Joined
·
535 Posts
Has anyone tried one of these ultrasonic atomizers (aka, 'pond fogger') for fog in their haunt? Here is an example on Instructables: https://www.instructables.com/id/Water-Only-Fog-Machine-No-Dry-Ice-No-Fog-Juice/
Anyone used an ultrasonic "pond fogger" for their Halloween haunt?
Fog:
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
Joined
·
2,135 Posts
Back in the mid 90's I set a humidifier behind a tombstone with a tube like in the instructable and ran it underneath the tombstone coming up under the front of it and covered around it in leaves....It looked cool but only worked with one tombstone....I only did it one year....I bought a witches cauldron years ago that has 1 disc and changing underwater led lights....It looks pretty cool....Also bought a pair of plastic skulls at party city several years ago that had one in each skull....Fog came out the mouth and eyes....I have a few ideas for the skulls I'm making out of fiberglass I want to put one in a skull plague on the wall....The fiberglass looks really cool with a light behind it so I thought fog coming out of it would be easy to see backlit....Also Gargoyle heads would be a good use for this constantly coming out of the mouth versus pulses from a machine....Speaking of machines, Chauvet makes a smoke machine that also uses those discs in combination with traditional fog to make the fog stay low to the ground called a cumulus....Expensive but looks cool....ZR
Joined
·
647 Posts
Seems like an interesting idea, but the 12 jet pond fogger in the instructable goes for $183.00( https://www.amazon.com/Output-Fogge...t=&hvlocphy=9001832&hvtargid=pla-569170036213 ) seems to me I can buy 2-3 really good fog machines for that kind of money, and wouldn't have to build a housing or bucket system for it.
Joined
·
535 Posts
Partsman you are correct - the price is high. However, for low lying fog you would have to build 3 fog chillers and deal with the fact that each fog machine only produces fog for a short period of time. And they are loud. In addition, my experience with fog machines is if you get 2 seasons out of them (ie less than 4 days of actual operation) before you toss them against the wall in frustration you are lucky. In fact if I was asked to use just one word to express my thoughts on fog machines it would be "G*% D*^% F*^&ing Pieces of Sh&*!". The ultrasonic foggers spec their transducers for 5000 hours and many of them give you a replacement set when you purchase. They have no moving parts (other than a fan) and are quiet, and can produce continuous fog for hours. I may have to give it a shot just to see what happens.
Joined
·
79 Posts
From the Instructable posted in OP:
Here's another model from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Transformer-Accessories-Agriculture-Hydroponics/dp/B01N68EFIF It has a floating device that constantly keeps it submerged just beneath the water's surface, so you could technically just fill a 5-gallon bucket with water and let it ride without creating the "auto-fill" bottle device. And if I can read through the broken English on the product description, it appears to run safely for 2 hours.
Here's a video of a different brand, but appears to be the same generic model:
EDIT: So the more I think about this, the more I LOVE it. I was looking into a $400 hazer from Chauvet for a swamp scene, but I think a low-laying fog would be much better and the low-maintenance of these seems too appealing to pass up. Out haunt is indoors, though. Would having these things atomizing water just amount to moisture being left on the floor, creating a slip hazard? At least fog and haze evaporate.
This seems lame. I don't imagine the hangtime of the "fog" is very long, so if you had this running in 10-15 minute intervals, how long would you need to let it cool down before operating again?
Here's another model from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Transformer-Accessories-Agriculture-Hydroponics/dp/B01N68EFIF It has a floating device that constantly keeps it submerged just beneath the water's surface, so you could technically just fill a 5-gallon bucket with water and let it ride without creating the "auto-fill" bottle device. And if I can read through the broken English on the product description, it appears to run safely for 2 hours.
Here's a video of a different brand, but appears to be the same generic model:
EDIT: So the more I think about this, the more I LOVE it. I was looking into a $400 hazer from Chauvet for a swamp scene, but I think a low-laying fog would be much better and the low-maintenance of these seems too appealing to pass up. Out haunt is indoors, though. Would having these things atomizing water just amount to moisture being left on the floor, creating a slip hazard? At least fog and haze evaporate.
Joined
·
535 Posts
I have been continuing to investigate this technology. I have been looking at information on this site: https://www.thehouseofhydro.com/index.html which you need to take with a grain of salt as they are providing misting systems for people with reptiles or growing mushrooms. 
On their FAQ page they have his statement:
Max recommended run time is 8 hours on, 1 hour off. I would be happy with 4 hrs run time per day for a few days at a time.
Here is something from the same page talking about safety: FAQ page:
"Are Mist Makers safe?
Yes, they can be placed just about anywhere. The fog is dry so it can be used around electrical appliances and animals. "
So I would assume that it does not leave moisture on surfaces.
On their FAQ page they have his statement:
Max recommended run time is 8 hours on, 1 hour off. I would be happy with 4 hrs run time per day for a few days at a time.
Here is something from the same page talking about safety: FAQ page:
"Are Mist Makers safe?
Yes, they can be placed just about anywhere. The fog is dry so it can be used around electrical appliances and animals. "
So I would assume that it does not leave moisture on surfaces.
