# Gemmy Walmart Low Lying Fogger



## Fright Zone (Oct 16, 2005)

I bought the $35.88 Silver Gemmy Low Lying Fogger at Walmart. It's 400 Watts, Tank capacity 0.80 quart, Warming time 5-7 minutes (I timed more like 4 minutes), Warming time after fogging 75-120 seconds, Fog output 1908 cuft./mn, Fuse 125V/4.0A, 5 ft AC cord with a three prong plug, Hand held remote controller w/ 5 ft cord. NOTE that the remote is not hard wired so the Gemmy Electronic Fog Machine Timer remote Walmart sells for $9.84 will work just fine with it. In fact I used it.

FOG MACHINE SHOWN HERE AT GEMMY.COM

I did some preliminary tests. I'll update this post when I test it again and may share photos or video at a later date. I used a small Microban 3x5 inch plastic freezer ice pack that you use in lunch boxes. It fits fine in the ice compartment of the fogger. The plastic lid pops off easily on the top of the fogger to get the freezer pack in and out easily. But I think it's too dense of an object for the chilling effect to work properly. I tried the fogger without any ice or freezer pack and the fog rose right away. I tried it with the ice pack alone and the fog stayed lower right out of the front fogger vent but still rose. I tried it with just regular ice cubes from the freezer. I didn't have enough to pack the ice chamber in the fogger all the way to the top. It's pretty deep and slants forward inside the fogger. It has holes in a metal grating much like mesh in home-made chillers to separate the ice from the fog and let the ice melt to the bottom yet still come in contact with the hot fog to chill it enough. You can see the small round nozzle inside the fogger. So I filled it halfway up with ice and it produced the best results. The fog came out low and lingered low for the most part. But still rose. I also tried it with the ice pack and ice cubes in combination but the ice cubes alone still got the best results. The ice cubes melted after about 10-15 minutes. I'd suspect a full ice compartment would melt in 20-30 minutes. This fogger has a plastic tube coming out the back which connects to a plastic bag they provide so the water has somewhere to go. My bag did not have any water in it. I'm not sure how it really drains into it. If the inside of the fogger is tilted toward the tube or not.

Gemmy seems to make nice thick fog for the price. Compared to the fogger and fluid at Target on sale last year. Gemmy is thick and lingers. 

I tested this Gemmy fogger on my covered porch in warm weather with no wind that I could feel. But it doesn't take much air to move fog so it did go up and all over the place. In windy weather in the middle of a yard I bet it wouldn't work very well at all. I turned on a fan ato simulate high winds and of course it dissipated the fog straight up. There's no denying there was fog in the air though LOL.

I had the remote timer set to 5 second bursts and 30 second intervals. I have to try it again after I freeze more ice to put in the chamber. Depending on which way the fogger was facing, the fog would in fact linger on the ground more than a regular fog machine ever could. But it only was about a small 2x2 foot area in front of the fog machine. An earlier test produced maybe a 4 ft area of lingering ground hugging fog after the initial 5 second burst straight out in front of the fogger. I don't want the neighbors calling the fire dept. So I can't test it at longer bursts than 5 seconds right now. Maybe I can try it during the day tomorrow. 

So questions that come to mind: Is it that much different than the regular 400 W Gemmy? Well yes, it does linger on the ground more and stay down better, but not by leaps and bounds. Is it worth double the price of the regular 400 W Gemmy? Probably not. But I was going to buy another fogger anyway. (It could work well around a small tombstone and zombie coming out of the ground prop yard display). Does it match the effect or the large enough area of fog coverage of a home-made or purchased fog chiller such as those of a cooler or trash can, or the ice-in-a-dryer duct or in a landscaping tube fog chiller? No, not even close. Would it work as advertised indoors and at a longer burst? Probably, but I don't have an empty basement to try it in. Am I going to keep it or take it back and get a regular Gemmy? I'm not sure yet. $35 still doesn't break the bank, and if it works well enough to linger in good weather in a small concentrated area around a small 6 foot area graveyard display, well that's a bonus just knowing i have a fogger that might get a decent if not large coverage area without having to build a large fog chiller and store it. The verdict is still out.

In comparison, I made a fogging cauldron last year with ice in a plastic cauldron and a 400 W regular Gemmy fogger shooting fog into a 4 inch diameter metal dryer duct hooked up to the back of the cauldron. I don't have my regular Gemmy with me now to do a direct comparison. It's in storage. But the Target fogger I do have is pretty lame. Very thin fog that dissipates right away. So that's no real comparison. But just from memory, I'd say this fogger does make the fog linger on the ground moreso than the regular Gemmy, just not dramatically as most would like. But I think that's to be expected.


