How much snow will I make with your plans?
The amount of snow depends on many factors, especially which design you choose to use as three are included in my e-guide, with a household air compressor, and a regular water supply you can expect between 20 and 30 cubic feet of snow per hour. With our custom machined aluminum snowguns, you can expect to make 30 to 50 cubic feet per hour depending on your pressure washer.
How much will it cost to build the snowgun?
Depending on the plan you choose the cost can be as low as $15 for the least complex snowgun, however custom machined snowgun heads are available to save the trouble of nozzle alignment and plumbing. To view these snowguns, please visit our snowguns page, through the products link on the left of the page.
How large of an air compressor do I need?
I recommend a compressor which is oil lubricated, and belt driven. If you already have an air compressor make sure it can pump 5CFM (Cubic feet per minute) of air at 40psi, although more air is always better. If you wish to ask us about a compressor before you purchase it, feel free to contact us and we will let you know if it will work for making snow.
Do I need a pressure washer?
No, a pressure washer is not neccessary to make snow, however if you choose to build the second plan which is included in our e-guide you will need a pressure washer which can be picked up at any local HomeDepot, Lowes, Online, or most Hardware stores. All of the snowguns which we offer require a pressure washer with a flow rate of 1.3gpm - 2.5gpm to operate. If you are unsure about your pressure washer, please feel free to contact us to find out if it will work for making snow.
Where can I purchase the parts to build the snowguns?
The beauty of this project is that you can buy all the parts you need at a local hardware store, or online. Snowmaking nozzles must be custom made for their purpose and so are only available through our website on our nozzle packages page.
Are there diagrams in the eGuide showing how the parts fit together?
Yes, there are diagrams for two of the guns, labelled and in colour for your ease of assembly. Also if you have any questions or concerns Contact Us and we will be glad to answer your questions for you.
What tools do I need to build the snowguns in the eGuide?
The only tools you will need are a drill and drill bit, and while not completely neccessary a wrench or vise-grips are helpful.
How long will it take to build?
Once you have all the parts it will take about 30 minutes to build either of the first two plans, while the third may take longer depending on your requirements for it.
How is this snowgun different from the ones at the ski hill?
The snowguns which are included in these plans have been modified in a few different ways, the first being that they have been scaled down from what the ski areas use, because you house is probably smaller and most likely doesn't have thousands of gallons of water to use or industrial pumps. The nozzles have been specially made for this application, and so they are designed to produce consistant droplets at high pressures, which will result in excellent snow quality. Finally, these snowguns have been simplified, so that they are affordable for you to build and run, there is no need to spend more than most cars cost on commercial snowmaking equipment if you want a backyard ski hill or terrain park.
What temperature does it have to be to make snow?
To make snow it has to be at least 2C(36F) however that would be if there was a relative humidity of 0%. You can make snow anytime the temperature is less than -2C (29F), however the optimal temperature for home snowmaking will be between -5C and -8C depending on humidity levels.
Can I contact you to see if the compressor or pressure washer I want to buy will work?
Yes, We encourage you to contact us when you purchase a new pressure washer or compressor so that you don't end up wasting your hard earned money.
What program is the e-Guide formated for?
The e-Guide is an Adobe Acrobat file, or a .pdf file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download if for free from Adobe at their website www.adobe.com
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