It’s Halloween time, and you just got done doing your makeup for your amazing costumes. Now it’s time to have the decor and lights set up for your spooky night. You can use LED lights to help the fog look even more stunning. Fog can create such a fun atmosphere. The question comes up, what’s the most natural way to make fog to keep everyone safe and healthy?
Plain water on its own won’t make real fog in a heated fog machine, but distilled water is the main ingredient in most fog fluids. Make sure to use distilled water and not mineral or tap water, since both have impurities that can damage the device.
Fog fluid is distilled water mixed with glycol or glycerin, and that second ingredient is what makes visible, lasting fog. The easiest and safest choice is a store-bought fluid made for your machine.
Don’t use water only. Without glycol or glycerin, a fog machine makes little more than thin steam that vanishes quickly, and many manufacturers warn it can damage the heater.
Water vapor from a fog machine disappears in seconds, while glycol or glycerin droplets hang in the air. If you mix your own, check your machine’s manual first, because many makers say homemade fluid can clog the heater and void the warranty.
How to Make Fog Juice Using Water
The procedure of making fog with water is not complicated. However, for the best results, you will have to get the proportions right.
To make a fog fluid mix, you will need the following:
- A one-liter plastic bottle that’s in good condition
- A measuring cup
- Distilled Water
- Vegetable-based glycerin
Most DIY recipes use about 15% to 30% food-grade (USP) vegetable glycerin, with distilled water for the rest. More glycerin gives thicker, longer-lasting fog, but too much can make the machine sputter and leave residue.
You can also make fog juice without glycerin.
However, don’t add too much glycerin. Start at the low end and only add more if the fog is too thin.
For one liter at about 20%, pour 200ml of glycerin into the bottle and top it up to 1 liter with distilled water. For thicker fog, use up to about 300ml of glycerin; for lighter fog, use about 150ml.
Cap the bottle and shake it until the mix looks even and clear, with no streaks of glycerin.
Fill the machine’s tank the way the manual says, let it heat up fully and test with short bursts.
If you need to thin the mixture, add a small amount of H2O at a time until the desired density is reached.
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How do you Make Heavy Fog with Water?
To make heavy fog with water, you will need to reduce the proportion of water and increase glycerin. For instance, if you used 20% glycerin and 80% water, you can go up to about 30% glycerin. Going much higher tends to make the machine sputter and leave residue.
The fog produced will be thick and last longer.
Heavier mixes also mean more cleaning. Run a cleaning cycle more often (with the maker’s cleaner, or distilled water if your manual allows it) when you use them.
Will Water Damage my Fog Machine?
Using distilled water won’t damage your fogger. However, you should be careful not to apply mineral or tap water since both have impurities that may clog and damage your machine.
Again, if you use mineral or tap water, you will have to clean out your fog machine more often.
Is Water-glycerin Fog Fluid Safe to Breathe?
In light, short use, water-glycerin fog juice is generally considered safe to breathe. But you should wear a protective mask while working in the room where your machine has been operating for long periods and avoid breathing near the device or any of its outlets.
Also, if you have asthma, you should consult a doctor before using the fog effect. This is because fog can irritate the airways and trigger asthma symptoms in some people.
Can you Mix Water with Glycol?
Yes. You can mix water with glycol. In fact, most store-bought water-based fog fluids are a mix of glycols and distilled water.
You can mix distilled water with glycol to create a good quality smoke that will last long and won’t disappear quickly, as happens when you apply just water for fog fluid.
If your goal is to make less dense but still effective fog, go for a mixture of 15%-20% glycol and 80%-85% distilled water. Use only food-grade (USP) propylene glycol, never automotive antifreeze, which contains toxic ethylene glycol. Note, however, that glycol-based fog fluid may cause some side effects, especially for people with asthma and other breathing problems.
Some of the symptoms that result from too much exposure to glycol-based fog include coughing, sneezing, and the feeling of a tight chest.
Therefore, if you have an underlying breathing problem, you may want to take precautions when using this fluid.
Do I Need a Mask When using a Fogger Machine?
Suppose you are working in an environment where there’s a heavy operation of a typical dry ice device, a mask won’t help much. The risk there is carbon dioxide building up, which an N95 does not filter, so good ventilation is what protects you (insulated gloves and eye protection are still smart when handling dry ice).
Otherwise, most people should be able to breathe safely while operating their machines at home or in an environment where the fog is not too deep.
However, suppose you have asthma or other breathing problems. In that case, it may be best to consult a doctor before using a fog machine, because glycol and glycerin fog can irritate the airways and trigger symptoms.
Conclusion
Now you know what you can utilize in a fog machine. However, as discussed, you want to be careful about the type of water you employ so you don’t end up damaging your fog device.
Water alone won’t give you real fog, so use a store-bought fog fluid or, if your manual allows it, a careful mix of distilled water with glycerin or glycol.
So go ahead and make your amazing fog today and have some fun with your fog apparatus. Did you know there is a difference between haze and fog machines?
Please be careful and use at your own risk
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