patio misters
 

I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

patio misters
 

Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.
....

What SteveB said plus -- how dry an area are you in? If normally have
high dewpoints they'll not help much, if any noticeable difference. If
otoh you're in an area that uses swamp coolers extensively, there's a
chance.

Doesn't solve the mineral deposits problem, though, of course...

--

patio misters
 

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
...
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Yes, you can get the cheap ones at Home Depot. They will clog up about as
fast as the expensive ones, though. And, if you have hard water at all,
after a while everything starts getting white from the minerals left from
evaporation. I've had them, and they're just a waste of money and a PITA.
They don't work well at all.

Steve

patio misters
 

In article , dpb wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.
...

What SteveB said plus -- how dry an area are you in? If normally have
high dewpoints they'll not help much, if any noticeable difference. If
otoh you're in an area that uses swamp coolers extensively, there's a
chance.

Doesn't solve the mineral deposits problem, though, of course...

--

actually for the g.f., california central valley. think 114 and fairly
dry in the summer. do the pricey ones offer any advantage at all? seems
like a lot of extra bucks for a pressurizing pump.

of course, where i grew up, there wasn't too much difference between -20
F and - 40 F. Colder than hell is colder than hell. is heat the same? so
maybe cooling from 114 to 100 isn't going to help much anyway; still
hotter than hell.

patio misters
 

Smitty Two wrote:
In article , dpb wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.
...

What SteveB said plus -- how dry an area are you in? If normally have
high dewpoints they'll not help much, if any noticeable difference. If
otoh you're in an area that uses swamp coolers extensively, there's a
chance.

Doesn't solve the mineral deposits problem, though, of course...

--

actually for the g.f., california central valley. think 114 and fairly
dry in the summer. do the pricey ones offer any advantage at all? seems
like a lot of extra bucks for a pressurizing pump.

of course, where i grew up, there wasn't too much difference between -20
F and - 40 F. Colder than hell is colder than hell. is heat the same? so
maybe cooling from 114 to 100 isn't going to help much anyway; still
hotter than hell.

Actually, there is a _big_ difference between 100 and 114F. In SW KS
100F is pretty routine summertime highs and w/ some breeze and low
humidities it's not too bad. At 105F, thought it's hot and from 110F
and above it's HOT! whatever else there is...

We use misters in the hog houses and all and they do help significantly.
Don't have direct experience w/ the HD small types, though, sorry,
can't add much direct input there.

--

patio misters
 

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 12:45:31 -0500, dpb wrote:

We use misters in the hog houses and all and they do help significantly.

I avoid the misters on the house as SteveB mentioned. In Las Vegas
some cafes have them outside. On some homes they fall into disrepair.

Now the Hog Houses? I used to buy a pig from a fellow in Central PA.
He played Rock music and gave the hogs a bowling ball. I loved to
visit his farm. This was great pork....

--
Oren

"I don't have anything against work. I just figure, why deprive somebody who really loves it."

patio misters
 

On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

patio misters
 

Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along
the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees
or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.


I'm in the San Joaquin Valley of CA. I installed them, and they worked
great for a couple of days ( bought at Orchard) and within a week,
they didn't mist, they squirted water, which was useless unless you
wanted to sit under a hose. Altogether it cost around $60.00 including
extra heads, and it was a farce. I hope you have better luck than I
did with it.

Cheri


Cheri

patio misters
 

In article om,
Pat wrote:

On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

Well, my time is worth *something.* I don't want to spend a day
installing them if they don't work.

patio misters
 

In article ,
"Cheri" gserviceatinreachdotcom wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along
the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees
or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.


I'm in the San Joaquin Valley of CA. I installed them, and they worked
great for a couple of days ( bought at Orchard) and within a week,
they didn't mist, they squirted water, which was useless unless you
wanted to sit under a hose. Altogether it cost around $60.00 including
extra heads, and it was a farce. I hope you have better luck than I
did with it.

