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By Stacy Downs McClatchy Newspapers
Published on Saturday, Aug 11, 2007
KANSAS CITY, MO.: What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas.
In the summer, misters that spray fine droplets of water on tourists are a common sight at casino pools and restaurant patios. Now the cooling systems are becoming a hot trend in outdoor living at home.
''It's the next step after patio heaters,'' said Jerry Rike, owner of Rapid Cool Misting Systems, based in the Los Angeles area. His company has installed misters at the Bellagio, Mirage and Venetian casinos in Las Vegas. ''People want to extend the season when they can enjoy the outdoors in comfort. It's like having an air conditioner outdoors.''
On a dry day, misting systems can reduce the ambient temperatures by 28 degrees, Rike said. The thin spray ''flash evaporates'' and doesn't leave droplets on the skin.
But hot, dry weather is the norm in the desert climes of Vegas. Are cooling misters effective in places like the muggy Midwest?
Yes, but there are a few caveats.
Scott Wedman of Weatherby Lake, Mo., installed a two-nozzle system above his patio years ago. The mist feels refreshing on days when there is less humidity. But on days when more moisture is in the air, the mist doesn't do much good.
''The water falls to the ground on those days so people get wet,'' said Wedman, who played seven of his 13 years in the NBA with the Kansas City Kings.
But improvements have been made since Wedman put in his system. Newer misters have high-pressure pumps and nozzles with microscopic spray holes, and they do a better job of dispensing moisture.
Rapid Cool sells stainless-steel pipe systems that can be concealed in soffits or behind fascia boards of covered patios and overhangs.
Homeowners can install the systems, which start at about $1,500, Rike said. The pump makes about as much noise as a room air-conditioning unit, so it should be placed away from the patio area.
Rapid Cool also sells poles resembling shepherd's hooks that can be installed along the railings of decks. Rapid Cool and other companies, including catalog retailer Frontgate, also sell misting fans, good for poolside patios.
''On very humid days, high-pressure systems make the air 15 or 16 degrees cooler,'' Rike said. ''You can wear your glasses and not get speckles of water on the lenses.''
Yet other cooling misters are gimmicky, such as one that sprays mist underneath an umbrella you have to hold.
Darrell Jones, owner of AQS Irrigation Supply in Independence, Mo., installed a PVC-pipe system in the awnings of his store to spritz customers as they walk inside.
Jones sells similar 10-nozzle kits by Arizona Mist ($64) that link to garden hoses. He suggests hooking them up to sprinkler timers so the system emits a one-minute spray every 15 minutes, kind of like a greenhouse. He used one under a canopy on a sunny afternoon in July when he had a family reunion in his backyard.
KANSAS CITY, MO.: What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas.
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