# Fog machine horrors!



## monty1269 (Sep 24, 2008)

Imagine the horror.

Here's the set-up... A year ago, you patiently and carefully flushed, cleaned, and carressed your beloved fog machine collection. (lets just say there's 8 of them).. you cleaned them like a mad scientist... friends, neighbors wondering what was the obsession?? An occasional evil cackle bursts from deep within, knowing what would be in store for the little-ones next year... <insert evil laughter> Box after box.... carefully placing them in the best air conditioned, climate controlled location you own. 
throughout the year you sat in a chair carefully placed in front of them; sipping on a nice beverage planning your next assault on the senses.... Oh, the imagination runs wild! <more evil laughter>

Now... you notice there's a sudden chill in the air... IT IS TIME....

The mad scientist within, pushes through common sense... evil grins, wild laughter abound as you gather the boxes containing your fogging beasts... you double check to see if any one is around... the coast is clear. The garage door is shut. The houshold cat is looking at you a little differently today... head slightly tilted, letting out a very low quite tone that she knows exactly what is coming........ Tail whipping, the cat gets excited; anxiously awaiting to crawl into the pile of opened cardboard boxes... Without speaking a word, there is conversation.... a blink of an eye... twitch of the tail... It has begun. The releasing of the beasts!!

Laughing and cackling in your mad-scientist way, you carefully open each box... pulling out each fog machine and connecting them to their power source.... each one recieves a timer that you also lovingly packed away. There they are..... you sit in awe... waiting for the magic moment.

OH!! what's that?? .... a little tiny puff from the snout of a beast?? You quietly wait for another................ OH! there's one!! ...That evil grin creeps across your face...... all the lights on the timers are lit... The beasts are "ready"..... One by one you excitingly press the accuator to bring the beasts to life!!!!! <crazy scientists laughter>.......

Kitty: ........uuummmmm........
Mad Scientist: <crazy scientists laughter>.......

Kitty: ........uuummmmm........
Mad Scientist: <scientists laughter>.......

Kitty: ........uuummmmm........
Mad Scientist: <silence>.......

Kitty: ........uuummmmm........ aaaawww [email protected]
Mad Scientist: <looking at kitty>

Kitty: <looking at mad-man>

Kitty: <looking at confused-man>

Kitty: <looking at confused-mad-man>

Mad Scientist: <unlpugging POS fog machines and grabbing a beer out of the fridge.>

Tonight......... we drink.

Yes, I cleaned them all before storage... yes...yes..did that...yep, did that too... took them all apart..yep..... blah blah blah. 
In the end.... ya get what ya pay for. ONE out of SIX 400W fog machines work. TWO of the 100W fog machines failed... So... out of 8 fog machines, (Target, Party City, wherever)...I've got ONE 400W Target fogger spitting out MAYBE 1/8th of what it did last year.

BTW - Last year I installed new pumps in 4 of these.... Doing it all over again, just doesnt seem worth the time/effort. <sigh>

-crying Mad scientist.

PS - Did I tell ya'll that I picked up a Rosco Delta Hazer for $85 !! LOL!! Hope is not lost my friends! Keep haunting!


----------



## Creeper (Nov 7, 2008)

You've got me concerned about my cheap-o foggers. Great post!


----------



## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

I never clean mine and leave fluid in them and they all work even one that hasn't been used in 3 years.I have 1 400 watt 1 lowground fogger(the hasn't been used in 3 years I always test it anyways)and a 700 watt one.


----------



## spinwitch (Jun 14, 2009)

The people at Froggy Fog suggest cleaning them and then putting about a half cup of fog fluid in them before storing. 

I keep *meaning* to clean ours but never do, and they (usually) keep working. It really doesn't seem to make a difference.


----------



## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

Maybe mine is use to not being cleaned my luck if I cleaned it wouldn't work.


----------



## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

No cleaning, still working...


----------



## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

buy a new one and bring back the old one in the new box, and get a replacement - call it "punishment for them selling junk foggers"


----------



## grim reaper (Aug 18, 2005)

mines been fine for 4 years when not in use it just sits in the shed sometimes with juice sometimes without and it still works fine, if i where you i'd do what nick G said and get a replacement.


----------



## monty1269 (Sep 24, 2008)

bingo.


----------



## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

Fired up a spenceres cheap-o the other night after sitting in storage for 2 years with fluid. It got turned on its side within the last month or so and was covered in fog juice, but wiped it down filled up and fired right up.

My Chauvet 1700 is still down due to trying to adjust the thermostat


----------



## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

Umm, I should probably get mine out tonight and make sure they work, meant to last week and totallly slipped my mind. I do clean mine each year, then add small amount of juice for storage so seals to dry out, and generally have had to problems except with nozzles plugging up a little bit. Good luck to you and all your foggers.


----------



## monty1269 (Sep 24, 2008)

swap the guts.....


----------



## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

We have a 4yr old Menards cheapy going strong, and a brand new cheapy Menards ground fogger bought on clearance last year that won't even answer his first curtain call. It won't do a thing. We may be trying NickG's suggestion as well.


----------



## Zombies R Us (Jul 9, 2009)

Got a Wal Mart fogger, six years old, never cleaned it, not once. Store it with fog juice in it and it fires up fine each year after sitting in the damp basement in its original box. Don't know why this works, just grateful it does. Sorry to hear about your troubles.


----------



## Severin (Aug 5, 2007)

Same here. 4 foggers, never cleaned, all stored with fluid, all working. One is going on 10 years old. 

In almost every thread I've read about broken foggers, cleaning seems to be a constant.


----------