Cheri


Cheri

So they actually cooled for the time they worked? Do you think it's
mineral deposits that messed up the nozzles?

patio misters
 

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 21:04:30 -0700, "Cheri" gserviceatinreachdotcom
wrote:




Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along
the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees
or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.


I'm in the San Joaquin Valley of CA. I installed them, and they worked
great for a couple of days ( bought at Orchard) and within a week,
they didn't mist, they squirted water, which was useless unless you
wanted to sit under a hose. Altogether it cost around $60.00 including
extra heads, and it was a farce. I hope you have better luck than I
did with it.

One would think they could build something that lasts longer. I can
set my brass garden nozzle for the garden hose for a fairly fine
spray, and it has worked for 50 years. It's adjustable and almost
dissassemblable, and it can be opened or closed to get the spray one
wants. If it clogs unevenly, one could open it enough and clean it to
get it back to normal.

I've never seen one of the typical mister nozzles. But it seems one
could build something with pipes and valves and soemthing like the
standard brass garden nozzles.

Cheri


Cheri

patio misters
 

Smitty Two wrote in message ...

So they actually cooled for the time they worked? Do you think it's
mineral deposits that messed up the nozzles?

I honestly don't know, but yes, for the couple of days they did work,
I enjoyed the mist. Then, it stopped misting, and the heads stared
squirting more water than mist. I do have hard water, so that could
have been my problem. It just seemed like such a shame to me, and a
waste of money. They were actually pretty shabbily built too, misting
heads popping out etc. As I said, if you try it...good luck.

Cheri

patio misters
 

Where I live (western NY) the humidity is so high that swamp
coolers are useless. I've only seen one swamper in my life, and
that was the one I helped take apart.

If swamp coolers work in your area, misters may help. I think you
said your area is hot and dry. I'm wondering if you can find some
way to screw the nozzles off every couple days and soak them in
vinegar to keep the lime scale down? Two sets of nozzles, and
exchange them?

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
...
: I've been thinking about installing those little misters along
the
: perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20
degrees or so
: worth of evaporative cooling from them.
:
: But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple
thousand
: dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and
the fifty
: dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have
a
: separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles
are a
: little better made. Is that it?
:
: Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work
and whether
: they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals
in the
: water to clog the jets, etc.

patio misters
 

In article ,
"Stormin Mormon" wrote:

I'm wondering if you can find some
way to screw the nozzles off every couple days and soak them in
vinegar to keep the lime scale down? Two sets of nozzles, and
exchange them?


I think I'm too lazy to do that. Maybe they oughta be run from a tank of
RO or distilled water. I wonder what the consumption rate is.

patio misters
 

On Jul 1, 12:32 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article om,



Pat wrote:
On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

Well, my time is worth *something.* I don't want to spend a day
installing them if they don't work.


A day? Looked like 15 minutes to me.

patio misters
 

In article om,
Pat wrote:

On Jul 1, 12:32 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article om,



Pat wrote:
On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

Well, my time is worth *something.* I don't want to spend a day
installing them if they don't work.


A day? Looked like 15 minutes to me.

As Charles Winchester the Third remarked, I work slowly and meticulously.

It takes me an hour and a half just to prepare and drink two cups of
coffee in the morning. My toolbox consists of more than a staple gun and
a pair of channel lock pliers. Not everything I do is well-crafted, but
I always approach a project of any magnitude with that intention.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least if I ended up in the machine shop for
a few hours, fabricating custom brackets for a misting system based on
the peculiarities of the job site.

Call it a fault if you like.

patio misters
 

On Jul 2, 10:02 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article om,



Pat wrote:
On Jul 1, 12:32 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article om,

Pat wrote:
On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

Well, my time is worth *something.* I don't want to spend a day
installing them if they don't work.

A day? Looked like 15 minutes to me.

As Charles Winchester the Third remarked, I work slowly and meticulously.

It takes me an hour and a half just to prepare and drink two cups of
coffee in the morning. My toolbox consists of more than a staple gun and
a pair of channel lock pliers. Not everything I do is well-crafted, but
I always approach a project of any magnitude with that intention.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least if I ended up in the machine shop for
a few hours, fabricating custom brackets for a misting system based on
the peculiarities of the job site.

