# Low ground fog for your Cemetary



## CROGLINVAMPIRE (Sep 21, 2006)

I think your post is just fine my man, no need to apologize! I'd like to see some pics if you have 'em...curious to see the way you set it up for such success! Just ice down the middle cavity? Or all around? Or did you try both ways...I made my chiller using the big cooler method, it works ok, I think it just doesnt get cold enough in there...


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## RacerX45 (Apr 30, 2008)

I'd like to see pics as well if you have them. I have the same fogger and I'm looking to make a chiller for it. Nice setup BTW!

Randy


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

Spiral the dryer hose around the insides of the trash can, keeping as much space in the middles as you can. Dump the ice in the center and pack around and between the hose as much as you can - I didn't start with gloves, but I damn sure finished wearing my ski gloves. The thin metalized-plastic hose gets real cold real fast. I think the trash can accepted all of the 3 20lb bags I bought at the grocery store. The hose exits out the back Dr. Shiver's Lab into the cemetary. Exit is cammoed a bit - no pics of the exit.

BTW, I tried the big cooler too and felt the same way. I tossed the guts, drilled bigger holes in the cooler to apply this same "technology" and it worked better (FWIW) than ever before with one of my old foggers. One bag of ice in the middle. Left this ice in a garbage bag because it was up high in my haunt and didn't want water dripping all night long.

Didn't take pics of dryer hose in trash can and the pics of the fog didn't turn out because my only light is 14 4ft black lights. I was so confident this would work I didn't test it ahead of time. This year I will put the ice in during the day, run it and take pics. We don't mow the lawn from Sep 1 to make it look real grungy for the cemetary. The fog was so thick you couldn't see much of the HIGH grass sticking up through it. This year I'm thinking about making some small vents in the side fence to let some of the fog get out the sides. My yard drops down to the sidewalk so the fog does not linger long, but the new fogger really delivers! 

Please see the pics in the album links in my sig. The 2007 shows the haunt that used this setup.


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## RacerX45 (Apr 30, 2008)

Is your setup similiar to this one?

Ken's Page O' Wonder | Keeping You Informed Since 2004

Randy


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## guitarist155 (Sep 25, 2007)

i have seen this before but it's nice to hear that it works, i am going to use either this or the vortex chiller method this year. the last couple years i used the wire mesh tube in a rubber bin/cooler method, but i'm not sure it does much and this year i am thinking about getting a 20,000cfm fogger so my chiller will definitely need to be modified and/or used for another fogger


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

RacerX45 said:


> Is your setup similiar to this one?
> 
> Ken's Page O' Wonder | Keeping You Informed Since 2004
> 
> Randy



Great Minds!!  
Yes, this is pretty close to mine. I don't use those fittings to mate the two tubes, just "screw" them together and duct tape them. Make sure the inside edge is pointed away from the fog machine. 

Also, mostly for convenience, but ease of hookup too, I place the entry point high up on the trash can, with the fogger on the table. Does this help the operation? I have no idea, but I don't even need to seal the fog machine to the dryer tube.

FWIW


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## icemanfred (Aug 18, 2005)

Guitarist155<
I thought this method was refferred to as the "vortex"?



If not , what exactly is the "vortex"?

I was going to try the tutorial posted, before reading this thread.


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## guitarist155 (Sep 25, 2007)

my chiller is based on the gotfog.com chiller but with a bin and not a cooler, the problem is the fog just blows through the tube and is not in the chiler long enough to cool. 

i know there is a thread on here somewhere that shows how a vortex chiller works but i can't seem to find it right now


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

I wish I had taken pics during the day so you could see how well this works. The large diameter, aluminized dryer hose is almost SIXTEEN FEET long. It is near freezing because of the ice packed around it. In my setup, the Chauvet "shoots" a large volume of fog at a brisk speed, yet when it exits the dryer tube, it stays low and spreads across the lawn staying low until it eventually flows over the sidewalk and onto the street blacktop. This is not theory folks. 

I'd been using the pvc-in-the-ice-chest tech for about three years, until this trash can method. Try it or not. Your choice. I *will *post pics this season. Others do the same and we'll compare results.


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## Frosty Don (Nov 25, 2005)

Official Vortex Pro Fog Chillers


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

Aaaaaaa....OK. So they want $450 for a chiller, $899 for a fogger and $60 for a gal of juice and some magic chrystals .... or all for an $1100 _bargain_.

