Backyard SNOWSTORM Little Cloud User manual

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Instruction Manual V2.0
Little Cloud

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Congratulations on purchasing a Backyard Snowstorm Little
Cloud Snow Gun! We’re excited for you to make snow with
us!
Please check out our full instructional course below for in-
depth instructional videos regarding the Little Cloud
Snowmaking System.

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WARNING!!!
This is a high-pressure system. Failure to follow
procedures and instructions could lead to injury
and/or damage to equipment.
Safety Guidelines:
•Always use protective clothing when setting up
or taking down equipment.
•Follow safety guidelines listed with each
pressure washer and air compressor.
•Make sure all connections are tight and secure.
•NEVER point a snow gun or hose near yourself
or others.
•Use caution around snow gun surfaces.
Surfaces near and around snow gun WILL
become wet and slippery.
•Follow ALL setup and take down procedures
exactly.
•Ensure snow gun stand is lowered and secured
before turning on any equipment.

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Table of Contents
Parts and Equipment.………………………………………………………………..5
STEP 1 –Prepare the Snow Gun Stand…………………………….....6
STEP 2 –System Setup…………………………………………………………….8
STEP 3 –System Start-up……………………………………………………..10
STEP 4 –System Take-down…………………………………………………12
Troubleshooting Help……………………………………………………………....15
Snowmaking Weather Chart………………………………………………….18
Quick Guide …………………………………………………………….......................19

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Low Pressure Filter
Air Compressor
(included with Little Cloud)
Snow Gun Body Low Pressure Blow
Out Tool
Garden Hose
NOT INCLUDED:

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•Insert top stand into
the tripod base
•Position the stand
clamp into the stand
1-1
1-2

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•Connect the garden
hose to the snow gun,
and open the stand
clamp. Insert the Little
Cloud Snow Gun into
the clamp.
•Secure the Snow Gun by
twisting the blue screw.
Make sure the snow gun is
secure.
1-3
1-4

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•Connect garden
hose to water
source
Overview
2-1
Water Source
Garden Hose
Filter
Snow Gun
Air Compressor
Air Hose
•Connect garden
hose to Snow Gun

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2-2
•Make sure all
connections are
tight! Use Teflon
Tape to wrap any
threads to create a
tight seal.
•Make sure snow
gun stand is
secured and
lowered
You are now ready to turn on your system! Continue to step 4…
Tilt Snow
Gun Back
(tilting the
snow gun
angle back
will provide
more
“hangtime”
for snow
formation)

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3-1
•Turn on the water
Make sure water flows through the entire water line and
exits the snow gun. Water should exit the top misting
nozzles, and a small stream should exit the bottom
nucleation nozzle.
3-2
•Turn on air compressor
and allow pressure to build
Pressure at the compressor should run between 75 –125 PSI
-Do Not Regulate Air Compressor. Let full air flow through the snow gun
•Connect air hose from
compressor to snow gun

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3-3
•Turn on Water
•Plug in/Turn on Air Compressor
Setup
Quick Review
DO NOT PLUG IN AIR BEFORE TURNING ON WATER SOURCE!
The cold compressed air can quickly freeze the bottom nucleation nozzle
and will require de-icing to blow snow.

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4-1
4-2
•Unplug the air line
from the snow
gun
Do not drain the compressor. Compressed air is
required to blow excess water out of the head.
Take Down Procedures are the REVERSE of the start-up procedures
•Turn OFF the
water at the
water source
•Disconnect the
garden hose

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4-3
•Insert Blow Out Tool into
the female end of
garden hose
•Plug Blow Out Tool into
the air
hose/compressor to
blow out water
The goal is to remove all water from the system. This will ensure the
functionality of your snow gun and will make future snow making sessions
easy and hassle-free!
USE CAUTION!!! Make sure snow gun and hoses are SECURE.
The compressed air will push water through the garden hose and out of
the snow gun. Thoroughly blow out the water line (5-10 min if necessary)
•Start by blowing out the garden hose
•Blow out snow gun separately after to ensure no water is left
FIRMLY SECURE HOSE END WHEN BLOWING OUT SEPARATE
EQUIPMENT!!!