Joined
·
79 Posts
JW, thanks for finding that info! Here's one of House of Hydro's products with VERY promising reviews: https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-head-UL...h=item340046b8b9:g:GaUAAOSwa9FbhH31:rk:6:pf:0
I'm sure you've seen it already. One of the reviews reads:
I'm sure you've seen it already. One of the reviews reads:
And another:
I like that it comes with replacement discs - burnout seems to be a problem I've read about with several versions of these pond foggers.
We have a couple of smaller fogger/light units that are meant to be in little fountains. The one thing I can tell you from using them is that they spray water everywhere while creating that fog. If you take a look at the video you posted again, you'll see the water splashing up as the fog is created in the bucket and sink. So, the larger versions seem to have the same problem if having your water contained is the plan.
Another aspect that concerns us is that the fog is water vapor. I think the the folks at the House of Hydro are being a bit disingenuous when they say it's so dry that you can use it around electricity. There's a reason all bathrooms have GFI outlets nowadays. And the House of Hydro is selling most of their units to increase the humidity in plant and animal enclosures. Humidity is simply how much water vapor is in the air. The higher the humidity, the more water you're dealing with. Water ain't dry... that's just the rules.
If the fog was so dry you could use the misters anywhere, then why are they selling waterproof fans for venting the fog? Think real fog and how it leaves everything with a wet layer, and you can see the drawbacks that it might have inside if you're pumping it out onto a linoleum floor all night. Short term, the way haunters would use them, there are probably few drawbacks to using these misters on steroids. Still, I'd be inclined to put them somewhere that the water vapor can condense without causing a hazard to guests.
Joined
·
6,578 Posts
Back when I first discovered the things...late 90s maybe? I tried one. I'm not sure if it was the intense cold, the copper cauldron I was using changing the water, or what, but it didn't work at all.
Joined
·
220 Posts
I have several fog machines that are continuous duty and some of them are over 20 years old. I would never buy those crappy foggers at a Halloween or big box store. The DJ foggers are one step above the box store foggers, they will last longer and some of them are continuous duty, but there not as good as the commercial ones. Check out the Antari Z-800II. This unit has decent output and it will go as long as there is fluid in the machine, and it is under $200 new.
Joined
·
21 Posts
Last year a bought a small cheap fogger I put it in a plastic cauldron. So it was fog coming out and rolling over. It has some colored lights. It was a nice simple effect. I only used on Halloween because it has to have a certain level of water and I don’t have time to set it everyday. Worked good for a small area. Still ran my regular fog machine on Halloween
Joined
·
66 Posts
I read that comment by the seller about it is dry and agree with your assessment of is it safe, at the very least it is going to cause corrosion on electrical contracts.
Joined
·
3 Posts
I really like the idea of using ultrasonic misters to create fog, but volume is a bit of a concern. Has anyone had any experience with a fog machine that uses liquid air (instead of the usual glycol based fog machines)?
Joined
·
220 Posts
What do you mean by a liquid air fog machine? The ones I am familiar with are dry ice, oil based fog, water based fog (containing glycol, the stuff most commonly used) and CO2.
Joined
·
3 Posts
I have read about liquid air fog machines, but I have never been able to find one. I believe they are used in theater or environments where people need to be in the fog for extended periods of time. Liquid Air is exactly what it sounds like, and has the same chemical composition as the air we breathe, so using it to make fog is considered the safest for long term exposure. Yes, I know the regular fog machines are fine and very safe, but for children with asthma, they can be cause issues. I was hoping to find someone who knew more about liquid air fog machines than I do!
Joined
·
220 Posts
I have never heard of it, but that doesn't mean it does not exist. Most theaters I have dealt with use the Rosco fog systems. Most of the time the asthma that people suffer from when seeing smoke is physiological, you see smoke you think your inhaling smoke. If you fill the fog machine with distilled water and run it, if they don't have an attack, then most likely they will be fine and the smoke is physiological which triggers an attack. There are a few studies on this topic which are somewhat inconclusive on the effects of glycol causing an asthma attack. The most important thing to remember when using any fog systems is to make sure you follow the manufactures instructions and use the proper fog fluid recommend for that machine. Just as long as you do that, you can defer liability onto the manufacture in the event of a claim. Using a fog fluid not recommended by the manufacture leads you to increased liability.
Joined
·
2,135 Posts
I'm guessing your talking about high pressure fog systems that basically push water through nozzles causing a mist/fog....Amusement parks use these for fog curtains to project videos onto also....They use them for the low fog effects in larger areas as they can run fairly long lines of nozzles....They also use them in "cool zones" for people to stand under....Do a search using high pressure fog system amusement parks and you'll start to find what your looking for.....ZR
I've use the small ultrasonic foggers for small effects like a caldron on a table for effect but nothing compared to the area that the regular fog machines do. As for keeping the regular machines running for multiple years it's about cleaning them. Get a gallon if distilled water for $1 at you local grocery or drug store and run about a cup through the machines before packing away. I've had even the small cheap machines last for almost 10 years.
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
