Bloody smoke machines ... Grrr ... ideas for repair

[Lasermad]

Ive got two cheap and nasty smoke machines , AKA about £50-£80 each

Both , through lack of use have decided to break themselves in the last month ... Grrr

Both appear to be heating up fine
both appear to still have pump working IE/ little whirring noise when activated

So i am guessing they have been clogged up through abuse .. IE/ getting thrown in the garage
after use without any cleaning etc , sitting for 4 months , used , thrown back in garage etc

Anybody got any magic tips on resussicitaion of them and future cleaning procedures
to ensur it doesnt happen again.

paul

[colouredmirrorball]

There are ways to clean your fog machine, check the manual if you still have those. Try Google if you can't find it, and there are even some Youtube tutorials.

IIRC you need to fill the tank with a mixture of water and vinegar, then press fog until the tank is empty (providing it can unclog it of course). If possible you could also screw off the nozzle and put it in a water and vinegar solution.
I'm not sure if it was vinegar though, other sources might recommend other chemicals, and the amount of vinegar will vary.

This should actually be done every 6-12 months if you use your fogger regularly. Not that I ever did that :P But certainly not a bad idea if you think the output is a bit low.

(I'm not responsible for any broken foggers)

[dilbert]

I've used distilled water & vinegar before on our big foggers with good results - do it outside though as it stinks!

[colouredmirrorball]

I've used distilled water & vinegar before on our big foggers with good results - do it outside though as it stinks!

Yeah I forgot that - use distilled water!
Also the steam will be hotter than regular fog so watch out!

[hobbybob]

I've used distilled water & vinegar before on our big foggers with good results - do it outside though as it stinks!

What amounts do you mix ? 50/50 water/vinegar or different ratios ?

[markmtts]

I've had success running just distilled water through but also with around 25% White (clear) Vinegar to 75% distilled water, although other people I know use up to 50/50 mix. Dispose of any old fog/haze fluid from the tank and then run the mix through the machine. I tend to flush the system again just with distilled water if cleaning with the vinegar/distilled water mix and then immediately run some fresh new fluid through.

Only problem with using vinegar that it obviously introduces acidic content into the fine tubes which isn't ideal but has worked bringing back a few smoke machines and one hazer to life !

Also check any filters on the intake. You can also use a very fine wire brush on the output nozzle where you can get clogging and excess fluid build up but go gently so as not to push junk back up towards the heating block.

Also this method is only for water based hazers / smoke machines eg:Jem/Martin hazer or 'bog standard' smoke machines. Definately wouldn't recommend for crackers (DF50) or hazers such as Le-maitre.

[Stoney3K]

I've always used tap water on my machines, but mind you, that's only possible because the lime content in the tap water over here is next to nothing.

Flushing them out with demineralized water is the easiest solution to remedy clogging, if the clog occurred past the heater the steam pressure will kick it out. If it's in front of the heater (or even worse, in front of the pump), running fluid through it will probably not fix the problem.

[dilbert]

I use about 70% dist water & 30% vinegar then run 1 litre of just dist water through to finish.

What amounts do you mix ? 50/50 water/vinegar or different ratios ?

[norty303]

I find the cheaper machines use a finer bore tube which is more prone to clogging. I had 2 heater blocks clog in a Chauvet machine in the space of 3 months.
My advice is to avoid the cheap and nasty machines and spend a few quid more on something that'll do the job right.

On the subject of foggers, I recently bought a QTX FX1000 2nd hand off ebay for £75 in good nick. I used it on a festival stage (half open on the sides) all weekend and used just over a gallon of fluid. Hazer was running constantly under 50% all night.

My larger fogger would've used over hald a gallon a night under the same circumstances usually. I might see if I can pick up another one because I was well impressed.

[norty303]

I use about 70% dist water & 30% vinegar then run 1 litre of just dist water through to finish.

Wow, so much measurement.

I use 'some' distilled water and 'some' white vinegar when I get round to doing it. I don't think you need to be too exact with it, just the action of doing it will have an impact if it is clogged.