# How do I tell what kind of fog my fogger uses?



## Mubo (Apr 16, 2011)

I have a Omnisistem Skull Fogger f-80hb. I got it off a friend and i need to know what type of fog it uses.


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## BillESC (Apr 16, 2011)

Any water based fog fluid will work.


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## Mubo (Apr 16, 2011)

Thanks. I also have another question. Is it possible to use water based low lying fog juice for this machine?


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## DuckJordan (Apr 16, 2011)

Mubo said:


> Thanks. I also have another question. Is it possible to use water based low lying fog juice for this machine?


 
I wouldn't try it unless the machine is expendable, Not sure if there is really a difference since for low lying it generally requires use of a cooling system to keep the fog low. My guess is its a more potent solution than regular water based. 

But again I wouldn't try it unless you don't need the machine to work again.


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## Mubo (Apr 16, 2011)

ok. is there any kind of fluid that is close to low-lying that i can use?


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## derekleffew (Apr 16, 2011)

BillESC said:


> Any water based fog fluid will work.


While this may be true for the $60 Omnisistem Skull Fogger f-80hb, for more expensive machines most will say use only fluid recommended by the manufacturer.

There's really no such thing as "low lying fog juice", as output of this type of machine will always rise unless cooled by an external force.


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## Mubo (Apr 16, 2011)

Is there a way to cool it somehow?


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## MarshallPope (Apr 17, 2011)

The easiest, cheapest way is to build a fog chiller that works using ice. I like to use a 10' or so piece of 4" PVC filled with ice, fed by a 1' or so piece of 2" PVC between the fogger and the 4" pipe, with a coupler connecting the 1" and the 4" and a "T" between the chiller and the machine, to allow for pressure relief. There are also many people who will build a similar critter using a foam ice chest. Do a forum search for "fog chillers." There are also many super-cheap ways to do this on various Halloween home-haunting websites. Here is my favorite: Monster Page of Halloween Project Links


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## venuetech (Apr 17, 2011)

I made an effective chiller out of a 5 gallon bucket 
A muffin fan and hose attached to the lid
a hardware cloth shelf about half way up (supported by round hardware cloth legs)
a hole in the side of the bucket about one third of the way up.
a hardware cloth stand off for the fog machine/side hole. 6-8"

the basic principal is that the fan sucks the fog through the ice, cooling it.

the hole in the side needs to be high enough that when all the ice melts the water does not overflow, but collects in the bottom of the bucket. 

I also built a small platform to get the fog machine in alignment with the side hole

load the top with ice and you are set to go.

make sure the fan and the fog machine are grounded.


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## Les (Apr 17, 2011)

Makes one wonder if you could repurpose an office water cooler to perform a similar task, running fog through the lines instead of water. 

Potential Issues:
-Fog quickly passing through may not have time to cool adequately.
-System may overheat from lack of water in the lines and frequent compressor on/off cycles.
-Ambient heat from the unit (negligible).


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## DuckJordan (Apr 17, 2011)

Les said:


> Makes one wonder if you could repurpose an office water cooler to perform a similar task, running fog through the lines instead of water.
> 
> Potential Issues:
> -Fog quickly passing through may not have time to cool adequately.
> ...


 
Great idea but the lines in an office water cooler just aren't big enough for any large volume of fog. It would work great for a really small effect. Me and a friend used an old freezer with two holes cut in it with a 3" copper pipe winding through it (ended up being about 4' in length inside the cooler with the bends) made very cold fog that sat less than an inch above the grass in 50*F temperature.


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## josh88 (Apr 22, 2011)

for low lying fog, glaciators rock. Had one on campus, not sure who made it or where it even came from but it was great used it for lots of shows. Hooray heavy fog

Product - Jem Glaciator X-Stream™


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## StewTech (May 3, 2011)

DuckJordan said:


> I wouldn't try it unless the machine is expendable, Not sure if there is really a difference since for low lying it generally requires use of a cooling system to keep the fog low. My guess is its a more potent solution than regular water based.
> 
> But again I wouldn't try it unless you don't need the machine to work again.



The low-lying stuff is junky. It will gunk up the pump if you don't clean it after each use.

However, the Molecular Fog Juice is great. If you use that and cool it, you will have the same effect as dry ice.


Mubo said:


> ok. is there any kind of fluid that is close to low-lying that i can use?


 
Search "Molecular Fog Juice"


Mubo said:


> Is there a way to cool it somehow?



Yes. While a 5 gallon bucket works well, it's best to use a large trash can. (10-50 gallons) The larger the better!

If you use it properly, it will give you a better effect.


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## Dalamar (May 17, 2011)

First off, to reply to this thread, this fog machine is an OEM from Antari, thus can use the same fluids, provided they are of the same chemical composition as that used in its heating module. In this case, Glycol-base. 



StewTech said:


> The low-lying stuff is junky. It will gunk up the pump if you don't clean it after each use.
> 
> However, the Molecular Fog Juice is great. If you use that and cool it, you will have the same effect as dry ice.



I don't want to contradict StewTech here, but Molecular, low-lying fog juice, or similar products are all Glycol-based an can probably be used in this given machine as most glycol blends are close enough in both boiling and flash points. There are no inherent dangers to the users, the talent or the equipment in experimenting with a low-lying fog product; it will likely yield similar results as a normal fog fluid would, aside from producing a "greyer" and a much faster dissipating fog. 

That said, any and all Glycol will eventually kill any fog machines as they are sugars which, once heated, tend to crystallize and create deposits in the fluid path, and no amount of cleaning can really prevent that: it's the cost of doing business with that type of fogger.


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