You don't need an industrial fan unless your intent is to piss them off. Just go to Walmart and get a quiet pedestal fan and aim it towards them.

I'd move. Communal type/shared wall living isn't for everyone.

Thank you both for the comments--my intent was not to agitate them--I just was concerned that a Walmart fan would not be strong enough to do the job!

Maybe if you angle it up so it goes over their heads? I used to live next to a smoker. I liked her a lot, but she smoked day and night. I think she's now dead. They moved. I would wake up and smoke would go from her bedroom into my shower vent. I hope I don't get lung cancer from second hand smoke. I vote for some kind of fan or move! If you do move, make sure it's to a non smoking place.We live across the street from my new BFF and she smokes. I have nothing against smokers. They are addicted and seem to be happy that way, but this neighbor is very concerned about her smoking. She goes in the front yard or in my outside someplace to smoke. I love her so much, but she does know not everyone wants smoke in their face.

Great idea Suzi. This is such a wonderful forum.

I had the same problem for several years. Their smoke would naturally rise up and into our open bedroom window on the second floor, We could barely walk into our back yard on some days as the tobacco smoke would be so thick. I ended up buying a 20 inch high-velocity floor fan from Home Depot and placed it on the concrete patio aimed up over the fence so the smoke would blow up and away. I used a wireless remote switch to turn it on and off from inside the house. Worked great in our situation. I had to bring it in during rainy season (not much of that in California) but they would move their smoking to their garage during the Winter anyway.

Thanks Robert. Great advice. How high was your fence? I'm just trying to get my game plan here. Already on the Home Depot website!

Also, did the fan oscillate?

It was the standard six foot high wood fence and the fan was about 12 feet way, The fan did not oscillate but I think that may be been OK as it kept a constant motion of airflow directly over the area where they smoked and the fan really moved a lot of air. The downside was the sound of the fan, On low speed, it was fine but on those times I needed to turn it up was a bit distracting.

I too was thinking of blowing it UP rather than back at them. We don't know where your prevailing winds are coming from, but if the smoke wafts towards YOU, blowing it back is fighting the wind, and you would probably lose that battle. By diverting it around or over your space, you put the fan's energy where it can do some good rather than bucking Mother Nature. Good luck with it!

What would be really nice is an air curtain. Imagine a row of fans, or a long skinny fan rather than a single round one. Blowing straight up from just below the top of the wall on your side. Look up the Lasko Air Stick.

These are all great ideas. Our patios are connected but are also covered by a roof. I think I should have mentioned that earlier. Just looked up the Lasso Air Stick--THANK YOU.

I have a friend who has one of those big fans, not to blow away smoke but to blow away mosquitoes. It works, plus it's nice to sit in front of on a hot, muggy day.

Wow, I thought i was crazy. Have the same problem. Can't leave my windows open on a nice day, unless I am prepared to smell the disgusting smoke from below. Nice people, but the smoking is killing me. I just don't understand why the laws allow for cancer causing smoke to fill my home? Wanted to ask the smokers to put a fan on their patio so it blows the smoke out to the street and not my windows above.

You might get one of those fans that fit into a window and are reversible. If smoke is coming in a certain window, you might be able to blow OUT at that window and let the air feed IN from somewhere else that is not affected by smoke. That way you get fresh air but no smoke.

toxcrusadr,

Your idea will work fine. I am a retired 24 year US Navy Submariner and used to confined spaces.

If the smoke got bothersome we used to put a reversible fan in the window - that worked fine.

A fan in the window of a submarine?!!?

It was a DC fan.

I think the fans are a great idea and glad to see that it has worked for some of you. I have felt like I’m the only one in this battle of secondhand smoke! It’s comforting to see that I’m not alone. I bought a condo at the beach and loved the wonderful beach breeze until I realized there were smokers below me, and later, upwind from me. I was forced to smell secondhand smoke all day and night through the windows and bathroom vents. When my baby was born I couldn’t take it anymore. For her sake I had to sell and move. To my dismay, I moved to a home on a corner lot with three surrounding homes, all owned by... smokers. The wind currents send the smoke directly into my backyard and through the dining room and bedroom windows. I live in California and there are certain cities that have banned smoking in multi-unit housing, and some cities that have banned smoking altogether (excluding single homes), like Manhattan Beach, Agoura Hills and soon Hermosa beach and Culver City. The city meeting notes are public and you can call to request a copy to try to implement similar multi-unit housing laws in your cities. What I would like to see passed is a law that prevents the result of someone’s actions from entering and affecting another person’s home and property.

