[ernstdesigns]

Anybody on the forum have a good cheap source for ultrasonic mist makers? I prefer these water nebulizer devices to a regular fog machine, since in Michigan it can be tough to cool fog to a temperature that will stay low, whereas the ultrasonic fog generators create a heavy water based mist that will stay low, regardless of outdoor temperature.

 

[Raven's Hollow Cemetery]

I sure do. Fleabay. Most of the listings are from overseas, but for pennies on the dollar compared to the ridiculous prices they put on them over here. At those prices, I don't have a problem with waiting 3-4 wks. for delivery. Just stick with a highly rated seller and you'll be fine. Be sure to get the wall wart to go with it, unless you just happen to have a 24 VAC regulated one laying around.


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=ultrasonic+fogger&_sop=15

 

[ernstdesigns]

I was considering those. I wonder if I would be better off buying a bunch of single disc units and trying to hook up multiple wall warts, (got an easy way to wire that?) or if I should invest in one of the more spendy multiple disc units (8 or 9 discs)?

I'm going to need a lot of heavy mist for my project, and a fog machine and chiller isn't an option in cold Michigan nights, not to mention - its a bulky set up. I prefer to also stay away from dry ice, since the fog will be in an inaccessible place.

 

[Raven's Hollow Cemetery]

Definitely go with a large multi-disc unit if you need a large volume of fog. Just remember, it's not a great substitute for a fog machine unless your comparing it to one filled with fast dissipating fog fluid.

Several single disc ones will pull more current than a larger to make the same output volume, due to the inefficiency of wall warts on the whole. As you mentioned, there is also the problem of connecting them all too. Power strips set up for multiple wall warts are still fairly pricy (not sure why that is, it's maybe $0.30 more expensive to make than a normal power strip, material wise), and so are the short pig tails for making normal power strips compatible.

 

[Crunch]

Those foggers are cheap - but how do you power them?

Edit: I read now that you need to buy power supplies separate.

 

[Ghost of Spookie]

I'm going to use a few individual mister/foggers in one of my haunt setups where I'll have some water available to place them in--shallow liner around a "swamp bridge" and inside a fountain. I'm planning on making a low-lying fogger chiller however to use for general fogging of our yard. I really don't expect the mister units to give much of any "fog" coverage, and it bothers me that you said you needed something with a lot of heavy mist.

You mentioned concerns about your cold evening temps and not be condusive to a fogger. How cold are your days/evenings there? Are you just using this for the halloween evening or for multiple nights? The reason I ask is that I think a lot of the home-made fog chillers will provide hours of usage based on a one time set up with dry ice. The misters will require a lot of adapters and electrical runs and you'll need to keep the misters at a certain water level and have sufficient water to them through out the night to do their job. Buying a lot of adapters will quickly add to the cost of the misters. If you get wet weather, you have a number of electrical connections to protect from the elements. Can you give us more info on what you have planned? Hate to see you steered into something that may not be a good solution for you.

Regarding my fog chiller, I have a square Igloo cooler and the parts ready to go, just haven't had the time to construct the ice portion of the fogger yet. I'll be following one of the plans found here on the forum. From videos people have posted it works really well. Here's the cooler I bought. I think it's a pretty compact size. BTW I picked up my cooler on clearance at Walmart at the end of summer season in order to keep the cost down. Also liked this Igloo unit has wheels and a retractable handle. Just something to think about.

 

[ernstdesigns]

Ghost of Spookie:

Last Halloween up here was around 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and the igloo cooler worked ok for the first hour or so, before the ice melted, and froze into a solid piece with not enough surface area for cooling. I used a mixture of regular ice and dry ice.

What I am looking to do is create a "Fog Screen" through which the TOTs would walk to get to the front door. I want the fog screen to be thick enough that there is a solid wall of fog, and you can't see through it. My thought was using pond liner in the gutter, filling with water and the ultrasonic misters.

It would only be used the night of Trick or treating, But since I don't want to be climbing up there all night to fill ice in a cooler, I figured it would be easier to run the garden hose up there, so as water was ionized into fog, I could fill from ground level.

 

[Raven's Hollow Cemetery]

With what you're looking to do Ernst, the ultrasonic misters are not a viable option for your idea, I'm sorry to say. The mist dissipates far too quickly, and you would be lucky to have it fall 2 feet before it disappeared into the air. A traditional fog machine and an efficient chiller design is the least expensive way of accomplishing the goal you have in mind.


Never mind that the ultrasonic misters needed to do such volume (pond fogger's) are extremely expensive, around $150 & up each, and you would need multiples of them.


To stop the ice dam from forming and make the ice last longer in your Igloo (or nearly any) chiller, fill plastic drink bottles with water and a teaspoon of salt to each bottle. The ice being contained in the bottles prevents the ice dam from forming , and salt water ice has a higher melting point than regular ice (and lower freezing point). Hope that gives you a little more direction.