# Help needed with ground fog machine..not working



## sammysmithazt

I'm hoping you guys might be able to give me some insight. I recently purchased a Techno Ground Fog Machine from Party City and it isnt working.
I have owned many fog machines but this one has some parts that I dont recognize and there is no mention of them in the instructions.

I have some pics was hoping someone could enlighten me.

The fog machine heats up but only a small bit of fog is coming out of the side vents and not the actual opening.

Any thoughts?

This is the machine



















This is the front where the fog should be coming out of but isnt










There is a lid that can be opened on the top....I have never seen anything like this and cant figure out what it is for. There is no mention of it or its use in the instructions.










And even stranger is this tubing coming out of the back and a plastic bag that can attach to it....what the heck is this?










And since the fog isnt coming out (except for the small bit from the side vents) I must be doing something wrong.

Can anyone help me out?

It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Sammie


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## sammysmithazt

oops, didnt see an edit button but this is the pic of the back tubing and plastic bag


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## Brad Green

The insulated chamber is an ice recepticle for chilling the fog, the attached hose and bag is for the water run off from the melting ice if you are using the fogger indoors. Seems to me, even without ice in the tray, it should be making fog, might be a clogged nozzle.


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## Vlad

Sammy, The first thing that comes to mind is if it was recently purchased, take it back and exchange it for another one that works.


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## sammysmithazt

thanks guys. The trap door seemed right for ice but I was confused about the ice melting in the machine and assumed I must be wrong about the ice.
Now that you point out the bag being used for the melted ice, it all makes sense.

Since it is new, I will exchange it.....but I'm concerned about the machine being a dud. Makes me wonder about the brand itself.
Hopefully they will have another brand to choose from.

I appreciate the feedback.


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## Texan78

Take it back that fogger is crap and don't work worth a damn. Get you at least a 700 watt fogger and build a chiller. You will get much better results.


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## jayquik03

I'm guessing since you've owned fog machines that you have added enough fog liquid into the bottle. Anyways I thought I would let you know that I bought this machine at party city yesterday same exact one and it works great. I came across this forum looking for the answer to what the bag and tube are for and thanks to brad I now know. Except I do still have a couple questions if anyone could help me out.

Why would you chill the fog? Does it help it stay low to the ground?
Is this chamber for regular ice or dry ice? 
Would you recommend putting ice inside? If so how many cubes if it's regular ice you are to use?

Thanks again guys  Have a great Halloween cant wait to use my fog machine tonight!


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## Sunkenbier

jayquik03 said:


> Why would you chill the fog? Does it help it stay low to the ground?
> Is this chamber for regular ice or dry ice?
> Would you recommend putting ice inside? If so how many cubes if it's regular ice you are to use?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, chilling the fog makes it stay low to the ground. The chamber should be for regular ice. Dry ice turns from a solid to a gas form when it melts so would not require the bag for drain off.
Click to expand...


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## Hammerhead

Make sure the pickup tube in the reservoir is down in the liquid. These units don't work too well though.


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## shaddie

Hammerhead said:


> Make sure the pickup tube in the reservoir is down in the liquid. These units don't work too well though.


i have the same fogger kinda looks just like it but came in a different box and got it from spirit.
im trying to decide if froggys fog juice would help me get thicker fog or if nothing can help with it and its just a peice of junk. i need to know really soon. takes 2 days for shipment and need to talk my dad into buying it. its not broken works fine just doesnt let out a lot of fog with the timer. im thinking its just because we are using the fog juice from spirit. and just in case we ever buy another fogger what is a good one for our front yard its not huge and we dont want to spend to much on it.


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## Hammerhead

I have a similar machine that was only smoking just a bit and not coming out the front as its supposed to. The tube at the bottom of the tank going to the pump was clogged. I pulled the tube off and pushe the litlle mesh screen out of the tube, cleaned both and reinstalled. . SO after cleaning I ran it with the top off and it fogged great. I put the lid back on and it was marginal again. I took out the ice tray and drilled a 1 inch hole through the front of the unit just above the factory outlet. I put in a short piece of 1 inch copper tube and pushed it over the original nozzle. This did not work and just by accident I pulled the tube away from the spray orifice about a half inch and now it smokes like a train. I guess this machine has to be able to pull air in with the mixture in order to ignite properly. Anyway, it changed it from a hohum machine it to a nice little fogger. It works better this way than the original but I did away witht the cooling tray which as far as I am concerned never was a good opperation anyway.This may be common knowledge to some of you but it saved me from pitching it in the trash. Happy Holloween!


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## Prydonian

Hi! I'm new here... hello to all!

I'm having trouble with the same model low-lying fog machines. I have two, and they worked like a charm last year, then this year they're suddenly having issues. From what I can determine, the pump to bring in the fog juice is broken on one, and the heater is only sporadically working on the other. 

From what I'm reading, these aren't the most reliable machines, and I'm not entirely satisfied with their output when they are working. So I'm looking to upgrade for next year... 