If you live in California and would like to support the creation of this law, I am gathering signatures to send to our Senate. Please sign and share it with your friends and neighbors:

https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/secondhand-smoke-invading?source=c.em.cp&r_by=20705077

Thanks!

Ana

So much for the notion that home ia one's castle! Only in CA. lol

Unbelievable..........................

It's a strange world. On the other hand, if it was hazardous waste or sewage, no one would think it was OK to let it run off into the neighbor's yard, or pollute their well. Those things are well established in the social contract. It's just not as simple for society to come around to considering secondhand smoke as a type of air pollution.

I’m one of those horrible smokers, and I’d rather not smoke but do at the moment. I live in an apartment and my neighbors hate me (well, some of them!) Before moving in here I checked that smoking was permitted and was told that outside smoking was fine. My question to those of you who are annoyed with us smokers (and I mean this in the nicest possible way) is this: why, if you hate it so much (and believe me, I hate it too!) did you not check that the complex was non-smoking? I had the opposite situation in CA, where I almost signed a lease in a totally non-smoking complex and only thought to ask the question seconds before signing up. I learned a lesson - if you really want or don’t want something, ask the question. Thank you all for your time.

I think most non-smokers assume that smoke/smells from only smoking outside won't adversely affect their own units. Or, like me, I am so far removed from smoking culture, that I might just assume no one is going to smoke - it's totally not on my radar to think about someone smoking - until I smell it.

It's really too bad that one person's habit and choices can affect other people's right to breathe unpolluted (by cigarette smoke) air.

I think you should get two huge industrial fans and blow it right back in their face maybe she will swallow her cigarette and throw up. You’re just rightfully returning what she blew your way that’s all just being a good neighbor. Smokers are the worst neighbors they smell like ash trays . Then they will get the hint but enough of all these people on here skirting around just get it over with. They have no respect for your property or you being able to enjoy your deck they need to get a dose of their own medicine.GeGet some giant viles with cancer written on there and blow it in their direction let them know that they’re giving you cancer and you’re just wantEd to return the favor. ‍♂‍♀️

Uh, oh. I smell a troll. Trolls smell worse than smokers!

That’s funny I had a salty dog T-shirt on today the original first store was in South Carolina if you don’t know that some useless information for you

I must know where I can buy giant viles of cancer! I need some, for reasons.

My neighbor uses some home-made cinder block monstrosity to grill and presumably smoke meat. I have video of thick white plumes of smoke coming out of it for over an hour +. The smoke is noxious. I can't figure out if they're just using some kind of toxic wood they have lying around or too much lighter fluid to start it or if that's actually what a home-made meat smoker is supposed to smell like. The smoke burns my eye and throat and I can't even go out on my patio. I was thinking of buying them a $200 smoker from Lowe's and having it delivered but who knows if they'd stop using that cinder block beast.

So, I guess an industrial fan would be a better option? My fence wall is 6 feet high and they're one yard over so about 20 feet away. Does anyone have a recommendation for a brand or style of fan? I have a small yard and don't want to have something giant but I also don't want to bother with something that won't work.

I forgot all about this post that I started 4 years ago. I never got the fan--I just stayed inside. I didn't want to offend the neighbors. Since the original post, the neighbor who smoked on the patio all the time has since died of cancer. Not lung cancer but she had breast cancer, ovarian cancer and then some other cancer--maybe bone. She smoked all through the chemo. Just goes to show you what a powerful addiction smoking can be. I am sad that she did not take better care of herself. She was young. I do sit outside now sometimes.

Stephela I have no fan recommendations for you. I do hope that you find something that works for you because it's awful not to have clean air or to be able to enjoy your outdoor space.

What about the petition you started , the signatures going to the state senators? I just signed it .

