cheap mister (rain system)

[essaysee]

ok so i'm building my first viv, this is my first post as well so please forgive me, however, first viv, trying to make everything, trying to stay cheap and trying to have all the nice things without paying the big $$$ for them.

tonight, i had such an exciting success i thought i would share.
at home depot/lowes in the plumbing section there is black 1/4" microtubing used for drip systems. I used that tubing along with the mister heads that screw into them. These all run at about 7-10 psi and i think 3??gph.
I used those and also went to a great website, called ELECTRIC GOLD-MINE (google it).
Right now at that site, they are selling a FLOJET boat pump (60psi and i think 6gpm) for 30$, a hell of a deal!!
anyways, using some simple brass pipe fittings and couplers i was able to hook up three of those misting heads and it pumped just fine!!! actually better than fine, perfect! almost the same look as some of those other really expensive misters!!

I really didn't want to hand mist my viv and some of the air stone manipulations just looked too tacky for me, as well as the tubing with a few holes poked into it. This system works awesome!! the pump is self priming and it creates a nice fine mist like you see at the grocery store in the produce! i can't wait to install it and have it run! honestly, i think three misting heads might be TOO much! i might knock it down to 2, i dunno yet, now i just have to find a nice timer to run for minutes or seconds. Right now my shortest timer runs for 15 min...

anyways, this was a great alternative I created and wanted to share with others on here, I hope you enjoyed!! leave a comment to let me know i helped you out or you like this!!

I'm thinking about adding a filter for this setup as well. On the intake for the pump, run it into the lid of a pickle jar all the way to the bottom, stuff a bunch of pump filter into the jar and then run some more tubing back out the top of the lid at the top so that the water has to pass through all of the filter material (of course using silicone to keep it air/water tight)...just an idea, any better ones?

Electronic Goldmine - Electronic Components, Parts, Test Equipment, Kits, Goldmine.
MistKing Misting Systems by Jungle Hobbies Ltd

[jermajesty]

For your timer, use the mistking seconds timer. It is the most reliable and usable timer on the market. Most of the timers you will see at hardware stores are not programmable in seconds, and if so, do not have multiple cycles. Mistking is the way to go for that.

I have been looking for a cheaper way to do misting for a while now and havent seen anything as cheap as this... haha

Most variations run about $70 but dont work as well as the mistking. If it works as well as you say, then i might have to go this route.
Could you post pics and a video of it running so i can get an idea of how well it works?

THanks,

-Jeremy

[essaysee]

yah, i think i can do all that this evening when i get home, no big deal. Right now it's kind of jimmy rigged all together just so i could see if it'd work but no worries.

[jermajesty]

Nice, thanks man.
I checked out that website, the electric goldmine place...and it really is a goldmine!! There is so much cool stuff on there, for vivs (leds, fans, pumps, etc.), and for random normal life haha

-Jeremy

[essaysee]

alright i got the videos and pictures...just wait till i put it in the viv!

Homemade mister - YouTube
The videos are two different videos, just labeled the same.
Homemade mister - YouTube



https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/?ui...line&safe=1&zw


I'm not sure if the images will pop up, i think i may have to load them to a photobucket and then link them, i don't know.

---------- Post added at 09:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:01 PM ----------

yah so the drips you see coming off, are just because of loose fittings, that microtubing is really really hard to pull off once it's on there and the misting heads probably could use some of that white teflon plumbers tape. Trust me, the videos i took off my iphone and i'm disappointed they aren't larger but the fact that you can't really see the mist is a good thing, it's a fine mist.

-scott

[jermajesty]

Yea, the images didnt come up, but i saw the videos. It sounds pretty loud, but you said it wasnt really that loud. Im also wondering how many nozzles it could support, but i guess thats just testing it out for the most part. I might go for the pump....

THanks for all the info

-Jeremy

[essaysee]

---------- Post added at 07:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:25 PM ----------

Homemade mister 2nd video - YouTube

I'm sorry, i'm really bad at posting these things, it appears i DID publish the same video twice, i was doing it all on my phone so i guess i just lost track of what i was doing.

and as far as the nozzles? i tried it with three and with two. I liked it better with two. With two it shot the water farther outwards, not by much however, both shot out pretty far. Just for the size of my tank (48" wide) i think i will only need two. I'd rather run the pump longer times or more frequently than have a lot more water spraying or a "heavier rainfall". I imagine, four misting heads can be hooked up without getting the look of water drops (not droplets) shooting out, but seriously? I unless you just have a massive massive tank, 2-3 is just fine. Also, the pump can handle 60psi. I hooked it up to my truck's battery and put my finger over the output hole and shot water just as far as say a garden hose, it's just a matter of getting the right current/volts to the pump. I imagine my 1250mA transformer is much less than that of my truck's battery. This is probably another explanation. You'll need a really serious transformer if you want to shoot many many misting heads. Just some food for thought. Overall, i think this project costed me about...

pump: 36$ (with shipping)
transformer: free (laying around house)
electric plug replacement: 3$
microtubing and nozzles: 10$?
brass fittings: 5$
70psi tubing (70psi unnecessary): 15$

total: 79$
there are some corners you can cut, I could have just gone to an auto store and bought a few feet of tubing as needed, save some money, but here i did it this way and am sharing so you or others don't have to.

mistking starter setup: 99$ before shipping and tax if applicable

i am pleased, saved a couple bucks, i've been going in steps so it isnt all at once out of my pocket too, that's nice.
-scott

[essaysee]

*bump

[Nickerson]

Great job on finding another way to set up a mister.

The Mist King isn't super silent. Sounds like alot of banging when it starts. Once I get moved I will try doing different things. I have seen some people use some foam under the pump. I'm assumeing it's to help with the vibration, and sound.

[essaysee]

Totally, or cork can work, rubber, mine's not silent, but inside the stand its a low humm