Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Where can I buy SmokeGENIE in my area?
We have partnered with different distributors in USA, Europe and Asia to help us bring the Genie to you! Click HERE to find a seller near your country!
If there aren't any distributors serving your country, we are pleased to help you with your purchase, email us at info@pmigear.com!
ABOUT OUR FOG LIQUID
Q2: Where can we buy your refills?
You can check out our distributors HERE or inbox us to place an order for refills! We ship to most parts of the world!
Q3: Why are your refill bottles so small? and how much do they cost?
Yes, and for good reasons! Our signature cloud formula is a highly concentrated solution, making it much more fuel efficient that traditional fog fluids (which is highly diluted with water).
On average, we make 60 seconds of smoke with just 0.5ml of our CLOUD FORMULA fog liquid. That's roughly ONLY 10 CENTS per minute of smoke, with an average output of 500CFM!
Q4: Can we use our own?
Our Chamber is designed with a built-in overheating protection, that is calibrated according to our cloud formula. If you change to another formula, our sensors won't work as designed, and it may damage the machine, producing unwanted effects.
Q5: Do you have an MSDS?
Yes we do! You may download it HERE.
ABOUT OUR CHAMBER
Q6: How long can a full tank last?
Our Chamber has a 9ml tank, making it last around 10-20 minutes of smoke before every refill!
Q7: Is the heating coil easy to replace?
ah, heating coils, the bane of all smoke machines. According to most fog technicians, the Heating coil is the #1 fragile part of the smoke machine, and most prone to damage. Average lifespan of heating coil is 5-7 days, and repair costs both time and money.
We bypassed the user experience directly by making a unibody integrated chamber, a durable, stainless-steel chamber coil that will last at least months of proper usage. Once you are done with a chamber, simply send us back and get a new chamber from us at a discount!
Q8: So how do I know when a chamber needs to be replaced?
There are a few signs to look for:
1) When the Chamber starts to produce an unpleasant burning smell
(Usually after 30-50 full day shooting sessions)
2) When the machine displays "TANK FAULTY" when chamber is installed.
3) Machine keep prompting "TIME OUT" warning even during normal operation.
4) When the smoke becomes very pale even in high smoke levels.
In these 4 cases, it is highly likely that the chamber is damaged, or has reached the end of its lifecycle. It means it will be time to replace a new chamber!
Q9: Wait a sec, it looks and sounds like you are just selling us a (giant) vape.
Not sure which is more embarrassing: the number of times we got asked this question, or the fact that we are over-qualified to answer this question, because we own way too many modified vapes. Before we founded this company, we specialise in Stage FX, and a lot of our previous work involves modifying store-bought vapes to make smoke on stage.
Go HERE to find out why we still built SmokeGENIE after years of making DIY vape mods.
ABOUT SMOKEGENIE
Q10: Can you generate smoke non-stop?
Yes you can! This is a breakthrough in our smoke-making technology: you can make smoke over 60 seconds each spray in certain power modes.
When you keep fan speed at level 5, Smoke levels 1, 2 and 3 are continuous modes: you can make smoke until the tank runs out.
For power levels 4 and 5, they are burst modes and will trigger a TIMEOUT after a short burst.
Q11: Can I bypass the TIMEOUT warning? It’s annoying.
Our TIMEOUT protection is designed to help you extend your chamber's lifespan as long as possible, and to prevent the machine from getting dangerously overheated. You can override the system by purposely triggering timeout repeatedly, but that will void our machine warranty and you need to use at your own risk.
Q12: Why does the SmokeGENIE not come with batteries?
Shipping regulations forbid us from shipping high-drain batteries in our packages. We really wanted to; the batteries we use are Standard 18650 type batteries, which is very cheap and efficient. You can check HERE to see what are the right specs for the machine!
Q13: How long can the battery last?
As long as you buy quality branded 18650 batteries (like the ones we recommend HERE ), they should last you 1000s of charge cycles.
In regular power modes, the SmokeGENIE can make 45 minutes of smoke in one full charge.
Q14: How long can machine stay standby?
We have built-in an auto power-off feature that shuts off SmokeGENIE after 120 minutes of idle time. The machine can be shelved for weeks in off position without draining the batteries inside.
Q15: How long does it take to charge?
We have built-in USB-C fast charging, it takes ~3.5 hours to fully charge two 3200mah Battery cells.
Q16: Does the SmokeGENIE come with a remote?
Yes! All SmokeGENIE come with standard uniquely paired radio remote, with 5m operation distance.
USING THE SMOKEGENIE AS A HAZER
Q17: What is the haze output?
We know that the industry in keen to using CFM, but we find it to be a very unreliable unit of measurement, for accuracy we like to use the Fluid consumption rate of 0.5ml per minute, but translating via "industry practices" will get us to 500cfm.
Q18: How long is the Hang time?
This is more a question of air flow than chemical composition. According to our tests, the hang time of our fluid is at least double that of traditional hazer fluids. We also had the haze hang for over an hour inside a well-sealed indoor space.
We have been field tested by award-winning DPs in their professional work, and they have been praising on the quality of our haze! check it out HERE and see for yourself!
USING THE SMOKEGENIE AS A FOGGER
Q19: Will it leave stains?
Only when making Dry-Ice / Liquid smoke mode. Our base ingredient is Vegetable Glycerin, a natural moisturiser used in skincare products. when using the Liquid Smoke function, the smoke is very dense and will leave a thin layer of Glycerin that is natural and non-corrosive, can be wiped off with a napkin.
Using the Genie in regular modes (fog and haze) will not leave stains.
Q20: Is it safe to use indoors?
Yes! Our smoke is made of completely food-safe ingredients, making inhalation safe for the body.
Q21: Will it trigger smoke detectors?
Short answer, probably yes. Modern day smoke detectors have extremely sensitive sensors and detect multiple items (mists, reflection of air) and so ANY kind of smoke or even diffusion in the air could be detected. Please always exercise caution when using the SmokeGENIE near smoke detectors. It is always likely that you will trigger them.
Q22: Is it safe to use on humans? And delicate props?
Yes! Our smoke is made of completely food-safe ingredients, making inhalation safe for the body. However, since there will be occasional oil spills during operation, please avoid pointing the mouth of the machine directly to the face or human skin. Always use a nozzle / accessory to prevent oil spills.
As for delicate props, you might want to avoid using the liquid smoke on them, as it will leave a fine layer of glycerin on it, although you can easily clean it with a cloth.
Q23: Is it safe to inhale?
Depends. If you mean being in a room with smokeGENIE is being used, you are definitely safe. However, our smoke machine is NOT designed as an electronic cigarette: the smoke coming out of the nozzle is EXTREMELY HOT and will cause burns if you try to directly inhale the smoke from the opening. DO NOT use the smokeGENIE as a vape/e-cigarette.
OUR WARRANTY
Q24: What does my SmokeGENIE warranty cover?
Our 1-year warranty for the SmokeGENIE is eligible to all users who bought from our authorised dealers. The warranty covers any defect due to manufacturing; any issues caused by FIRE, WATER or PHYSICAL damage is NOT COVERED.
During the warranty period, users can contact their local dealer or email us at INFO@PMIGEAR.com for direct machine support. Simply ship your machine back and we will arrange replacement where appropriate.
This warranty covers the SmokeGENIE main unit and its accessories. The chamber is considered as a consumable, and is therefore NOT covered by this warranty.