Our neighbors have been burning mulberry wood (from the giant trash mulberry growing onto our fence) for a couple of months now. The smoke is unbelievable. It blows right into our family room and our bedroom. We should be able to keep our windows open and breathe clean air, but it's impossible. They are not nice people, not good neighbors, and I'm ready to plug in a giant outdoor fan using as many extension cords as it takes. I'd love to hear recommendations (I've called the fire department and knocked on their door - to no avail).

I live in what is supposed to be a non-smoking complex but my upstairs neighbors smoke over my patio and the guy across the hall smokes in the hallway because one wall is open. I have reported to our property manager and nada. Don’t assume moving to a non-smoking property will do any good.

SMOKERS ARE THE MOST IGNORANT DISRESPECTFUL SELFISH RUDE DISGUSTING PEOPLE ON THE PLANET ESPECIALLY WHEN INNOCENT CHILDREN ARE INVOLVED!! I AM MOVING FOR THE SEVENTH TIME BECAUSE OF THE IGNORANT SELFISH SMOKERS!!!! WHERE IN THE HELL ARE THE RIGHTS OF NON SMOKERS!!?! I'M F'ING SICK OF EVERY FRIGGEN ONE OF THEM!! THEY CAN ALL GO TO HELL!! THEY SHOULD FEEL RIGHT AT HOME!!

And yes turbo fans will work!! Blow that toxic smutt right back into their faces!! Why should you have to take on their disgusting habit!!?¡?¿!!

I have an issue with my neighbor who burns a wood stove and vents through a metal chimney. His home is 1 story and the chimney is @20 -25 feet from my second story. I am looking to buy a 30" wall mountable industrial 10,000cfm fan, mount it on the side of my house (think satellite dish) ,use extension cords, and access the pull chain from window. Anyone know if 10,000cfm will do the job? The smoke stinks up the whole house even with the windows shut. Town select person, town's health inspector, and town's building inspector can't do anything and a court battle sounds exhausting. Thoughts?

https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/hvac/fans/wall/oscillating-wall-mount-fan-30-diameter-2

2 fans, 30 inch and 18". Wind sock on the 18" to focus stream! Total of 16000 CFM!! Blows that nasty wood smoke away from my House!!!

My own rig! Some PT 4x4's and a 5 gal. Bucket o' cement!

Smoker behind my old .6 acre place in the suburbs managed to stink up my back yard each summer when out on his patio. Sometimes my back windows could not be left open for cross ventilation because of this - smokers do not have to be particularly near to have such impacts.

And for years there was a party two lots away that was quite apparently throwing household garbage into their fireplace including what must have been plastics and styrofoam. And letting it sit there, slowly being eaten away at by a small flame.

Now I am on 5 acres in the country and the replacement nuisance of similar nature is neighbors burning bulk trash, producing huge noxious plumes of smoke. Two nearby households have done it recently, the first set of fires (next door) were left to smolder most of the time and the second party (across the street) was doing it primarily to get rid of large, freshly cut conifer branches. Full of foliage that is great for generating lots of thick white smoke.

Later they started adding other unwanted material including what may perhaps have been some treated wood.

Even ready for rain/snow=Outdoor Ottoman covers Bloody Brilliant!

Annegriet I use box fans! My neighbors' son smokes pot all day, every day, and on weekends the father comes out and sits near my fence and smokes cigars. Mom won't allow them to stink up her house - but ruining my patio and yard is just fine. The son also idles his junkbox car for an hour at a time at least 3 times a day next to my fence- so there's exhaust to breathe in as well. I bought 2 inexpensive box fans which I placed facing them on my porch that help a good deal for just the porch area. I haven't figured out how to handle the rest of the yard. I imagine a box fan - facing their patio would work fine.

have a neighbor who smokes pot all day. Police are unwilling/unable to do anything about it. Landlord of that home will do nothing. Am thinking of a fan - wanted to see if anyone else is doing this.

We have one that moved in next door. House went from being peaceful with the doors and windows open to being this place you just feel trapped in. Don't even go in the garden, the lighter click goes right through me when I'm out there. The windows also stay firmly shut with the vents closed. When she goes out to buy more cigarettes I air through. The garden has gone downhill ever since.

