MISTING SYSTEM

Estimating Costs

INITIAL COSTS

The initial cost of your misting system will vary tremendously. Naturally, the larger, more powerful and higher quality systems with more features will cost more, with large custom systems costing the most. However, Low pressure units and kits that work with ordinary household water pressures are available off the shelf for under $100.00.
Please note that all estimates noted here are in U.S. dollars.

The pump will likely be the most expensive feature of any Medium or High pressure system. Price is a reflection of the pump's resulting water pressure, flow rate, pump features and quality of construction. As a general guideline, you can figure on $1 - $2 per psi / $16 -$32 per bar of resulting water pressure for a residential or commercial pump. Industrial pumps can go up to $3 per psi / $40 per bar. Custom-built pumps can certainly fit within these price ranges, or go even higher depending on how they are configured.

Prices for the lines will depend on the length and materials of the line. Flexible nylon lines are available for under $1 per foot, and prices range up to $3.50 per foot for stainless steel.

Nozzle prices will depend mostly on their materials and construction, with some variation based on the orifice size. I've seen them priced from under $2 each to over $4 each.

There are hundreds of options that you might find necessary, helpful, or simply nice to include in your system. I've touched on a few of them throughout this series. Of course using any of these will add to the cost of your system. Whether to include these options can certainly make your head spin (and your budget, too)!

One way to deal with some of this cost uncertainty is to purchase a kit. These have pre-assembled components that are all designed to work together. These kits list right up front what their total cost is. Many of these kits can be customized, but such customization will affect the cost.

Whether you purchase misting system components separately or in a kit, you'll also need to consider the cost of installation. If your system is a portable unit, though, you can skip this part because it is a self-contained unit that only needs to be filled with water and plugged in.

If you install your misting system yourself the cost of installation might be the time involved, the price of some tools such as a ladder and a power drill, or the price of a nice meal for anyone who helps. The cost to have it professionally installed will depend on labor costs in your area. It might cost more to hire an installer who is familiar with misting systems and who can advise you with installation, than it would cost to hire someone who is not.

BUYER BEWARE

I saw some "high pressure" kits available for under $400, but upon further investigation I learned these "high pressure" systems came with 100 psi pumps -- not even powerful enough to qualify for a Medium pressure system according to this site's definitions. They talk about a 50 - 80 micron mist as "floating on air". But that size droplet will likely get everything wet. Personally, I would need to do a lot more research into this company and their products before I give them my money.

Another misting system was advertised as using a "high pressure pump" (nowhere in their specifications could I find out what the water pressure would be) and emitting "tiny" droplets of ".01mm" that "can float on air". (equivalent to 100 microns -- the size that could be expected from a Low pressure system)

These advertisers are not necessarily being deceptive. It could be argued that they are simplifying or taking "creative license" with their descriptions. You really need to know the facts about misting systems in general and advertised systems in particular so that you are armed against this kind of "creativity." You'll find lots of information in the previous pages of this series.

When it comes to a misting system, it is so important to know what you're buying and who you're buying from. To understand what I mean by this, you might want to take another look at the section on Finding a Great Misting System.

OPERATING COSTS

The cost to operate your system is something else you might want to get a handle on. You can get this estimate by figuring the system's electricity and water use.

Electricity use is determined by the amount of electricity your pump uses -- its wattage. When you buy electricity you are charged by the kilowatt-hour (kWh). Using 1,000 watts for 1 hour equals a kilowatt-hour.

You can use this formula to estimate a pump's energy use:
Wattage × Hours Used Per Day ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption

• Here's an example:
• One pump I saw uses 750 watts of electricity. If I wanted to use it for four hours a day I would be using 3000 watts (750 x 4 = 3000), which is the same as 3 Kilowatt-hours (3,000 Watts divided by 1,000 = 3 kilowatts).
• I then need to learn how much my local electric company charges me for each kilowatt-hour. My electricity costs $.10 US per kilowatt-hour.
• 3 kilowatt-hours multiplied by $.10 tells me this pump will cost me $.30 in electricity each 4-hour day I use it.

To recap, you would need to use the wattage for the pump you are considering, estimate how many hours a day you will use it and multiply those numbers together. Divide by 1,000, then multiply the number you get by how much your electric company charges per Kilowatt-hour.

Water use is measured by the flow rate per hour of a misting nozzle on your system multiplied by the total number of nozzles your system uses. Once you know how much water your system uses you can estimate the water costs. See the previous section on Flow Rate to learn how to estimate how much water your misting system will use. Now you need to know how much water costs in your area. Check your local water supplier for your water costs.

