Steamer confiscated?

[Denny01]

Just checked. There are a number of websites that state steam can set off fire alarms and extinguishers. No idea if that story about damage to a SR is true, but….

 

 “Steam from cooking, showering, or even very humid weather can set off a smoke detector or a sprinkler”

 

And we all know to Never question a website you just happened on…..

 

den

 

[LMaxwell]

It would require the steamer being held directly to the sprinkler triggering head in a directed attempt to make this happen.  It is exactly why you can steam up a hotel or cruise ship without any issue. Steam fast dissipates heat as it rises; leaving water vapor. If you have the heat element and head within a foot of the sprinkler trigger, all bets are off.  

 

That said, I am not in favor of people bringing these Wish style, non UL listed, rechargeable, non-approved handheld steamers. They represent a needless risk (often airlines do not want this style of battery packed in checked luggage) for a problem which numerous solutions already exist 👍

[jelayne]

I don’t get the controversy.  Their ship, their rules, something goes wrong they end up with the short end of the stick.  Don’t like the restrictions find another cruise line.

[emmas gran]

We did a bridge tour on Connie pre covid and an alarm sounded on some control panel, we were told that excess steam from showers sets off an alarm on the bridge (Chris Staff Captain at the time)

[adolfo2]

Weirdest thing I've seen confiscated was a Pint (or quart?) can of Ronson (liquid) Lighter Fuel! 

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

It would require the steamer being held directly to the sprinkler triggering head in a directed attempt to make this happen.  It is exactly why you can steam up a hotel or cruise ship without any issue. Steam fast dissipates heat as it rises; leaving water vapor. If you have the heat element and head within a foot of the sprinkler trigger, all bets are off.  

 

That said, I am not in favor of people bringing these Wish style, non UL listed, rechargeable, non-approved handheld steamers. They represent a needless risk (often airlines do not want this style of battery packed in checked luggage) for a problem which numerous solutions already exist 👍

Steam will not set off the sprinkler, but may set off the smoke detector (this happens all the time in engine rooms), but I doubt a steamer would generate enough to set off the alarm.

 

Even a UL listed clothes steamer represents a fire hazard, as the "auto-off" temperature switch that is supposed to shut the unit off when there is no more water, are known to fail, and the plastic water container will melt and start to combust.  This is why if you read the UL approval on these items, or the manufacturer provided safety instructions (which are required by UL), they instruct you to always unplug when not in use.

[chengkp75]

45 minutes ago, adolfo2 said:

Weirdest thing I've seen confiscated was a Pint (or quart?) can of Ronson (liquid) Lighter Fuel! 

They likely as well confiscated the Zippo/Ronson lighter that the fuel was for.

[mom says]

Deleted

Edited July 27, 2022 by mom says

[Denny01]

The low/non-probability of a clothes steamer setting off the sprinkler or fire alarm can be debated and such posts sound legit, and a steamer cant directly start a fire, but the Line lists it as prohibited for a reason and its their call. Thats good enough for apparently most of us here, whether we see it as a direct ‘threat’ or not. 

 

As I’ve posted prior, lost more shipmates due to fires than combat or any other reason. We are in a ‘building’ with the doors locked and a fire must be put out….not escape, except over the side. 

 

So I’ll stick with my beautiful ‘mane’ not being properly coiffed. 

 

Den

[TFree]

I wonder if I am the only one who thought of steamer trunks, when I first saw the title of this thread?  I never had a real steamer trunk, but I used to take a similarly shaped camp trunk to my 8 week summer camp as a kid.  Apparently they sell them with wheels now!

 

Tom & Judy

[Homosassa]

I was the one who posted about the sprinkler system being set off in a MSC cabin.

 

As I mentioned, the dress was hung from the ceiling in the cabin. The placement of the dress was apparently close enough to a sensor to set off the system.

 

It was the OP of the MSC thread that stated the use of the steamer close to the ceiling caused the sprinkler system to go off.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Homosassa

[keesar]

7 hours ago, adolfo2 said:

Weirdest thing I've seen confiscated was a Pint (or quart?) can of Ronson (liquid) Lighter Fuel! 

 

I counted about 7 regular irons. a microwave oven,  a set of handcuffs  and a couple of swords on the tables to be picked up when leaving the ship. Many large knives  and scissors were also on display.  

