I have a basement shop that takes up about 1/3 of my basement.
Whenever I finish a project, I find that the sweet aroma of turpentine
or linseed oil permeates the house. SWMBO agrees, substituting "awful
smell" for "sweet aroma". I'd like to put in a small exhaust fan to
the outside. The intent is not to exhaust the shop thoroughly -- I'm
not spraying or using real dangerous chemicals -- but just to create
enough pressure differential to make sure that all the leaks between
my shop and living space result in air moving into, not out of, the
shop.
My question is how to size the exhaust fan. My shop area is about
600ft^2x8ft ceilings, with no windows, one 30" door, and lots of holes
around pipes, ductwork, etc. going into the rest of the house. I
already have a 4" and a 6" duct running through the basement to the
outside, from the drier and stove exhaust. I'm thinking maybe to Y
into one of these before an inline fan. Might need some kind of flap
valve to keep drier lint or cooking smells out of the shop.
Any ideas from this creative group? Source of fans?
--
Alex
Make the obvious change in the return address to reply by email.
I have a large fan in a window that opens and closes as the fan is turned on or
off. I use a lathe in front of the fan. I also have a much smaller screened
opening that can be closed located in a solid core door on the other side of
the room. I keep the small opening open all spring, summer and fall, close it
in the winter. The big window fan will pull out dust, fumes and your shirt if
you are not careful. Works well for me. GCS
In article <[email protected]>,
alexy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>I have a basement shop that takes up about 1/3 of my basement.
>Whenever I finish a project, I find that the sweet aroma of turpentine
>or linseed oil permeates the house. SWMBO agrees, substituting "awful
>smell" for "sweet aroma". I'd like to put in a small exhaust fan to
>the outside. The intent is not to exhaust the shop thoroughly -- I'm
>not spraying or using real dangerous chemicals -- but just to create
>enough pressure differential to make sure that all the leaks between
>my shop and living space result in air moving into, not out of, the
>shop.
>
>My question is how to size the exhaust fan. My shop area is about
>600ft^2x8ft ceilings, with no windows, one 30" door, and lots of holes
>around pipes, ductwork, etc. going into the rest of the house. I
>already have a 4" and a 6" duct running through the basement to the
>outside, from the drier and stove exhaust. I'm thinking maybe to Y
>into one of these before an inline fan. Might need some kind of flap
>valve to keep drier lint or cooking smells out of the shop.
>
>Any ideas from this creative group? Source of fans?
Basis sizing fans for bathrooms, one needs a bit over 1CFM/sq.ft.
Theoretically, this'll change the air about 8 times/hr, assuming 8' ceilings.
For your shop, it works out to about 650cfm.
The *BAD*NEWS* -- 650 CFM through a 6" duct requires an air velocity
of nearly FORTY MILES PER HOUR.
reducing things to 5 air changes/hr, gives 400 CFM, and a velocity of about
24 mph in 6" pipe. still on the high side.
Go to 8" duct, and you're down to 13mph. this sounds more rational.
"Bob S." <[email protected]> wrote:
>Alexy,
>
>First of all, it probably isn't a real good idea to Y into any existing
>vents that are venting gas fired appliances. Lot's of things like back-flow
>pressures allowing gas fumes back into the house, snuffing out pilot lights
>(if you have them), not to mention a few code violations too.
Okay. I hadn't thought about the humid air vent from the gas drier
also being burner exhaust. The stove exhaust is just for cooking
odors, not a vent of combustion gasses (unless something catches fire
on the stove<g>).
>One of the most economical solutions I can think of that doesn't present
>dangers like above is a simple, through-the-wall, powered vent as found at
>the borg's for venting bathrooms/washrooms, utility areas.
Thanks. I'll look into that.
> You didn't
>mention where you live
Atlanta
> but they have models that can be used for any climate
>and have appropriate sized motors, fans and louver opening mechanisms that
>are sized to fit the CFM requirements for your work space.
>
>By exhausting the air, you also need to have incoming air to replace what's
>being forced outside. This air exchange may be costly if you are venting
>warm, heated air with cold outside air in the winter or vise-versa in the
>summer if you use AC.
Yeah. I will try to stop up as many leaks as possible, thus lowering
the amount of air I have to move to keep smells from escaping, and
also to minimize heat and a/c loss.
>
>If the vapors are simply "smelly" and non-toxic that you want to deodorize,
>then turn on a small floor fan, place an open container with a 50/50 mixture
>of "ODO-BAN" (Sam's Club) and water in front of it.
I'll have to look for this. thanks for the pointer.
> That stuff smells okay
>and it deodorizes - not just masking odors like some can sprays do. Even a
>mixture of vanilla or citrus juices in water will usually do well to make it
>smell better.
