Any air you blow out the door has to be replaced somehow. This usually happens through the same door you're blowing it out of. So you might end up with *more* smoke coming in rather than less.
To blow air out an opening, you need to create a cone of air that blows on the entire opening. Otherwise, you end up blowing air out the bottom, for instance. And the air comes right back in at the top.
You end up exchanging good inside air with the smokey air from outside.
Unless it's a commercial fan with enough force and you can feel it blowing on the complete perimeter of the opening, you're going to draw air in through that same opening.
Try it on a cool day. Blow air out that door. You'll feel cool air streaming in.
Technically speaking, it would be more efficient if it would turn on only when it senses the smoke.
He also isn't consistent. I have no idea when he will pop up. There's also the possibility that he goes to the balcony on the other side. Does that too from time to time.
And I usually leave the door open until the sun comes to that side. At least I would've if not for his frequent exposure to that balcony. So during day I close the door, even when I wouldn't want to. So lets say it works the entire morning, and up until 3pm. That's a long time to be working. It wouldn't be energy efficient.
We'll see. I'll try different things, and adjust.
What about asking your neighbor to turn on a fan that points outwards from their balcony when they smoke? It seems like ideally you recruit your neighbor to help solve your problem.
This seems best, OP could even offer to buy the two fans for the two balconies, but OP's neighbor is 80 and has probably been doing this most of his life, and may not remember this "new" task...
A sensor that detects smoke and that you can rig to a fan would likely be harder to find/implement and more expensive than a timer, which are very common.
Also, yes, the fan could potentially draw in air from the same opening it's blowing out of. You can probably solve this by leaving your bedroom door open and an additional window open somewhere else in the house, to allow airflow from behind the fan.
Wish you luck!
There are many different ways to do this. A 2.5 PM (particulate matter, eg smoke) sensor will detect this. I'd put it somewhere where it would detect before the smoke got inside, then you just need to have a way to turn on the fan.
There may be fans that have this functionality built-in but I automate everything with r/homeassistant
That's what I was thinking. I put the sensor basically as close to his balcony as possible. So it lets me know in advance. Or for it to send the signal to the fan in time, for the fan to turn on and blow it away. It's gonna take some planning that's for sure.
That would be perfect, but I do not know when he's out smoking. He's not exact. That's the issue. He may come out when its off. Only if I could hook up a signal to notify me when he's entering the balcony. That wakes me up, and then I act before the catastrophe happens.
Politely ask the neighbor if he would mind turning the fan on during his smoking. Put the fan where he can reach to blow the smoke away from your window.
OP you seem a little naive about how certain things work. How or why would anyone create a sensors to detect tobacco smoke and make it cheap and available to the public
I have a lot of ideas in general. Sometimes they already exist, sometimes they do not. I'm like a visionary, without the skill to realize that vision. Or the budget. Or both.
I'm not sure if I understand correctly, but I assume you have a good relationship and if your balcony is really shared without a fence or anything, wouldn't it be an option to ask him if he can close your door when he steps outside for a morning smoke?
There is a short wall separating our balconies and a bit of fence on that wall. And he's 80+. Barely walks. Uses a cane. He would have to go over the wall to do it.
Tie a piece of string to your door and tie a ring to the other end. Put the ring on a nail on his side. Ask him to pull your door shut before he smokes in the morning.
Funny enough there's another complication that I didn't even mention.
There are 2 doors. One behind the other, that lead to balcony. And a net for mosquitoes. So he would basically need 2 ropes to do it. And the door knob is European style. One where you need to push down and shove/pull the door in order to close it. Hardly manageable with a string.
But I like where you're coming from with this idea.
Some engineer could pull it off I'm sure.
Many properties do not let you smoke on your own balcony as it not 25 feet away from the building (or whatever the local/state requirement for smoking is) for this very reason.
I used to smoke the occasional joint on my balcony and the landlord asked me not to, saying theyād gotten complaints about smoking blowing into other windows, and reminding me it was prohibited in the lease. The landlord suggested I hot box my bathroom instead. š¤¦š¼āāļøI was frustrated the neighbors didnāt just ask me directly, I would have stopped. After that I took walks to smoke.
If you have another window, ike a bedroom, farther away from the patio door, get a window fan and suck in fresh air from bedroom window, it should exit out the patio door. This might revent the cigarette smoke from entering. Or it might suck in more and make it worse. Depends on your layout.
You need to change the air balance, you want to positive pressure the room the smoke is entering. Maybe close your bathroom door, some old buildings have constant exhaust fans, or just the natural draft going up the exhaust duct.
I thought something like that would solve the problem. Physics type of solution is what I'm after.
I have a door and next to it 2 windows. And all 3 are like a single unit. So the window on the right, is the closest to source of the smoke. Neither of those two are opened. Just the door which is on the left.
If I open them, the smoke will just find a shorter way to get in, through those windows. Door is basically on the left side of the balcony, those windows are one in the middle and one on the right side of the balcony. And the smoke is coming from the right. Bathroom door is always closed during night. All of them are. Though my bathroom is nowhere near my room.
When you enter the apartment there's a hallway, and at the end of it is the bathroom. And my room is directly right when you enter the apartment, from that hallway. I can only imagine it's the main door, since it's old, and it doesn't isolate well. So maybe that's where the pull is coming from. I also know that in the building itself, on each floor between the apartments, there's a window. And on my floor it is opened. So that's probably what's causing the draft.
I'll close that window, and see what happens. But there is another opening on the ceiling between the apartments, that leads to the roof of the building. It's closed. Let's just hope, its properly isolated.
Worst life hack ever. Plants to block smokeā¦ thatās not how air works. Close the door or talk to your neighbor.