Call it a fault if you like.

Sound's like you need a hobby ;-) Or a couple of grandkids or
something.

The Wallyworld ones are all incorporated into a flexible pipe. You
could probably hold them up with bubble gum and hairspray. Hit a few
staples and be done. It might not be the perfect project, but it's a
good, cheap prototype.

patio misters
 

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
...
In article om,
Pat wrote:

On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the
fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and
whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

Well, my time is worth *something.* I don't want to spend a day
installing them if they don't work.

We don't have (or need) misters here, in MA, but when we lived in FL, they
were everywhere. Lots of clubs and restaurants with outdoor patios had
them, and they were great. Most private homes do not have them, which
makes me suspect that good, reliable systems are kind of expensive. Since
you're not sure if you even want a mister yet, why not jury rig something
with your garden hose and a fine mist sprayer (any garden/hardware store can
sell you one. We have a setting on our hose for mist that is identical to
what the professional misters spray, imho.), just to see if you like the
whole "mist cooling" and if it works adequately in your climate. Yeah, it
will look bad for a few days or a week, but if you decide that you like the
function, THEN buy a quality system. If they can make non-clogging mist
sprayers to fit on a garden hose (I have accidentally left mine on for a
couple of days, and it never clogged. Unfortunately.), then I'm sure you
can get a non-clogging cooler - it's just a matter of finding out which is
the best kind for your area.

HTH,

Donna

patio misters
 

In article brbii.6963$bh5.1560@trndny01,
"Donna" wrote:

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
...
In article om,
Pat wrote:

On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the
fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and
whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

Well, my time is worth *something.* I don't want to spend a day
installing them if they don't work.

We don't have (or need) misters here, in MA, but when we lived in FL, they
were everywhere. Lots of clubs and restaurants with outdoor patios had
them, and they were great. Most private homes do not have them, which
makes me suspect that good, reliable systems are kind of expensive. Since
you're not sure if you even want a mister yet, why not jury rig something
with your garden hose and a fine mist sprayer (any garden/hardware store can
sell you one. We have a setting on our hose for mist that is identical to
what the professional misters spray, imho.), just to see if you like the
whole "mist cooling" and if it works adequately in your climate. Yeah, it
will look bad for a few days or a week, but if you decide that you like the
function, THEN buy a quality system. If they can make non-clogging mist
sprayers to fit on a garden hose (I have accidentally left mine on for a
couple of days, and it never clogged. Unfortunately.), then I'm sure you
can get a non-clogging cooler - it's just a matter of finding out which is
the best kind for your area.

HTH,

Donna

Well, those are good thoughts. I'm sure I want one, *if* it works. So
maybe some experimenting is in order.

patio misters
 

In article .com,
Pat wrote:

On Jul 2, 10:02 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article om,



Pat wrote:
On Jul 1, 12:32 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article om,

Pat wrote:
On Jun 30, 9:41 am, Smitty Two wrote:
I've been thinking about installing those little misters along the
perimeter of the patio awning. Supposedly you can get 20 degrees or
so
worth of evaporative cooling from them.

But a bit of googling disclosed that you can pay a couple thousand
dollars for a system. What's the difference between those, and the
fifty
dollar units at Home Depot? Seems like the expensive ones have a
separate pump to pressurize the water, and maybe the nozzles are a
little better made. Is that it?

Anyone with a cheapo have any feedback on how well they work and
whether
they last very long? Wonder how long it takes for the minerals in
the
water to clog the jets, etc.

Walmart has them for about 20 bucks. At that price, does it matter.
Give them a shot, what's the big deal.

Well, my time is worth *something.* I don't want to spend a day
installing them if they don't work.

A day? Looked like 15 minutes to me.

As Charles Winchester the Third remarked, I work slowly and meticulously.

