Misting fan for patio

[James E]

I was at Carowinds this weekend and was fascinated by the misting fans they have to cool down people standing in line. They were large with barrell-shaped housings (shaped like a carburetor venturi) that delivered a very strong blast of air. They swiveled and had four misting nozzles on the font grate and they really did a great job of cooling people down.

Of course, my first thought was that I'd like to install one or two industrial-sized misting fans on my back patio.

Does anyone have a large misting fan, or know anything about them? I'm seriously considering setting up one or two and would like to know anything about them that I can before I get into this.

Here's a pic of one at the park:

 

[G McKay]

We used to have them at work. I see them on the sidelines of football games all the time. So, you should be able to find one. They are pretty expensive.

 

[Major Ramifications]

We used to sell them where I work. They don't work very well down here because our humidity is so high. We ended up shipping them out to customers in dryer climates.

 

[James E]

We used to sell them where I work. They don't work very well down here because our humidity is so high. We ended up shipping them out to customers in dryer climates.

Interesting. We don't have your kind of swamp humidity, but it get's pretty sticky up here just the same. They seemed to do a good job this weekend when the humidity was in the ninety percent range.

Did you sell big ones like in the picture? How much were they?

 

[Jrican]

They cool the air by increasing the humidity. If you live in a humid area they won't work as well. If you live in a less humid area they are amazing!

 

[LB-1911]

Northern has a few smaller ones -

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_fans+evaporative-coolers-misting-fans+misting-fans

Another source -
http://www.bigfogg.com/misting-fan.html

 

[James E]

It's my understanding that they cool you off by covering you in water droplets, which then evaporate and cool you off through evaporative cooling--which is why you sweat. Plus the air flow from the fan increases the evaporation.

That's why I am surprised that they don't work as well in high humidity. I would have thought that they'd work just as well in high or low humidity. Hmmm.

I still want one.

 

[James E]

Thanks LB-1911, but dayum, those can get expensive!

 

[gregtwojeeps]

I wonder how just strategically placing the misting tubing around the exterior walls of the patio to where the mist could be stood by and used to cool down as needed ? If no walls are present, just set up some movable decorative posts with maybe flower pots hanging from them for the tubing to fasten to. Mist the flowers and folks at the same time.

 

[66HertzClone]

Those things always make me worry, I read a book a few years ago and some terrorists had developed a virus. They added to to the water supply for fans like that at a bowl game and made hundreds sick. Ever since I read that I can't get that out of my mind.......

 

[Lippyp]

I don't see it being hard to make, just a normal fan and add some greenhouse irrigation mister nozzles attached to some small bore pipe and a small pump or even have it plumbed into a hose outlet. I have pretty much everything needed to make one knocking around in the shed as we have a small bore irrigation system in the greenhouses and also for the flower tubs and hanging baskets around the house.

 

[66HertzClone]

Here is a really nice one,

Only $1400

 

[MoonRise]

All variations of evaporative cooling (aka 'swamp cooler').

Which doesn't work too well in humid conditions (like in a swamp. ).

If you can feel (or see) the sweat on you (not during exercise, just standing or walking around), it is pretty much too humid for those to work.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I was at Carowinds this weekend and was fascinated by the misting fans they have to cool down people standing in line. They were large with barrell-shaped housings (shaped like a carburetor venturi) that delivered a very strong blast of air. They swiveled and had four misting nozzles on the font grate and they really did a great job of cooling people down.

I don't see how they would work very well in areas that have high humidity.

BTW, they remind me of snow making machines !

 

[pseudorealityx]

It's my understanding that they cool you off by covering you in water droplets, which then evaporate and cool you off through evaporative cooling--which is why you sweat. Plus the air flow from the fan increases the evaporation.

That's why I am surprised that they don't work as well in high humidity. I would have thought that they'd work just as well in high or low humidity. Hmmm.

I still want one.

Relative humidity is defined by how much moisture IS in the air vs. how much moisture CAN be in the air. If the RH is high, then it's harder for the air to evaporate. Yes, airflow increases it... but you really have to experience a misting fan in a wet climate vs. a dry climate.