Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

TD

>Bud, you can't take air out unless you put air in so any exhaust should also have a supply. Depending on your area you may be able to supply cold air in and shop air out or, if you slive in a colder area, you might want a heat exchanger of some sort to save your heat. If you plan to use any type of flammable solvents then you definitely do not want to vent into the attic but I wouldn't want to vent to the attic anyway because dust would accumulate there and in time would be a real mess and a hazard. It sounds to me like you may be a little over your head with this one and might want to get some help from a professional. I don't mean to sound harsh, just don't want to see you burn your house down or anything.

TD

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

Jerry Whitaker

>I think it is probably against regulations to vent anything into the attic (including a bathroom exhaust even for moisture). I built my house 28 years ago and that was the case. I agree with those regulations.... anything vented within your home/shop should be vented to the outside. You can vent through the attic but not into it. Also, you should occassionally make sure that the vent tube is clear. Recently my clothes dryer started getting real hot. I was on the verge of buying a new dryer until I discovered that the vent over the years had gotten colgged up with lint and no longer vented the moisture or heat. This, among other things can be a real fire hazzard. Be safe.

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

Leo Van Der Loo

>Hi TD

I would not vent into my attic, I don,t think it's wise to vent damp air with or without fumes into your attic especially if it's cold up there, all the moisture would fall out of the warm air and end up into your wood and insulation, and thats not good.

If you Google XPELAIR you will find fans that you can build right into your windows glass , I have one in my green house, in a window pane (it's a double layer acrylic pane), the one I have turns both directions, so it can bring air in as well as take it out, it has worked flawlessly for the last 10 years.

Have fun and take care

Leo V

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

Fog Tanner

>I have a paint/finish room that is seperate from the dust room. It has a squirrel cage blower that pumps air into the room and an exhaust fan that pumps air out of the room. I also wear a charcoal filtered respirator when I'm doing any finishing, especially when using the spray gun. The room is sealed from the dust area and the concrete floor has a sealer so I can damp mop it when I spray some clear finishes, to keep the dust out of the finish.

If I were to adapt this to the lathe, I would put a squirrel cage blower on my dust collection hood with an exhaust hose going to the outside and a fan or blower pumping air into the room. And depending on the finish, I would still wear the respirator. Unless of course it was Superbowl Sunday and I was using lacquer ;-)

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

John Lucas

>I go the low tech way. I put a fan at my back, open the door put the piece on my rotating spray stool and spray toward the outside. Works well unless it's cold or the humidity is really high. I can usually change the dilution of the finish and shoot lacquer most of the year. I'm sure I don't get the finish quality that a good finisher gets but the worst case scenario is sanding with 600 grit followed by another light coat and then buffing on the beal.

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

Barry Irby

>This seems like an application for an explosion proof motor on the fan. Not a bathroom vent fan. A snorkle on the fan would increase the chances of picking up a combustible mix, not a good place for arcs and sparks or even hot bearings. Be Careful.

Barry Irby

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

Arch

>Sanding dust, especially if oily or blown out of a hollow form into the shop by compressed air is also a combustable mix. This time of year, portable heaters are an additional risk.

Turn to Safety, Arch

Re: Venting fumes from a Garage shop.

Earl

>Bathroom fans move very little air. They can barely keep up with a shower going in a bathroom. Don't vent into the attic. It's illegal and dangerous. I'd bite the bullet and put a fan in the wall, vented directly outside. If done neatly, it costs nothing to cut the hole and certainly won't detract from the value of the house. Of course, if you are renting, you probably can't do it. As has been said, if you are using lacquers, etc., make sure you buy an explosion proof fan.

Earl