Q - - What is snowmaking ?
A - - Any type of snowmachine breaks the water into small particles, cooling the water to 32 degrees (f ) and by causing the water particles to move through cold air, nucleating the particles and resulting snow on the surface.
Q - - Why don't people just sprinkle water down to make snow ?
A - - Water is a unique material, it expands wh it freezes and water has a high heat of fusion.
Q - - At what temperatures is it possible to make snow ?
A - - With our guns it is possible to make snow at 28 degrees ( f ) not including humidity.
Q - - Does humidity play a role in snowmaking ?
A - - Absolutely. When temperatures are marginal, around 26 - 27 degrees ( f ) and the humidity is high, snowmaking cannot be possible, the guns will be spitting out water instead of snow due to the humidity. If temperatures are below 20 degrees ( f )then the humidity is not a factor in snowmaking. So its not just the heat it's the humidity !
Q - - Can people make snow by using high pressure washers ?
A - - Sometimes. But the snow wont be as good when people are using power washers. In order to make snow with a power washer you must have a power washer that consists of 1300 psi or higher. Remember the higher the better. And when using a powerwasher, the humidity must be low and the temperatures must be low unlike air/water guns.
Q - - Whats the difference between airless guns and air/water guns ?
A - - Airless guns have large oil drums and a fan that disrupts the water and atomizes the water and all the fan does is blow the atomized water high into the sky and makes the water freeze faster. Air/water guns use air compressors with high pressures.
Q - - How many CFM do I need to make snow ?
A - - With air/water guns we use up to 7 CFM with our compressor to make snow. You need 4 CFM or higher to produce snow.
Q - - Can I build an airless gun ?
A - - Not at this time. But you can use a power washer that must be over 1300 psi. Are fellow snowmakers are working on experimenting an air less gun.
Q - - How much standard water pressure do I need to make snow?
A - - With an air/water snow gun you need over 35 psi of water. Most households have 35 psi or higher.
Q - - How much water pressure do you have ?
A - - We consist water pressure of 55 psi from the water hydrant.
Q - - Does your air hoses freeze up when making snow ?
A - - Sometimes. But the main thing is to keep the air line insulated with insulation, and the air line freezes up from the condensation and the humidity. Sometimes the air line may never freeze up at all if the humidity levels are low.
Q - - Do you have adjustable ball valves to adjust the water pressure and air pressure ?
A - - Yes. Adjusting the water is a must when making snow. We have ball valves on the snow gun. This way we can adjust the water to make wet snow or to make dry snow.
Q - - Whats the difference between dry snow and wet snow ?
A - - Wet snow lasts lnger than dry snow. Wet snow has more density than dry snow. Sometimes ski resorts will do this on purpose when there is no snow on the slopes, they will make wet snow. Dry snow is better snow and has less density than wet snow.
Q - - How can I tell if Im making snow ?
A - - Stand about 10 feet away from the gun and hold out your arm. When the snow lands on your arm does it bounce off ? Or does it soak in ? If it bounces off, then you are making dry snow. If it soaks in, your not making snow or you are making wet snow.
Q - - How much air pressure do you need ?
A - - We use 30 psi of air ( 7 cfm ). Air pressure must be above 25 psi and the cfm must be 4 cfm or higher.
Q - - Can air pressure be higher than water pressure ?
A - - No. If there is 50 psi of water and we are using 70 psi of air, the air would hold back the water and the water will not mix wit the air. The water and air should equal the same pressures or so.
Q - - What is snow ?
A - - Snow is small particles of ice crystals.
Q - - How can you leave your air and water hoses outside ?
A - - We can leave our air hoses and water hoses outside because we drain out the water lines and the air lines. We drain ut the water line by blowing 60 psi of air through the water hose and blowing all the water out.
Q - - Do you run the snow guns during the spring and summer seasons ?
A - - Occasionally. We do this because we need to keep the grassy areas green and preventing from grassy areas that are burned from the intense sunlight.
Q - - How many snowguns do you have right now ?
A - - We have 2 snowguns at this time.
Q - - Does man made snow melt slower than machine made snow ?
A - - Yes. Machine made snow has more density than natural snowfall.
Q - - How much snow can you make per hour ?
A - - With our guns are we can make snow up to 3 inches an hour with calm winds.
Q - - When do you start making snow ?
A - - Our snowmaking season usually starts at the begining of November and ends in March or April.
Q - - How long does your snow last ?
A - - During good winter seasons and cold temperatures are snow can last intil April.
Q - - Do you still make snow when its windy outside ?
A - - We try to avoid windy conditions but when snow conditions are marginal, we start the machines up and make snow whether its windy or not.
Q - - Do you use snowmax to make snow ?
A - - We are not using any additives to make snow.
Q - - Is it possible to make snow above 35 degrees F ?
A - - It is possible to make snow above the freezing mark up to approx. 38 degrees F but the humidity must be very low around 5% - 10%, our guns cannot produce snow above 38 degrees F.
Q - - How often do you do maintenance on your snow machines ?
A - - We do maintenance on our guns every Friday to make sure there are no leaks and to make sure the valves are working properly.
Q - - How often do you maintain your A/C ?
A - - Just like our snowguns, we check our A/C every Friday for loose bolts and leaks.
Q - - What kind of A/C do you use ?
A - - We have a Campbell Hausfeld A/C.
Q - - How often do you replace air hoses ?
A - - Air hoses last a long time. So far w had our air hoses for 1 year currently. We replace air hoses when they do need replaced which again could be a long time.
Q - - How does your water hydrant not freeze ?
A - - They do not freeze because we wrap thick insulation around the hydrant preventing a freeze up.
Q - - What about your water hose, how long do they last ?
A - - Water hoses last long periods of time.
Q - - What ingrediants do I need to make good snow ?
A - - There are 5 ingrediants. They are :
1. Electricity
2. High Pressure Compressed Air.
3. Guns
4. Water
5. Cold Temperatures.
Q - - Is it sometimes to cold for snowmaking ?
A - - Never to cold. The colder the better. |
