All this time I was using the wrong heat source for my fogger

I spent three years building fog machines for Halloween, and I always used a propane burner because that's what the plans called for. At a party in Phoenix last month, a guy named Mark told me to try an electric hot plate instead because it gives more even heat. I was real skeptical, but after one test run I saw he was right - my fluid lasted twice as long. Have any of you switched away from propane and regretted it?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_carr3mo ago

Mark from Phoenix was right about even heat but wrong about fluid economy. Propane actually gives better efficiency if your hot plate isn't sealed tight around the chamber.

michaela163mo ago

Not sure we need a full efficiency debate over a hot plate.

rayc381mo agoTop Commenter

I had a similar setup a few years back and ended up just buying a cheap wind screen from a camping store. Wrapped it around the base of the hot plate and the chamber, and it made a huge difference in how steady the temperature stayed. Mark might be right about even heat, but I found that blocking drafts was the real game changer for my runs. Propane still burned clean with the screen on, but I didn't need as much fuel to keep things rolling.