|
I was given a fog machine that was a garage sale item. When I put it together and waited it
to warm-up, I triggered the fog... Nothing. Oh, well, it's clogged. Ok. I think I can figure out where the clog is, simple
enough. Remove the blockage, and it'll work, Right?
Well, yes and no.
"Yes", it works now, and "No", it was quite an ordeal. First, you have to know what works and
what doesn't. If there is a good heat emmitted from the fog machine, the heater element is still good. These things
rarely burn out, unless the thermostat burns out on you, or the Thermal Link takes a dive. Both are things that are hard to
replace.
If the indicator light goes out, (like it's supposed to,) then the heater is operating. But
if you don't hear a HUMMMMMMM when the switch is pressed, then the pump is screwed over. If you do hear a hummmmmmm, and no
fog is produced, chances are, you have a blockage somewhere. In this case, un-plug the fog
machine and let it cool for about an hour, before you go tinkerin' with it's innards.
You really DON'T want to burn your hand, do you? I didn't think so.
You'll want to track down the blockage from the Fog Juice Canister or "tank", all the way through
to the orafice that injects the Fog Juice into the Expansion Chamber. In this particular instance, the forein matter in the
plumbing didn't make it quite that far. BUT it did get caught by a more complex arrangement of equipment. Namely, the device
that prevents the expanding fog gasses from backing up and bubbleing the fog juice tank.
Mind you...
Please make sure that the unit is un-plugged and cool to touch.
Keep a small bowl or dish nearby to hold the dozens of screws that will be removed, so as to open the case.
Put pieces off to the side, and safely away from the work table. You DON'T want to go loosing parts that
are almost irreplaceable. Be organized and remember how things go together. Don't forget, you can use this webpage if you
can't remember.
If you have never done electrical testing, this might not be the best time to start doing so. I will caution
you, ahead of time, when things are going to get complex or dangerous.
Keep your head. Don't let things confuse you. We're looking for a blockage in the fog juice plumbing. Not
replacing componants. Think of it as an "introduction to fog machines". It's not brain surgury, it's just shy of rocket science.
PM me on the Halloween - L Forums if you have questions. (their link is at the bottom of this page.)
There are over 60 images to this tutorial, and there is a LOT of reading involved. You may not
want to "digest" it all in one fell swoop. That's OK. I don't plan on taking this down for a long, long time. In fact, I plan
to update it if other problems arise.
No reason to rush this. Take your time and read it completely through. Concentrate on just the task at hand.
This IS involved. But it's not that hard, really.
If you're ready to go,
let's get started...
The Lite F/X Fog F/X machine is a small, economical and pretty much "disposable" unit. I didn't
pay a penny for it, so I don't have any problem with disecting it, when I discovered it had a blockage of some sort.
I've had one of these open before, so I kinda had a very general knowledge of it's interior.
But these days I have a much better idea on the secrets it has.
Some parts may look simple, but they hold a Pandora's Box of parts that, if you don't understand
them, you might just re-assemble the pieces wrong and you'll have to tear it down again to fix it, or just throw it away.
HOWEVER, I do not suggest throwing it away.
If you buy another one, and it goes Ka-Put on you, at least you have your old unit to canabalize
parts from.
The most common problem is that the fogger runs out of juice and the seal in the pump overheat
and melt. Keeping fog juice in the resevoir/tank filled is a big problem with the unit. Maybe, I'll figure out how to
monitor the level IN the tank someday, with a simple glance at the unit. But that's a project for the future.
Here's the back of the unit. I want to point out that there is NO POWER SWITCH on this model. If you want
to turn it off, either unplug the unit, or operate it on a switched outlet circuit, so you don't need to unplug it.
There IS a fuse holder that allows you to remove & replace the tube style fuse. If the machine does
not heat up, AND the pump has quit working, the fuse SHOULD be the first thing you want to check out.
The Fuse:
125V.
7 AMP
Type "F"
Quick Acting
Replace this fuse with the EXACT TYPE of fuse.
DO NOT wadd up a piecce of aluminum foil to keep the unit working.
If the fuse has blown, chances are, there was a GOOD reason for it to do so.
Water MAY have gotten into the circuits, and it shorted out.
A wire might have come loose inside and is touching another wire.
Thing is, fuses don't "blow" for no good reason. It's not a good idea to by-pass this protection
just to have fog. You can do real damage to the unit. Or worse, you could electrocute yourself.
So unless you really want a real fried cadaver in your haunt, that you'll never be able to
enjoy, in the living world... then over-ride the fuse.
