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#1
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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. |
#2
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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... -- |
#3
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patio misters
"Smitty Two" wrote in message news 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 |
#4
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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. |
#5
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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. -- |
#6
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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." |
#7
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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. |
#8
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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 |
#9
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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. |
#10
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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? |
#11
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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 |
#12
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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 |
#13
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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 news : 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. |
#14
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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. |
#15
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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. |
#16
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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. |
#17
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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. |
#18
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patio misters
"Smitty Two" wrote in message news 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 |
#19
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patio misters
In article brbii.6963$bh5.1560@trndny01,
"Donna" wrote: "Smitty Two" wrote in message news 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. |
#20
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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. |
#21
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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. |
#22
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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. |
#23
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patio misters
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#24
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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? |
#25
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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." |
#26
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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. |
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