Testing my fog machine

Halloween is about 83 days away so I needed to start making plans for my yard haunt display. Earlier in the day I bought about $250 worth of LED flood lights that I will be using for both Halloween and Christmas. In addition to making sure I had enough lights it was time to start testing my equipment again. In 2006 I bought a couple of fog machines (two of which were returned because they didn't meet my quality standards) to use in my haunt. The one I used that year worked for most of the night, but was obviously not meant to be ran for 3 hours straight and I think the heat exchanger went out on it. Last year I bought a Chauvet 1250 to replace my broken machine. Unfortunately the first one I received was DOA and had a bad pump. My replacement was not going to come before Halloween so I scrambled to buy one on eBay. I ended up getting one similar to the one I used in 2006, and I thought the heat exchanger on that one crapped out as well. Of course as I was writing this I wasn't satisfied with accepting that my cheap fogger was broken so I just did a quick test and was pleased to find that it still works. While I haven't been able to use my Chauvet 1250 for Halloween yet, I have been pleased with the results I have gotten during tests. Video of that test can been found below as well as tips to keep your machine in good condition

As you can see from the video the Chauvet 1250 has a fairly high output of fog. One of the things I was told to do when I purchased it was if I do not run it regularly, try to run it for about 10-15 minutes once a month. After you are done with that leave the unit on for at least ten minutes before turning off the power. Fog fluid is a water-glycol based liquid and when it dries it can be very sticky. Keeping the unit on allows all of the unused liquid that has been pumped to the heat exchanger to fully "burn" off prevent the inside components from gumming up.

However, even when you follow that type of maintenance procedure there is still the possibility that over time the unit's output of fog might decrease. This is an indication that the unit is becoming clogged and you should stop using your machine as soon as possible. Chauvet recommends the following procedure for their machines:

Cleaning
Cleaning your fog machine regularly will help reduce costly parts replacement and repair charges. After every 40 hours of continuous operation or when the machine will be idle for a long time it is recommended to run a cleaning solution composed of 80% distilled water and 20% white vinegar through the system to prevent the accumulation of particles in the heating element.

1. While unit is unplugged and cool, unscrew nozzle at very front of unit (fig.1) and clean out debris
with white vinegar and a pipe cleaner, making sure that the hole is free and unobstructed.
2. Empty all fog fluid from the machine and replace with cleaning solution in the tank. Plug unit in
and allow to warm as usual.
3. Run unit in a well ventilated area until tank is empty.
4. Replace nozzle.
5. Cleaning is now complete. Unplug and refill with a quality water based fog fluid once cool.

All fog machines are prone to clogging due to the consistency of fog fluid and the high temperatures at which it vaporizes. However a well maintained machine should provide years of reliable use. The body of the unit may be cleaned with a dry cloth. Store dry.

I have seen other variations of the solution that you could use, but the one above is the solution I used on my cheaper machine. I think that since I preformed the above procedure at the first sign of lowered output I prevented my machine from being useless. It is highly recommended to never, ever use commercial fog cleaner. I have read a lot of anecdotal evidence that these solutions do more harm than good. Even if the manufacturer states to only use their cleaning solution I recommend that you use a water and vinegar solution instead. Additionally, I want to point out that many people feel it is not necessary to store your unit dry. The distributor I bought my machine from as well as many fog enthusiasts agree that if you are following a regular test schedule or a regular usage schedule, that storing the unit with fluid left in the reservoir might actually prevent some of the gaskets in the machine from drying out. However, it should be noted that for users that do not do regular tests there is evidence that suggests that leaving a unit dry can crack the gaskets and seals, and leaving it wet can gum up the gaskets and seals. In other words, it is best to just take 15 minutes once a month and run your machine. That may seem like a chore, but from my experience it is easier to remember to play with your fog machine once a month that it is to change the filter in your furnace once a month.

By following this maintenance and cleaning advice your fog machine should last you well over 10 years. Of course when I say that I am referring to moderate to high end machines. I would rather spend upwards of $250 for a moderately priced machine that will last 10+ years, than spend $50 for a machine at Wal-Mart that might last 2 years.