# Upgrading my fogger - advice?



## Prydonian (Nov 10, 2009)

Hello! Long-time lurker, but rare poster...

I've been using the same easy-to-find Halloween store ground foggers for years, with mixed results and lots of replacing. It's long past time I upgraded to something a little more reliable and, hopefully, effective. I'm completely ignorant about my next step, unfortunately! I've been reading through old threads, but there's a lot of information... Could you nice folks help me out?

I'm looking for a fair amount of output... nothing warehouse-sized, but a lot more than what I get with the store-bought machines. Twice as much, perhaps? I usually use two of those foggers strategically placed to cover the area I need... I'd love to have just one, but since it's an outdoor space I'm guessing that getting a uniform ground cover from one machine is implausible. 

My biggest concern is the chiller... From what I've been reading, building your own seems to be the preferred method rather than buying a machine with its own compartment, is that right? I'm concerned about size. Because of the way my set-up is designed, I'd ideally need to fit both fogger and chiller in a relatively small space. I have boxes about 3' long x 2' wide x 1.5' tall that I use to conceal them... I can imagine using a long, shallow plastic tub, perhaps?

I'd really appreciate any advice you could offer! Models of fogger, chiller construction and sourcing info... Anything and everything! I have much to learn...

Thanks, everyone!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

The brands most often recommended here are Chauvet, Martin, VEI, and American DJ. Several people (myself included) have also successfully used the inexpensive Party City foggers for years, so sometimes it seems to be the luck of the draw on how long they last. Even the reputable brands occasionally have problems.

Here's one thread to read through which discusses output:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=28219

Chillers can be made out of trash cans or styrofoam shipping containers, so putting something together that fits the space you have shouldn't be a problem.


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## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

What's your budget?


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Hippofeet said:


> What's your budget?


You thinking swamp creeper? 
Sounds like it would suit his needs perfectly.


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## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

Lol, well, it would fit it in that space, but he didn't want an attached chiller, so I was thinking more along the lines of wattage. I'm familiar enough now that I can give recommendations based on wattage, even for some other brands, along with a good idea of chiller size for that wattage. And wattage equals price, pretty much.


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## Prydonian (Nov 10, 2009)

Thanks for the replies, guys! I really appreciate it.

As for price range, well, I'm trying not to worry too much about that right now - I'd rather figure out the best machine for my needs and then see if I can afford it, but realistically my budget for this season will probably be about $200. That said, I'd rather save up and buy it for next year rather than risk settling for something I'll end up being disappointed with. 

As for the chiller, it's not so much that I don't want an attached one, I just noticed that everyone seems to build their own and assumed that must be the most reliable approach! I'd honestly prefer an attached one just because I have so little time to learn something new right now and I'm a bit worried about the effort required to build one. I see words like "vortex," and "wire channel," and I realize there's a lot to know... 

Swamp Creeper, you say? I am intrigued...


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

http://www.halloweenfxprops.com/swamp-creeper-3000-watt-continuous-low-lying-ground-fog-machine/

Almost got it this past summer, but decided on the powerblast without the chiller instead for we found it suited my needs better.

BIGANT posted a video of his Swamp Creeper in action.
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=35516
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=36073

Hippofeet's foggers are no joke. I highly recommend them based on the one I purchased.

:cheers:


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## easycraig (Aug 30, 2011)

i bought a chauvet 1300 (on ebay cheap) and was quite pleased so i bought a second...

i have a couple different chillers i use with the 1300.... hear are a couple videos also if you want to take a look.

good luck ! ec

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=28312&highlight=fogger+chiller


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## mudbugntx (Oct 7, 2013)

I also use a Chauvet 1300 for my ground fogger. You cannot beat them for $149 bucks. I do not have a video of my fogger in action but it works like a charm. Here are the pictures. Just scroll down on page 1 until you see my username.

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=34661


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## facatdj (Sep 26, 2013)

The American Dj Mister Kool sells well in Los Angeles. It has a chamber for regular ice
and a bag to retain the evaporated ice water. Make sure to use FROGGYS or LA SMOG fog juice to ensure a thick low lying fog. Here is a demo from B2lightingefx.


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## facatdj (Sep 26, 2013)

facatdj said:


> The American Dj Mister Kool sells well in Los Angeles. It has a chamber for regular ice
> and a bag to retain the evaporated ice water. Make sure to use FROGGYS or LA SMOG fog juice to ensure a thick low lying fog. Here is a demo from B2lightingefx.
> 
> Review American DJ Mister Kool Low Lying Fog Machine cool dj fogger effect - YouTube


 Give Mike a call and see how much he wants for them, he usually ships free UPS and ships fast.


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## mudbugntx (Oct 7, 2013)

One thing I forgot to mention. If you get a ground fogger you cannot run any props with it. It can only be used as a ground fogger. If you get a regular fogger you will be able to connect a prop or a chiller to it. The choice is up to you. I prefer the versatility of a regular fogger.

Here are a couple videos from youtube.


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## Fright Zone (Sep 28, 2006)

That's a fun dea using two outlets

To be honest with you. Depending on the area you -really- need to cover and not smoke out the neighborhood. The 400W Gemmy's they sell at Walmart (have really gone up in price over the years but sell out fast $30 or $40 I think - they have a hand-held remote these days) with the $10 fog juice they sell produces thick white fog. I have two of them from 2006 and 07 that still work.

It's what I used with my 48qt Coleman Cube (I was the one who figured out to use the Coleman - a similar size and shape to the real Vortex product) the ghostsofhallowen small trash can with drier duct and ice dumped inside. It'll work in small yard/area. Just look at my youtube channel link below and look at the Fog Chiller playlist for proof. I loved 'em. Gemmy makes good stuff. Don't be fooled by them being sold at Wallyworld. Let's face it. They ain't cheap no more.

The fog won't always by ground rolling movie fog. BUT it will linger longer than straight out of the fogger to provide atmosphere. 

For kicks check out one of my most viewed videos on my youtube home page of a Gemmy ground fogger. It worked perfectly once. BUT the ice tray is way too small. So I took it back and made the chillers. In any event it's beautiful in that one video on a covered porch.

btw a styrofoam box or cooler may work OK for a 2hr Trick-or-Treat. but the fog will eat the the styrofoam. so I don't recommend it. And there's nothing to the fact a cooler works other than the shape and size. The insulation it has really doesn't matter. Just fyi. fwiw.

Since we put up our vids in 2007 btw there's about 200 now. There are one's that use small containers if you can slog thru them.. 

You'll figure it out. Just have fun. DIY is all about personalizing it


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## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

I can't see a reason why you can't use a ground fogger as a regular fogger. Just don't put any ice in it. The fogger itself does nothing to change the way the fog is made in any way. The outlets are usually rectangular rather than round, which can be a bit of a hassle to adapt to a hose, but if you can snip some tin and pop rivet, it's not too big a deal.


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