How to Build a Water Mister for a Barn

Cool your four-footed friends.

Whether your barn is where you house animals or serves as a storage and garage building, it can get hot out there. By installing a water misting system, you can deliver a cool spray of water to your livestock, workers or for your family on sunny days when you are playing outdoors. A mister system is far more affordable to operate than an air conditioning unit is and much more inexpensive to purchase as well.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4-inch vinyl tube (long enough to cover the area you want to mist)
• 1/4-inch T-connectors - one for each two feet of tubing
• Mist nozzles on barbs - one for each two feet of tubing
• Garden hose adapter to 1/4 inch
• Roll of Teflon tape
• Hammer
• 1/4-inch cable staples
• Scissors
• Box cutter or craft knife

Instructions

1. Wrap the threads of your hose bib with Teflon tape. Screw the hose adapter tightly onto the hose bib. Insert the hose connector into one end of the vinyl tubing, pushing the connector as deep into the tubing as possible to prevent leaks.

2. Place the tubing along a corner of the barn wall near the hose faucet. Using the hammer, tack a cable staple around the tubing to secure it to the barn. Continue stapling the tubing up the side of the barn until you reach an overhang or the level where you want the mist to originate.

3. Staple the tubing horizontally along the barn. At about one foot out slice the tubing off using the box knife. Insert a T-connector into the end of the tubing attached to the barn.

4. Attach the loose end of tubing to the other side of the T-connector. Continue tacking the tubing with the hammer and cable staples for another two feet. Cut the tubing again, and insert a T-connector. Tack the tubing around the remainder of the barn. Cut the tubing every two feet and insert a T-connector.

5. Insert a mist nozzle into each T-connector. Twist the T's and nozzles out away from the barn siding. Turn the water on slightly, allowing it time to reach all of the nozzles. If necessary increase the water pressure one-quarter turn at a time.

Tips & Warnings

• Install a water timer on your hose bib. Attach the hose adapter directly to the timer. Your mister will start and stop automatically at the times you specify.

• Water misters do not work well during humid seasons.

Resources

• Vinyl Tubing
• Barbed Misting Nozzles