Fog Machine Troubleshooting- No Fog Coming Out

ANTARI / Z350Fazer

In this issue, I would like to write about the causes of fog machines not producing fog. There are three major possible causes of no smoke emission.

1. Malfunction on the control board side

   The control board detects the temperature of the heater, turns the electricity on and off, controls the pump that sucks up the liquid, and receives signals from the DMX and controller. If these parts do not work properly, the fog will not come out properly.

2. Malfunctioning Pumps

   If the pump doesn’t work and doesn’t suck up liquid even though electricity is being sent from the control board to the pump, the pump is probably broken.

3. Heater Malfunction

   Most heater failures are caused by a clogged heater, which results in low or no output. In rare cases, the wiring to the sensors may be disconnected.

As a matter of fact, about 80% of the fog machines I receive repair requests for are due to clogged heaters. What is “clogging” in the first place? When does clogging occur? I will explain further in detail.

● What is clogging?

The mechanism of a fog machine passes fog liquid through a heated heater, which converts the liquid into gas and ejects it as a mist.
A tube runs through the heater and when the inside of the tube becomes clogged, it is called “clogging”.

● When does clogging occur?

Clogging occurs when foreign substances other than liquid pass through the tubes.
Here are some images.

This is ANTARI Z350 that was sent in for repair.
It’s covered in dust. It must have been used in a difficult environment.

Looking into the tank, you can see that dust is mixed in.

When I checked the tube between the pump and heater, I found that something was mixed in there as well.

This is the heater tube connection.
You can see from the build up of black gunk on there.

You can see from this image that dust, dirt, and grime have led to the clogging of the heater.

■ Summary
Stage lighting equipment is often used in dark or dusty places, so it may be difficult to notice dust and dirt in the tank.
Many people clean the tubes after use by running water or cleaning solution through the tubes, but in fact, it is possible that dirt and debris remaining in the tank may have contributed to the clogging of the tubes, even though the tubes were cleaned.
In order to prevent foreign matter from getting into the tank, I recommend that you clean the tank after use, and make sure that the inside of the tank is clean when you add more liquid. Do not leave old liquid in the tank.

You can read more about the features of fog machines, types of liquids, and cleaning methods in this article.