But if you DO manage to kill yourself, don't come groaning about it to me.
The fuse is a small glass tube with chrome/metal ends. It's about 3/4" long, and there is a
fine corregated, (wavy) wire inside it. When it's blown, the wire will melt, and there may be silvery globs & droplets
of molten metal inside, a sooty coating, or you might not see anything inside at all.
The base of the fuse has markings on it, that state it's voltage, amperage and type. So if
you don't remember...
125V.
7 AMP
Type "F"
Quick Acting
Just bring the fuse with you to Radio Shack or Home Depot
and they should be able to help you out.
Just make sure you do not buy an automotive fuse to replace this one with. It's sure to blow
out on you the exact moment you power it up.
The fog that comes out of the unit is akin to a steam vent on Mt. St. Helens. Do not put your
hand up to the nozzle while fog is being dispersed. It will burn you. Try not to get closer than 12" from an "active" nozzle.
Fog machines get hot. Ok, they can get VERY FREAKIN' HOT! This is why the housing is perferated
with hundreds of vent openings. Think of the heat produced as being simular to a steam iron on the VOLCANIC SETTING.
Do not block, cover, or otherwise obstruct these ventelation openings. You will definatly blow the Thermal Link
inside the machine.
These Thermal Links are NOT an easy thing to replace. They are soldered, and a heat-shrink
jacket is placed over them to insulate elecrical flow from the metal fog expansion chamber. Their not easy to find a replacement
for either. Do yourself a great big favor. DON'T block the vents of a fog machine.
The remote control energizes the fog machine and releases the fog MANUALLY. I don't think there
is a timer unit for the Fog F/X machines. If there is, I haven't found one.
Since Rick, (my haunt co-conspirator,) has "The Fog Machine" Brand,
I discovered that when his remote control lamp comes "ON",
the fogger is ready.
It's the opposite with the Fog F/X machine.
When the light goes OUT, it's ready.
The subject is on the operating table...
Nurse?
Hand me my medium phillips head screwdriver.
you know, the one with the pointed criss-cross tip?
There are a LOT of screws on top of this unit. You'll want to remove all 12 screws in order
to remove the top cover. The sides are a different story.
While the nurse is retreaving the screwdriver from my mini-workshop, I'll go ahead and pop
the top of the fog Juice Resevoir. Also known as a canister or a tank. But I like the notion of getting "tanked", so lets
call it a tank...
There is a Pick-up tube that is running through the center of the cap of the tank. The end
of the tube has a weighted filter screen. This is the foggers first & last defence from forein particles from sabotaging
the workings of the unit.
The weight keeps the tube extended into the bottom of the tank. Preventing it from curling
up, causing the end of the tube from remaining emmursed in the fog juice.
Never run a fog machine without a liquid being pumped through it. The liquid acts like a lubricant,
and prevents seals from melting into a globular mess.
There is a fine silvery screen inside the weight. I rinsed it out, and I found no obstructions
in the screen. I put this aside, in a small bowl, as I have yet to chase down the obstruction.
The hose has to be pulled free from the cap. Because the hose is bundled together with a wiring
harness, within the fog unit. So the hose has to be slid out of the bundle as well. I rinsed off the cap, and since the seal
was loose, I had to reinstall it so that it wasn't falling off the cap, possibly getting lost in the future use of the machine.
So, Nurse has returned and the un-screwing has commenced. 12 freakin' screws in the lid of
this thing. What were these engineers thinking? There's room for at least a dozen MORE!
}X{P}
I placed the lid off to the side, so I can keep the operating table free from loose parts.
Now, the tank is released from it's prison. It still had a bit of Juice left in it, and I'd
rather not tip it over, so I put it far enough away from the operation table to prevent spillage.
So
naturally...
it sat next to the toaster-oven.
(It hasn't seen any action for years.)
With the chance of spillage greatly reduced, the unit can now be flipped over, to reveal...
Lo & Behold!
MORE SCREWS!
}%{S}
There are a number of screws that you DON'T want to remove.
These are located near the center of the base.
There are others in the extreme corners of the base, that you also,
don't want to remove.
Remove the screws that are circled in Yellow...
Don't bother to remove the one's "X-ed" in Red.
Those will hold the end plates ON the base, as the power wires & nozzle are attatched to
them. They'll just be constantly flopping about as you keep moving the machine around to see everything. Might as well leave
them anchored.
Just be careful as the housing IS made of cheap axed plastic and it will snap easily with rough
handling.
