Smoking indoors?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Egg Shen

Lifer
Nov 26, 2021
1,076
3,571
Pennsylvania
I smoke pipes and cigars inside. I don’t think it lingers enough to notice but I do have a HEPA filter in my furnace so maybe that helps. And I do not open windows if the AC or heat is on. Obviously I prefer to have open windows on nice days. Ceiling fans also keep the smoke from choking me out while I smoke.

But my grand parents house reeked of captain black and so would you after a few days of visiting. What specifically you’re smoking and how often likely comes into play somewhat
 

Jaylotw

Lifer
Mar 13, 2020
1,062
4,063
NE Ohio
I'll smoke in the living room when my wife's out of town for work, which happens a couple times a year.

I'll crack a window, run the furnace fan for ventilation and filtering, and the night before she gets home do a quick vacuum and maybe spray a little febreeze on the couches. She's never said a word about it. She smokes cigarettes but hates stale smoke smell, as do I, so regular smoking inside just isn't something we want in our house. Pipe smoke doesn't seem to linger, or be as "sticky" as cigarette smoke.

Growing up, with both parents and a few siblings smoking cigs inside, I never really noticed smoke smell until I got my own place and smoked inside. After a month or two, I'd come home from work and the whole place would stink like an ashtray. As nice as it was to have a smoke in my recliner after work, I had to stop.
 

litup

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 16, 2015
730
2,232
Sacramento, CA
I use two exhaust fans, have a Rabbit air purifier, and I've also installed a mini-split AC unit deducated to my smoking room and that's more than enough for me. Although I'm "inside", the room I smoke in is not connected to the rest of the house via the central heating and air conditioning, so I don't have any advice on how to shut that down.

Some things I think would be helpful to consider for your situation:
-Can you vent air directly to the outside with an exhaust fan? If so, I think this is the #1 tool in your arsenal.
-If you vent air directly to the outside, where will you be pulling the fresh air from and will that cause any untenable temperature issues?
-Can you limit the types of surfaces in your smoking room to less porous surfaces to somewhat mitigate the smoke particles sticking to surfaces as Warren mentioned?
-Will the rest of the house be pulling air from your smoking room or can you block that airflow by using door stoppers or better seals?
-If you seal off this room from the home's HVAC system, what will you do for heating and cooling?
 

Warlee

Might Stick Around
Apr 13, 2022
76
621
Michigan
I have my dedicated room in the basement to smoke my pipe in. Cigars are outside only. The basement room is isolated from the rest of the house and I installed a 300 cfm exhaust fan on a vfd to vent. The room does have a smell, it’s noticeable to me if I haven’t smoked in a day or two. It also houses all my pipes, ashtray, and trash can full of ashes and used pipe cleaners so I’m sure some of the smell is from that. But it doesn’t get into the rest of the house.
 

David D. Davidson

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 19, 2023
189
728
Canada
I exclusively smoke outside, and even go so far as to change my clothes afterwards. I’ve always been a little overly cautious with regards to smells in general - nobody who stinks seems to know they stink, leading to a lifelong unfounded paranoia of mine. The girlfriend loves my smokey ‘stache post-smoke, but I’ll also wash my face prior to going to bed to ensure I’m not stinking up my pillow.

I’m definitely on the overzealous end of the spectrum. Let my neurosis be a cautionary tale!
 

krizzose

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,136
18,314
Michigan
My wife and I recently moved into a new house that we did extensive renovations on. I work at home, and my office is a small spare second-floor bedroom. I knew I wanted a whole house fan, so I had it installed in the office ceiling instead of the more typical position in the second floor hallway. I close the door, close the HVAC vent, open the window, and turn the fan on. It’s a powerful fan, and it pulls everything into the attic and out the roof vents. I’ve learned that it’s a bit too uncomfortable if the outside temp is below about 30 or above 90, but otherwise no problem at all. With the window open and door closed it pulls minimal air out of the rest of the house, and the room is so small that coming back to ambient house temp when I’m done only takes a few minutes. As long as I keep the fan going for a few minutes after I’m done smoking, the lingering odor is minimal to non-existent (as reported by my non-smoking wife coming home after work or friends who’ve come over in the evening). I’ve been smoking 3 or 4 bowls a week since February, and it’s not been an issue at all.

My biggest initial problem was the fan would push air through the attic access hatch in my bedroom closet (my wife’s closet). As perique-scented clothes are very definitely not her jam (not to mention the HVAC issues caused by such a leak), I closed everything up with some space-filling foam and a piece of vinyl sheeting glued to the closet ceiling over the edges of the hatch. As we added extra insulation and did all necessary electrical work in the attic during renovations, I won’t need to go up there anytime soon.
 

Sobrbiker

Lifer
Jan 7, 2023
2,366
28,951
Casa Grande, AZ
I wear the pants in my marriage, so usually (to my neighbors’ relief) I wear them while I smoke outside.

All kidding aside, my wife and I are both very “take me as I am, or there’s the door” in our relationship attitude, but that was a ground rule from the start. Now we live in the first property we bought together, and I did not smoke a pipe when we met. She puts up with my new found TAD/PAD very well but isn’t fond of the room note of anything I’ve smoked around her outside, so I’m not going to draw a line in the sand over this.
We both smoke air-fresheners indoors as our primary nicotine, so it’s no biggie. I don’t smoke in vehicles with her either.
Having been married twenty five years (3 different women) has taught me a thing or two, and one of those is flexibility.
Now had I indulged in pipes before we met, it would be different.
Perhaps someday….
 

Seeleybc1

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 29, 2022
162
738
Palmer AK
I wrote most of this already, and something glitched out on my tablet, so hopefully this isn’t a double post….

Anyways, this past winter I was fairly motivated to smoke anywhere but outside, and have it be at least somewhat enjoyable, with table, chair, music etc.
Box fan in the attic of the garage wedged in the ceiling access was just the ticket. It really did act as a legitimate exhaust fan.
However, as others have stated, it’s still noticeable. Not for long, and certainly not like cigarettes, but still noticeable.
Luckily for us, most pipe tobaccos have a relatively pleasant aroma, and I think we can get away with some indoor smoking that cigs and cigars cannot!
 
  • Like
Reactions: JOHN72
Jul 28, 2016
7,636
36,775
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
I smoke in my study room, now called a smoker's cave. Door closed so as not to disturb my wife, who does not smoke. Window partially open, depending on the time of year. Smoking in the street, I don't enjoy the intense aroma that I get in a room.
same here ,I prefer smoking indoors leaving windows partially open. regardless of what the season,aroma and flavors are definitely more intense.although , strong nicotine rich blends and bold mature cigars i use to take only after meal with a glass of scotch on the rocks.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,866
31,228
71
Sydney, Australia
same here ,I prefer smoking indoors leaving windows partially open. regardless of what the season,aroma and flavors are definitely more intense.although , strong nicotine rich blends and bold mature cigars i use to take only after meal with a glass of scotch on the rocks.
You must have an extremely understanding wife
Or you live alone
Happy life 😁
 
  • Like
Reactions: AroEnglish