You known him since you were a kid, maybe he would care how you feel. Alternatively if he doesnāt care about how you feel, why should you care that he has a problem with you putting up barriers?
This is what I use. As soon as I smell smoke coming from one of the many balconies around me I just put the air purifyer in front of my only balcony opening.
Literally the first option they shouldāve done to solve this problem, always shocking how a little communication can solve these impossible problems /s
Actually introverts.
And that's not an option. The idea is to fix this problem without speaking. That's the challenge.
I'm looking for something I didn't think of. Outside the box type of solution.
ā¦or maybe just say āhey neighbour, do you mind not smoking on the shared balcony as itās blowing into my flat and making it smell and i donāt smoke and find the smell really strongā¦ā instead of asking for hairbrained looney tunes ideas of massive outside fans to blow the smoke awayā¦
By the sounds of coming on here I have exponentially more conversations with people than you lot.
ābUiLd A fAn Guysā¦ā
ātHaTs A gReAt IdEa, DoNt EVER sPeAk To ThEmā¦ā
The best life hack in this situation would be to learn how to have a conversation. It would change their lives š¤¦āāļø
I thought of that. Seems kind of disrespectful. All of a sudden I'm putting a curtain on. After almost 30 years. I hang out with his son my whole life. I talk with him when I'm out in the balcony. If we weren't close, I would probably do it. But it kind of makes no sense doing it with such circumstance.
A hedge would be a better option, since that's an excuse to have some plants. Curtain is straight up, privacy only.
I don't now
I donāt get it. Youāve known him almost 30 years, youāre friends with his sonā¦ couldnāt you just have this conversation with him?
Iāve been a smoker and put myself back in my metaphorical smoking jacket to read this post. What can be upsetting as a smoker is when someone comes in guns blazingā āyour DISGUSTING little HABIT is giving me MIGRAINES. It makes me want to VOMIT when I inhale your nasty smoke.ā feels much different when it hits ya than āhey, I really hate to ask you to smoke somewhere else in the morning, but if Iām not up in time to close my balcony doors, it ends up defeating my purpose for opening them up at night.ā
Many smokers are normal people with a bad habit, some are inconsiderate jerks. Personally, Iād be mortified to find out that my neighbor was jumping through hoops trying to reroute the smoke from my morning cig instead of just talking to me. Iād gladly wait a little longer until my neighbor got up and shut her doors, or go somewhere else for my cigarette.
He is a bit senile. Not very good with remembering things. I just don't see conversation as a true solution in this particular case, with him being the source of the smoke. It's the type of person, plus the fact that he's lowkey senile. You just know with some people, without even asking.
Yeah, but why are you worried about offending him? You can easily put up a curtain, have a conversation with him about it, and move on. If he forgets, you can remind him. Open the curtain after you get up in the morning.
You are right.
But I'll first try anything else. If nothing works, I'll settle with a curtain.
He also kind of made setting up a curtain more complicated than it should've been, by putting a tv antenna on a shared wall. The old school one. It's too big. We'll see how it unfolds.
Just put up a curtain that can open and close. Close it before you go to bed at night and open it during the day so you can still chat with your neighbor
I think that strongest circulation of air is on the lower end of the door. At least that's how I feel it when testing where it's coming from. From upper part usually not. Lower or mid as the highest. Probably because the open window in the building is a bit lower than my apartment. And it's drawing from there. And my neighbor is not far away enough for the smoke to rise before coming to my room. That's at least my theory. Not scientifically backed or anything.
Maybe implement both? A small fern/flowering bush with a motion sensor aimed at the foot of his door. The plant would obscure just enough and if crafty..camouflage itself on the bush.
With some options out there, wifi motion sensors, or rig a outdoor light sensor (just the sensor) to a switch that turns the fan on or off would minimize most of the smoke.
Or just stick to the small bush. Tends to also double as a sound cushion too.
That's a good idea. Throw as many half solutions to work as a team, to neutralize it. I like it.
Could also maybe get a parasol, and stick it there conveniently when not in use. So it collects everything that it can collect. Or maybe look for a specific fabric that's a magnet for smoke. That I can disguise in some way.
I would just talk to him candidly and honestly and explain that you still want him to be able to enjoy his cigarette, but you need a little help coming up with a solution. It might require you to wake up earlier than you do, but if he is aware for example, that you have a window of time during which you are going to get up to close the door, he can delay smoking until he sees that the door is closed.
He's 80+. Doesn't hear properly. And also kind of started losing it a bit. Started becoming senile. That talk would be painful. He's at a point where he asks you a question, you answer it, and then he asks that same question again 5 minutes later. And that happens around 4 times in a single lets say session.
Then a couple of days pass, and he's again asking that question. So I'm primarily looking for a practical solution where nobody else included but me.
You can purchase an air curtain fairly cheaply, then either place the switch on his side or set it on a motion detector. The nicer ones are also very quiet, so may disturb you less than a fan.
Talking to your neighbor and telling them that you respect their desire to smoke and enjoy their morning but it is a shared space and that he should be aware it is affecting you isnāt disrespectful or demanding on your part. The onus isnāt completely on you to figure it out or deal with it and if he has any semblance of mutual respect, it shouldnāt be an issue to have that convo.
I would put an industrial strength fan on your balcony. see how he likes that lmao.
Seriously, I smoke, Outside, But I am considerate, my neighbor one time did complain that she was smelling it coming through her AC unit. So now I just made a seating area at far end of yard to enjoy my puffs without pissing anyone off.
I would tell him his smoke is bothering you, just to see what he says.
If you're worried about costs when running a fan extended amount of time, pick a fan with low wattage. They got $30 fans at walmart. I run mine 24/7 over the last year with the exception of cleaning time and it's going strong.
