Fog Machine

My first fog machine was home made with a heat gun, some sheet metal turned into a makeshift pipe, and make up application pads dipped in glycerin.  I'm not putting a single affiliate link there because the last thing I want you to do is follow in my footsteps.   I wasted way to much time screwing around trying to make a fog machine.  It's dangerous and expensive.  Looking back, I wish I would have bought a real fog machine much sooner.  

This means you're spending $40 on a fog machine, and then another $30 on fog juice.  It's got to be worth it and that means you're doing regular parties with your kids and they are lasting for 20-30 minutes or longer.  Fog machines also need to cool down after usage before being put away so factor in a real cleanup.  I also always poor the juice back into the container instead of leaving it in the machine to prevent leaks. 

The 400 watt machine is safe to use on a good quality extension cord.  It's unlikely to cause you to trip circuit breakers.  It's also most likely enough. If you're outside and there is a wind blowing, having the 1200 Watt machine isn't going to solve your problem.  

Remotes

I prefer a wired remote.  The trend in the lower end fog machines currently is adding LED lights and a IR remote.  Those look just like all my other remotes and that makes me expect that they would have a high likelihood of conflicting and the moment I try and turn on the lights to blue, the yellow light on the fog machine turns on. In addition to being wired, I look for wires that can be extended.  This allows me to be in my truck bed on the big party nights and the fog machines to be underneath. 

LED Lights

Kind of in the same vein, I don't like the idea of LED lights on my fog machines.  That's what requires a remote and leads the the problems mentioned above.  I want to just push a button, have fog, and that's it.  That wont' change for me until I'm replacing my fog machines with DMX controlled equivalents. 

Outside, I've never felt like I've used too much fog outside.  Mostly because often it can get blown away faster than I can put it out.  Especially when we lived in the country, we normally had a light breeze in our backyard and the fog would get blown out fast to the point that I just didn't use it. 

In a fenced backyard, it works well and even in our driveway, I've had really good luck using the fog machines.  It definitely adds a punch.  If you're just goofing off with your kids, have at the fog machine and hit it as often as the light turns on.   If you've moved up to larger parties, I tend to save it until the first lull in the party and then I start hitting it regularly.  What I've found is the kids love running through the fog, so if a bunch of them are all running around when you hit it, there's a high risk of a collision.  By waiting until a few of them have stopped to get drinks or snacks, there's fewer kids and less likelihood of them bouncing into each other. 

What I've found works best is to put a 24" box fan directly behind the fog machine.  This creates a stream of air that blows directly into the dancing area and caries the fog exactly where I want it.  I've tried smaller fans blowing from the side across the fog once it's out of the machine and while it works, the 24" box fan behind the fogger definitely works best. 

Cover Photo by Venti Views on Unsplash