Halloween Forum banner
1 - 15 of 15 Posts

crazymjb

· Future Marine
Joined
·
3,034 Posts
Discussion starter · #1 ·
This will allow you to bypass the reheat on your fog machine. It will also allow you to squiret fluid into the heat echanger befor the thing heats up. I am just putting this out there for people who want to experiment. It is possible that it could end up damaging or wrecking the machine. In almost all the machines you open up there are two wires that go two the heat exchanger that are not used to power it. These wires simply run to switch that clicks on at one temperature and off at another. If you clip these and solder them together you will trick your machine into thinkingit is always at the correct temperature. With the light FX machine there is a smalll cylindrical round white thing attachedto the heat exchanger. That is the sensor. I recomend if you do it to only do i tto the light FX because it is really cheap, and is the only fogger(I have seen) with a ridiculous reheat time. I suggest using this only if you have a timer and want the bursts to be no more then 10 seconds longer then then normally alowed by the machine.

Michael Ball

Check out my photo album!
http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10014
 
Ouch Crazy, you want to be careful with this. Fog machines are supposed to be rated for 400 degrees and then to allow them to cool back down before firing up again. There are carcinogens in the fog fluid, one of which is formaldihyde (sp) which become harmful if the fog machine gets up to 600 - 700 degrees.



The Dark Tomb - Psychological Terror at it's best!
www.mansionofterror.com/props.htm
 
Crazy, No offence, but why do you post Theories for modifications that you have not actually done? I know I am new here and maybe out of line. If so I apoligize in advance.

I have come to this site for ideas and advice as many others seem to have. I have seen a lot of great ideas presented from people who are talking from experience. It's hard to tell which of your ideas are based on your experiences and which are simply "guesses".
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
You are completely out of line and should go to H@#$! JK, It is hard to be out of line here. Giving an opinion will not cause trouble. I know for a fact that it would work. I havnt tried it becuase I dont need much more fog, but others who want to mod there machine can do it this way. Also TDT, The light FCX fogger has one sensor, and that enables the controller at one temperature and above. If there is another sensor to keep it from getting to hot then that is the one you dont want to mess with.

Michael Ball

Check out my photo album!
http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10014
 
I think any attempt to rewire a fog machine is ill advised. They recycle for a reason. As mentioned, overheating the fluid could cause a toxic emission, as well as damaging the machine itself. Foggers are temperamental enough without trying to tweak them. If fog is needed during recycle periods, use a second machine with an off set timer.

No rest for living,
No peace for the dead.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Come to think of it you could use two machines and wire them together with one tiemr. say each machine puts out a 20 second burst but you want a 40 second burst. You open the machines up and find the switch that shuts off when the machine needs to warm up or gets too hot(although I dont think overheating is an issue in most cases). I am not going to explaint the specifics but when machine A is firing machine AB is cut off by a relay, when machine A is shut off buy the thermostat amchine B activiates for the duration of the time.

Michael Ball

Check out my photo album!
http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10014
 
(Dumb)Question for anyone here who may have an answer. I have a fog machine, not sure who makes it, and I use it outdoors of course, but how toxic is this fog fluid? I certainly don't want any kids inhaling a potentially cancer causing vapor. What do you all think the safetey factor is on them?
 
If breathing the fog for 5 to 10 mins can hurt you then millions of people would be hurt each year. I don't see a safty factor by going through a haunt. Unless someone already has a breathing problem.

Crazy, wouldn't it be easier to use two timers sit 20 seconds apart than going into a fogger and fooling with the wiring.
 
nyhaunter,

The fog produced by most heat exchange foggers isn't going to cause anyone any harm. People with asthma may have issues, but it's not going to cause cancer or anyhting. If the machine is used with another manufacturers fluid you could have toxic results or if the machine is running too hot for the fluid. Most fluids are designed for proper burnoff at a certain temp, if you use a different fluid other than the machines correct fluid you run the risk of improper burn off. I know this is true because I work for a lighting company and have been in the entertainment business for 18 years now. I can get you the FDA findings on this if you'd like.

The best thing to do with foggers is to use them correctly.

"Why do they do it, god damn kids, they'd do anything for Halloween"
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
Yah, but it would also be more expensive depending on where you get the parts. Also, what is the fun in that? Another problem would be that even if one machine is just a tiny bit off by the end of the nigh there would possibly be too much of a difference between the machines going off.

Michael Ball

Check out my photo album!
http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10014
 
I've got to agree that altering a fog machine in anyway is a seriously bad idea which can effect the health of ourselves and those we are trying to haunt.I would recommend that noone try this.What's next,breaking the safety off handguns?

Ask not for whom the bell tolls......
 
Thanks for the info Headless....I certainly wouldn't want to expose myself to anything carcinogenic...I mean, the red dye #5 in my fruit rollups is bad enough without adding poisonous vapor! lol. I wouldn't recommend scr*wing around with fog machine wiring either. I think if you do that you are probably going overkill with the fog anyways. I just like it for an occasional burst of mist to set the mood myself.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
I think the comparison of fog machines and hanguns is not such a good example. After all fog machines are designed for entertainment and handguns are designed to disable or kill a person, that is unless you hunt with a HAND gun and not a rifle. Also, the second mod I described, wiring 2 machines to alternate off 1 timer will not effect the heat level at all, in fact it could all be run off the controller signal light as a relay trigger. So you would only need to open up the control.

Michael Ball

Check out my photo album!
http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10014
 
1 - 15 of 15 Posts