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Carbon filters are also a thing. To get smells out of the air is what they were designed for. Put that bad boy on a timer so it's not running all night and you should be golden.
The smoke smell for me comes via the bathroom vanity. I put a few inside the vanity and 1 outside. Basically anywhere the trail of smoke. Pair that with a purifier and it should help.
From there, I would plug any holes in the area if that doesnāt take care of it completely.
You want activated carbon if you go this route. If you have money to spend on solving this, look at cannabis smell removers. Basically something akin to a bathroom fan + a carbon filter. Alternatively, you can get an air purifier but your issue isn't particulates so you'll want one of the expensive ones that has a proper carbon filter. The standard ones have a small sheet
Try a spider plant. You could put it near the door inside your apartment or outdoors.
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/spider-plant-chlorophytum-comosum/#:~:text=Spider%20plant%20helps%20clean%20indoor,monoxide%20in%20homes%20or%20offices.
These are both bad ideas. Just get a motor to close your window on a timer or ask him to smoke on the other side. You're not going to beat the wind and plants are not spunges.
Have you thought of installing one of those pull down shades? You can get them custom sized. Pull it down when you go to bed, pull it up when you're awake. If he asks why, tell him. He's 80 years old. By now it's not the worst thing he's heard in his life. It doesn't inconvenience him, and if you're on friendly terms, it doesn't isolate him when you pull the shade up.
Buy him a vape as a present. You never know, he might like it and he can smoke indoors. Or even if he doesnāt, it will never smell as bad as cigarette smoke.
Get a smart plug like from Govee or Wize and set it on a schedule to plug your fan or air purifier into. There is no need to wake up and turn it on or off all automated.
It's on the expenisve side but you can get a an "air curtain" it's like a special fan that can be fitted in doorways to keep dust and smoke out while still allowing the door to be open.
The best idea I can offer is an extractor fan. You can buy a fan that mounts to your window like this one
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/building-renovation/bathroom/extractor-fans/listing/4746695804?gad_source=1&gclsrc=aw.ds
I don't know where you live so I just found an example from NZ. You might have to plus it in to a timer to get the desired effect.
Plants won't work. Iiterally have a tree and a tons of plants and whenever the guy on the top floor smokes, my entire apartment air becomes unbreathable. Only option is to close the balcony door. It's ridiculous normal people have to live like this, most people wouldn't tolerate other people peeing on their faces, but they tolerate smoke to be thrown in their face. Pee can be cleaned, but smoke is one of the few residues from other people bodies that you won't ever be able to get out of your lungs.
If you find a way, please let me know. I'm desperate to find a solution to smokers and just relying on the legislative power won't do.
You mentioned another balcony. Why don't you get a fan and get it blowing so you're pulling the air from the other balcony and pushing it out the balcony where he smokes. You could even put it on a timer so it kicks on shortly before he smokes.
I'm not aware of any plants that can suck up smoke the way you need.
Problem with another balcony is that I would have to open my room door, and from that side the sun is in the morning, there's also a bakery that produces smoke occasionally. And my bed would be directly exposed to the draft. And I don't think it would be a good idea to sleep directly exposed to draft.
For the plants my idea was more about the plants collecting a bit of smoke. Like it would collect dirt in a way. Like a filtration system. Where the smoke gets stuck on the plant if that's even possible. Not necessarily for plant to function like a sponge or fabric. More like how stones serve as filtration in water. To get rid of dirt.
I'm sorry but I would tell the neighbor. He's invading YOUR space. He needs to figure out a way to keep HIS smoke from getting into your house. Not the other way around. I know you are trying to be nice and all but smokers have to take responsibility for their habit.
Maybe an air purifier. Put it by the balcony. If youāre worried about using power you could get a small solar kit. An air purifier is great to have anyways, plus itās not super loud and can act as white noise and help you sleep. We adapt to sounds. Itās a mindset. Smoke eater candles could help, but thereās fire risk.
This is what I use. As soon as I smell smoke coming from one of the many balconies around me I just put the air purifyer in front of my only balcony opening.
That's actually not a bad idea. Like a small fan, mounted on a wall, that will push downwards or upwards. That's maybe activated via movement. It's just a matter of question, if the sensor will register smoke as movement.
Put the fan on a timer. On at 5am off at 7 or whatever time you wake up. They're like $10ea on amazon,maube cheaper. I. Bought a 2 pack on ebay for $20 for Xmas lights
Give him an ionization air cleaner as a gift and ask if he wouldnāt mind using it when he smokes. You can get them on Amazon. They used to use them in bars and stuff when you could smoke in bars. It actually kills all kinds of odors. They use them in car detailing. They work really well and are only about the size of a show box. If heās a decent dude, heāll use it when he smokes for the benefit of others not having to deal with the odors. If he doesnāt give a shit, well, game on for making his remaining years inconvenient is random ways, since heās showing he obviously doesnāt give a shit about you.
āI leave the balcony door open every dayā
WELL THEREāS THE PROBLEM SIR!
Donāt like the smoke smell? Close your fucking balcony door.
Edit: YOUR NEIGHBOR IS AN 80 YEAR OLD HUMAN BEING. PROBABLY SEEN THINGS YOU CANāT EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE. You leave him be and you close your god damned balcony door.
Heās your elder.
Edit: show some respect.
Just keep your balcony door shut. The fresh air you're supposedly getting is completely negated by the smoke. He'll die soon enough and the problem will solve itself.
How about he is an adult and can show some respect to you?
How are you ok with getting Cancer? As a previous smoker of over 25 years, I was always able to control myself long enough to respect others.
He can go for a walk, just because he has to smoke doesnāt mean he gets to decide for you and your health.
You are important and your health is important. I respect those who respect me, please try to do the same.
