Fog machines are highly preferred devices for sprucing up the environment at different events. They are usually preferred in concerts, Halloween parties, wedding parties, corporate events, and other such functions. Also, check out the best-rated fog machines.
The machines are designed to produce fog which creates a very nice ambiance at the parties. The underlying component of the fog is the fog juice which is heated within the device and then spread out to produce the fog.
It is sometimes accompanied with fragrance as well to double the experience. Moreover, LED lights are also present on these machines to further enhance the experience. However, we will keep our discussion limited to the fog juice only and how it is prepared.
This fog juice is the fuel of fog machines or foggers. Although, you could get the same from the commercial vendors that could be expensive. You can easily prepare this at home and in a much-customized form. Learn more about how does a fog machine work.
Before we could jump to the section of knowing that how to make fog juice at home, it is important to understand the need for it. The fog juice is one of the most critical parts of a fog machine. A lot of people are seen laying too much emphasis on the dynamics of the fog machine and in the process, they overlook the importance of the key fog juice ingredient.
There is a huge difference in the output of the fog machine if you fuel it first with low quality and then a high-quality fog juice. If you plan to use your fogger regularly then running it on commercial fog juice could be expensive. Thankfully, fog juice could be easily prepared at home and it will be a very affordable experience as compared to purchasing it from a commercial vendor.
Moreover, preparing this at home would ensure regular availability or supply of the fog juice so that you will never run out of it in between a party where it is used. Lastly, you will have good control over the quality of the fog juice. You could avoid hazardous ingredients which are not desirable to be used in fog machines due to health concerns.
Ingredients required for preparing fog juice
Any fog juice whether prepared commercially or at home has two main ingredients. These two ingredients are deionized water and another active ingredient. This active ingredient could be of different types such as glycol, glycerin or trimethylene glycol, etc. You may also have a mixture of these as an active ingredient to be used.
It is important to note here that the vaporization temperature requirements vary considerably for these given ingredients. Therefore, it is important to have fog fluid that is compatible with the fog machine or vice versa.
It will be a good idea to go with the recommendations or instructions that come with your fog machine regarding the fog juice. If you overlook this aspect then your fog machine will be at risk of damage.
The following is an objective list of the key ingredients and stuff that you will require for preparing fog juice yourself at home:
- Deionized water
- Any active ingredient such as glycerin or glycol (in a 6-ounce container)
- An empty water bottle which is equivalent to ¼ of a gallon in size
- Measuring cup
Steps to prepare fog juice yourself
We are now ready to start with our step-by-step guide for preparing fog juice at home. The following are the steps that you need to follow for the subject matter:
- In the first step, you are supposed to mix all of the ingredients. You need to mix them thoroughly. You also need to ensure that the proportions of the ingredients are correct for the required process. Keeping this thing in mind, you could make adjustments in the quantity you will be needed when preparing the same in the future. The ideal target should be to go for 15 – 35 percent of the water-glycerin mixture. This concentration would influence that how much thick fog you want to produce.
- You need to have distilled bottled water if you are not looking to make one yourself. This is a very important step as such water is found to be free from any impurities. There are no minerals as well which could otherwise interfere with the performance of the fog machine. You are supposed to measure a couple of distilled water cups and then pour them into a plastic bottle. Make sure that the plastic bottle is thoroughly clean as well. Moreover, you should not leave behind anything in that plastic bottle as even a small impurity could considerably impact the overall output of the fog juice.
- In this step, you need to pour half a cup of your chosen glycerin into the cup. This amount entered in the mix will provide you with nearly 25% of the solution. This concentration could be reduced for ensuring lighter fog or add more for making denser fog.
- Shaking the fog is pivotal for having the solution to be mixed nicely. Make sure that you put the cap on the plastic bottle before shaking this solution. This shaking should be vigorously done for 10 to 20 seconds. After that, look inside the bottle and you will be able to find a cloudy kind of mixture now.
- Your fog juice is ready by now. However, it is advised to test the mixture first and check out if any adjustments are required to be made. If you find the fog to be too light then you can add more glycerin into it so that it becomes denser. Similarly, if the mixture is too thin then you can add in more of the distilled water which will make the solution thinner. This is the step that will require you to experiment a bit. You might take more time for the first time and then with experience you will get better with your guesses related to concentration. Once your experiment is successful then you will be able to get started with the proper and regular use of the newly prepared fog juice in the fog machine.
A word about the density of fog juice
A lot of novice people in the process of preparing fog juice faces a lot of issues while making the right concentration. It is important to first know that what exactly your requirements with the fog juice are. For example, if you want to have a thick fog created then you need to have 65% of distilled water and 35% of glycerin in the prepared solution.
For regular fog, you could have 75 to 80 percent of distilled water with 20 to 25% of glycerin. Finally, for the lighter fog, 90% of distilled water should be added to 10% of glycerin. You can make the adjustments accordingly with the distilled water and glycerin to change the density of the fog prepared.
Safety Instructions with the fog juices and fog machines
It is important to note here that some of the fog juices or a vapor cloud formed through the fog machine could be hazardous to breathe. If the fog fluid inside the fog machine is overheated then it could result in the production of toxic byproducts. If it remains under-heated then you will be contributing to the production of fluid residue.
The resultant of overheated fluid is not good for breathing while the under-heated one could result in a slip hazard. The solution here is to invest in a top-quality fog machine that doesn’t have any health concerns and must come with the best safety features. On the other side, it is also important that the fog juice you prepare is compatible with the fog juice machine.
So, whenever you preparing the fog juice following the above method then make sure it is compatible with the fog machine you have. You must check the instructions of the manufacturer regarding this matter before you start with the fog machine.
Moreover, any fog juice is harmful for human consumption. You need to make sure that it is safely and securely placed with no access for the children. The prepared fog juice should be kept in store for a long. You must discard it if it is not used within a few days.
Preparing top-quality fog juice is very much a Do-It-Yourself kind of a job. You need to have minimal ingredients for preparing the best fog juice for the fog machine at home.
The major ingredients required are deionized water and an active ingredient which could be glycerin or glycol of any kind or maybe their mixture. In the preparation of this fog juice solution, the concentration of the ingredients would influence the density of the fog.
Your target should be to prepare fog juice that is clean, fresh, and safe. The fluid prepared must be compatible with your fog machine. If it is not then there will be health risks associated with the produced fog which you or the guests will breathe in.
Conclusively, preparing fog juice yourself is very easy and you must do it for regular availability of the fog juice in parties and that too at a highly affordable cost.
DJ Equipment Rental: How much does it cost?