It takes me an hour and a half just to prepare and drink two cups of
coffee in the morning. My toolbox consists of more than a staple gun and
a pair of channel lock pliers. Not everything I do is well-crafted, but
I always approach a project of any magnitude with that intention.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least if I ended up in the machine shop for
a few hours, fabricating custom brackets for a misting system based on
the peculiarities of the job site.

Call it a fault if you like.

Sound's like you need a hobby ;-) Or a couple of grandkids or
something.

The Wallyworld ones are all incorporated into a flexible pipe. You
could probably hold them up with bubble gum and hairspray. Hit a few
staples and be done. It might not be the perfect project, but it's a
good, cheap prototype.

Hobby is building an airplane. But you're onto something there with the
cheap, quick, and dirty approach just as a test. If the cooling is great
but the reliability and longevity isn't, at least it gives me
prototypical experience, as you say. But maybe I'll substitute the bent
nail and bread tie approach for your bubble gum and hairspray.

patio misters
 

If it is dry enough for them to work rather than turning the area into a
steam bath, why not just get a portable swamp cooler. I would think it
would do about the same thing, only better.

patio misters
 

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:02:06 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

As Charles Winchester the Third remarked, I work slowly and meticulously.

It takes me an hour and a half just to prepare and drink two cups of
coffee in the morning. My toolbox consists of more than a staple gun and
a pair of channel lock pliers. Not everything I do is well-crafted, but
I always approach a project of any magnitude with that intention.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least if I ended up in the machine shop for
a few hours, fabricating custom brackets for a misting system based on
the peculiarities of the job site.

Call it a fault if you like.

Well, yeah, i fyou're not sure you're going to like them, hook one of
them up, let it lean against a tree, and use it for few days to see if
it clogs.

patio misters
 

In article ,
(lp13-30) wrote:

If it is dry enough for them to work rather than turning the area into a
steam bath, why not just get a portable swamp cooler. I would think it
would do about the same thing, only better.

hmm, never heard of a portable swamp cooler. i'll look into it. i think
the thing with the misters is that as they cool, they also provide a
sort of barrier curtain.

patio misters
 

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:07:37 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
(lp13-30) wrote:

If it is dry enough for them to work rather than turning the area into a
steam bath, why not just get a portable swamp cooler. I would think it
would do about the same thing, only better.

hmm, never heard of a portable swamp cooler. i'll look into it. i think
the thing with the misters is that as they cool, they also provide a
sort of barrier curtain.

Do you think the barrier curtain would be enough to keep Mr. Bauer
from shooting me?

patio misters
 

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:07:37 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
(lp13-30) wrote:

If it is dry enough for them to work rather than turning the area into a
steam bath, why not just get a portable swamp cooler. I would think it
would do about the same thing, only better.

hmm, never heard of a portable swamp cooler. i'll look into it. i think
the thing with the misters is that as they cool, they also provide a
sort of barrier curtain.

I live in the desert. My portable swamp cooler (ShopCool) works well
in the garage, but I'm certain it will not outside.

Misters would be the best choice outside. It's a fine mist and with a
nice evening breeze blowing you feel comfortable.

Instead of initially buying a mister kit, look for the available parts
at the same store. Buy a couple of jets and tube and make your own.

Some jets are for 1/2 - 3/4" PVC...

Again I have hard water from Lake Mead and even the swamp cooler pump
dies. I've been through three pumps; due to the water.



--
Oren

"My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland
and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore
excused from saving Universes."

patio misters
 

In article ,
mm wrote:

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:07:37 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
(lp13-30) wrote:

If it is dry enough for them to work rather than turning the area into a
steam bath, why not just get a portable swamp cooler. I would think it
would do about the same thing, only better.

hmm, never heard of a portable swamp cooler. i'll look into it. i think
the thing with the misters is that as they cool, they also provide a
sort of barrier curtain.

Do you think the barrier curtain would be enough to keep Mr. Bauer
from shooting me?

As long as you give him bullets made of Splenda, which my g.f. says is
the only thing that will dissolve in iced tea, or the spray from misters.