ionic mist/fog makers

[Brandon]

This may be off topic, but I looking for information on the following...

I am speaking of these new Ionic mist machines that are being sold. Glass
bowl filled with water uses an electric oscillator of some sort to produce a
cool fog like mist. They also claim that these units produce negatively
charged ions and help clean the air, any truth to this?

I am curious as to how the device works, how simple it is, and if it would
be possible to make one, perhaps on a larger scale in order to produce
larger volumes of mist/fog. The application would be for high humidly
greenhouses/grow rooms( no I am not growing pot) or as a cool mist
humidifier in a home.

Thanks
Brandon

 

[Jacobe Hazzard]

This may be off topic, but I looking for information on
the following...

I am speaking of these new Ionic mist machines that are
being sold. Glass bowl filled with water uses an
electric oscillator of some sort to produce a cool fog
like mist. They also claim that these units produce
negatively charged ions and help clean the air, any truth
to this?

I am curious as to how the device works, how simple it
is, and if it would be possible to make one, perhaps on a
larger scale in order to produce larger volumes of
mist/fog. The application would be for high humidly
greenhouses/grow rooms( no I am not growing pot) or as a
cool mist humidifier in a home.

Thanks
Brandon

You could just go out and buy an ultrasonic humidifier, but they are not
ideal.

The vaporization action moves minerals dissolve in the water into the fog
(as opposed to leaving them behind as scale, as with other humidifier
schemes). If you use water containing dissolved minerals then you will start
to see a white mineral crust forming on every surface in the room as quickly
as the same day. These airbourne minerals are apparently very bad for the
respiratory system, and from my experience very painful for contact lense
wearers. You absolutely must use distilled water in ultrasonic humidifiers.

The best humidifiers work by pulling air through a damp porous material like
a sponge. This is what 'cool mist' humidifiers usually use, although
bacterial growth in the water and sponge is still a concern. (you may need
to clean frequently and possibly use chemicals). These humidifiers are even
cheaper than ultrasonic.

 

[Brandon]

You could just go out and buy an ultrasonic humidifier, but they are not
ideal.

The vaporization action moves minerals dissolve in the water into the fog
(as opposed to leaving them behind as scale, as with other humidifier
schemes). If you use water containing dissolved minerals then you will start
to see a white mineral crust forming on every surface in the room as quickly
as the same day. These airbourne minerals are apparently very bad for the
respiratory system, and from my experience very painful for contact lense
wearers. You absolutely must use distilled water in ultrasonic humidifiers.

The best humidifiers work by pulling air through a damp porous material like
a sponge. This is what 'cool mist' humidifiers usually use, although
bacterial growth in the water and sponge is still a concern. (you may need
to clean frequently and possibly use chemicals). These humidifiers are even
cheaper than ultrasonic.

Thanks for the info. I am still interested in learning how these really
work specifically. I didn't mention in my first post...I would like the
effect of the fog for use in my landscaping. The waterfall and the pool. I
larger version of the indoor ones I have seen in various places would be
ideal. How difficult would it be to make something like this?

Thanks
Brandon

 

[Jacobe Hazzard]

message


Thanks for the info. I am still interested in learning
how these really work specifically. I didn't mention in
my first post...I would like the effect of the fog for
use in my landscaping. The waterfall and the pool. I
larger version of the indoor ones I have seen in various
places would be ideal. How difficult would it be to make
something like this?

Thanks
Brandon

You can buy modules that sit in water and produce fog from the surface. Not
sure how much they cost but they are available for the purpose you describe.
They need frequenct cleaning and will self-destruct instantly if operated
out of water (so watch the levels).

They work by generating a high frequency (1-2MHz?) wave in the water, which
causes violent vibrations at the air-water interface and water molecules are
flung off into the air. This is my understanding anyway, that the water is
shaken until individual atoms or small groups of atoms have enough energy to
escape. These things are also sometimes called atomizers.

You can't really make one, because they use special ultrasonic transducers
that you wouldn't be able to make on your own, but you can buy them as
modules in various sizes. Look on google.