You can use this formula to estimate a misting system's water use:
Flow rate (GPH / LPH) × Number of Nozzles × Cost per gallon / Cost per liter
charged by your local water company = Estimated Water Cost for 1 hour of use

• Here's an example:
• Once I know the water pressure I want to use I can pick out a nozzle.
• I look up my nozzle on a flow rate chart. I'll use the general numbers from the flow rate chart above, keeping in mind that numbers for any particular nozzle will vary from this.
• My water rate multiplied by a nozzle that uses, let's say 13.5 GPH / 51.1 LPH is $.81 US.
• If this system has 10 nozzles it will use 130.5 GPH / 510 LPH.

This misting system would cost me about $8.10 for water for each hour I want to use it. Your water cost for this same system would depend on water costs in your area.

MAINTENANCE

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

1. Maintaining a misting system is simple and only needs your attention in 3 ways:
2. cleaning nozzles,
3. occasionally checking for leaks,
4. and maintaining the pump (if your system uses one).

1. Cleaning nozzles
Rust and minerals will build up in the plumbing of your misting system and restrict the flow of water, even if your pump uses a filter. So you will occasionally need to clean the nozzles. Simply remove them (this can be done by hand) and soak them in any solution that will dissolve the rust and minerals, then rinse. Replace them and run the system briefly to remove any deposits left in the nozzles.

2. Checking for leaks
If you notice water pooling or running off near your system, you may have a leak. The first thing to do if you suspect a leak is to clean the nozzles. If this does not solve the problem, you will need to inspect the rest of the system for leaks, especially the lines and fittings. If you do locate a leak, you will need to mend or replace the leaking part, available in the plumbing section of most hardware stores or from your misting system supplier.

3. Maintaining the pump
The heart of a misting system, the pump itself, can last for many years as long as it is taken care of. Basic pump maintenance involves changing its oil and filter cartridge from time to time. Your supplier will give you a maintenance manual when you purchase the pump. It will tell you exactly how and when to do these simple tasks.

A typical oil change is very simple. Just unscrew the oil bolt at the bottom of the pump, let the old oil drain, then fill the pump with an oil designed to work with your specific pump. Oil changes are typically required after the first 50 hours or so of use and then about every 500 hours after that.

To change your filter simply unscrew the filter housing, pull out the old filter cartridge and replace it with a new one. The number of filter changes in the equipment depends upon the water quality being introduced into the misting pump. Regardless of water conditions, filter cartridges should be changed a minimum of once per year or cooling season. Supplemental water conditioning is available for areas of very hard water to reduce nozzle failures.

Some pumps will need additional maintenance. For example, their seals may need to be inspected and replaced, if necessary. Seal monitors are a pump feature that can help you keep track of the seals' condition. Other pump features, like valves, switches, and regulators also need to be checked regularly and either cleaned or replaced.

STORAGE

Some systems are designed to need no maintenance. They can simply be disconnected and covered for the winter. Most should have some minimal precautions taken when storing them for extended periods of time, such as through the winter, especially if there is a risk of freezing temperatures.

This generally involves three simple steps:

1. Remove all nozzles.
2. Drain all water from the pump, line and filters. Purge the system with air or flush with an antifreeze solution to prevent standing water from freezing and damaging the pump and lines. Do not pump with frozen water in the pump.
3. Change the pump's oil for prolonged storing to protect the motor's components

IS A MISTING SYSTEM RIGHT FOR YOU?

If you're ready to shop for a misting sytem, you should now be armed with plenty of information to make some smart choices. We'll soon have a misting system supplier page with information on suppliers. Contact them and ask them your questions. Be comfortable with them and the system you decide upon before you invest in it.

Still not sure a misting system is right for you? Visit our outdoor cooling comparison page to get an overview of other outdoor cooling methods. Investigate further by reading our informative articles on each cooling method: Outdoor Shades, Outdoor Fans, Portable Air Conditioners and Swamp Coolers. We'll soon be adding pages on Misting Fans and Battery-Powered Outdoor Cooling, so please check back for those.

Need other opinions? We'll be adding a forum for sharing experiences and opinions about keeping cool outdoors. I hope you'll join in.

Most of all I hope you find a way to keep comfortable outdoors that you are comfortable with. There are different outdoor cooling solutions for everyone, so get what's best for YOU.

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