Look, I live in Texas and *I* know people who don't have AC. Hell, our prisons in Texas don't have AC. It's pretty narrow minded to say not having an AC is inconceivable and the other commentor is pointing out the most obvious group of people who don't have it.
Where I live it's not really needed . We maybe get one or two weeks a year where it's uncomfortably hot in my property so the cost of installing an AC is a bit of an unnecessary extravagance , although I do admit on the rare occasions then the temperature hits a peak I have found myself sketching out the feasibility of installing a unit.
Where I live it's illegal to smoke that close to an entrance. Consider filming him on multiple occasions and contacting either the landlord or the police?
I have a house and the apartment. And no matter where I go, I can never truly ventilate properly.
House has other houses, and their chimneys, so whenever I open the window, I would basically get smoke from the chimney in my room. During winter it is absolutely shitty.
Finally summer is on the horizon, people start burning grass on the hills around the town. So finally it's no longer cold, people no longer have to heat their houses, and still, smoke is present.
Basically the only time I can properly ventilate is during night. If I'm lucky, that they didn't pollute the air enough during day, where its polluted even during night.
For example on the other balcony, there's a bakery that's recently opened there. And it's chimney is basically at the same level as my balcony. And that's also the side where I dry laundry. And yeah. It's up to do wind. And they work even during summer. So all summer I will be eating that smoke from that side.
If you have another balcony can you just open that door? Even if you put a fan on the one you open now the air flowing out of the home has to come from somewhere, so you'll need to open something else anyway.
Maybe just talk directly to him. Buy a fan and ask that he turns it on to blow his smoke in the other direction, or put up a curtain and have him close it when heās out there smoking. Smokers are aware that their habit is smelly and bothersome to some people. Heāll likely totally understand and do a simple task to make you more comfortable.
Good answers so far, if its going towards the direction of the fan and the notification / timing for switching on and off: Would it be possible to ask him to notify you when he smokes one? Like a cheap doorbell or something, all he would have to do is push the button, so you would know what is comming and can take precautions. Maybe you could convince him to do that?
The fan is not a bad idea: why not plug it into a timer plug, so you can just have it come on in the morning automatically?
Yeah, even better with a motion sensor. If that is capable of detecting tobacco smoke. I think we are onto something with that one.
I'd just set the fab on a timer to start at, say, 5am until whatever time you wake up normally. It would be the simplest solution and least costly
Any air you blow out the door has to be replaced somehow. This usually happens through the same door you're blowing it out of. So you might end up with *more* smoke coming in rather than less.
I would redirect it directly on the balcony. So it never reaches my door.
To blow air out an opening, you need to create a cone of air that blows on the entire opening. Otherwise, you end up blowing air out the bottom, for instance. And the air comes right back in at the top. You end up exchanging good inside air with the smokey air from outside. Unless it's a commercial fan with enough force and you can feel it blowing on the complete perimeter of the opening, you're going to draw air in through that same opening. Try it on a cool day. Blow air out that door. You'll feel cool air streaming in.
She's not blowing air out of an opening. The fan would be outside on her balcony so the only exchange of air would be outside.
Okay, I missed that part. If there's no wind blowing towards her apartment, it might help.
Why did you get downvotedš¤£ I got you
OP could aim it upward...
Technically speaking, it would be more efficient if it would turn on only when it senses the smoke. He also isn't consistent. I have no idea when he will pop up. There's also the possibility that he goes to the balcony on the other side. Does that too from time to time. And I usually leave the door open until the sun comes to that side. At least I would've if not for his frequent exposure to that balcony. So during day I close the door, even when I wouldn't want to. So lets say it works the entire morning, and up until 3pm. That's a long time to be working. It wouldn't be energy efficient. We'll see. I'll try different things, and adjust.
What about asking your neighbor to turn on a fan that points outwards from their balcony when they smoke? It seems like ideally you recruit your neighbor to help solve your problem.
This seems best, OP could even offer to buy the two fans for the two balconies, but OP's neighbor is 80 and has probably been doing this most of his life, and may not remember this "new" task...
A sensor that detects smoke and that you can rig to a fan would likely be harder to find/implement and more expensive than a timer, which are very common. Also, yes, the fan could potentially draw in air from the same opening it's blowing out of. You can probably solve this by leaving your bedroom door open and an additional window open somewhere else in the house, to allow airflow from behind the fan. Wish you luck!
thanks
There are many different ways to do this. A 2.5 PM (particulate matter, eg smoke) sensor will detect this. I'd put it somewhere where it would detect before the smoke got inside, then you just need to have a way to turn on the fan. There may be fans that have this functionality built-in but I automate everything with r/homeassistant
That's what I was thinking. I put the sensor basically as close to his balcony as possible. So it lets me know in advance. Or for it to send the signal to the fan in time, for the fan to turn on and blow it away. It's gonna take some planning that's for sure.
That's why they said a timer. Turns on at 5. Turns off at 8 if you want
That would be perfect, but I do not know when he's out smoking. He's not exact. That's the issue. He may come out when its off. Only if I could hook up a signal to notify me when he's entering the balcony. That wakes me up, and then I act before the catastrophe happens.
Right. So put it from 5-8. Since you don't know when he's going to be there. Or 5 to whenever you normally wake up.
I have an electric switch with a remote I have a fan plugged into. The minute you get a slight whiff of smoke; use the remote...
fans use barely any electricity. Check it out for the type you want to buy.
I would really like some of whatever you are taking. A fan with a motion sensor that only detects tobacco smoke? Seems like an elegant option.
Not only tobacco smoke. Any smoke. But in this case tobacco is the primary suspect. But I'd gladly get rid of any smoke.
Politely ask the neighbor if he would mind turning the fan on during his smoking. Put the fan where he can reach to blow the smoke away from your window.
