# DIY mister?



## rsklReptiles (Jul 14, 2010)

Does anyone have any good links to build a mister like mistking? Iv read about being able to do it from a car washer pump but can't find any guide or much info on it
Thanks

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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I wouldn't have thought a car washer pump would provide enough pressure for a mister, it would be enough for a sprinkler but fine mist requires quite high pressures, people have built them using the pumps from coffee machines etc..., but they can be quite exensive.

Provided you can find a suitable pump though a mister or sprinkler is a simple enough thing to make, tubing and nozzles are readily available, and a simple plug-in timer may be adequate depending on the frequency and duration you require.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

OK further to my earlier post I've been having a look around, building a mister/sprinkler unit is something I've been considering for some time, I'm using an Exo Terra Monsoon unit ATM but I have a feeling it's about to die on me like everyone else's, and I don't particularly like the looks of the alternatives which don't seem to be any better made.

There is the Mist King of course which users swear by, but availability in the UK is a problem and I have no idea what they cost?

For some time I've been aware of the systems sold by ENT Terrariumtechnik in Germany, essentially a DIY system for which you buy all the components and assemble them yourself into a customised system to suit your needs. 

They sell a small diaphragm pump that operates on 24V DC for €59 + postage Membranpumpe, 24 Volt für Beregnungsanlagen - E.N.T. Terrarientechnik but I notice on eBay and elsewhere there are very similar if not identical pumps that operate on 12V or 24V according to the model, eg 12V 4.3 LPM 35 PSI Water & General Purpose, Pressure Diaphragm pump | eBay and and these start at considerably lower prices.

They operate at a much higher pressure than car washer motors and seem to be quite quiet, using tubing and nozzles from ENT or elsewhere and coupled with something like the Lucky Reptile PRO Timer, which can be set for as little as a one second spray, I think these might be the ideal basis for a home-made system for no more money, and quite likely rather less, than the currently available commercial units.


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## rsklReptiles (Jul 14, 2010)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-DC-65...er-Pressure-Pump-High-UK-seller-/260863379596

Would this be OK to use?


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Probably, you just need to work out what pressure you need, but 65psi should be adequate I'd think. Check out some commercial misters to see if you can find ratings for their pumps.

That particular pump is pretty much identical to the one I linked to apart from the rating, there are loads of different models. Out of interest what search terms did you use to find it, as that one didn't come up in my search?


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## rsklReptiles (Jul 14, 2010)

I just searched for high pressure water pump on my phone, I'll have a look at ratings
Mist kings pump is 125psi
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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> Mist kings pump is 125psi


They claim that it produces the finest mist of any unit and 125psi would account for that. I don't think you neccessarily need that much pressure to produce a decent mist though, the Pollywog pump apparently produces between 3 bar (43.5 psi) and 10 bar (145psi), the ENT one is 5 bar (72.5psi).

If you look at all of those near-identical diaphragm pumps the flow rates and pressures are inversely proportional, lower flow = higher pressure, those intended for simple fluid transfer are low pressure and high flow, high pressure is what we need and flow rate is almost irrelevant.

You could make an offer and get that 65psi one even cheaper http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-DC-65...den_PondsWaterFeatures_UK&hash=item2c5f9e7f0c!


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## rsklReptiles (Jul 14, 2010)

so you think it would work ok for what i want?
i noticed the mistking has a "zipdrip" valve which looks exactly the same as the solenoid from a shower


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I think at that price it would certainly be worth a try, if I can't find anything better in the next few days I'll probably get one myself, I don't neccessarily need a very fine mist and I'm sure 65psi would be perfectly adequate for my needs, I may try making an offer on the one from China and see just how cheap I can get it! 

If it proves unsuitable there are other things I can use it for so it won't be wasted. 

Dripping valves don't seem to be too much of a problem either, I can't really see why they would be for one thing, my Monsoon ones only drip for a couple of seconds and have no solenoid. If the water reservoir is below the tank I don't see how the valves could drip for very long anyway.


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