My workshop/garage contains a gas fired water heater. This makes me a bit
uncomfortable as I don't know if this is a fire hazard with the sawdust in
the air. Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do, short of
replacing the water heater with an electic unit?
Otto
(Master Maker of -really- expensive firewood,
and I don't even have a fireplace)
Otto Hoel wrote:
> My workshop/garage contains a gas fired water heater.
Mine does too, and a gas furnace.
> This makes me a bit
> uncomfortable as I don't know if this is a fire hazard with the sawdust in
> the air. Should I be concerned?
My house is still standing after operating this way for about 30 years...
'course I don't worry about my dust collector exploding either.
> Is there anything I can do, short of
> replacing the water heater with an electic unit?
If you're really concerned shut the water heater off while you're creating
dust.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)
Otto,
I can't address the danger of your gas heater since we don't know if the gas
burner uses the inside air, or like mine, is an enclosed unit that draws all
its air from outside and vents (obviously) to the outside. Besides, I'm no
expert on the subject but like everyone else, here's an opinion and it's
worth everything you paid.
If the burner and pilot light (if it has one) are clearly exposed and use
the inside air, I don't think I would be as worried about a saw dust
explosion or fire as much as I would be concerned about volatile fumes from
finishing materials (oil based products) as being an explosion/fire danger.
You need a pretty heavy concentration of fine saw dust particles in the air
before they'll ignite according to the articles I've read on static
electricity causing fires in dust collectors.
Converting to an electric hot water heater is probably not to expensive for
the hardware and installation but the monthly cost of electricity for that
thing can eat your lunch and that's the reason I switched to gas. But if
its the only viable thing to do and you feel safer.. then that's what you
should do.
Bob S.
"Otto Hoel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:TRApb.292$0d2.162@lakeread06...
> My workshop/garage contains a gas fired water heater. This makes me a bit
> uncomfortable as I don't know if this is a fire hazard with the sawdust in
> the air. Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do, short of
> replacing the water heater with an electic unit?
>
> Otto
> (Master Maker of -really- expensive firewood,
> and I don't even have a fireplace)
>
>
Well, opinions are why we're here, right? :)
Yes, it has a pilot light, and yes, it uses inside air. And what I didn't
think of, probably because it is hardly ever on here in Florida, is that I
also have a gas furnace. But I will not worry about the sawdust, since
y'all tell me that it is not a problem.
But I sure will take note of the other thing I didn't think about;
finishing. I can open the garage door and/or use exhaust fans when I need
to work with such things.
Thanks for all your input. It's what makes the wreck worth reading.
Otto
"Bob S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Otto,
>
> I can't address the danger of your gas heater since we don't know if the
gas
> burner uses the inside air, or like mine, is an enclosed unit that draws
all
> its air from outside and vents (obviously) to the outside. Besides, I'm
no
> expert on the subject but like everyone else, here's an opinion and it's
> worth everything you paid.
>
> If the burner and pilot light (if it has one) are clearly exposed and use
> the inside air, I don't think I would be as worried about a saw dust
> explosion or fire as much as I would be concerned about volatile fumes
from
> finishing materials (oil based products) as being an explosion/fire
danger.
> You need a pretty heavy concentration of fine saw dust particles in the
air
> before they'll ignite according to the articles I've read on static
> electricity causing fires in dust collectors.
>
> Converting to an electric hot water heater is probably not to expensive
for
> the hardware and installation but the monthly cost of electricity for that
> thing can eat your lunch and that's the reason I switched to gas. But if
> its the only viable thing to do and you feel safer.. then that's what you
> should do.
>
> Bob S.
>
>
>
>
> "Otto Hoel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:TRApb.292$0d2.162@lakeread06...
> > My workshop/garage contains a gas fired water heater. This makes me a b
it
> > uncomfortable as I don't know if this is a fire hazard with the sawdust
in
> > the air. Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do, short of
> > replacing the water heater with an electic unit?
> >
> > Otto
> > (Master Maker of -really- expensive firewood,
> > and I don't even have a fireplace)
> >
> >
>
>
I'm guessing you already know this, but you should really worry about fumes
from finishes, glues, solvents, and such. As for dust, I am NOT an expert,
but if you can stand to breathe in the shop you probably don't have a high
enough concentration for an explosion. I would be concerned about dust
building up within the WH firebox and the WH enclosure.
--
Bill Pounds
http://www.bill.pounds.net/woodshop
"Otto Hoel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:TRApb.292$0d2.162@lakeread06...
> My workshop/garage contains a gas fired water heater. This makes me a bit
> uncomfortable as I don't know if this is a fire hazard with the sawdust in
> the air. Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do, short of
> replacing the water heater with an electic unit?
>
> Otto
> (Master Maker of -really- expensive firewood,
> and I don't even have a fireplace)
>
>
How much trouble would it be to enclose the WH & Heater? If it's next to or
close to an outside wall you could put in a vent for intake (combustion)
air.
Erik
"Bob S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Otto,
>
> I can't address the danger of your gas heater since we don't know if the
gas
> burner uses the inside air, or like mine, is an enclosed unit that draws
all
> its air from outside and vents (obviously) to the outside. Besides, I'm
no
> expert on the subject but like everyone else, here's an opinion and it's
> worth everything you paid.
>
> If the burner and pilot light (if it has one) are clearly exposed and use
> the inside air, I don't think I would be as worried about a saw dust
> explosion or fire as much as I would be concerned about volatile fumes
from
> finishing materials (oil based products) as being an explosion/fire
danger.
> You need a pretty heavy concentration of fine saw dust particles in the
air
> before they'll ignite according to the articles I've read on static
> electricity causing fires in dust collectors.
>
> Converting to an electric hot water heater is probably not to expensive
for
> the hardware and installation but the monthly cost of electricity for that
> thing can eat your lunch and that's the reason I switched to gas. But if
> its the only viable thing to do and you feel safer.. then that's what you
> should do.
>
> Bob S.
>
>
>
>
> "Otto Hoel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:TRApb.292$0d2.162@lakeread06...
> > My workshop/garage contains a gas fired water heater. This makes me a
bit
> > uncomfortable as I don't know if this is a fire hazard with the sawdust
in
> > the air. Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do, short of
> > replacing the water heater with an electic unit?
> >
> > Otto
> > (Master Maker of -really- expensive firewood,
> > and I don't even have a fireplace)
> >
> >
>
>