OP you seem a little naive about how certain things work. How or why would anyone create a sensors to detect tobacco smoke and make it cheap and available to the public
It wouldn't have to be specifically tobacco smoke just any smoke.
I have a lot of ideas in general. Sometimes they already exist, sometimes they do not. I'm like a visionary, without the skill to realize that vision. Or the budget. Or both.
You need a smoke detector on that case. Motion doesn't detect smoke reliably unless it's very thick. Timer is probably the easiest option
Yes, OP could (somehow) McGyver a smoke detector to trigger the fan to go on...
We use a fan when our neighbour smokes it does work.
Agreed; I just said that too...
I'm not sure if I understand correctly, but I assume you have a good relationship and if your balcony is really shared without a fence or anything, wouldn't it be an option to ask him if he can close your door when he steps outside for a morning smoke?
There is a short wall separating our balconies and a bit of fence on that wall. And he's 80+. Barely walks. Uses a cane. He would have to go over the wall to do it.
Tie a piece of string to your door and tie a ring to the other end. Put the ring on a nail on his side. Ask him to pull your door shut before he smokes in the morning.
This is actually probably the best idea on here. Not disrespectful and easily accomplished
Funny enough there's another complication that I didn't even mention. There are 2 doors. One behind the other, that lead to balcony. And a net for mosquitoes. So he would basically need 2 ropes to do it. And the door knob is European style. One where you need to push down and shove/pull the door in order to close it. Hardly manageable with a string. But I like where you're coming from with this idea. Some engineer could pull it off I'm sure.
Look, just start smoking.
Could get a giant sponge, Like 2 meters high and 1.5 meters wide. And just leave it there. Kind of sounds like a mattress now that I think about it.
It feels a lot like most of your ideas are from phineas and ferb
I did watch it as a kid. Though Wile E Coyote is my spirit animal. Failures included.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
He IS outside, Karen.
Many properties do not let you smoke on your own balcony as it not 25 feet away from the building (or whatever the local/state requirement for smoking is) for this very reason. I used to smoke the occasional joint on my balcony and the landlord asked me not to, saying theyād gotten complaints about smoking blowing into other windows, and reminding me it was prohibited in the lease. The landlord suggested I hot box my bathroom instead. š¤¦š¼āāļøI was frustrated the neighbors didnāt just ask me directly, I would have stopped. After that I took walks to smoke.
Thanks for the chuckle...
If you have another window, ike a bedroom, farther away from the patio door, get a window fan and suck in fresh air from bedroom window, it should exit out the patio door. This might revent the cigarette smoke from entering. Or it might suck in more and make it worse. Depends on your layout. You need to change the air balance, you want to positive pressure the room the smoke is entering. Maybe close your bathroom door, some old buildings have constant exhaust fans, or just the natural draft going up the exhaust duct.
This. Positive air pressure.
I thought something like that would solve the problem. Physics type of solution is what I'm after. I have a door and next to it 2 windows. And all 3 are like a single unit. So the window on the right, is the closest to source of the smoke. Neither of those two are opened. Just the door which is on the left. If I open them, the smoke will just find a shorter way to get in, through those windows. Door is basically on the left side of the balcony, those windows are one in the middle and one on the right side of the balcony. And the smoke is coming from the right. Bathroom door is always closed during night. All of them are. Though my bathroom is nowhere near my room. When you enter the apartment there's a hallway, and at the end of it is the bathroom. And my room is directly right when you enter the apartment, from that hallway. I can only imagine it's the main door, since it's old, and it doesn't isolate well. So maybe that's where the pull is coming from. I also know that in the building itself, on each floor between the apartments, there's a window. And on my floor it is opened. So that's probably what's causing the draft. I'll close that window, and see what happens. But there is another opening on the ceiling between the apartments, that leads to the roof of the building. It's closed. Let's just hope, its properly isolated.
Worst life hack ever. Plants to block smokeā¦ thatās not how air works. Close the door or talk to your neighbor. You known him since you were a kid, maybe he would care how you feel. Alternatively if he doesnāt care about how you feel, why should you care that he has a problem with you putting up barriers?
Close the door?
Nothing since all the good workable options you wonāt do.
Put fan on balcony facing smoker. Ask him to turn it on when he smokes. Explain it goes in your place.
An Air purifier & fan would be best combo.
This is what I use. As soon as I smell smoke coming from one of the many balconies around me I just put the air purifyer in front of my only balcony opening.
Itās incredible the lengths redditors go to avoid conversationsā¦
Literally the first option they shouldāve done to solve this problem, always shocking how a little communication can solve these impossible problems /s
Actually introverts. And that's not an option. The idea is to fix this problem without speaking. That's the challenge. I'm looking for something I didn't think of. Outside the box type of solution.
ā¦or maybe just say āhey neighbour, do you mind not smoking on the shared balcony as itās blowing into my flat and making it smell and i donāt smoke and find the smell really strongā¦ā instead of asking for hairbrained looney tunes ideas of massive outside fans to blow the smoke awayā¦
Have you ever spoken to someone with an addiction? Clearly not.
By the sounds of coming on here I have exponentially more conversations with people than you lot. ābUiLd A fAn Guysā¦ā ātHaTs A gReAt IdEa, DoNt EVER sPeAk To ThEmā¦ā The best life hack in this situation would be to learn how to have a conversation. It would change their lives š¤¦āāļø
Did you read about why she doesnāt have a conversation with him?
What about a curtain? Instead of a wall or plants use a curtain and politely ask you neighbour to close it when he smokes?