I'd forgotten about that. The fire dept recommended vanilla when I had
a smoke problem 25 years ago. Amazing how well it works for that, but
never thought of it in this application.
--
Alex
Make the obvious change in the return address to reply by email.
On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 03:09:50 GMT, [email protected] ()
wrote:
>
>Basis sizing fans for bathrooms, one needs a bit over 1CFM/sq.ft.
>Theoretically, this'll change the air about 8 times/hr, assuming 8' ceilings.
>
>For your shop, it works out to about 650cfm.
>
>The *BAD*NEWS* -- 650 CFM through a 6" duct requires an air velocity
>of nearly FORTY MILES PER HOUR.
>
>reducing things to 5 air changes/hr, gives 400 CFM, and a velocity of about
>24 mph in 6" pipe. still on the high side.
>
>Go to 8" duct, and you're down to 13mph. this sounds more rational.
Ahh, at last a post I can answer. For 650 CFM, you will need ~12"
duct to get an acceptable flow rate, matched to a good 300mm axial
fan. You could go smaller if you use a good centrifugal fan, but 10"
would probalby be close to the limit
Geoff
Alexy,
First of all, it probably isn't a real good idea to Y into any existing
vents that are venting gas fired appliances. Lot's of things like back-flow
pressures allowing gas fumes back into the house, snuffing out pilot lights
(if you have them), not to mention a few code violations too.
One of the most economical solutions I can think of that doesn't present
dangers like above is a simple, through-the-wall, powered vent as found at
the borg's for venting bathrooms/washrooms, utility areas. You didn't
mention where you live but they have models that can be used for any climate
and have appropriate sized motors, fans and louver opening mechanisms that
are sized to fit the CFM requirements for your work space.
By exhausting the air, you also need to have incoming air to replace what's
being forced outside. This air exchange may be costly if you are venting
warm, heated air with cold outside air in the winter or vise-versa in the
summer if you use AC.
If the vapors are simply "smelly" and non-toxic that you want to deodorize,
then turn on a small floor fan, place an open container with a 50/50 mixture
of "ODO-BAN" (Sam's Club) and water in front of it. That stuff smells okay
and it deodorizes - not just masking odors like some can sprays do. Even a
mixture of vanilla or citrus juices in water will usually do well to make it
smell better. Then there are the electronic cleaner solutions,
electrostatic air cleaners with carbon filters etc.
No matter which solution you try, plugging the holes to the upstairs areas
is a must and as you'll discover, not a small task once you really start
looking for all the places fumes can escape up through.
Good luck and I'm sure others will have some good ideas.
Bob S.
"alexy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a basement shop that takes up about 1/3 of my basement.
> Whenever I finish a project, I find that the sweet aroma of turpentine
> or linseed oil permeates the house. SWMBO agrees, substituting "awful
> smell" for "sweet aroma". I'd like to put in a small exhaust fan to
> the outside. The intent is not to exhaust the shop thoroughly -- I'm
> not spraying or using real dangerous chemicals -- but just to create
> enough pressure differential to make sure that all the leaks between
> my shop and living space result in air moving into, not out of, the
> shop.
>
> My question is how to size the exhaust fan. My shop area is about
> 600ft^2x8ft ceilings, with no windows, one 30" door, and lots of holes
> around pipes, ductwork, etc. going into the rest of the house. I
> already have a 4" and a 6" duct running through the basement to the
> outside, from the drier and stove exhaust. I'm thinking maybe to Y
> into one of these before an inline fan. Might need some kind of flap
> valve to keep drier lint or cooking smells out of the shop.
>
> Any ideas from this creative group? Source of fans?
> --
> Alex
> Make the obvious change in the return address to reply by email.
On 27 Oct 2003 16:32:07 -0800, [email protected] (Phil Crow) brought
forth from the murky depths:
>http://www.ansto.gov.au/ari/brochures_misc/rad2.html
>
>This oughtta do the trick.
>
>Seriously, bigger is better. I would imagine you could put a rheostat
>on any fan to decrease air flow if it's _too_ much.
Hey, that even warms the air as it ventilates, doesn't it?
Great for the coming winter, eh?
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"alexy" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
>> My question is how to size the exhaust fan. My shop area is about
>> 600ft^2x8ft ceilings, with no windows, one 30" door, and lots of holes
>> around pipes, ductwork, etc. going into the rest of the house. I
>> already have a 4" and a 6" duct running through the basement to the
>> outside, from the drier and stove exhaust. I'm thinking maybe to Y
>> into one of these before an inline fan. Might need some kind of flap
>> valve to keep drier lint or cooking smells out of the shop.