I was wondering what everyone would reccommend? I'd like to get something more professional, but I need them to be relatively affordable, as well as relatively small... they can probably only be about twice as large as my existing ones to work where I need them. I've alse read about using dry ice instead of an ice reservoir... is that the ideal solution? Replacing the ice every twenty minutes in that tiny little ice tray is an enormous hassle. 

Thanks for any help, folks! 

Andy


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## rottincorps

I bought the same P.O.S....Two years ago.... and haven't been able to sell it at the last 5 garage sale. I tried this out after buying it and never worked and was unable to return it,....I here that they make great wheel chalks.


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## gtr47

*Techno fog machine*

I had the same problem and same symptoms. If you are mechanically inclined you can repair this at home. UN-plug the unit first. Remove the cover and the filter from the intake line. Cut the tye wrap on the intake side of the pump. Use a wrench and unscrew the fitting attaching the small copper discharge line from the pump. This pump like all the small micro pumps is basically a coil wrapped around a piston. Use a wrench to unscrew the body of the pump from the shell. It is very tight and has standard right hand threads. As you are unscrewing the body push the suction side (the barbed fitting) of the body outwards. When it is out lay the unit on a paper towel. The whole thing is a series of o-rings and springs. Carefully pull it apart taking note of the layout, take pictures if needed. Clean all of the o-rings and the inside of the body ( I used q-tips ). LIGHTLY lubricate with olive oil (it will not gum up like other oils ). Reassemble the body, be aware that the rubber stopper and spring on the discharge of the pump is a check valve, if you put it wrong it will push fluid instead of pump. Put everything back together and you're in business.

I had to fix both of mine after a poor performance during Halloween.


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## daBOOhouse

I have one of these and for the first half hour or so, it worked pretty good. But then, I noticed it wasn't doing much and when I checked it, the lights were on as were the switches but nothing but cool air was coming out. I shut it down and put it aside. As I was cleaning my other fogger and getting it storagable, I tried this one out. It heated up, I hit the switch and it pumped out about 5 seconds of fog and stopped. I heard the fan running and felt the air exiting the nozzle and the lights and switches were in the correct orientation but nothing. Anyone familiar with this fogger enough to know if there is a circuit that limits how long the pump is on? I see a circuit board in the unit. When it worked, it worked good. Though the ice sure goes quick... I don't think it's the pump or the pickup since it works and I hear the pump turn on and shut off.
Anyway. Thanks for the assist!


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## Digger

I got one too and it works great!!The fog was no higher than 6 to 8 inches off the ground!!Thats when you got ice in it.I'm happy with mine.Take it back and get a new one that works,you'll be happy!!


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## Lunatic

This is an older thread so it may not matter what I think.

I've seen those machines and I'm sure when they work it performs alright but the ice chamber simply isn't big enough to keep ice in it very long without melting. I have used cheaper 700 watt units and also more expensive units and have never had a major problem with the nozzles clogging. It is a very good idea before storing the unit to empty it and run some water through it to flush it out and clean the nozzle. 

Also, In my opinion, building a cheap fog chiller will perform the best because it holds plenty of ice. When I say ice I mean regular ice cubes.

I used to use dry ice pellets in hot water to produce awesome ground hugging fog but the dry ice dissolves pretty quickly and the effect lasts for only 5-10 minues or so. It's my favorite type of fog but lots of work to keep the effect going...not to mention expensive. Though I would use it under the right application.

There are plenty of discussion threads on building a good chiller. The best ones appear to work well with an insulated box like a cooler. Try reading the "Vortex Manual" thread... it's a long one though. There are other good threads, too.


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## Vlad

Yes it's an old thread, but I still have my machines and they work great. It's been found that even slowing down fog as it exits a machine will keep it lower to some extent, and these machines with their wide outlets do just that. When using the fog chilling feature, it is a machine that needs to be within reach for constant ice filling, but it works very very well.
On a different note, common opinion, and most manufacturers DO NOT suggest that you run the machine dry before storage, always keep it filled with fluid to keep the seals and o-rings lubricated. Also it is not a good idea to run plain water through it. If at all use distilled water so that calcium and other mineral deposits found in regular tap water aren't left behind to clog the heating unit and nozzle. There are cleaning fluids sold for such a purpose, and it's suggested they NOT be used till you notice diminished performance from your fogger.


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## Lunatic

Excellent point Vlad. Using distilled water is best. I too have read opinions about running dry and also leaving the fluid in it. I'm on the fence but would agree that leaving the fluid in it to lubricate the seals makes sense. I've had my foggers for years and never have a problem though. 

I've also heard that the glycol as it ages can clog the nozzle and thats why I run water through it. However, as a chemist that has worked with glycols for years I've never seen glycol get sludgy at room temp. But on the third hand I'm not sure what changes it goes through other than evaporating when it's heated. Does it get sludgy to clog the nozzle...I wouldn't think so. Thanks.


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## KabanaKim

*Ground Fogger*

I'm hoping some of you are still available....I bought the Ground Fogger a few years ago at season end clearance and never opened it until now...not only does it not work, but it's missing the remote timer. My question, will it even work without the remote timer? Thanks. Kim :devil:


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## BioHazardCustoms

It will not work without the remote timer or the controller that plugs into the back. Even then, it won't work great.


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