How Does A Foam Cannon Work? Is It Safe?

Foam machines are the main equipment often used in foam parties. A foam party is an event where people dance to music on a floor area covered with several feet of bubbles or suds produced by a foam machine.

Foam parties are a wild and thrilling concept that gained enormous popularity in the 1990s in Ibiza. These parties are now frequently held at festivals and nightclubs all over the world and on occasions such as; 

• Birthday Parties
• Summer parties
• Graduations
• Dance parties
• School and daycare events
• Fairs

Anyone desiring to host such an event may buy or rent foam machines. A foam machine could be a party foam cannon or a party foam gun.

How Does a Foam Cannon Work? 

Have you ever blown bubbles? If yes, you are familiar with the basic principles of how a foam machine cannon works. You can make a bubble by applying a soapy film on an opening and blowing air through it. It is on the same principle that foam parties which comprise billions of tiny bubbles stacked together, come alive.

A large foam cannon will quickly create a large amount of foam that drives your party guests crazy. Watch the foam machine into a fantastic torrent of clean, refreshing foam by connecting it to a hose and power source. The party foam can cover a 40x40 foot area and shoot impressively high to a height of 6 meters!

 A foam cannon consumes minimal fluid, meaning that 5 liters of foam solution will produce foam that lasts for at least 10 minutes. Since this is lots of foam, you can repeatedly turn the machine on and off. This action can provide up to an hour's worth of fun—for example, 1 minute on and 5 minutes off. You can purchase more foam concentrate to keep the machine running longer.

The amount of foam solution utilized depends on the water pressure in your area, and lower pressures demand less foam solution. The stream of foam may be less dense, but it will flow longer; however, you will still make the same amount of foam.

How to Make a Foam Machine Cannon

You can build your party foam cannon instead of buying or renting. Making a foam machine can be cheap or expensive, depending on the materials you have in hand. The primary components are a pump, a tank, a foam cone, and an air supply.

The tank is simply a container for your soapy water mixture. Two hundred fifty liters should be enough for a 4x4m dance floor with roughly 30 guests. Using a new, clean tank is advisable as hygiene is essential, given that people will be dancing in the foam.

The water pump's task is to transport the soapy water to the foam cone from the tank at a high enough pressure to pass it through the spray nozzles. A pump with a few meters of head and can deliver 10 liters per minute should work.

The air supply has many options. To make bubbles, a lot of relatively slow-moving air is best. Your choice of air supply will affect the design of your foam cone. The ideal option is a sizable industrial extractor fan, similar to those frequently used on engine dynos.   However, these are rather pricey. Using a blower vacuum or leaf blower can be a less expensive alternative.

An air feed and a water feed crammed into a bucket and placed beneath a fabric membrane make up the foam cone. The foam cone is where everything takes place. An opening with a fabric membrane across it allows air release. The foam cone has spray nozzles through which you spray soapy water over the membrane to help maintain the membrane moist and ready to release bubbles.

You can make a foam cone by stretching an old cotton T-shirt across a bucket's opening and securing it with zip ties. First, drill holes in the bucket to fit a water line, a spray nozzle, and a large tube intake for the air supply. Seal the holes well to ensure all the air entering the foam cone exits via the membrane. Any gaps will result in a reduction in the volume of air required to create foam.

You get a working foam machine when you put all these components together.

Additional Requirements for a Foam Cannon Party Machine to Work

Foam Solution

After acquiring a party foam cannon, you will need a foam machine solution.

The foam solution, often available in liquid, gel, or powder form, enables the bubble foam machine to produce mountains of beautiful foam.

Your foam solution should make the most foam and the least amount of slippery or sticky mess, and the foam should be easy to clean and naturally vanish after the party.

Since your guests will come into direct contact with the foam, we advise using a foam machine solution with the following characteristics;

• Safe for skin
• Hypoallergenic
• Non-Staining
• Scent-free
• Mess-free
• Biodegradable
• Clothes friendly

Source of Water and Foam Cannon Reservoir

A foam machine works as shown below;

• You'll need a water source and a reservoir for the foam machine (imagine a big bucket).
• Premixed foam machine solution - Mixture is 150:1 for pre-mix, or 75:1 for gel after initial breakdown. Powder is 1 bag to 50 gallons
• Fill the remaining reservoir with water.
• Place the pump of your foam machine into the reservoir. It will suck out the solution and produce foam.

The water source should be as close to the foam party setup as possible. But with a longer water hose, you can put the water supply from the foam machine up to as far away as 100 feet.

Electrical Outlet

The foam machine cannon requires power to operate. To host a foam party, therefore, you need an electrical source that is conveniently accessible.

The electrical outlet should be as close as possible to the fam machine. But with extension cords, the electrical outlet could be up to 100 feet away.

To keep everything secure if it ever gets wet, we advise using a weatherproof extension cord connector and waterproof-proof extension cords.

A Foam Party Machine Operator

As a host, you will have a lot of responsibilities on the party day. Spending time figuring out how to use a machine you have never used before is not something to do on party day.

We advise hiring a skilled operator of the foam party machine because you should be having fun at the party.

The party operator for the foam machine will set it up and take it down, ensuring the best foam output and that everyone is having fun.

Safety Considerations

In general, foam parties are safe for kids and adults as well. However, when using a foam cannon machine, safety is a crucial consideration. You need to apply safety measures in any electricity and water operation to reduce the risk of electrocution. Without proper planning, tragic effects may result.

You need to protect the electrical components and cabling against water and foam. The protection should hold during regular operation and when leaks or other problems occur. Murphy's Law states that whatever might go wrong will go wrong; hence the foam machine should be safe even when a malfunction occurs.

If using Leaf blowers, prepare for a lot of noise. Putting them within a cabinet can lessen the noise. However, this raises operating temperatures, necessitating continuous monitoring to avoid a fire.

Operating the foam machine needs strict supervision. Someone should always be on duty, prepared to turn off the foam machine should there be a leak or fire. Training some people on measures to take during an emergency such as a fire is also essential.

The training should also include familiarity with the placement of fire extinguishers and the electrical switchboard in case approaching the machine to shut it down becomes risky.

During a foam party, your clothes will become wet, but you will not feel cold since the foam will keep you warm. Some foam parties use basic dish soap as it foams up nicely. However, using this dish soap may cause rashes and irritations to people with sensitive skin.

Consider using a recommended foam party machine solution that is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and bio-degradable, as it will not affect your clothes, skin, or lawns.

A quality large foam cannon is the basis for organizing a fantastic party. 

Your party foam cannon or foam party gun should be able to cover a large area rapidly. Children would not like to wait for the foam to build up, and adults would not enter the foam if it were to crowd them.

At Foam Party Suppliers, we provide fantastic foam party machines and supplies at competitive pricing and unbeatable service. Our goal is to provide enjoyable, long-lasting, and safe solutions for both the environment and you. You can quickly fill your space with foam using our foam machines.