>
>
>Step one is to leave the existing vents alone. I can just imagine
>turpentine fumes getting into the dryer. No code would allow that, but
>hazards aside, your wife would go bonkers if the load of undies took on a
>linseed oil smell.
Boy, you've got that right!
>Do you want to duct outside trough a vent? I'd look at the wall mounted
>exhaust that is typical to a kitchen. The little ones for a bathroom don't
>do enough to warrant the installation time IMO.
Sounds like what I need to look into. Thanks.
--
Alex
Make the obvious change in the return address to reply by email.
"alexy" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> My question is how to size the exhaust fan. My shop area is about
> 600ft^2x8ft ceilings, with no windows, one 30" door, and lots of holes
> around pipes, ductwork, etc. going into the rest of the house. I
> already have a 4" and a 6" duct running through the basement to the
> outside, from the drier and stove exhaust. I'm thinking maybe to Y
> into one of these before an inline fan. Might need some kind of flap
> valve to keep drier lint or cooking smells out of the shop.
Step one is to leave the existing vents alone. I can just imagine
turpentine fumes getting into the dryer. No code would allow that, but
hazards aside, your wife would go bonkers if the load of undies took on a
linseed oil smell.
Do you want to duct outside trough a vent? I'd look at the wall mounted
exhaust that is typical to a kitchen. The little ones for a bathroom don't
do enough to warrant the installation time IMO.
Depending on where the windows are, a 10" box fan sitting in the window may
pull enough from your shop area to keep the odors from infiltrating the
house.
Ed
"Erik Ahrens" <erikl_nospam_@_nospam_syserco.com> wrote:
>I realized something in your description of the basement - It appears you
>have only one entrance/exit. Is there any way you can get a window in that's
>big enough to crawl through in an emergency? I really don't want to read
>about how nice a guy you were in the news.
>
Thanks for the concern, but the daylight side of the basement got to
be family room and lawn mower, edger, etc. storage, while my office
and the shop got the underground side. Guess if I didn't have access
to the door, I would be busting out drywall into an adjacent room.
Never really thought about that, until you brought it up.
--
Alex
Make the obvious change in the return address to reply by email.
"alexy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a basement shop that takes up about 1/3 of my basement.
> Whenever I finish a project, I find that the sweet aroma of turpentine
> or linseed oil permeates the house. SWMBO agrees, substituting "awful
> smell" for "sweet aroma". I'd like to put in a small exhaust fan to
> the outside. The intent is not to exhaust the shop thoroughly -- I'm
> not spraying or using real dangerous chemicals -- but just to create
> enough pressure differential to make sure that all the leaks between
> my shop and living space result in air moving into, not out of, the
> shop.
>
> My question is how to size the exhaust fan. My shop area is about
> 600ft^2x8ft ceilings, with no windows, one 30" door, and lots of holes
> around pipes, ductwork, etc. going into the rest of the house. I
> already have a 4" and a 6" duct running through the basement to the
> outside, from the drier and stove exhaust. I'm thinking maybe to Y
> into one of these before an inline fan. Might need some kind of flap
> valve to keep drier lint or cooking smells out of the shop.
>
> Any ideas from this creative group? Source of fans?
> --
> Alex
> Make the obvious change in the return address to reply by email.
Go by a heating cooling shop. Ask if you can get the squirrel cage blower
out of the next furnace they replace. Anything other than a centrifugal
blower will not create the pressure differential you are looking for.
--
Jim in NC
I realized something in your description of the basement - It appears you
have only one entrance/exit. Is there any way you can get a window in that's
big enough to crawl through in an emergency? I really don't want to read
about how nice a guy you were in the news.
Erik
"alexy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a basement shop that takes up about 1/3 of my basement.
> Whenever I finish a project, I find that the sweet aroma of turpentine
> or linseed oil permeates the house. SWMBO agrees, substituting "awful
> smell" for "sweet aroma". I'd like to put in a small exhaust fan to
> the outside. The intent is not to exhaust the shop thoroughly -- I'm
> not spraying or using real dangerous chemicals -- but just to create
> enough pressure differential to make sure that all the leaks between
> my shop and living space result in air moving into, not out of, the
> shop.
>
> My question is how to size the exhaust fan. My shop area is about
> 600ft^2x8ft ceilings, with no windows, one 30" door, and lots of holes
> around pipes, ductwork, etc. going into the rest of the house. I
> already have a 4" and a 6" duct running through the basement to the
> outside, from the drier and stove exhaust. I'm thinking maybe to Y
> into one of these before an inline fan. Might need some kind of flap
> valve to keep drier lint or cooking smells out of the shop.
>
> Any ideas from this creative group? Source of fans?
> --
> Alex
> Make the obvious change in the return address to reply by email.