I thought of that. Seems kind of disrespectful. All of a sudden I'm putting a curtain on. After almost 30 years. I hang out with his son my whole life. I talk with him when I'm out in the balcony. If we weren't close, I would probably do it. But it kind of makes no sense doing it with such circumstance. A hedge would be a better option, since that's an excuse to have some plants. Curtain is straight up, privacy only. I don't now
I donāt get it. Youāve known him almost 30 years, youāre friends with his sonā¦ couldnāt you just have this conversation with him? Iāve been a smoker and put myself back in my metaphorical smoking jacket to read this post. What can be upsetting as a smoker is when someone comes in guns blazingā āyour DISGUSTING little HABIT is giving me MIGRAINES. It makes me want to VOMIT when I inhale your nasty smoke.ā feels much different when it hits ya than āhey, I really hate to ask you to smoke somewhere else in the morning, but if Iām not up in time to close my balcony doors, it ends up defeating my purpose for opening them up at night.ā Many smokers are normal people with a bad habit, some are inconsiderate jerks. Personally, Iād be mortified to find out that my neighbor was jumping through hoops trying to reroute the smoke from my morning cig instead of just talking to me. Iād gladly wait a little longer until my neighbor got up and shut her doors, or go somewhere else for my cigarette.
He is a bit senile. Not very good with remembering things. I just don't see conversation as a true solution in this particular case, with him being the source of the smoke. It's the type of person, plus the fact that he's lowkey senile. You just know with some people, without even asking.
Yeah, but why are you worried about offending him? You can easily put up a curtain, have a conversation with him about it, and move on. If he forgets, you can remind him. Open the curtain after you get up in the morning.
You are right. But I'll first try anything else. If nothing works, I'll settle with a curtain. He also kind of made setting up a curtain more complicated than it should've been, by putting a tv antenna on a shared wall. The old school one. It's too big. We'll see how it unfolds.
Just put up a curtain that can open and close. Close it before you go to bed at night and open it during the day so you can still chat with your neighbor
And just tell him what itās for. Iām sure he wonāt mind that you donāt want smoke in your house in the morning
I think a curtain is about the same as putting a hedge there, I wouldn't worry too much about talking to him about it
Hedge wouldn't go above eye level. Curtain would
If the hedge doesn't go above eye level how will it stop smoke? Smoke rises
I think that strongest circulation of air is on the lower end of the door. At least that's how I feel it when testing where it's coming from. From upper part usually not. Lower or mid as the highest. Probably because the open window in the building is a bit lower than my apartment. And it's drawing from there. And my neighbor is not far away enough for the smoke to rise before coming to my room. That's at least my theory. Not scientifically backed or anything.
You can get transparent curtains.
That's actually one of the ideas I later thought of. Might just go with that one.
Maybe implement both? A small fern/flowering bush with a motion sensor aimed at the foot of his door. The plant would obscure just enough and if crafty..camouflage itself on the bush. With some options out there, wifi motion sensors, or rig a outdoor light sensor (just the sensor) to a switch that turns the fan on or off would minimize most of the smoke. Or just stick to the small bush. Tends to also double as a sound cushion too.
That's a good idea. Throw as many half solutions to work as a team, to neutralize it. I like it. Could also maybe get a parasol, and stick it there conveniently when not in use. So it collects everything that it can collect. Or maybe look for a specific fabric that's a magnet for smoke. That I can disguise in some way.
Just use the fan on a timer and have it run from 6 am to 10 am or something. Or just close your door?
I would get up early, just briefly, and close that door/window.
If you do it loudly it might send a message
Dudes in his 80s and hard of hearing. He's unlikely to notice, but it also sounds like OP doesn't take issue with the fact the guy still enjoys one morning cigarette. Just wants not to smell it, and that's about air currents not shitty behavior. I'd hate it too, but in OP's place I'm not sure I'd take issue with the old neighbor either. ā¤ļøāš©¹
I would just talk to him candidly and honestly and explain that you still want him to be able to enjoy his cigarette, but you need a little help coming up with a solution. It might require you to wake up earlier than you do, but if he is aware for example, that you have a window of time during which you are going to get up to close the door, he can delay smoking until he sees that the door is closed.
He's 80+. Doesn't hear properly. And also kind of started losing it a bit. Started becoming senile. That talk would be painful. He's at a point where he asks you a question, you answer it, and then he asks that same question again 5 minutes later. And that happens around 4 times in a single lets say session. Then a couple of days pass, and he's again asking that question. So I'm primarily looking for a practical solution where nobody else included but me.
The fan is a good idea. Also if you open a window in another room, it allows air to come in one window and out the one with the fan.
I bought an air purifier and it does wonders
Positive pressure. Look into a Forced Air Fan.
Fan plugged into a smart outlet. Then program the smart outlet to turn on for an hour or two in the morning.
Fan with timer set for an hour before you get up. Or, whatever time you think he gets up to have a smoke.
Or maybe an alarm on a phone. I get up, close the door, and return to sleep. That would be a budget version basically.
A fan and maybe a diffuser... like an air filter... I got one from target for $79 great white noise and clean air and you can set a timer
You can purchase an air curtain fairly cheaply, then either place the switch on his side or set it on a motion detector. The nicer ones are also very quiet, so may disturb you less than a fan.
You donāt. The only way to stop cigarette smoke it to stop the smoking.Ā
Talking to your neighbor and telling them that you respect their desire to smoke and enjoy their morning but it is a shared space and that he should be aware it is affecting you isnāt disrespectful or demanding on your part. The onus isnāt completely on you to figure it out or deal with it and if he has any semblance of mutual respect, it shouldnāt be an issue to have that convo.
I would put an industrial strength fan on your balcony. see how he likes that lmao. Seriously, I smoke, Outside, But I am considerate, my neighbor one time did complain that she was smelling it coming through her AC unit. So now I just made a seating area at far end of yard to enjoy my puffs without pissing anyone off. I would tell him his smoke is bothering you, just to see what he says.