The patient should now fall to pieces. (Exposing all of it's internal workings.)
BWAH -ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-aaaah
>ChOkE!<
cough cough cough
Here's a few images of the internal "organs" from a few different points of view...
The Pick-Up hose that carries the fog juice from the tank to the pump, is bundled with the
wiring harness inside the fogger. Simply pull the hose through the zip-tie tha holds the mess together. Holding the wires
firmply, so as not TO pull the wires from their connections. And simply pull the Pick-Up tube free from the wire bundle.
The Pick-Up tube is secured to the inlet of the pump with a small Zip-Tie.
I carefully clipped the Zip-Tie with a pair of wire cutters. I tried not to nick the hose.
It took more than one attempt, and I eventually succeeded. But there IS enough hose that if the hose DOES get nicked, you
can snip off the nicked section and STILL have more than enough to replace the hose durring assembly.
Carefully wiggle and tug on the hose, (being carefull not to bend the barbed connector that
grips the hose.) Bending & snapping off the hose connector is a BAD BAD thing.
There are two- Compression Fittings on the copper tubing, between the pump and the Fog Expansion
Chamber.
Compression fittings crimp onto the copper tubing, using a beveled ring. These usually create
a good seal on their own, but for some reason I found Pipe Cement on these fittings.
The Compression fittings I found here, use a 7/16" open-end wrench to loosen. But applying
a force by a SINGLE wrench, just may, (and usually does,) damage the connection.
So what is done here is that a small adjustable wrench is fitted around the body of the elbow
OF the Compression Fitting, and pushed in the opposite direction. This "counter-balances" the force of the wrench which is
going to loosen the nut that holds the fitting together. Thusly, preventing any additional damage.
(See Below)
The adjustable wrench with the green handle, holds the assembly steady, (with a slight force
that might make it rotate the unit counter-clock-wise. The smaller open end wrench is used to break the seal of the compression
fitting and begin to loosen the compression nut.
Sometimes these compression fittings are a bite. Sometimes their not. So apply a GRADUAL increase
of force when loosening. The nut will break loose and spin relatively easily, and you might not need to use the wrench to
completely remove the nut from the fitting's threads.
The second Compression Connection is on the Fog Expansion Chamber. This is loosened in much
the same way. In my case, the connections came loose fairly easy. But you may not be as lucky.
Notice that the compression fitting is seated to another fitting. It looks like a gigantic
nut, with white tape wrapped around it.
If you start to loosen the Compression fitting, and that big nut starts to rotate... STOP!
You will have to get a wrench that will fit that nut. Considering that a thermostat is sitting
right where you want to apply the wrench. You'll need to remove the bracket & thermostat as one unit. It's just a few
more screws to loosen and keep track of.
The wires are connected to lugs that can be slipped off of the thermostat terminals. So you
can remove the thermostat from the unit, and replace it durring reassembly.
The thermostat IS made of CERAMIC. So it CAN chip, crack & break. If that happens, it just
may be rendered useless, so, again, USE CAUTION.
Place the larger wrench on the larger nut to hold it in place. If you caught yourself turning
it, you may want to tighten it back up again.
You can then apply the "Counter-Force" method, (the same way the first Compression Fitting
was loosened, and worked free.) Holding the big nut in place, while breaking the seal of the Compression Nut.
The second fitting might be a bit stronger and harder to break loose, as the constant expansion
and contractions of the heated Fog Chamber, has effected the connections. Causing them to "stick".
This is a time to be careful, yet apply a large enough force to the fittings. Just
enough to break the seal and start the Compression Nut to turn.
It's time to see if water can pass through this tube.
I'm just going to run it under tap water,
and see if it flows through.
Hmmm. No clog here. Well, there's the pump that has to be looked over.
It's something I have never done before. But I feel lucky.
Lets go see what's what...
At first, I thought this was just a simple right-angle Compression Fitting
on the side of the pump.
I wondered why didn't they just use a straight connector and
bend the copper tube right into the side of the pump?
But as I got deeper and deeper into the problem,
more & more things began to reveal themselves to me.
This is no simple right-angle Compression Fitting.
It allows the fog juice to be pumped through,
while the expanding fog in the
chamber is held back.
But first, the pump has to be tested,
to see if it has the clog had lodged inside it.
If I can determine that, then, I won't have to go into the fog chamber itself.
I thought this was a rotary pump. But it turns out to be a piston-action pump. Sort of along
the lines of an aquarium pump, but it pumps liquids instead of air.
!!!!!!WARNING!!!!!!
