Comparisons, Pros & Cons of Misters/Humidifiers/Foggers and the like - Orchid Board

Rivka · #1 10-18-2012, 08:26 PM

Comparisons, Pros & Cons of Misters/Humidifiers/Foggers and the like.

I have been reading page after page here learning about mist and humidity stuffs and got frustrated that there is great bits of info here and there, but it's hard to compare one type to another and know what would be best for your specific needs or limitation when you have them in different threads and not laid out side by side. So I figure I would facilitate gathering info into one thread both for selfish reasons and also to hopefully help the next person that comes along. This is such a often asked and confusing part of growing and the facets and considerations are many.

Please give as much info as you truly know about a particular type, not just what you heard offhand.
You can fill out as many or as few of the lines as you what to chime in on.
If you see info that I have included already that you know to be incorrect, please let me know.
Please give info in the format I list below if there is a line i should add let me know.
Please include links to products
I will keep editing and compiling the input into the main post as a resource.

Please use the following format when possible:

Type: ..... mister, ultrasonic fogger, swamp cooler, vaporizer, you get the point, what options do we have to pick from
Description: ..... Sum up in one or two sentences what this type is
Strengths: ..... what does it do best, what limitation does it midi gate, what secondary thing does it accomplish (like cooling or heating)
Weakness: ..... what are the cons, what are you stuck with if you want or need to use this type? link, does it make lots of noise?
Best for: ..... what kind of set up is this type best for? small, big, inclosed terrarium? open shade house?
Things you will need: ..... has to be pressurized? Pure water?
Brands to consider: ..... if anyone is a vendor that has connections to this forum please let us know, im sure folks would love to support those that support us!
Pitfalls to avoid: ..... any tricks of the trade with this type? let us learn from your trail and error and success.

Type: Evaporative Cooler "Swamp Cooler"
Description: Cooling and added humidity is added t the air when a fan passes over or thru a water soaked mesh or mat. Cooling is greater in Dry Warm Climates, while Humidity is increased most in cooler climates were there is less evaporation.
Strengths: Cooling is the added bonus and actually the main goal of this type. Humidity is mild and does not make a mess like stronger systems.
Weakness: Does not have a large rate of added humidity, water soak parts can breed yuck. Can cool a lot in some set ups.
Best for: Cooling in a dry climates, stable mild increase in humidity
Things you will need: Power, usually 120v, there freestanding units and big and small wall units, some wall units are usually plumbed with waterline.
Brands to consider: ..... if anyone is a vendor that has connections to this forum please let us know, im sure folks would love to support those that support us!
Pitfalls to avoid: ..... any tricks of the trade with this type? let us learn from your trail and error and success.

Rivka · #2 10-20-2012, 10:11 AM

Really? No one wants to help build this resource for folks? Is there questions about what I'm looking for?

sithwitch · #3 10-20-2012, 11:43 AM

I think it's not so much that no one wants to build a database of this information to help fellow growers, but that the pros and cons of each device is so tied to each grower's specific conditions that it gets downright impossible to give objective general info on the subject

I personally grow in one room, under lights, in basement apparment in Quebec. It gets incredibly over-heated and dry in winter so I have to run 2 humidifiers constantly to get up to 50% RH if barely, because I have to open a window (even in -30 celcius weather!) to bring the heat down for both plants and myself, which makes the moisture go right out

And because I don't grow in an enclosure, misting systems and foggers are a near impossiblity for now.

I do have to say, going from 20 to 70 plants did make the RH go up though, so that's a plus!

Considering all the variables to take into consideration, it's no wonder there's no straight clear list about all the humidity "tools". But I'd really admire whoever came up with one! For now, search for "greenhouse growing/ apparment growing/terrarium/grow tents" might give people that specific information they need.

Just my

as someone who's been looking for a miracle cure for winter dryness awhile, and has to make do with refilling those humidifier tanks 3 times a day

Rivka · #4 10-20-2012, 08:14 PM

so what you said is some of the info that is aim to gather, like are some types only good or enclosures and maybe certain types almost always wet the floor?

