How Do Mist Fountains Work?

Regular fountains operate by recirculating water to achieve the relaxing sound that many homeowners have come to love. Misting fountains take it one step further by creating the illusion of mist or fog. It doesn't use chemicals to create this fog, it uses ultrasonic vibrations.

Within the fountain is a built-in electric module. This module creates vibrations in the water at a frequency of 1.7 million pulses per second. Because of this rapid vibration, water molecules on the surface of the water escape. The water vapor trapped in the air then creates the mist, which appears as fog. When the water vapor begins to evaporate, humidity is created in the air.

To make the vibration in the water, a piezoelectric effect is created. For example, when you take certain crystal or ceramic material and strike it, the effect can create electricity. This effect can also be applied if you apply a high enough frequency to a piezoelectric material.

Within a misting fountain is the electronic module. It has either a piece of nickel or titanium-coated ceramic disk. The piezoelectric piece is the ceramic area. The electronic module produces the high frequency, which thus sends the electricity to the ceramic disk. This causes the disk to vibrate, and create the fog.