A mosquito misting system is more than the latest in mosquito fighting tech — it’s a way to reclaim your backyard and outdoor areas from the scourge of mosquitoes. That means more barbecues, more get-togethers and more fun time outside under the sun and in the fresh air. After all, if you don’t have a mosquito misting system at home, you’ll either have to spring for monthly mosquito misting to make your outdoor areas usable during mosquito season or slather on sticky chemicals onto your skin — or abandon it all and take refuge inside.
But who wants to do that! Being outside with friends and family is one of the great joys of life, and nothing quite enables you to enjoy life outside like a mosquito misting system with nozzles strategically positioned around your property. Instead of those stinging, biting pests, you’ll get the ability to roam around your property without worrying about whether an imminent mosquito attack is right around the corner.
In fact, mosquito misting is one of the best ways to control mosquitoes around your property with the convenience of automation. Traditional fogging services only provide a few weeks of mosquito-free living, so that means you’ll have to call them out month after month to keep those mosquitoes off your property and away from your outdoor areas.
With mosquito misting, you get the best outdoor mosquito control that money can buy, and the best part is that it’s mostly hands-off. Simply allow the programmed timer to conveniently spray for mosquitoes when they’re likely to congregate — at dawn and dusk — or opt for on-demand control before that next event so that you can ensure that mosquitoes will be long gone before your guests arrive.
However, if you have a mosquito misting system that needs maintenance, that can give you pause when planning any outdoor activity. If your system goes down and the mosquitoes show up in droves, that could put an end to your time outside before it even starts. The good news is that mosquito misting systems are relatively simple machines, and a bit of DIY work can reinvigorate that mosquito protection around your property.
Here’s what you can expect when it comes to maintaining a mosquito misting system.
The Basics of Maintenance
Generally, a mosquito misting system is made up of three primary subsystems: a reservoir, a pump and a collection of nozzles placed around your property. These three systems work in concert to provide mosquito fighting power, and if any one of them is malfunctioning you could have a mosquito misting system in need of maintenance.
But if you’re wondering how to fix a mosquito misting system, proper maintenance is the first step. The concentrate or solution will have to be replenished routinely depending on how often you schedule your system to spray and the number of nozzles that you have installed around your property. Certain mechanical concerns may also need to be addressed if any parts happen to fail or break, and any area with a significant winter freeze will need to prepare their mosquito misting system for the cold weather.
That said, mosquito misting system maintenance is commonly required every few months, though larger systems may need more frequent maintenance due to the amount of concentrate used and the shorter replenishment cycles. Furthermore, it may be necessary to conduct maintenance if the system is no longer misting or has stopped running for any reason.
What Does Regular Maintenance Entail?
Mosquito misting system maintenance starts with checking that the controller is functioning normally and that the day, time and misting cycles are correct. If all looks good, move on to the concentrate fluid. If it’s running low, refill the unit with water and/or concentrate, making sure to pay particular attention to the fluid remaining and how much you need to add.
After that, check the controller and navigate to the maintenance menu to confirm that the fluid level is recognized by the unit. Then you can try to run an inspection cycle, checking the system for anything out of the ordinary. Check pressure at the unit, the misting at each nozzle and inspect the lines for any leaks.
If you find any problematic nozzles or leaks in the lines, you can try cleaning or repairing them before opting for replacement, as well as simply adjusting the nozzle direction to get the most out of the spray. After making the necessary repairs or adjustments, close the unit and let it run a normal cycle to verify that everything is working properly.
Winterization for Climates That Experience Freezes
If you happen to live in a climate that goes through a winter freeze — even if you live in a southern state — you may need to harden the system for the cold winter by conducting mosquito misting system maintenance. That’s because the freezing temperatures can harm your mosquito misting system, potentially damaging a misting unit or otherwise harming your system if you don’t take the necessary precautions ahead of time.
In order to prevent freeze damage to your mosquito misting system, refer to the Tech Self Help section of the MistAway website. Each set of directions is slightly different, so be sure to follow the instructions for your specific unit. If you are unable to find the instructions, please contact us and we will be able to provide support and the documentation you need to conduct the proper maintenance.
Basically, the idea of winter maintenance is to empty the misting system of any misting concentrate or solution, as well as flushing the system with fresh water. Once the system has been flushed, it’s also important to drain, blow or otherwise remove any remaining fluid out of the unit and the lines because that moisture can eventually freeze and cause damage during the cold winter.
Annual Maintenance Items
Similar to how you need to change the oil in your car periodically to keep everything lubricated and running well year after year, you also need to conduct mosquito misting system maintenance to keep your mosquito misting system in good order and ready for the upcoming challenge of the mosquito season.
If you happen to live in a climate with freezing temperatures throughout the colder months, you’ll need to pay special attention to winterization efforts to keep that mosquito misting system running. If you neglect to do so, you could be facing a significant repair bill the following season as trapped liquids can freeze and render certain aspects of your system unable to function properly.
Even if you don’t live in a climate that requires winterization of your misting system, you should periodically clean and maintain your system about once a year using the winterization guidelines. That includes removing the solution, cleaning the unit, lines and nozzles with water and then returning to a functional system.
Think of it like going to the dentist for regular cleanings every year. The cleanings will help keep your mosquito misting system in tip-top shape for years to come, and that will help you save more time and money on future maintenance or replacement parts. While you may be able to get away with not cleaning your mosquito misting system each and every year, going more than a year or two can really start to affect the longevity and stability of your misting system, making it a great idea to stay on top of your regular mosquito misting system maintenance before something goes wrong.
Note that many MistAway units now in operation are equipped with a nozzle circuit filter, which can help to keep damaging particulates from clogging up the nozzles. These filters should be replaced each year.
Benefits of Service From an Authorized MistAway Dealer
Sometimes even the most ardent DIYers may not be able to effectively repair or maintain a mosquito misting system. In those instances, it can be ideal to reach out to an authorized MistAway dealer that can provide qualified maintenance and repair on any installed MistAway system. Not only does that help save you the time and hassle of maintaining your own misting system, but it can also ensure that you get the most out of your MistAway system from an efficiency and longevity standpoint, helping to protect your investment.
In some instances, a local MistAway dealer may provide comprehensive maintenance plans that includes minor repairs or even an extended warranty on your misting system should anything go wrong. Please contact your local MistAway dealer for more information.
Maintain Your Mosquito Misting System
As we’ve shown, it is possible to conduct mosquito misting system maintenance to help keep your misting system properly working throughout the mosquito season year after year. Better yet, working on your own mosquito misting system can give you a better sense of the mosquito misting demands of your property, as well as when the season starts and stops. Once you’ve made a couple repairs or you’ve successfully winterized your system and brought it back online for the following season, that can give you more confidence to keep that misting system working for years to come.
However, if you decide that mosquito misting system maintenance isn’t for you, you may be able to work with a local MistAway dealer and have them keep your misting system running and in good order. Simply contact your local MistAway dealer to get started.
For more information on mosquito misting system maintenance, including how to install, program and use your MistAway system, refer to our DIY mosquito misting academy.