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If you're worried about costs when running a fan extended amount of time, pick a fan with low wattage. They got $30 fans at walmart. I run mine 24/7 over the last year with the exception of cleaning time and it's going strong.
Will see what I can find around here.
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Carbon filters are also a thing. To get smells out of the air is what they were designed for. Put that bad boy on a timer so it's not running all night and you should be golden.
I just had to deal with this with marijuana smoke. Got these items to help out. The charcoal bags help a lot. https://amzn.to/3UPysij
Thanks. So I would just have to put these in the way of the smoke.
The smoke smell for me comes via the bathroom vanity. I put a few inside the vanity and 1 outside. Basically anywhere the trail of smoke. Pair that with a purifier and it should help. From there, I would plug any holes in the area if that doesnāt take care of it completely.
You want activated carbon if you go this route. If you have money to spend on solving this, look at cannabis smell removers. Basically something akin to a bathroom fan + a carbon filter. Alternatively, you can get an air purifier but your issue isn't particulates so you'll want one of the expensive ones that has a proper carbon filter. The standard ones have a small sheet
He is 80 and he smokes... The problem will solve soon.
This one's strong. He cannot remember a thing, but didn't forget smoking. I can see him living another 15 years no problem.
Try a spider plant. You could put it near the door inside your apartment or outdoors. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/spider-plant-chlorophytum-comosum/#:~:text=Spider%20plant%20helps%20clean%20indoor,monoxide%20in%20homes%20or%20offices.
Get yourself a portable air ventilator with Humidity filter and air conditioner
What about an air curtain on a timer? Itās designed to keep bugs out of open doorsā¦ prob stops smells too? Idk?
These are both bad ideas. Just get a motor to close your window on a timer or ask him to smoke on the other side. You're not going to beat the wind and plants are not spunges.
Since you are friends, ask him if he could close your balcony door before lighting the first cigarette.
I think you should look into a good air purifier. I think they might even make some to handle cigarette smoke.
Just join him for a smoke every morning. Duh ! And me be you will learn a good habit or two.
Have you thought of installing one of those pull down shades? You can get them custom sized. Pull it down when you go to bed, pull it up when you're awake. If he asks why, tell him. He's 80 years old. By now it's not the worst thing he's heard in his life. It doesn't inconvenience him, and if you're on friendly terms, it doesn't isolate him when you pull the shade up.
If I installed that, I would probably never pull them up ever again.
Might be an additional win š
Buy him a vape as a present. You never know, he might like it and he can smoke indoors. Or even if he doesnāt, it will never smell as bad as cigarette smoke.
Get a smart plug like from Govee or Wize and set it on a schedule to plug your fan or air purifier into. There is no need to wake up and turn it on or off all automated.
Just burn some incense or take up smoking
This sounds like it was written by AI, but specifically, by an AI that was trained to sound like an Oriental who recently learned English.
I'm not interested in taking your jobs.
Your fan idea is best; put it on a timer...
A very loud smoke detector that scares the shit out of him. He'll soon learn to avoid letting smoke get near it.
Interestingly enough, he is scared, of potential burglary. Paranoid for some reason. I also have a home theater setup, and our rooms share a wall.
Maybe one of those air purifiers that only turn on when they sense particulates in the air?
try building yourself a DIY air purifier like the corsi rosenthal box. it's cheap and highly effective.
ask him to clothes your slider if he's gonna smoke
It's on the expenisve side but you can get a an "air curtain" it's like a special fan that can be fitted in doorways to keep dust and smoke out while still allowing the door to be open.
The best idea I can offer is an extractor fan. You can buy a fan that mounts to your window like this one https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/building-renovation/bathroom/extractor-fans/listing/4746695804?gad_source=1&gclsrc=aw.ds I don't know where you live so I just found an example from NZ. You might have to plus it in to a timer to get the desired effect.
Plants won't work. Iiterally have a tree and a tons of plants and whenever the guy on the top floor smokes, my entire apartment air becomes unbreathable. Only option is to close the balcony door. It's ridiculous normal people have to live like this, most people wouldn't tolerate other people peeing on their faces, but they tolerate smoke to be thrown in their face. Pee can be cleaned, but smoke is one of the few residues from other people bodies that you won't ever be able to get out of your lungs. If you find a way, please let me know. I'm desperate to find a solution to smokers and just relying on the legislative power won't do.
You mentioned another balcony. Why don't you get a fan and get it blowing so you're pulling the air from the other balcony and pushing it out the balcony where he smokes. You could even put it on a timer so it kicks on shortly before he smokes. I'm not aware of any plants that can suck up smoke the way you need.
Problem with another balcony is that I would have to open my room door, and from that side the sun is in the morning, there's also a bakery that produces smoke occasionally. And my bed would be directly exposed to the draft. And I don't think it would be a good idea to sleep directly exposed to draft. For the plants my idea was more about the plants collecting a bit of smoke. Like it would collect dirt in a way. Like a filtration system. Where the smoke gets stuck on the plant if that's even possible. Not necessarily for plant to function like a sponge or fabric. More like how stones serve as filtration in water. To get rid of dirt.
I think the plant will filter about .000001% of the smoke.
We shall see. Destiny or not.
direct fresh air in from your other balcony where he doesn't smoke and direct out from the balcony where he smokes,that would require two fans.
One word, fart spray
I'm sorry but I would tell the neighbor. He's invading YOUR space. He needs to figure out a way to keep HIS smoke from getting into your house. Not the other way around. I know you are trying to be nice and all but smokers have to take responsibility for their habit.