[davekathy]

The good news is clothes steamers and clothes irons are not allowed. The even better news is you won't look any less wrinkled than the rest of us. Well at least your clothes. 😁

[bama4cruisin]

41 minutes ago, keesar said:

 

I counted about 7 regular irons. a microwave oven,  a set of handcuffs  and a couple of swords on the tables to be picked up when leaving the ship. Many large knives  and scissors were also on display.  

Strangest I ever saw on the “to be reclaimed” table leaving a cruise . . . on one table, 5 rice cookers!  Everyone in the line walking past was pointing and laughing.  To be honest, to me one of the great treats of a cruise is I don’t have to cook!

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, Homosassa said:

I was the one who posted about the sprinkler system being set off in a MSC cabin.

 

As I mentioned, the dress was hung from the ceiling in the cabin. The placement of the dress was apparently close enough to a sensor to set off the system.

 

It was the OP of the MSC thread that stated the use of the steamer close to the ceiling caused the sprinkler system to go off.

 

 

Ah, now this makes a lot of sense, and it wasn't due to steam.  The only alarms on the sprinkler system is a flow alarm, meaning that the bridge is notified that water is actually spraying into a cabin on that zone.  The water spray from the sprinkler then sets off the smoke alarm.

 

I fully understood the problem when you said the dress was hung from the ceiling.  The only place to hang something from the ceiling is the sprinkler head itself.  The sprinkler has thousands of gallons of water at 100psi behind a plug in the pipe held in place by a small plastic "pill" (if you've looked closely at the sprinklers, you'll see the little red pill).  This pill is designed to melt at a set temperature (from a fire) and the plug falls out and the water starts spraying.  When folks hang things from the sprinkler, they almost invariably break the pill.  The only way to stop the water flowing is to notify the Staff Chief Engineer, who will identify the zone, and go to where he can close off the manual valve.  By this time, everyone knows which cabin is the problem, as water is pouring out under the cabin door.  After replacing the sprinkler head, the water can be turned back on.

[keesar]

29 minutes ago, bama4cruisin said:

Strangest I ever saw on the “to be reclaimed” table leaving a cruise . . . on one table, 5 rice cookers!  Everyone in the line walking past was pointing and laughing.  To be honest, to me one of the great treats of a cruise is I don’t have to cook!

There was a crock pot on one table.  Where would someone get the ingredients?

[chengkp75]

3 minutes ago, keesar said:

There was a crock pot on one table.  Where would someone get the ingredients?

They may have been trying to cook meth.

[hrhdhd]

42 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Ah, now this makes a lot of sense, and it wasn't due to steam.  The only alarms on the sprinkler system is a flow alarm, meaning that the bridge is notified that water is actually spraying into a cabin on that zone.  The water spray from the sprinkler then sets off the smoke alarm.

 

I fully understood the problem when you said the dress was hung from the ceiling.  The only place to hang something from the ceiling is the sprinkler head itself.  The sprinkler has thousands of gallons of water at 100psi behind a plug in the pipe held in place by a small plastic "pill" (if you've looked closely at the sprinklers, you'll see the little red pill).  This pill is designed to melt at a set temperature (from a fire) and the plug falls out and the water starts spraying.  When folks hang things from the sprinkler, they almost invariably break the pill.  The only way to stop the water flowing is to notify the Staff Chief Engineer, who will identify the zone, and go to where he can close off the manual valve.  By this time, everyone knows which cabin is the problem, as water is pouring out under the cabin door.  After replacing the sprinkler head, the water can be turned back on.

Yes, I had the same thought. If memory serves, those sprinkler heads have a little symbol with a hanger crossed out to remind (instruct) people not to hang anything from them.

[D. B.]

I understand the 5 rice cookers!

 My wife of 35 years is from Hong Kong and one of the first things I "Learned" to do after we got married was how to make Rice "Correctly" 

. The thought of a 14 night  Cruise at That Time without "correctly made" rice would have been unthinkable.

  Luck for me as the years have passed, she has lost the "Must have Rice Everyday" need but I can certainly understand the desire to bring a rice cooker onboard.

   Like the Brits who like to make a Cup of Tea in their cabin a lot of us have wants and needs that may seem strange to others.

 That strangest case I ever saw was on a Super Fast high speed Train (going 320 KPH)  in China when an old Farmer unwrapped his "Lunch" and a small charcoal grill and started firing it up on the floor outside the restroom!  He had a hard time understanding what all the fuss was about??