Haze machine - Oil Cracker

[Dynamic Entertainment]

I can remember reading an article a few years ago in which the authour went into great detail about the difference between smoke machines and haze machines...and a bit on fasers 9which i remember right are just smoke machines with a fan on the front to disperse the smoke a bit quicker and more evenly).

Anyway, if i remember correctly, the proper haze machines used an oil based solution which was "cracked" under preassure to form a far smaller particle than that of a smoke machine, therefore reducing the likelyhood (reducing, no eliminating being the key point) of setting off fire alarms.

For those in the know, ive i got the general jist of it correct, and are there any of these "proper" hasers available at a decent price?

Thanks

Steve

[Chris1984]

In a nut shell you are correct.
Technology has now come on and you can get very good hazers which work similar to a smoke machine but they initially produce a very fine haze which is dispersed through a fan which helps to disperse and reduce particle size too.
The best example is the look solutions unique range.

Now the big difference between his type of haser and the original is that type of fluid used.

Modern machines like the unique use water base haze fluid which is similar BUT different to smoke fluid.

The oil type such as DF50's, MDG atmospheres (which also have a fan and use Co2 to crack the oil) use as the name suggests oil based fluid which is great for haze bad for everything else.
The oil will form a coating on all optics in lights and projectors, this coating will collect dust and dirt and can result in damage to equipment if not cleaned very regularly.

The water based fluid is also a little cheaper!
Oil base machines are also very expensive.

How much you looking to spend on a hazer? hope this helps.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

In a nut shell you are correct.
Technology has now come on and you can get very good hazers which work similar to a smoke machine but they initially produce a very fine haze which is dispersed through a fan which helps to disperse and reduce particle size too.
The best example is the look solutions unique range.

Now the big difference between his type of haser and the original is that type of fluid used.

Modern machines like the unique use water base haze fluid which is similar BUT different to smoke fluid.

The oil type such as DF50's, MDG atmospheres (which also have a fan and use Co2 to crack the oil) use as the name suggests oil based fluid which is great for haze bad for everything else.
The oil will form a coating on all optics in lights and projectors, this coating will collect dust and dirt and can result in damage to equipment if not cleaned very regularly.

The water based fluid is also a little cheaper!
Oil base machines are also very expensive.

How much you looking to spend on a hazer? hope this helps.

Hi Chris

I dont kow to be hones. Just looking about. mi dont want to spend money though, to find im back to square 1 and not able to use it due to fire alarms.

Steve

[Chris1984]

The fire alarm issue will always be present in this day and age.
We tend to get the rooms we are using isolated so we tend not to have this problem to much.

[Disco Tech Liverpool]

Yeah, but trying to get a lot of these places to isolate the function suite fire alarms so that they are off is like trying to blood out of as stone. I think heat riser alarms should be installed in all these hotels rather than smoke detection systems. The Adelphi in Liverpool went on fire a few years ago but the smoke detection system took a while to set the alarms off, now they have a heat riser alarm system which is great, you can use haze as much as you want.

[csg]

The oil type such as DF50's, MDG atmospheres (which also have a fan and use Co2 to crack the oil) use as the name suggests oil based fluid which is great for haze bad for everything else.
The oil will form a coating on all optics in lights and projectors, this coating will collect dust and dirt and can result in damage to equipment if not cleaned very regularly.

The water based fluid is also a little cheaper!
Oil base machines are also very expensive.



sorry, just need to clear up one point here

df50's are indeed oil crackers, which as you have correctly explained use compressed air ( from an internal compressor in the case of the df50) to " crack " mineral oil to a fine mist.

MDG atmosphere machines, and indeed their range of smoke machines use a mineral oil, atomised by a propelant gas ( usually Co2), forced through a heat exchanger, similar to a glycol based smoke machine.

This produces a very small partical size ( 5 times smaller than a df50, and up to 200 times smaller than a water based smoke machine) which hangs extremely well in air, producing fine, even and long lasting haze

As a hot process is used ( the heat exchanger), the resulting fog or haze is completely dry, and therefore does not leave any residue on other equipment or surfaces. This differs from the cold, wet haze produced by a cracker system.

Unfortunately, this technology does not come cheap, as manufacturing tolerences are minute, but trust me - they work!

So, a small point i know, but i think it is important that the 2 technologies are not mixed up. Once you have used an mdg atmosphere system or a concept phantom machine ( the uk built version), you wont want to use a oil cracker, much less a water based hazer ever again!

[Chris1984]

my mistake!