DIY Misting System

alex1976 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 09:29 PM

I'm in the process of planing out a 120 gallon vivarium and I'm always looking for a better way. Now I know that a lot of folks would prefer to simply buy their misting systems but I'd be very interested in finding out about anyone who's actually made their own. For those of you out there that have made your own automated systems, could you post photos and directions?

I found one guy online who made a pretty neat DIY misting system using a pressure bottle sprayer, a sprinkler solenoid, a timer and fittings.

Pressure Bottle Misting System

Unfortunately the link he got his directions from is no longer a valid link but the picture on his site is pretty clear cut to understand how it's set up.

I was thinking of using a RV water pump (45 psi) and a Misty Mate Patio System that my wife picked up for me at Wal-Mart! I hooked it up to my yard and it puts out a very fine mist, almost fog that's very nice. Typical house plumbing has anywhere from 30-45 psi so I think it should work and it was designed to be used on a water hose!! Any suggestions or ideas???

Devil_Boy · #2 (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 10:50 PM

I tried the same thing making my own misting and its a 300gallon tank or so. My problems were trying to find a pump rated at high enough psi i couldnt find one, so i finally gave in and ordered a pump online with 100psi. so i get the pump works fantastic, it was 80$ i think. then i go buy the misting nozzles from home depot that came in the patio misting kit. Made a nice little brass manifold for all the nozzles, get them all hooked up and turn them on, they work great, but the mist is not fine enough with them, 30 seconds in my tank soaks it. so i will end up ordering nozzles from mistking i think jsut cause i need more of a fog.

But if you can find a pump and good fine misters, by far go that way its much cheaper.

alex1976 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 11:30 PM

Wow, that really sucks. Yeah, I know some of my projects end up costing more than if I would have simply gone out and bought "Product X" so I've been there.

What kind of pump was it that you bought? Could you provide more details on the misting kit you bought and where you got it? The one my wife picked up at wal-mart puts out a pretty fine mist (very fog-like) but the misting nozzles are plastic so I'd like to get the brass threaded ones eventually (Misty Mate Deluxe). I would hate to buy another set and end up in your previous situation. Thanks for your feedback and I'll keep posting...

Jason · #4 (**permalink**) 05-26-2008, 05:41 AM

If your looking for "fog " in the tank buy a fogger. Misting Systems are dual purpose units inside a Viv, yes thay raise the humidity but thay are also used to Clean off the plants from the waste your pet drops on it. if you sprinkle a very small amount of dirt on a few of the plants you will see your fogger has to be on for a really long time to bead up the water and wash the plants. Imho you need a rain effect or Droplets to agitate the fauna and " wash " the plants. I find to many ppl are useing Misting machines as foggers, trying to get the spray as fine as possable, both have there use in a Viv but both are different. I suggest a hand sprayer on streem setting to blast off anything the mister dosent get.

Devil_Boy · #5 (**permalink**) 05-27-2008, 12:34 AM

I think the pump is from rainmaker i just found a site online (cant remember which one) and bought it through there.

The misters just came individually from home depot, 4 in my tank will give the tank a good wet down in 30 seconds easily. They were yellow plastic ones.

Thinking about what jason just said i might actually just buy 2 'fog' like misters and keep 2 that 'rain'. might work really well.

RIKennedy · #6 (**permalink**) 05-28-2008, 01:48 PM

hmmm, you guys are using water pumps?.... for my misting system I'm using a small air compressor ($50 - little 1 gallon tank) and that keeps pressure in the water tank. Everything has to be air tight but it works extremely well. I just have one line from the air compressor to the water tank and a line from the bottom of the water tank to a regulator and nozzles and such... I can adjust my psi from 0 - 150 to get the perfect amount of spray.

anyone else use air pressure? or am i just weird?

Green Ghost · #7 (**permalink**) 05-28-2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIKennedy

hmmm, you guys are using water pumps?.... for my misting system I'm using a small air compressor ($50 - little 1 gallon tank) and that keeps pressure in the water tank. Everything has to be air tight but it works extremely well. I just have one line from the air compressor to the water tank and a line from the bottom of the water tank to a regulator and nozzles and such... I can adjust my psi from 0 - 150 to get the perfect amount of spray.

anyone else use air pressure? or am i just weird?

Hey, we keep frogs..... we're the definition of wierd

You have any pics of your setup? I'd like to try to copy that.

alex1976 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-28-2008, 09:22 PM

I really like the way that setup sounds. Can we get more details and photos on your setup? What kind of pump are you running, where you got it, details on the water tank, etc. Is it setup on a timer?
I think after reading up and doing the number crunching it might just be cheaper to buy a misting system.
The RV water pumps run around 50 on ebay for a good one but run off 12VDC. So either I find a cheap way to convert it (maybe running off a computer power supply??) or it's back to the drawing board.
I really like the idea of drawing water off my sump for the misting though.

The other option is the pressure bottle setup.

http://www.baskinglizards.com/images...iagram_MED.gif

Anybody out there ever converted a RV water pump to run off 110VAC? It would be awesome if I could get it to run off a computer power supply! That way I could just plug it in the power supply and run both the fans and pump off the same power source!! I think it would be possible with the right power supply unit...
Any thoughts??

Devil_Boy · #9 (**permalink**) 05-28-2008, 11:55 PM

Depending on how your sump is setup. The only problem i found drawing water from the sump is getting a leaf or some crap stuck in a 100$ pump. so at the moment i draw mine from a 1gallon ice cream pale with a hole cut in it for the hose. Works great. but its not heated, so i think im gonna have it suck water through a filter sitting in the sump. Just a thought.

As for the rv pump i know you can buy adapters and i dont beleive there that much money to convert to 110. But as for the powersupply running it im not to sure, it might draw to many amps.

the pressure bottle, depending how much pressure is actually in there when you pressure the bottle, would it last a few mists before you need to pressure it back up, if not your no further ahead then doing it by hand, and the cost of the timer and the electronic valve, cant remember prices but i just put those in with my underground sprinklers and there not the cheapest things.

But i do have to say that the air compresser idea is great, never even thought of that, the only thing i think of would be the noise, but with a couple gallon compresser you would only have to recharge it with air maybe once a week.... hmmm