Fog Chillers

[caniac]

found a write up on one here that uses a igloo cooler, pvc in, pvc out, with a wire mesh tube in the middle.  has anyone used this design?  does the pvc have to be black (is there a reason it is the black stuff and not white (white is cheaper))?

[Ken Benedict]

Unless you protect the bottom of the Igloo cooler, the cold will crack it and eventually destroy it.

[Orville]

Unless you protect the bottom of the Igloo cooler, the cold will crack it and eventually destroy it.

Only if you use dry ice will that happen.  If you're using a fog chiller and bagged ice or standard freezer ice cubes in the chiller, it won't crack the cooler.  I've never had a cooler crack using regular water ice, dry ice, however is a different thing all together.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Orville

[Orville]

found a write up on one here that uses a igloo cooler, pvc in, pvc out, with a wire mesh tube in the middle.  has anyone used this design?  does the pvc have to be black (is there a reason it is the black stuff and not white (white is cheaper))?

The black is UV resistant and seems to be a bit hardier when used with cold, too cold or too hot or long term exposure to sunlight and the white pvc can crack and become brittle.   Just seems the black is a lot hardier and more prone to last a bit longer as opposed to the white.  However, you CAN paint the white PVC with UV paint and make it a bit hardier, but may be cheaper just to buy it in UV black.

 

I've been thinking of converting a large Igloo cooler I have as a fog chiller and been looking into the differences between the white and black pvc, the guy in the pvc department definitely recommended black, especially if the cooler may be out in direct sunlight and due to using extreme cold around the pvc.  

 

So I'm just going on the recommendation of the folks working in the pvc dept., take it for what it may be worth.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Orville

[Shubb]

I made mine out of 1 1/2" Copper Pipe.  The copper transfers cold far better than PVC.  So much that the 6 inches or so that stick out of the cooler was still very cold.

 

Scott

[kiplorenzo]

You can google "how to build your own Dry Ice fog Machine" and you can get plans if you want the dry Ice route. The other option which I owns is an ANtari fogger with built in Chill chamber. Unit is made of metal so I mix dry Ice and regular ice.

Not bad for a chilled hot fogger, but nothing surpasses dry ice and hot boiling water.

[Ken Benedict]

Only if you use dry ice will that happen.  If you're using a fog chiller and bagged ice or standard freezer ice cubes in the chiller, it won't crack the cooler.  I've never had a cooler crack using regular water ice, dry ice, however is a different thing all together.

 

Yes, I was assuming dry ice, but I should have spelled it out.

[caniac]

not using dry ice, plan on just a 20lb+ bag in the igloo.  From everything I read it will last longer and is cheaper than dry ice.  The other big question is the instructions call for using a 4" hole saw to cut a hole in the side of the cooler but all the pvc is 3", isn't that overkill?  Why would you not use a 3 1/2 inch hole saw?

btw, I already have the fog machines.  Two Chauvet Hurricane 1300's.

[amtrak115]

I built one last year.  basically it was a vortex fox chiller built to look like a tombstone.  box is basically 2" foam from Lowes, with grate inside to hold the ice up.  A pvc pipe feeds the fog in from the rear, The fog comes out 4 slots i cut in the base of the "ice box".  It work really well last year.  I have an album with some photos...

 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/109768302093346378779/albums/5794524674278456193/5801879954012891922

 

I also shot some daylight video the day after Halloween before I picked up the tombstones.

 

https://vimeo.com/52348536

 

it's based on one built by .....can't remember his website...but his youtube handle is skaustin.

 

anyway...

 

later

 

Barry

found the link that my fog chiller was base on..."the Haunting Grounds"

 

http://thehauntinggrounds.com/2010/halloween-props/celtic-cross-fog-chiller/

[Shubb]

Looks like it was a little windy when you took the video.  When I ran my fogger with chiller the fog stayed very thick and stayed about 6" above the ground.  It took about 30 seconds to go 30 feet to the siewalk.

 

Ice is far cheaper and easier to get than dry ice, but it will not last longer.  I used a cheap fogger and the pipe got about 105 degrees on the inlet.  The first attempt melted a 25lb bag of ice in under 2 hours.  20lb of dry ice lasted all night nd then some.

[CLD Kevin]

I built a new version chillier last year. I used one of those cheap-o fog machine from like Party City. Plan to replace with Chauvet. I made the chiller from large plastic igloo cooler. I used dry ice (med block) and surrounded it with reg ice. The dry ice super froze the reg ice. Last all night. I set the fog machine on top of the cooler and added 2" PVC from the outlet of the fogger to the side bottom of the cooler. I had a grate about 2" above the bottom of the cooler so the ice kinda hovered over where the fog enter the cooler. Last year I had no grate and the fog burn a hole right though the ice. Now the fog raises through the ice, chills and exits out a 3" PVC pipe on the opposite side of the entrance. I also used some weather sealer between the lid and cooler so no fog escapes.

Then I bought a ventilator with hose from Harbor Freight. The kind you see utility works use for manholes. I have one for work but way too powerful. The HF one has lower speed. I set the fog machine/chiller way back, put the ventilator in front of the chiller exit and ran the hose to the rear of my lawn. I had both the fog machine and ventilator connected to one of my LOR controllers via switch. I would have the fog machine kick on about 5 sec before the ventilator and it would blow all the fog onto my lawn where I had all the tombstones and pumpkins. The fog would lay low and cover my whole lawn because the ventilator would push it. Worked out nice. Only thing that sucked was the cheap-o fog machine. It would only burst for 30 secs then would have to wait for 1 min to run again. The better ones have longer burst and shorter wait time. Have 2 of them and go back and forth for some serious fog.

I know pictures would be better if I can dig it out.

Edited April 19, 2013 by CLD Kevin

[amtrak115]

Looks like it was a little windy when you took the video.  When I ran my fogger with chiller the fog stayed very thick and stayed about 6" above the ground.  It took about 30 seconds to go 30 feet to the siewalk.

 

Ice is far cheaper and easier to get than dry ice, but it will not last longer.  I used a cheap fogger and the pipe got about 105 degrees on the inlet.  The first attempt melted a 25lb bag of ice in under 2 hours.  20lb of dry ice lasted all night nd then some.

 not only was it windy, but I only had a little bit of ice left over so I was using what I had.  I put two big bags of ice and the fog stayed low, and the ice lasted about 3/4 hours. (Of course it was a little cool that night)

[scubado]

I been using similar to Kevin.  I run a 3" pipe through the cooler.  The section of pipe that's in the cooler, the top of the pipe is sliced up to allow ice to drop in pipe and force the fog to work through the ice.

 

You might as well get the black pipe, usually you want the pipe black anyhow so it don't stand out like a sore thumb.  I also use cheap black spray paint to paint the cooler.

 

The new flowerbed I'm building will have built in pipe for a fog machine.  I'm hoping to have the bed done in a month. Weather has been crappy around here and starting Sunday, I'll be in Boulder for two weeks of training.

[Torqumada286]

I made one last year out of an igloo cooler and dryer vent hose.  It worked very well for me.

 

Torqumada