Vertical Smoke machines that last...

[Stuart91]

I've got a selection of vertical foggers, which have all been quite disappointing. Chauvet Geysers, and the LEDJ equivalent.

The effect itself is fine, but they are a maintenance nightmare, continually blocking etc. or springing leaks. Far more problems than our collection of more conventional machines. 

They're not in daily use, but get out often enough that it's a chore to keep on top of all the issues.  

I'm not sure if it's just inherent issues with the vertical "form factor" - do they drop fluid back down themselves more easily? Or are there better, more robust models that I should consider? I'm not against spending a bit of money if it reduces the problems. Anyone had good experiences with any?

[richard_cooper]

I needed to hire 10ish some years back, the hire co. provided Look Solutions Viper machines (can't remember which version) that were rated for use standing on their backs. We had them in daily use for about three weeks without a problem. Possible worth a look, especially as they can be used in either orientation so more flexible.

[Stuart91]

I've certainly had good results from the Unique hazers that Look Solutions make, so that might well be worth a look. Thanks!

[richard_cooper]

I just checked in my records, they were Viper NTs. The only mentions of the vertical use I can see is in this promotional video, Thomann also list it for "horizontal/vertical" use. They were capable of hitting the 10m ceiling of the venue which was overkill for this use.

 

[sunray]

I fitted Standard Martin Magnum 1600 smokers in dance pole podiums pointing straight up and standing a 5 litre bottle of fluid beside them rather than the standard 1 litre bottle. I was never aware of any problems.

When mounted vertical the Mugnum 2000 had brackets available to retain the bottle in place.

But these are machines from the 90's

[James Remo]

I've used smoke factory spaceball 2's with fast dispersing fluid as vertical fog jets, with good results. Cracking little machines, only 650w and tiny sized, but very hardy and take abuse. They were about to £450 list when I bought them, they have gone up a little now

[partyanimallighting]

Yup, those Geysers are a nightmare. All sorts of problems and an assortment of design issues. Glitchy low fluid sensors, a fluid distribution block from the pump that clogs if you look at it harshly, a solenoid purge valve that fails regularly and a heater block that clogs so easily. I have a recent post where I'm trying to bypass all those problems and restructure the machine to make it less prone to failure.

[partyanimallighting]

On 8/17/2024 at 4:32 PM, sunray said:

I fitted Standard Martin Magnum 1600 smokers in dance pole podiums pointing straight up and standing a 5 litre bottle of fluid beside them rather than the standard 1 litre bottle. I was never aware of any problems.

When mounted vertical the Mugnum 2000 had brackets available to retain the bottle in place.

But these are machines from the 90's

I have a couple of these MP-2000s that I've had multiple problems with over the years and they were tossed to the back of the warehouse years ago. They recently resurfaced while I was relocating to another warehouse and I have hopes of refurbishing them and putting them back in use. Now, hear me out, when these things work the output is phenomenal but they're so finicky I never got any real service out of them. I'm considering just gutting out the existing motherboard and remote and replacing them with a standard replacement 200W ~ 3000W motherboard which will accommodate a wired remote and have DMX capability. But that's another post.

[Stuart91]

9 hours ago, partyanimallighting said:

Yup, those Geysers are a nightmare. All sorts of problems and an assortment of design issues. Glitchy low fluid sensors, a fluid distribution block from the pump that clogs if you look at it harshly, a solenoid purge valve that fails regularly and a heater block that clogs so easily.

That sounds like a good summary of the problems we've been experiencing. We've certainly had a run of clogged heater blocks, which sometimes leak too. 

I've found the LEDJ versions to be more "vigorous" than the Chalet Geysers, but we've had better lifespan (or mean time between failures) from the Chauvets. 

Spotted that MagicFX now have a vertical smoker available: SmokeJet. I've had pretty good experiences with their other products and whilst it's a good chance more expensive that Geyers etc. the price is comparable to a Viper, and the built-in LEDs are an advantage. 

[partyanimallighting]

11 hours ago, Stuart91 said:

That sounds like a good summary of the problems we've been experiencing. We've certainly had a run of clogged heater blocks, which sometimes leak too. 

I've found the LEDJ versions to be more "vigorous" than the Chalet Geysers, but we've had better lifespan (or mean time between failures) from the Chauvets. 

Spotted that MagicFX now have a vertical smoker available: SmokeJet. I've had pretty good experiences with their other products and whilst it's a good chance more expensive that Geyers etc. the price is comparable to a Viper, and the built-in LEDs are an advantage. 

I take it that the LEDJ would be an ADJ product like their Fog Fury Jett, yet another nightmare. I also have a couple of these packed down somewhere waiting to be repaired (or dumped). The leaking of the heater block will probably be the first sign of the upcoming clog. I think that, as the fluid residue starts to build up inside the fluid line coils, the pump has to work harder to push fluid through, and the back-pressure leads to leaking at the pump or the fluid line connections. The pump and solenoid and also connected to a aluminum transfer block which clogs and corrodes easily, leading to further leaking. But.....if you're dumping, I won't mind getting a couple of those used motherboards (just asking). I do have another post in this forum where I'm trying to bypass all the unnecessary internal paraphernalia and just have these Geyser units function like normal foggers (plus the LED output of course).