With the rising temperatures that summer brings comes the need to look for ways to create a cooling oasis for people or plants, animals or articles. But how do you decide which system or solution is right for you?
Outdoor Misting System Performance
For the best performance in commercial and industrial areas, such as resorts, golf clubs, or theme parks, 1000 pounds-per-square-inch (PSI), high-pressure outdoor misting systems will give you the best results.
In residential environments, your household water pressure may dictate the patio misting system for you. A low-pressure mist system will run on 40 – 100 PSI. A mid-pressure mist system operates between 100 – 250 PSI. The low-pressure system may leave you feeling wettest if you are standing or sitting nearby, within about 6 feet, as the water droplets are slightly larger with lower PSI pressure.
Misting Systems Work and How They Work
Misting systems involve a misting pump that forces water through specialty nozzles to create atomized water droplets as tiny as 5 microns, or 5-millionths of a meter. Billions of these tiny droplets are created every second, and as they are dispersed into the environment, where air moves past the water, they evaporate. Evaporation takes energy from the air (heat), which is what lowers the temperature.
How Much Outdoor Cooling to Expect
Exactly how effective your mist system is depends a lot on existing conditions. Mist system results will be quite dramatic in conditions with higher temperatures, above 80 degrees F, and lower humidity, below 50 per cent, bringing temperatures down by 35 – 40 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, with humidity above 80 per cent, expect temperature reductions of about 10 degrees. And when humidity levels run between 40 and 80 percent, you can expect a temperature drop of about 20 degrees.
Misting Pumps and Fans
Misting fans can provide both humidification and cooling. Ask your manufacturer or distributor about ratings for ground fault and short circuit protection. Look for pulley drive misting pumps that are protected with a low water safety switch. And in very high humidity environments, look for products that offer rust proof treatment and sealed bearings.
At Fogco, we’ve been in the high-pressure mist and fog system business for over 25 years.
Whether it’s an industrial, commercial or residential application, our professionals can help you identify the perfect system for your project.