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## derekrocks247 (May 29, 2006)

I have the same 400 wat gemmy i got i michaels arts and crafts for 29.99 its silver metal. its a Gemmy "The Fog Machine" brand i am hoping it works good for my first haunted the maze was in a 20x20 room so i only needed 1 fogger and i bought it from target !!!BAD!!! idea it sucked and u cant put a timer on it. then for my second haunted i got a 40x80ft room and got another fogger and it was great i bought it from a food store called "Nob Hill" for 18% its al plastic and its 1000 watts it is ABSOLUTLY GREAT i love it and i was able to get a gemmy timer and attach it to it. i have not tested my new gemmy fogger yet ut hopefully its good


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## derekrocks247 (May 29, 2006)

my mistake ur talking about the low lying fogger


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## BigScream (Mar 22, 2006)

*Low "LIE-ing" fog.*

I would be thrilled to hear from any of you guys if you get satisfactory low-lying fog from any inexpensive "Halloween" fogger. I never have. The problem is they're too small (and inexpensive) for a refrigeration unit, and the ice-based models have a little tank that is positioned immediately in front of the hot fog nozzle. So, the fog never has a chance to cool down. I'm willing to be surprised, but it just
hasn't happened yet. Most "do it yourself" ones work best because you can create a large enough 'vat' and cool-down pipe. No cheap commercial foggers can afford a product with such size and empty space.

Just in case: Here's one we put together for a Halloween. It's a variation on the 'typical' one found around the web:

http://bigscreamtv.info/fog_chiller.html

-Bill


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## kaffein (Sep 17, 2004)

http://www.halloweenforum.com/showthread.php?t=57514&highlight=walmart


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## kaffein (Sep 17, 2004)

BigScream said:


> I would be thrilled to hear from any of you guys if you get satisfactory low-lying fog from any inexpensive "Halloween" fogger. I never have. The problem is they're too small (and inexpensive) for a refrigeration unit, and the ice-based models have a little tank that is positioned immediately in front of the hot fog nozzle. So, the fog never has a chance to cool down. I'm willing to be surprised, but it just
> hasn't happened yet. Most "do it yourself" ones work best because you can create a large enough 'vat' and cool-down pipe. No cheap commercial foggers can afford a product with such size and empty space.
> 
> Just in case: Here's one we put together for a Halloween. It's a variation on the 'typical' one found around the web:
> ...


http://www.halloweenforum.com/showthread.php?t=57066


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## Fright Zone (Oct 16, 2005)

Thanks for the link to the other thread. It wasn't named very accurately. Should have said "New Walmart Low Lying Fogger" or something like that to be able to find it in a search. But it pretty much sums up what I've experienced. It's one of those items you know won't work well - even though you want it to.

Here's some other 'commercial' chiller links $150.00 FOG CABIN and $259.95 American DJ Mister Kool Low-Laying Fog Machine but it's only a 400 w unit inside.


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## Fright Zone (Oct 16, 2005)

Update: I tested it again today with a full compartment of ice cubes. Warm weather. Covered porch. No wind to speak of. Remote timer knob set in the middle for Duration time (approx. 12.5 sec) and middle for the Interval time (approx. 45 sec). I let the fogger & timer run for 5 cycles. It shut off to cycle the heater after the third round. Btw, did you know the remote timer has a magnetic bottom that attaches itself to the metal fog machine casing? 

So only the third out the five tests shot the fog straight up and to the side. The fourth test was the best. I had the porch door opened next to the fogger so I don't know if that had anything to do with the successful test. Here's a QUICKTIME VIDEO LINK of that test. I'll leave it up until I need the server space back.

Here's a link to a STILL FRAME IMAGE of the third test that wasn't so successful. I couldn't detect any wind. So it doesn't take much to ruin it.

Here's a link to a STILL FRAME IMAGE of how the low lying fog reacted around a 36" Walmart tombstone for the fifth and final test of the day.

The tests were done within minutes of each other. The ice didn't melt too bad. The plastic water bag got filled about a quarter of the way full when I turned the fogger off and tilted it to get the water out of the fogger and into the bag.