Anyone who can apply duct tape and cut a hole in a plasic trashcan can get the *same results *following my instructions and only be out $35 for the chiller. I do recommend a Chauvet 1000 or 1200 if you can swing another $100. I get my fog juice at Party City in early Oct on sale for $10 / gal.

You make the choice that suits you best. No skin off my nose.


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## Frosty Don (Nov 25, 2005)

LT Scare said:


> Aaaaaaa....OK. So they want $450 for a chiller, $899 for a fogger and $60 for a gal of juice and some magic chrystals .... or all for an $1100 _bargain_.
> 
> Anyone who can apply duct tape and cut a hole in a plasic trashcan can get the *same results *following my instructions and only be out $35 for the chiller. I do recommend a Chauvet 1000 or 1200 if you can swing another $100. I get my fog juice at Party City in early Oct on sale for $10 / gal.
> 
> You make the choice that suits you best. No skin off my nose.



I think they're crazy too!

Someone asked what a "vortex chiller" was so I posted the website. My chiller uses aluminum ducting in a cooler with dry ice as well. I have read that the corrugated tube causes too much condensation of the fog so I may try a smooth tubing style this year. I keep tweeking the chiller and most of the time it's too windy here on Halloween for fog anyway, but I'm always prepared.

Don


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

Don,

I live on a main entrance to our neighborhood. Although we don't usually have wind on H'ween night, we have plenty of SUVs cruising past to park nearby and visit us. To help cut down on the cross breeze, we made a simple scene setter / plywood fence about 18" to 24" high along one side paralelling the haunt. The back is open and the front is an open fence. This was enough to let the fog stay around long enough for effect. 

If you have bad wind, probably nothing will help outside, but this or a taller fense on three sides might help (?).










2009 Update: My son - the other half of our haunt team - hated the scene setter skinned plywood used as a fence. So we built an all new pvc & wood fence, but used "clear" sheeting on the inside of the side fence to keep the cross breeze from affecting our ground fog. Wish I had a close up pic ...


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## Hearts1003 (Aug 23, 2010)

I was going to make my 1st chiller with a cooler but I think I have changed my mind now.


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

Below is a pic of our ground fog about 10 minutes after I poured the ice into the trash can. It got thicker (fogger started putting out more) and stayed low all night, but I was too busy to take more pics.


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## CROGLINVAMPIRE (Sep 21, 2006)

Very nice LT! Its worth a shot being that cheap! Thanks for the post, and good looking set-up btw

Croggy


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

Thanks. We're on the side of a So Cal hill, so the lots are pretty $mall. We don't have a lot of room with which to work. I think my driveway is a little larger than all of the of the front yard(s). Just as well, all has to be Santa Ana wind-proofed.


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## sleekmr2 (Sep 7, 2005)

I have built many of these trash bin and air duct fog chillers. They are the best chiller you can build for low cost imo. 

I really love fog in general. I think it adds a dramatic effect to anything. 
I have always wanted to own something pro, but can never afford it.

something like this would be nice





I'm pretty sure someone can build a water boiling system with a dry ice basket. 
Only thing is, for as long as the dry ice last it is very costly.

Just a tip from what I have learned on my research. When using a fog chiller the idea is to get the fog to chill to a temperature that is lower than the atmosphere. The reason is cold air stays low and hot air rises. If the fog temp is equal to the atmosphere temp then it mixes around and you don't get the low fog effect. 

So to get the fog even colder especially shooting on a cold night try adding rock salt to your ice to make it colder "adding salt to ice lowers it freezing point"



LT Scare said:


> Aaaaaaa....OK. So they want $450 for a chiller, $899 for a fogger and $60 for a gal of juice and some magic chrystals .... or all for an $1100 _bargain_. .


I think the so called "magic crystal" vortex sells is just rock salt. What a rip.


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

As anyone who has ever turned a crank on a batch of homemade icecream can tell you, sleekmr2 is absolutely right. Rock salt on the ice will make it colder, longer. HOWEVER, please be advised that the melted salt & ice residue will kill grass and any other vegitation. 

My Chiller sits directly over a flowerbed and about a foot of grass. I already catch hell from the wife for stunting or killing the vegitation for almost two months a year. All I need to do is permanently defoliate half of the front yard to cement her affection (lack of) for the Haunt.

FWIW

BTW, as cold as that dry ice is, I don't think it would be very good for vegitation either.


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