The Liberty ULV Electric Fogger for Misquitoes
Posted by Sam Petegorsky on
We are often asked whether the Liberty ULV Electric Backpack Fogger is suitable for outdoor use for mosquitoes. So I figured I would post about it.
In short, the answer is yes. Both Electric and Gas Backpack foggers typically use the same method for disbursing chemicals (ULV). The difference is in the source in the source of power to generate the electricity (gas powered devices use a gas motor to generate electricity which then powers the motor).
Pest Control Professionals most often use gas powered foggers. The reason being that they treat tens of houses in a single day, often only spending a few minutes at each house, and often without access to electricity. For those purposes, a gas fogger, that does not require to be plugged, in can be more efficient.
When it comes to an individual homeowner, there are other considerations to bear in mind, and our electric fogger, may very well be the better option. That being said, I do not
Disadvantages of a gas powered fogger
1) Gas powered foggers are typically significantly heavier than our electric fogger, often weighing twice as much. Considering the weight of the chemical, the additional 10lbs can feel significant.
2) Gas powered foggers require more maintenance than electric foggers. If not used regularly, the old gasoline will need to be flushed, spark plugs have to be changed. Gas also does not burn cleanly, and occasionally, the carburetor and fan blades will need to be cleaned, these concerns do not exist with our electric fogger
3) This is a minor issue, but a real one. Gas powered tools smell once used, even when empty. The smell of gasoline can be overpowering in your garage if you store it there.
4) Price, gas powered foggers are significantly more expensive than our Liberty ULV electric fogger. For a professional, who uses it daily, the extra $200+ may not be a factor, but for the average homeowner, it is significant
Advantages of an of an electric fogger
For the sake of honesty, there are some advantages to a gas fogger.
1) Portability: With a gas fogger, you are not tethered to a source of electricity. If you have an extremely large property, or a cabin ion the woods, you can take your gas fogger with you, and fog away.
2) Power: I used to say that gas foggers are more powerful than our electric fogger, but have since noticed some entry level gas foggers that only produce 1.4kw of power, which is identical to our electric fogger.
That being said, you can get gas powered foggers that are more powerful than our electric fogger. However, the 1400 watts of power and 20 foot effective range, should be sufficient for most homeowners (bear in mind, with a 20 foot range, a 100ft extension cord can provide coverage for up to 120 feet.
How about rechargeable foggers?
Considering that the primary drawback of electric foggers is that you are tethered to a cord, cordless foggers would seem to be a good option.
However, perception is not always reality. We researched cordless foggers thoroughly, and the fact is they just do not have the power that our corded foggers have. The most powerful ones we have seen have a 350W motor, just 25% of the power of our Liberty ULV Electric Fogger. They do not use a more powerful motor because a 1400W motor would burn through a 20V 4AH battery in under 6 minutes.
Additionally, for a tool that will only be used a few times a year, and will likely be stored through the winter, rechargeable batteries are not a great option. There is a very real likelihood that the battery will go bad over the winter, and a replacement battery can be costly.
Check out our Liberty Electric ULV Backpack Fogger, in stock and available at a great price.
https://www.libertysprayers.com/products/liberty-ulv-backpack-fogger