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## BigScream (Mar 22, 2006)

*Fogger*

That one test actually looks pretty good!
-B


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## Misfit (Sep 25, 2003)

looks like it worked pretty good outdoors


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## cheapskate (Sep 7, 2006)

BigScream said:


> That one test actually looks pretty good!
> -B


No kidding... I was pretty impressed! I'm considering this for an indoor party this year, in a fairly small area. I just worry the ice will melt instantly... I don't want to have to refill this during the party.


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## mem22 (Sep 10, 2005)

I think that's a really good result for a compact self contained chilling fogger that only costs $35...not bad at all.
Mike


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## Fright Zone (Oct 16, 2005)

I'd think anyone's mileage may vary, but that's what the Gemmy is capable of thankfully. It tested well 4 out of 5 times with the ice cubes. So I'm pleased. Of course in the middle of a yard haunt in wind, no fogger will get good results. But these tests today made me want to keep this unit. The fog did in fact fill up the living room when I had the back door open on the porch. It didn't set off the smoke detector. The fog didn't test as well using a freezer pack yesterday because it's too dense, although it does chill the fog, just not as well as the compartment packed with ice that has room to breathe and move thru the ice. 

It held a decent amount of ice. I put 3 and a half standard ice cube trays worth of ice cubes in it. The ice cubes lasted pretty well in the 10 minutes of testing. Most of the cubes were still cold when I went back outside 20 minutes after shutting the unit off. I really wouldn't worry about the ice melting too quickly but for a 2 hour T-o-T or party I'd defintiely fill it up to the top once in a while. 

So in summary, packing it with ice cubes to the brim and setting the remote (or holding down the remote manually) for at least 10-12 seconds gives it enough fog to achieve the effect I videotaped.


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## Fright Zone (Oct 16, 2005)

Update: I'm glad the video helped! The test helped me decide to keep the fogger and realize: A) you have to use ice cubes instead of a freezer pack B) you have to pack the compartment full with ice cubes and C) you have to pump enough fog thru for at least 10-12 seconds to get enough of an effect. I suspect if I let the fog run for 30 seconds it would work even better but I didn't want the neighbors calling the fire dept. LOL Truth be told, even when it went in the other direction and didn't stay on the porch it ROLLED across the grass and rock landscaping and looked very cool. I'm thinking that A) The porch is concrete and inherently cold so it lingered and B) When it did go off on the rocks those are inherently cold also so maybe I'd try putting rocks in front of the low lying fogger in my yard haunt. Here's still frame links of what the fog did on the first test when it rolled off onto the rocks of the landscaping off the porch: Image One Image Two Image Three Image Four. Those are low resolution. It was actually more impressive in person.

For kicks, the next test would be to see what a cookie sheet of ice cubes in front of the fogger output would do, or maybe put that behind a large stryofoam tombstone, in order to make it linger. I'm thinking that way because I put a pot of ice cubes inside a plastic cauldron last year. I had the metal pot with ice cubes in the freezer the night before so they did not melt much at all during the T-o-T yard haunt. (I had my regular Gemmy 400 W fogger hooked up to the back of the cauldron with a dryer duct). This year I'm putting a Mini Mist Fogger inside a smaller plastic Walmart cauldron inside the metal pot of ice inside the larger plastic cauldron so it will mist while the regular 400 W fogger is recycling. All that ice does make the fog linger. I'll use this low lying fogger around a Zombie graveyard tombstone scene or in between that and a pirate skeleton prop.


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## MrsMyers666 (Oct 19, 2004)

Fright Zone, THANK YOU!! I may buy this fogger now, it looks really good. I'll have 2 foggers going.

Walmart here I come.


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## bozz (Sep 22, 2006)

Yeah I had the same ice fogger.......and did not like the outdoor results compare to wally world $18........so I took mine back........really the ice fogger is a good little unit for indoors or very still, control...... no wind what so ever conditions.......IMHO........i test 3 foggers that day.......and the $18 wally world fogger smoke me outin mins.,.


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## monkeybutler (Oct 9, 2005)

I noticed you did the test on a patio. We're thinking of using it on a carport floor....did it get slippery? My concern is someone falling and suing lol


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## GDfreak (Jul 11, 2006)

wow I might want to get this now. hey bozz any links to that $18 wally world fogger??


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## Haunty (May 31, 2006)

Wow!
Thanks for the test!! I wish they would do that with new products like that. Takes a haunter to show it right. 
Have a link for Evil-Mart fog machines. But, the prices are higher, don't know why.
http://www.walmart.com/search/searc...earch_constraint=0&ic=20_0&ref=+125862.267899


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