually green, red, blue, pink) but the smoke released is white. This is simply a colour indicator to let you know what type of fluid it is in the bottle so you don't confuse them (say, quick dispersing or long lasting).

The alternative is to use theatrical coloured smoke pyrotechnics that actually make proper, real coloured smoke - but they have the potential to stain fabrics and materials the smoke comes into contact with and you should avoid breathing the smoke in.

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What are "intelligent lights"?

Intelligent lights are light fixtures whose beams move and change colour and pattern. They can either use a mirror which moves the projected beam of light (scans or scanners), or move the whole lantern body (moving head). They often use DMX control via a computerised control system. Often used at concerts, discotheques, outdoor events, on TV and in the theatre.

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Are fog machines suitable for use in areas of high humidity?

The Rocket and PS31 / PS33 smoke systems are available in stainless steel metalwork shells to special order at extra cost. This option is recommended for heavy duty / high usage applications such as fire training, or where the equipment is likely to be used in areas of high humidity.
We also produce our Micro and Mini Rocket units in stainless steel for clean room applications, and an IP65 rated version of the Dragon.

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We have an interesting smoke machine information section (well, we think it's interesting!) with reviews, tips, location reports and more.

You may also be interested in the
Wise Owl's Answers
which was a feature we ran on this site back in 2001. 

The Titan Ice combines our best fog machine technology with the convenience of an integrated fog chiller. Using the power of ice to chill our specially formulated low-lying fog fluids, the Titan Ice creates an amazing, thick blanket of fog that is great for eerie graveyard effects, motion picture usage, plays and more! 

Efficient and Powerful

Robust metal cases house the most efficient heater cores available giving you tremendous output. The Titan ICE features a 1700W core and a spacious Ice chamber to lay down a super thick carpet of fog!

Backlit digital LCD

LCD controls and timer functions allow for easy adjustment in the dark and simple menus that put an end to frantically studying the user manual like prepping for a college final.

Neutrik powerCON True1

A locking power cord connector that can be removed under live or load.

DMX Control

DMX input/output gives full board control for integration into more intricate scenes. You can also activate the fog machine simply with the included wireless remote. All our titan series foggers include a 2 year warranty on parts and service.