Cooler/dryer duct fog chiller?

Beepem · #1 08-13-2006

i dont have money to buy 10' of 3" PVC this year to make a fog chiller with, so i was thinking about going with a foam cooler box thing and drwer vent. I could use a foot or so of smaller PVC and use reducers(enlargers in this case i guess) to get it to be the width of the metal dryer duct tubing. that would be put inside the box, as much as i can fit i guess. then add all the ice inside the box. and crank it up.

or...

i could take plastic tubing as that would fit over the nozzle on my fogger and use that instead of dryer duct.

would either work and which would be better?

Torgen · #2 08-13-2006

Watch out that the fog doesn't melt that styro cooler! Try using a length of 4" black irrigation pipe. It's cheap at Lowes/Home Depot. Then, just slide frozen water bottles down the pipe.

roadkill · #3 08-13-2006

Beepem - if you have the dryer vent tubing on hand then use that. Since you will not be using the ice in direct contact with the fog I would suggest you add salt to your ice. It will lower the overall temp considerably and have a better affect on your fog.

The only other thing I can suggest is to coil (loosely) the dryer vent tubing so you get as much time through your chiller as possible.

What Torgen said is right - too. Keep your fogger at a distance from the foam cooler as the heat from the unit AND the fog can melt the styro cooler. Try using about 1 foot of 1 1/2 " PVC (if you can scrounge some up) as a way to direct your fog into the chiller.

Also be sure you put the salted ice all around your dryer vent - start with a layer of ice, tubing, then more ice/salt. You will probably need to add ice over the night but not much. You should come up with some pretty cold, and low-lying fog in the end. Make sure you test first and also watch where the wind is coming from.

I was also given a great suggestion on another email list. Please wet or mist the ground and concrete where this fog will travel. It will have a great impact on the creeping cold fog as well.

Bone Dancer · #4 08-14-2006

I was also given a great suggestion on another email list. Please wet or mist the ground and concrete where this fog will travel. It will have a great impact on the creeping cold fog as well.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Roadkill, I had not heard of doing that before. Every little bit helps, thanks again.

mrklaw · #5 08-14-2006

Look at thrift stores for an inexpensive cooler! I got mine for a couple of dollars at a local Deseret Industries (like a Goodwill or Salvation Army type store)

drbrandon73 · #6 08-14-2006

what advantage does the 10 feet of pvc have over dryer vent? Seems like the dry vent would conduct heat out of the fog better than potentially insulating PVC.

roadkill · #7 08-14-2006

There are some who insist that the corrugated surface of the dryer vent tubing will cause dispersion of your fog whereas the PVC does no such thing and you get the full effect of the fog.

I say use what you have, and use what works for you. If dryer vent tubing is on-hand then go for it. The shiny surface will have very littlle to do with any heat dissipation. The PVC isn't really insulating anything either since, in most chillers, the PVC is only the means to enter and exit the chill chamber but not running throughout.

Then again if you go with the single tube chiller as suggested (the 4" PVC drain-pipe with an end-cap) you are running your fog entirely inside the PVC.

Beepem · #8 08-15-2006

the dryer vent stuff i do have so I'l go with it. i wanna test it soon though...i need water bottles!

Beepem · #9 08-25-2006

i tested it today, I think i need more dryer vent and more waterbottles. it worked but not enough to satisfy me

Dr Morbius · #10 08-25-2006

Beepem, the waterbottles shouldn't be used INSIDE a dryer vent. Those should be used with Straight in-line PVC setups. Use ice/salt AROUND the outside of the dryer vent and let the fog go through the dryer vent hose unobsructed.