Long, boaring
"Mr. Wizard-like"
explaination
AHEAD!
}|:-{(}
Suffer through... "How Magnetisim Operates
the Pump"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It does rely on the magnetic field, created
by a large coil, in cahoots with a steel mass, that is drawn in and out of the magnetic field. (It uses a spring to push the
mass back again.)
Consider this...
Electricity is generated at 60 cycles per second.
So the magnetic flux of an AC Electro-magnet, would expand & collapse 60 times a second. (Thus the name AC or "Alternating
Current.) First it flows in one direction, then it flows in the opposite direction.
This expanding and collapsing of the magnetic
field is what transformers use to induce a voltage in a secondary coil of wire.
But the pump action would be nearly neutralized
because the field would be moving too fast for a steel mass to keep up with. It would just sit there and vibrate as it would
seem to be pushed in both directions at the same time.
So a diode is used to cut the flow of electricity
in one direction. Diodes only let current pass in one direction. This creates a pulse of DC current, in one direction, 30
times a second. Effectively cutting the 60 cycles back to just 30, and turning it into DC (Direct Current) pulses as well.
Which is most useful in magnetic coils that create magnetic flux fields to interact with.
Now the coil in the pump can attract the steel
mass into the coil, and when the current drops to zero, (because the diode cuts out the second half of the cycle,) The spring
can push the mass back out again. This is what causes the piston-pump-like action.
When used in conjunction with seals and openings,
(such as flat sides that allow the fog juice to be displaced and moved through the coil as well, A pump action is created,
with enough force to overcome another mechanisim just down stream.
Explaination is over.
It's time to wake-up now.
But for now, lets see if the pump is clogged before I explain further.
I have to energize the pump, WITHOUT heating up the heater element and waiting for the remote
control lamp to go out. The wire leads to the pump are attatched to other componants of the fogger. One connects to a heater
element terminal, the other is connected to a remote connector terminal.
These green clips are connected directly to the plug of an extention cord. Clipping the alligator
clips to the proper terminals are going to energize the pump, and allow me to see if the pump is functioning, without heating
the element, OR waiting for a lamp to go out.
I connected the testing cord to the terminals that the red wire and the black wire, (from the
pump) are connected to. In this instance, the red wire was also connected to the heater element. The black wire was connected
to the center terminal where the remote control would connect. This is where I placed my test leads.
(It doesn't matter which lead goes where.)
Do not connect the test clips to the same terminal. This will create a short
circuit and will cause the breaker on the household circuit to blow. OR if you have a home with fuses, you'll be replacing
a fuse. OR if you're on a GFCI circuit, you'll be pushing the red reset button on that.
DO NOT TOUCH ENERGIZED - BARE METAL - ELECTRICAL TERMINALS!!!!!
I make it a habit to use one hand when working on electrical circuits. You won't
hurt yourself as badly if the electrical current runs through your hand, but if the current passes through your chest, say
from one hand to the other, (or from a hand to your feet,) your heart stands a chance of getting hit, and possibly stopping.
I simply held the plug in the outlet and pulled it right back out again. This action only energized
the pump for a few moments. This quick burst of energy was not long enough for the pump to become hot and thusly burn out.
But it did reveal that the pump was blocked, as you'll see below.
So, the fog juice that was IN the pump, had spit out of the intake of the pump. This tells
me three things...
#1.
The pump is working/active & alive.
If nothing came out, the clog MAY be inside the intake.
#2.
The pump "Hummed".
I knew this when we tested it before I ever cracked open the case.
This simply confirms that the pump is still good.
#3.
Since the fog juice was ejected from the intake,
THAT means the clog is on the OTHER side of the pump action.
Since the juice could not move forward, it had only one way to go...
Backwards.
If you have used an electrical test cord, be sure it is unplugged from the wall
outlet. It is then safe to disconnect the aligator clips from the terminals and place it out of the way to keep the work table
clear. You will need to have a clean & clear work environment, because the next step is going to involve many small parts.
Keep one or two small bowls handy, so parts do not roll off the work table, hit the floor and
get lost or pick up any forein material. At this point, you really don't want to introduce sawdust, dirt or other crudd into
the system.
The system has some VERY SMALL OPENINGS. So small that you can BARELY push a needle through
them. Just about anything will block these openings. Try to keep the parts clean and free of dirt & crudd.
Personaly, I filled a bowl with a little water, and placed the parts in the water. This helps
to keep them clean and free from forein particles.
