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How to Build an Outdoor Misting System
The principle behind an outdoor misting system is quite elementary - you basically force water through a tiny misting nozzle which creates a micro fine cone of mist. This spray of water then comes into contact with the air and causes the tiny water drops to evaporate. The simple question is - why spend another hot day inside the house when you can enjoy your porch to the fullest with an outdoor misting system? Also imagine how your pets would appreciate a misting system this summer!
There are three different types of outdoor misting cooling systems - low, medium and high pressure. The faster the water is forced through the nozzle, the finer the water droplets will be and the faster they will evaporate. That said, mid and high pressure misting systems also cost considerably more money to build but produce unbeatable performance. For this exercise we will be constructing a simple low pressure system without does not require a pump.
All you need is an outdoor rated pedestal fan that can be placed on the ground, a 3/4" garden tap ring, a bottle of cleaning detergent with a spray nozzle. Make sure the spray head of the bottle is with normal threads. You will also need a fine metal saw or a sharp knife.
First, remove the spray head from the bottle and take off the attached tube. This tube can easily be pulled out with your bare hand. Next, gently screw the 3/4" garden tap adapter in to the spray nozzle, making sure it goes straight in. Then make a mark on the outer part of the spray head ring where the tap adapter levels and carefully saw off the top part so that the outer ring now becomes 2-3 mm shorter. Finally take a knife and clean out the leftover debris.
When screwing the tap adapter into place it is preferable that the threads on the spray head and the tap adapter are not the same. If you apply too much force then the threads will snap. If this happens, simply apply some glue onto the threads before screwing it in and wait for 15 minutes before tightening it down a bit harder.
If you live in a tropical climate where the humidity might be 50-90%, the spray will obviously take slightly longer evaporate compared to a relatively dry region. Most people who live in a humid climate usually choose to upgrade their misting systems with the addition of mid or high pressure pump unit. Just be fully aware that doing so requires totally different tubing, nozzles fittings.
Outdoor misting systems are capable of reducing the ambient air temperature between 15-35 degrees. The common misconception is that misting systems only perform well in dry, arid climates. While temperature reductions are certainly easier to achieve in these regions of the world, humid area's simply require a slightly different system that can easily be achieved by using a smaller nozzle orifice and slightly greater pressure in the water line.