Not entirely sure why it's legal to stink up your neighbours garden but it's not exactly a typical discreet domestic odour - it's usually acrid, noxious and strong.

I've pretty much gone from having no opinion regarding smokers to wondering how someone can be so callous and inconsiderate to the comfort and wellbeing of the people next to them. One summer of stuffy, sticky heat and I don't have any respect for anyone who smokes. I think if they experienced what they're like to live next to they'd quickly stop.

When we were first married we lived in a building where one of our neighbors always cooked ”ethnic food” that was so over powering and our entire apt. smelled of it including our own clothes. I became pregnant while there and it was rough. But what was i supposed to do….tell them to burn in hell because their food smelled bad? We need to learn to get along and if you can’t put up with something, the onus is on you to move if they aren’t doing anything illegal. By the way, I don’t smoke but i feel they have rights also.

I had a neighbor that had IBS and would step outside to pass gas and stink up the neighborhood, maybe I can have them imprisoned? Give me a break people!

@Anna Devane I'd expect that consideration to go both ways which in most cases, it doesn't.

If a neighbour cuts off my access to clean air every hour of the day to the point where I can't open a window unless I'm standing next to it, then that's not exactly neighbourly and I don't think anyone should automatically tolerate it. There's being tolerant of other lifestyles; then there's nuisance.

People have a right to breathe clean air, especially in their home - it's pretty basic. That should take precedent over what is really a leisure activity. Whilst everyone has a right to quiet enjoyment including smokers - I'm still responsible for nuisance coming out of my boundaries. I wouldn't expect my neighbours to be assailed by fumes hour after hour.

There's some big double standards with smoking and law in practice but it's not exactly legal just archaically considered 'reasonable use' and I'd say it is - up to maybe a few cigarettes/day... but it never is and the air just becomes colonized.

I'm not saying things should go off down a totalitarian rabbit hole where no one dare light a barbeque in the summer but the concessions afforded to chronic smokers typically make a mockery of those who have to live next to them. I feel it's an addiction that replaces empathy and infects most users with a impenetrable cognitive dissonance to the problems caused by it.

One thing that can be done is to ask a neighbor to move to the farthest part of the yard to do their smoking, unless the wind is blowing from you toward them. My brother had this problem with a neighbor, they had asthma and in the summer the smoke got into their evaporative cooler intakes. He was not happy about it but he moved across the yard. The neighbors on that side, we hardly every see. In fact I thought the house was empty for years. So they don't complain.

Just a heads up to anyone suffering from this; you need a drum fan that can move a lot of air pointed at the top of the boundary fence. When you're gardening pop it on a wheelie bin and angle it up to skirt air over the top.

In terms of CFM or "cubic feet per minute" look for ratings around 1500 CFM. In hot still weather or weather with a very light breeze it'll subdue the fumes nicely. If you're planning to do gardening in breezy weather you may need to go higher, probably double - 3000+ CFM.

Used at the correct angle they create a good 'air barrier' that will reduce fumes to the lightest of very light whiffs (usually borderline imperceptible) when pointed directly at their smoking area.

They also make airing out the house a cinch so you can close the windows comfortably. For rapid cooling in several minutes you'll want two per floor in a cross-breeze - however 'industrial' fans are expensive so you can get by with just one but it'll take longer to shift the heat on a single floor. If you feel hot after closing up it's mostly due to the wind-chill they create - so leave one running on low power (or a desk fan) pointed in your general direction.

It's a solution that may cost you a fair amount upfront but worth it for your sanity and wellbeing. I'd suggest at least one per floor so you aren't constantly carrying them up and downstairs (and knocking them in to things). Ideally give them designated window-ledges so it's just cracking open a couple windows and flipping a switch for a few minutes. Be vigilant when they're in operation if the person next-door lights up around open windows.

My neighbor has a huge property, it is farm assessed as he his dad had a chicken/ egg business. He keeps a huge composte pile on the side of his house. Thankful we dont smell that pile. But, when I go for a walk, his neighbor across the street can definately smell it! I wonder if there is an ordinance about composte piles. I say, get yourself a big fan!