If you DON'T keep the parts clean,
you are literally BEGGING for problems after
you've reassembled the fogger. Then you'll have to
tear it apart again. Save yourself the mental anguish
and keep the parts clean.
This little elbow is a Pandora's Box of parts. It's complex, but alone, it's nothing to be shy about taking
apart. Inside, (in the order of their assembly) is a large ring seal, a washer, a smaller ring seal, a reducer/orafice
(one of those tiny holes in a fitting,) a small rubber stopper crimped to a spring.
INSIDE the pump is also an assembly of parts. A casing or "shell" (which has the inlet of the pump and a
cylinder that has a spring inside it. There is a steel piston with a spring that protrudes slightly from the end. There is
also a few ring seals involved.
But the best way to keep from mixing up the parts, is to keep the parts together, ACCORDING to the funcion
that they are involved with. You'll see what I mean...
To access the innards of the pump, you'll have to remove the anti-siphon or Back-Flow unit. This shouldn't
fall apart on you, (it didn't fall apart in THIS instance.) But if you're careful and remove the part slowly, any parts that
may "fly" will be contained within the immediate area.
The Pandora's Elbow, seems to be stuck to the inner workings of the pump unit. Simply wiggle or twist the
unit and pull slightly, to work the assembly out of the pump housing. The key here is to be gentle, but firm. It may be a
slow part of the job, but you really do not want to bend any of the parts. If the parts bend, or kink, they won't fit together
again and the pump itself will be useless. So be cautious.
The innards of the pump is the tube-like unit, laying on the table. We'll explore it's parts next. The Elbow
is in my hot little claws, and we'll focus on that after the pump actuator.
The images are a bit grainy, but what looks like something of a "ridge" or a ring around the outer casing
is actually a ring seal. This didn't look like it had any damage, so I'm confident that the pump hasn't overheated in the
history of this fog machine.
If the seal had melted, it would of stuck to the outer casing, melted. Since it was still loose, it has
my approval.
The Casing or "Shell" is actually something of a piston cylinder. The metal Piston slips inside, and rests
upon a spring inside the cylinder.
The piston is made of steel, which reacts to the magetisim of the coil around the pump. It has a smaller
stem, which is really a piston. At the base of the piston is a small rubber seal.
The very tip of this piston is forced back and forth, pumping a few drops of fog juice past the back-flow
unit in the elbow.
The smaller seal (at the small base of the piston,) also travels with the piston. Which prevents the
juice from flowing backwards. It seals the piston chamber and the juice is forced forwards.
If a seal is going to wear out, it's going to be this tiny little thing. It's constantly being rubbed against
the piston wall. Some plumbing departments MIGHT carry a variety of seals. It's worth checking out if this seal starts to
go on you.
But now you know where the seal IS.
If the fogger you have isn't putting out the fog like it used to, chances are it just might be this seal.
It wasn't until I pulled the piston out of the cylinder, and actually looked INTO the cylinder and found
the spring inside. The pump will not work without this spring, (nor will it work without any other of the parts we'll find
here.) So be carful not to loose any parts.
Don't know why I snapped this picture.
If there WAS a blockage, it would of
been inside the cylinder...
NOT in here.
Doi!
The cylinder, spring and piston assembly has been put back together. It was just a few parts, but if the
Pandora's Elbow had also been disassembled, the parts would of been numerous and confusing. Which is why I suggested that
the parts be placed in separate bowls so they don't get confused with other parts from another assembly.
Okay. Let's recap the experience, shall we???
We have explored all other possibilities, concerning the location of the blockage.
The copper tubing,
The testing the pump,
The piston & cylinder assembly,
The weighted filter screen
and the Pick-Up tube...
All have been proven to be "blockage free".
This leaves just one thing...
At the time, I didn't realize how much was packed into this little elbow. Looks were decieving. At first
glance, I peered into the fitting and did not see daylight from the other end.
So I removed this ring seal from just inside the larger opening. It all looked to be milled to a small opening.
I thought about how I would unblock the unit, safely, without damaging it.
I wanted to remove the seal, but not cause aditional dammage. I could of used a screwdriver to pluck the
seal, but opted for a toothpick. I figured the wood probably wouldn't damage the seal as much as a metal tool would.
I tried to blow through the elbow, (never realizing that it held a back-flow device. I was able to orally
blow through it in one direction, but not the other.
I had to try and loosen the blockage, yet it was a wierd little thing. So I decided that soaking it in HOT
WATER would at least loosen the blockage. So I boiled it in water.
I boiled the unit for about 10 minutes. After that, I used some hot dog "tongs" to remove it from the pan.
