The output of many smoke machines deteriorates over time but you can save them from the skip. There are a range of different ways to make the output as good as new.

Flushing The Machine Out

Many manufacturers recommend that you clean your smoke machine / fogger out every 2 to 3 month but it all depends on usage. If you use your machine nightly then this figure is probably correct but if you use your smoke machine monthly then I would suggest cleaning it every 6 months.

Most manufacturers also suggest using distilled water to clean the machine out with. Clean the fluid storage area out and put a small amount of distilled water into it. Run the machine until steam comes out of the front. This should usually be enough to unclog the residue from the machine.

It has also been recommended by some that in order to fully clean your machine out its best to use 20% white vinegar with the distilled water. This forms a very mild acid and theoretically should clean your machine out better than just using distilled water alone.

Please do not try to use shop bought water e.g. Volvic in your machine. Volvic contains added minerals and will cause you more problems. Distilled water can be purchased on the internet and a quick search on Google will reveal a list of suppliers.

Intensive Cleaning

If the suggestions listed above do not help then there could still be a chance of getting it to work again. Firstly get a small needle/pin and clean out all the gunge from the smoke machine. You can usually fit the pin into the small hole at the front and hence scrape out residue.

Failing that you can take your machine apart although I do not recommend this as you could invalidate your warranty and also cause damage to the machine if you handle it incorrectly. Many machines use copper piping which can also get clogged up. You can usually with the help of a spanner get the copper piping off and clean it out either by blowing through it or using a pipe cleaner.