Silent Fireworks: What to Expect

UK firework laws state that fireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am unless on Bonfire Night, Diwali, or New Year’s Eve, but the welfare of those around you should always be considered when planning a firework display. Loud fireworks aren’t only a problem for neighbours or the family dog. Setting off a display near children, the elderly, built-up areas, or sheltered homes can result in stress and affect your reputation.

Low noise fireworks are ideal for displays that need to be quieter. Find out about no sound fireworks here, what to expect, and which ones to buy.

Can you get Silent Fireworks?

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a silent firework. But the demand from people seeking neighbour-friendly, and dog-friendly fireworks have led firework manufacturers to produce low noise fireworks. These emit a lower noise than the classic loud ‘fizz’ and ‘pop’ you expect from a normal firework.

Although firework suppliers like Chorlton Fireworks work hard to provide quiet fireworks to suit occasions with noise restrictions, there’s simply no way we could make a totally silent firework. The physical motion of a firework propelling into the sky and exploding must create some noise. However, low noise fireworks tend to do the job of taking the edge off and making a firework display a lot more tolerable for pets and for those sensitive to large sounds.

How Loud are Low Noise Fireworks?

A normal firework cannot be louder than 120 decibels from 15 metres away, according to UK firework laws. Many fireworks that are available do not reach this level of noise. Although there are no ‘soundless fireworks’, low noise fireworks certainly don’t reach these heights in volume, some registering at as little as 70 decibels, almost half the impact of the maximum limit.

Silent Fireworks UK: How do They Work?

Fireworks can never be truly silent due to how they are made and how they work. Fundamentally, a firework consists of a hollow shell containing pyrotechnic material. Once ignited the firework will propel into the air, this is known as a lift charge, and explode. The action of burning and exploding inherently produces sound.

To reduce the sound of a firework the manufacturer will focus on several aspects of the firework’s design. For a start, the lift charge could be lessened by reducing the amount of propellant used. This may make the firework shoot to a lower position than normal but would reduce one noise-producing element significantly. The trick is to fire the shell high enough for a good display and to put as much distance between the firework and the ground as possible in preparation for the second noise: the burst charge (the firework exploding).

The burst charge will be affected by the type and quality of the material inside the shell and how strong the shell is. These factors affect the width of the burst. In low noise fireworks, the designer will aim for softer breaks, meaning the shell comes apart with less force and the pyrotechnics inside burst across a smaller area. This might sound like less of an impressive display, but depending on the design of the firework this effect can look incredibly elegant and graceful.

Another contributor to the noise of a firework is the salute. The salute is the element that produces a thunderous bang and flash of light. The salute is mainly there to produce an exciting noise, so removing reduces sound levels significantly.

What Does a Silent Firework Sound Like?

Silent, or low noise fireworks often emit lower ‘bang’ noises when they explode, and sometimes they sound more muffled than normal fireworks. This Neon Nites firework is great for keeping noise levels down while still performing the classic display of a rocket firework.

Some low noise fireworks consist of more fizzing, and shimmering effects, and produce a gentler sound than rockets. Here’s an example of the Silent but Deadly compound firework which consists of several fireworks attached to one board that only needs to be ignited once.

Some quiet fireworks have been designed to emit a different noise to the traditional ones you expect from a firework. The Wolf is a low noise firework that releases 49 shots of swimming hummers that zip around in the sky and offer a fun alternative to loud fireworks.