I equiped my sink faucet with a sprayer/airator. After I boiled the elbow, I cooled it down, so I can handle
the unit. Since this was the "disposal side" of the kitchen sink, I took the percausion of using a plastic woven scrub pad
and placed it in the disposal opening.
If any parts would end up in the sink, this would catch the parts before they went down the "hole of no
return", yet allow the water to drain away. Sort of a safety net, if you will.
After I rinsed the elbow to cool it off, I tapped the tongs on the side of the sink to shacke the water
out of the elbow.
This washer fell out. Good thing I blocked the disposal, because I didn't see it fall, but I did hear it
bounce around the sink.
It was like, "Huh, I didn't know there was a washer in the elbow?"
Not only a washer, but a closer inspection revealed ANOTHER SEAL. Well, why would another seal be here?
Unless there was a route that the fog juice could take, tha the engineers didn't want the fog juice to take?
I looked at the unit closely, and discovered that there was another piece to the puzzle. Something of a
reducer, that was milled to fit inside the elbow. I wasn't able to grip it with a tool, so I did what any other home
haunter would do...
I tapped it hard against the table, to work the fitting free. I held it with the larger opening facing the
table and gavet it a few serious raps against the tabletop.
It started to work loose. It inched it's way to the opening. So I kept rapping it against the tabletop.
Eventually, it worked it's way flush to the opening.
I used a pair of needle-nosed pliers, (the type that the jaws come to a slender point,) and gripped it lightly
around the edge, and worked it delicately free from the opening.
Here's what was behind the tiny adapter, a rubber stopper with a spring on it. It was stuck to the reducer.
Just as you see here.
Now, a rubber stopper with a spring on it, isn't supposed to be stuck to anything. The spring is supposed
to allow the stopper to move, yet keep pressure on the stopper to return it to it's intended position. So the stopper is SUPPOSED
to move, inside the elbow.
I plucked off the stopper, and discovered a white plastic-like film had caused the stopper to remain sealed
against the adapter. It was some of the plumbing cement that was on the compression fittings, or some sort of plumber's tape.
In the image below, you can see that the stopper appears to be white or gray. THAT is the pipe cement coating
the black rubber stopper ON the spring.
A pair of tweezers were used to peel away the plumber's cement.
But, the pipe cement was AFTER this point in the flow of fog juice. This made little sense, until I figured
out the rest of it. It had to get blocked with the pipe cement. The evidence was peeled from the stopper/spring assembly.
Here's how it happened...
Elementary my dear Watt-son...
The fog juice was pumped through the unit, and the pipe cement went along for the ride AFTER the pump.
When the fog juice hit the heated chamber, it expanded and created back-pressure. This is repeated 30 times
a second. So it was pretty violent inside that copper tube. ANYTHING inside that tube, was bound to be shook loose.
A bit of cement was literally pulverised to a soup-like consistancy. It was heavier than the fog juice.
Thusly, gravity pulled it down into the elbow.
The pin-hole orafice inside the elbow, (used to help hold back the huge explosive pressure from the fog
expansion chamber,) actually pulled the pipe cement into a slender thread of goop.
It eventually worked it's way back to the spring/stopper, and got stuck to it.
After the unit was switched off and it cooled, the pipe cement hardened, and adhered the stopper to the
back of the reducer. sealing it stronger than the pump could break loose.
So the pump worked. It never actually ran dry.
The heater wouldn't blow. Because it would heat up regardless if there was fog juice in the chamber or not.
Once the spring/stopper was broken loose from the cement, and the cement peeled off, the unit would work
properly.
With the Back-Flow preventer assembled and replaced, it was a simple matter to reassemble the fog machine
and give it a test to see if I had fixed it. Keep your claws cossed.
I really pulled this replacement Zip-Tie (hose-clamp) tight. I didn't want the vigration of the pump to
shake this loose. There's nothing like removing 24 black screws in the dark of night, out on the lawn, just to push a hose
back onto a fitting.
The fog machine is reassembled and nobody will know I tinkered with it's ticker.
Wolfman's in for the warm-up...
He presses the button...
HE SCORES!
One fogger saved from the landfill!
High-fives all around.
(Wolfie boogies in the backyard)
The officials are issuing a penalty...
for dancing in the dead-zone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please be sure to visit "How to Halloween" A new up and coming site on building your own Halloween decorations for next to
nil!
The Halloween-L is a great website & forum. You should go there NOW! Ok, after you view my website. But right after that,
go there! (If you know what's "Boo" for you!)
|