BTW, are you running cool or warm humidifiers? So info like: i hear cool ones tend to leave white junk on leaves unless they are used with pure water while hot ones have build up on the filters that needs changing,
these are all mostly facts and let the individual grower look at it and then pick the one that is good for their space and what daily errands they are willing to do. some might think it awful to wash leaves but fine to change filters all the time, thats up to them.

does this make more sense now?

i have made resources lists like this for many thing, from off road jeep armor to radio connection parts, it take a little bit to get it put together, but in the end is massively useful for a long time to come

silken · #5 10-21-2012, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sithwitch

I think it's not so much that no one wants to build a database of this information to help fellow growers, but that the pros and cons of each device is so tied to each grower's specific conditions that it gets downright impossible to give objective general info on the subject

I personally grow in one room, under lights, in basement apparment in Quebec. It gets incredibly over-heated and dry in winter so I have to run 2 humidifiers constantly to get up to 50% RH if barely, because I have to open a window (even in -30 celcius weather!) to bring the heat down for both plants and myself, which makes the moisture go right out

And because I don't grow in an enclosure, misting systems and foggers are a near impossiblity for now.

I do have to say, going from 20 to 70 plants did make the RH go up though, so that's a plus!

Considering all the variables to take into consideration, it's no wonder there's no straight clear list about all the humidity "tools". But I'd really admire whoever came up with one! For now, search for "greenhouse growing/ apparment growing/terrarium/grow tents" might give people that specific information they need.

Just my

as someone who's been looking for a miracle cure for winter dryness awhile, and has to make do with refilling those humidifier tanks 3 times a day

I don't know enough about this issue to contribute much. But I have a suggestion for sithwitch which may add a bit of info. Sithwitch, have you considered a small evaporative cooler for your basement in winter? It cools and adds humidity at one time. I have been doing a lot of hunting and research this summer to get one for our greenhouse that was too hot and dry in summer. I found out that in some hot dry states like Arizona, they are used in place of regular air conditioners and are somewhat more economical on electricity as well.

Having said that, I would be very careful about adding humidity into any house because of the damage or mold issues you could have. But if you are adding it anyway, and going to 40 or 50% shouldn't hurt, this might kill two birds with one stone. Most of the large ones use dry outside air but there are small portable ones and the hotter and drier it is, the more effective they are. They operate on the basis of running hot dry air thru a wetted pad and blowing it out as a cooler damper air. It is similar to how we cool ourselves by sweating. I found it next to impossible to find one in Canada although in the end did get a good sized one from Napa Auto parts for a good price. Look under Kuule air or portable evaporative cooler on the web. Shipping a large one from the U.S. was prohibitive, but a smaller one wouldn't be so bad. Just a thought.

sithwitch · #6 10-21-2012, 10:55 PM

Rivka, I am running cool evaporative humidifiers, the common type you find in Wal-marts and such. As far as I know, those cause no white mineral residue on leaves, running cool or warm. Ultrasonic humidifiers WILL leave mineral residue on whatever the mist lands on over time however, be it table/shelf or leaf, unless the mist is dispersed through a fan I guess. And I've read that using pure water in ultrasonic humidifiers does not work as the sonic discs need minerals in the water to work, but I am not 100% usre about that. No such issue with normal evaporative humidifers

Also, in an open setup like mine, in a living room no less, I can't see anyone using automated misters as water and normal furniture/floor don't cohabit so well. Plus, in my case, my ceiling fan might carry the water spray all over the place.

Like silken said, we have to be careful with the humidity growing indoors. I can't jack up the RH to 80% because I don't want moss to end up growing on my couch and mold is a big concern too. The humidifiers I run stop working as soon as their humidistat register 60% as a safety. More than that isn't safe for my walls.

Hope this helps

And silken, I tried to look for an evaporative/swamp cooler, but I couldn't find any Canadian store that sells any

I understand it somewhat for Eastern Canada since it gets very humid here in summer, but I am surprised there isn't any in the Prairies, it's weird

Never tried to go look at Napa Auto though! Thanks for that tip! Just out of curiosity, how often do you have to change the pads? That's one thing that has stopped me from ordering one from the US, how often I'd have to order the pads too.

silken · #7 10-21-2012, 11:11 PM

I agree, you would think there would be some places. In my searches we found out Canadian Tire and Rona carried smaller ones even last year or a few years ago. Rona said they sold out immediately so why didn't they bring them in the next summer?? My Porta Cool pads last up to 5 years according to the manual. I guess you could always order an extra set of pads if shipping a small unit from the U.S.