High pressure misting system

[jfdub]

I've been doing some research into misting systems. I've had one that works off the garden hose with 10 mist nozzles and while is does spray water and drop the temp a little people do get very wet under them.

In my research I've found that if you get a 1000-1500 psi pump you end up with extremely fine water droplets that (apparently) vaporize and cool the air by up to 30 degrees. These things aren't cheap (cheapest I've found is ~$1000 for 10 nozzles) but if it helps cool down these 100 degree days I'd make an investment.

That said, does anyone have a high pressure (with a pump, not just off the hose) misting system? If so, how do you like it? Did you install yourself? Is it worth it and how often do you use it?

Thanks for any advice or opinions!

 

[tim5055]

Wow, that is a pricy system. I can remember visits to Phoenix in the summer and every business had one. Hopefully one of our AZ folks have one.

 

[jfdub]

I was talking about this with my neighbor yesterday and she mentioned that I may get some spray from my waterfall (about a ~4-5 foot drop). I'll wait until after the pool is complete to see if I'll really need the misters. There are plenty of restaurants around here with them - I'll ask some questions there as well.

Here's the waterfall:

 

[JayBauman]

The efficacy of misting systems is highly dependent on the relative humidity of the area to be cooled. In dry heat places, they work quite well. In high-humidity places (like most of Texas) they are not as efficient, so fans are required to facilitate the evaporation. Just be sure you have correct expectations before dropping a lot of money on one of these.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The efficacy of misting systems is highly dependent on the relative humidity of the area to be cooled. In dry heat places, they work quite well. In high-humidity places (like most of Texas) they are not as efficient, so fans are required to facilitate the evaporation. Just be sure you have correct expectations before dropping a lot of money on one of these.

Agree.

I live in Tucson where every business with an outdoor patio has a misting system. They work well enough in the hot/dry months (May and June) but are fairly useless when the monsoon season hits (July to mid-Aug) because the humidity goes up.

There are not maintenance free. The nozzles build up calcium scale very quickly and have to be cleaned regularly to maintain a proper mist. Also, the high pressure pumps need to be paired with stainless steel tubing and high pressure fittings (Swagelock) or else you can burst the tubes.

Why not purchase a portable swamp cooler? They work better than misting systems and for $2000+ you can get a nice one like the Port-A-Cool Islander for outdoor patios.