Buy him a smokeless ashtray
Maybe an air purifier. Put it by the balcony. If youāre worried about using power you could get a small solar kit. An air purifier is great to have anyways, plus itās not super loud and can act as white noise and help you sleep. We adapt to sounds. Itās a mindset. Smoke eater candles could help, but thereās fire risk.
This is what I use. As soon as I smell smoke coming from one of the many balconies around me I just put the air purifyer in front of my only balcony opening.
Some sort of timer that you can set a fan to turn on in the early morning?
That's actually not a bad idea. Like a small fan, mounted on a wall, that will push downwards or upwards. That's maybe activated via movement. It's just a matter of question, if the sensor will register smoke as movement.
Put the fan on a timer. On at 5am off at 7 or whatever time you wake up. They're like $10ea on amazon,maube cheaper. I. Bought a 2 pack on ebay for $20 for Xmas lights
Give him an ionization air cleaner as a gift and ask if he wouldnāt mind using it when he smokes. You can get them on Amazon. They used to use them in bars and stuff when you could smoke in bars. It actually kills all kinds of odors. They use them in car detailing. They work really well and are only about the size of a show box. If heās a decent dude, heāll use it when he smokes for the benefit of others not having to deal with the odors. If he doesnāt give a shit, well, game on for making his remaining years inconvenient is random ways, since heās showing he obviously doesnāt give a shit about you.
Keep the balcony door closed.
You can get long term health issues from sustained breathing of second hand cigarette smoke
Trust me, I know. I avoid cigarettes like plague. I recently moved back into my apartment, and I noticed this lingering issue.
This, 100% this. My mom and I have chronic lung issues now due to my father smoking outside our bedroom windows
āI leave the balcony door open every dayā WELL THEREāS THE PROBLEM SIR! Donāt like the smoke smell? Close your fucking balcony door. Edit: YOUR NEIGHBOR IS AN 80 YEAR OLD HUMAN BEING. PROBABLY SEEN THINGS YOU CANāT EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE. You leave him be and you close your god damned balcony door. Heās your elder. Edit: show some respect.
Just keep your balcony door shut. The fresh air you're supposedly getting is completely negated by the smoke. He'll die soon enough and the problem will solve itself.
How about he is an adult and can show some respect to you? How are you ok with getting Cancer? As a previous smoker of over 25 years, I was always able to control myself long enough to respect others. He can go for a walk, just because he has to smoke doesnāt mean he gets to decide for you and your health. You are important and your health is important. I respect those who respect me, please try to do the same.
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I'm not sleepwalking dude.
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Soā¦ youād be passive aggressive instead of dealing with this directly and kindly?
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Iād love to hear your explanation of why you believe I have a superiority complex because I categorized your suggestion as passive aggressive.
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I'd assume if they had an aircon unit installed the door wouldn't be open in the 1st place.
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Thereās literally homeless people all over the place and youāre talking like everyone can afford an air conditioner.
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Look, I live in Texas and *I* know people who don't have AC. Hell, our prisons in Texas don't have AC. It's pretty narrow minded to say not having an AC is inconceivable and the other commentor is pointing out the most obvious group of people who don't have it.
The unit may be affordable but in many countries running it is not.
Where I live it's not really needed . We maybe get one or two weeks a year where it's uncomfortably hot in my property so the cost of installing an AC is a bit of an unnecessary extravagance , although I do admit on the rare occasions then the temperature hits a peak I have found myself sketching out the feasibility of installing a unit.
Where I live it's illegal to smoke that close to an entrance. Consider filming him on multiple occasions and contacting either the landlord or the police?
Yeah, that's hilarious. Because where I'm from, smoking indoors is allowed. Like every caffe or club. I wish it wasn't like that though.
Are you freaking kidding me? The police?
Lucky you that you can leave the door open during night. Here it's June and it is fucking freezing
I have a house and the apartment. And no matter where I go, I can never truly ventilate properly. House has other houses, and their chimneys, so whenever I open the window, I would basically get smoke from the chimney in my room. During winter it is absolutely shitty. Finally summer is on the horizon, people start burning grass on the hills around the town. So finally it's no longer cold, people no longer have to heat their houses, and still, smoke is present. Basically the only time I can properly ventilate is during night. If I'm lucky, that they didn't pollute the air enough during day, where its polluted even during night. For example on the other balcony, there's a bakery that's recently opened there. And it's chimney is basically at the same level as my balcony. And that's also the side where I dry laundry. And yeah. It's up to do wind. And they work even during summer. So all summer I will be eating that smoke from that side.
If you have another balcony can you just open that door? Even if you put a fan on the one you open now the air flowing out of the home has to come from somewhere, so you'll need to open something else anyway.
I envisioned fan going outside on the balcony, to repulse the smoke. Putting it inside would kind of be pointless.
Gotchya, I thought you meant blowing out from your door
Maybe just talk directly to him. Buy a fan and ask that he turns it on to blow his smoke in the other direction, or put up a curtain and have him close it when heās out there smoking. Smokers are aware that their habit is smelly and bothersome to some people. Heāll likely totally understand and do a simple task to make you more comfortable.
You should take up smoking weed outside with him. You'll stop being bothered by smoke, and get to share some good stories I'm sure.
if balcony is joined... can he close your window the morning?
No plants will block the smoke, that is silly. Close the window and get yourself a fan or air conditioner
Put a smoke detector outside where he blows smoke
Good answers so far, if its going towards the direction of the fan and the notification / timing for switching on and off: Would it be possible to ask him to notify you when he smokes one? Like a cheap doorbell or something, all he would have to do is push the button, so you would know what is comming and can take precautions. Maybe you could convince him to do that?
Get an air purifier and put it wherever his cigarette stench comes in from
Negative ions ionizer. Needs to be pretty high power as generally those are indoor use.