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4-4
4-5
•Store Equipment in a
dry, warm location
BEST PRACTICE: store your equipment in a large storage bin indoors or in
an area that is above freezing temperatures. Even though no water should
be left in the equipment after the blow out process, storing in a dry, warm
location will extend the life of your equipment and make things easy when
setting up your system next time you want to make snow.
•Unplug Air Hose
•Turn OFF Water
•Blow out entire water line (Each
item separately is recommended)
•Store Equipment for next time!
Take Down
Quick Review

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TROUBLESHOOTING HELP
Restricted Air Flow: The bottom nucleation nozzle needs a high
amount of air flow + air pressure to break up the water into
smaller droplets used for nucleation. If this air flow is restricted,
the ice crystals formed will be too large and nucleation will be
difficult or impossible, resulting in ice. Here are some possible
reasons you may have restricted air flow:
•Undersized Compressor (will not supply enough air
flow/pressure needed for the nucleation nozzle)
SOLUTION: Make sure your air compressor meets the
minimum output requirement of 4.5 CFM @ 90 PSI
•Restricted Air Hose (naturally, water in the air will be pulled into
the compressor tank and pushed through the air hose over time. This
water will collect and freeze inside the air hose and slowly start to
restrict air flow to the snow gun. Typically, a 25’ air hose will have 3-4
hours of good use before this becomes an issue. Longer air hoses will
freeze even quicker)
SOLUTION: 1.) Use a short 10’ air hose to eliminate this
issue. Shorter air hoses will significantly reduce the likelihood of water
freezing in the air line. A 10’ air hose will have no issues for 12+ hours of
use. 2.) Use a larger diameter air hose to increase the amount of time
before clogging becomes an issue. 3.) Insulate your longer hose to
prevent freezing/clogging. 4.) Install a desiccant air dryer on your
compressor to eliminate any water from entering the tank and hose.
MAKING ICE (or low-quality snow)

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TROUBLESHOOTING HELP
•Wind / Heavy Natural Snow Fall (Wind can blow water and
snow back onto the snow gun, resulting in ice accumulating on the
head and restricting the bottom nucleation nozzle spray plume. If the
spray plume is unable to mix with top misting spray, ice will form
instead of snow)
SOLUTION: Wait until it is NOT windy to make snow. If you
choose to make snow in the wind, try pointing the snow gun spray with
the wind, NOT against it. Another option would be to use heat tape on the
head of the snow gun. If snow does fall back onto the snow gun, the heat
tape will melt the snow and stop it from building up.
MAKING ICE (or low-quality snow) CONTINUED
•The Temperature/Humidity combination is too warm
(Sounds simple, right? Making snow on the edge of “possible” snowmaking
conditions is difficult. Many times, the temperature/humidity shown on
most phone apps are not entirely accurate.
SOLUTION: Wait until temperatures drop to at least 28°F to
make snow. Pay attention to the forecast and how cold it will get during the
night. If the low is on the edge of snowmaking temperatures, it may be worth
it wait for a colder night. If the low is predicted to be much colder, then you
can be confident that temperatures will continue to drop, and snowmaking will
be possible.

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TROUBLESHOOTING HELP
•No water is exiting the Nucleation Nozzle (The most common
reason that no water would exit the nucleation nozzle is because the
nozzle in the snow gun is frozen. If the air hose was connected before
the water feed was turned on, freezing can occur. This can also occur
if water was left in the snow gun and froze during setup)
SOLUTION: Take the snow gun indoors to thaw. Run the snow
gun under warm water if necessary. If freezing occurs, it is likely in the
small fitting directly below the snow gun head inside of the aluminum
housing. Run warm water over the bottom of the snow gun head near
the top of the housing.
Make sure no water is left in the snow gun after use. Use the HP Blow
Out Tool to remove all water from the snow gun after each session.
Store indoors in a warm, dry location. Bring the snow gun outside only
when you are ready to turn the water on to minimize the snow guns
exposure to cold temperatures.
MAKING ICE (or low-quality snow) CONTINUED

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Snowmaking Weather Chart
Snowmaking is possible when the temperature and humidity (Wet Bulb
Temperature) are in the correct range.
Snow created in the Ideal Snowmaking Section will be higher quality and
“lighter” (powder snow).
Snow created in the Marginal Snowmaking Section will be a little
“heavier” (packing snow).
EXPERT ADVICE: Wait until the outside temperature reaches
28°F or lower to turn on your system. Trying to make snow on
the edge of marginal conditions can yield poor results.

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Quick Guide
Setup
•Turn on water
•Connect/turn on air compressor Air Pressure: 70-125 PSI
Take Down
•Unplug air hose
•Turn off water
•Blow out water line/individual
components
•Store equipment in a warm,
dry location
EXPERT TIPS
•Use a 10’ air hose, air dryer, or insulated air hose
•Wait for 28°F or colder to start the system
•Blow out each item separately after each session
•Store equipment in a warm, dry location
Garden Hose Filter
Snow Gun
Air Hose
Air Compressor