Thermal foggers can be separated into two categories: electric and gas foggers. To use a gas fogger, you need to attach a gas cylinder to the fogger, usually propane. The gas from the cylinder is what heats the fogger’s coil.
The principles behind an electric thermal fogger are pretty similar. It also heats the insecticide in its burner barrel. But, instead of using gas to heat the machine, electric foggers have a built-in electric motor that does the heating. For this reason, the fogger must have access to electricity to function.
Electric Thermal Foggers: The Parts
The basic look and design of an electric fogger are pretty similar to a propane fogger. There are some differences between the two fogger types, however. That’s why, in this article, we’re going to look at the parts that make up an electric fogger.
Body, Motor, and Handle
The body is pretty basic looks-wise. The fogger’s body and handle are similar to those you’ll find on gas foggers.
The motor is inside the body of the fogger. In electric thermal foggers, this motor is electromechanical. It’ll produce thousands of strokes per minute, depending on its power. Electric foggers also come in various voltages and are for both indoor and outdoor use.
To make it easier to carry around, there’s a handle on top of the tool. In the handle is a built-in fogging trigger. When pressed, this pumps the insecticide from the insecticide container into the heat barrel. It’s then vaporized and sprayed out through the nozzle.
Some foggers may have a trigger lock button near the handle. This button locks the fogging trigger, so you don’t accidentally spray the insecticide while the fogger is in operation.
The fogging process with an electric fogger is similar to that of a propane fogger. You must push the spraying trigger every few seconds. These intervals allow the machine to produce a dry fog that works best for outdoor applications.
Insecticide Container and Pump
The insecticide container is on the bottom of the fogger. This container stores the insecticide or any other solution used for fogging. This container is usually either plastic or metal. The insecticide container can vary in size, depending on the fogger, but the most common size is about 100 oz. (3 L).
Cheaper foggers will have a plastic container while more expensive mosquito foggers will have a metal container. You’ll have to screw the plastic container onto the bottom of the fogger. Metals containers, on the other hand, are usually attached using special mounts on the sides of the fogger.
Mosquito foggers that use an aluminum container usually have a rubber gasket, which helps the container attach firmly to the fogger. You can find this inside the container. If the gasket is worn out or lost, the fogger might not operate correctly.
There is a pump inside the insecticide container. This sends the fogging solution to the heat barrel when you press the fogging trigger. The pump will have a suction tube, filter, spring, piston, and so on. It’s important to keep the pump free from dust so it doesn’t clog up, ensuring that the fogging solution can flow freely through the tube.
Flow Adjustment Valve
Most electric thermal foggers have a flow adjustment valve that regulates the amount of insecticide pumped after pressing the trigger. The flow adjustment valve is usually located close to the handle or the fogging trigger.
By turning the flow adjustment valve, you can produce a drier or wetter fog. If you close the valve completely, the fogger won’t pump any insecticide from the container. If the valve is fully opened, the fogger will pump the maximum amount of insecticide into the heat barrel.
Heat Barrel Assembly
The heat barrel is on the front of the fogger. The electric motor heats this to a high temperature to vaporize the insecticide and spray it out through the nozzle as fog.
You can attach or detach the heat barrel from the fogger. Make sure to properly attach it to the fogger before use. When you attach the barrel to the fogger, you’ll need to push it all the way in. You’ll hear a click at the end, which confirms that it’s been properly attached. There shouldn’t be any gaps between the fogger and the barrel.
Between the heater barrel and the fogger is a small spinner nozzle nut, through which the insecticide flows from the container to the heat barrel. Make sure that there are no clogs in the nozzle so that liquid can easily flow through it.
Electric Cord
You need to plug the electric cord, found on the back of the fogger, into a power outlet for the fogger to work. The electric cord is usually about 1 ft. (30 cm) long, so you’ll need an extension cord to use the fogger outdoors.
Make sure that you only use extension cords made specifically for outdoor use to avoid any safety issues while using the fogger outdoors. You can usually find the recommended extension cord sizes for outdoor use in the instruction manual for each electric fogger.