Extractor fans

[Adrian]

HI Folks

Seeing that CPC have some reasonably-priced mains extractor fans in their most recent flier - I started thinking again about fume extraction from the soldering area in my stained glass studio....

At the moment, I've got a couple of mains-operated ec-computer fans mounted through the timber walls, sucking fumes out from the studio. Trouble is, they're about 12" away from where the actual soldering is done, there's not as much 'suck' (!) as I'd like... and they're pretty noisy when running.

One of those little portable fume extract filters works fairly well - but I'd rather have some means of extracting from where the actual soldering is taking place....

So - CPC have an option of HG0023256 (4" in-line duct fan) and HG0023056 (round axial fan) - both for around the 8 euro mark. I like the idea of the duct fan because I could mount it under a cover on the outside wall of the studio, and run tumble-drier ducting into the studio - so keeping the noise outside the room. It'd only be a short run of ducting - maybe half a metre at most. Might even get two of them and have the ability to do double-extraction if working on larger pieces of glass (up to 4ft long for a typical door panel...)

Anybody used either of these types of fan - and can comment on their suitability ? I could 'bodge' the existing ex-computer fans - but by the time I've worked out some means of adapting the square fan to the round ducting, I'm looking at lots of time & probably as much expense....

Thanks in advance Adrian

[Andy Dingley]

Personally I wouldn't bother. For the sort of fume hazard you're facing (assuming it's just soldering and not patination fumes!) a recirculating fan with a filter is fine. However you do need to replace those filters when needed.

[Adrian]

Thanks for the reply...

I did get a couple of pack of filters with the fan - so replacing them won't be a big problem....

Don't know what sort of flux you use - I've been using Bakers for the last couple of years, and, while it's more more agressive than the other water-based fluxes I do find that it can cause me chest problems... as does the sal ammonica block....

Seemed like a good idea to get those fumes out of the studio....?

As to patination - I'm not aware of fumes from that - I use the copper & black patination liquids cold and wash them off the work with warm water... or are we talking about different processes ?

Adrian

[Harry Bloomfield]

Adrian wrote on 04/12/2008 :

If they are only 12" away, then I would expect them to be fairly effective at drawing the fumes out. Probably the problem is the distance they are from the source of the fumes and the fact that hot fumes tend to rise vertically.

Might you not be better with some sort of funnel to collect the fumes, directly over where you are working? The idea should be to the fumes away at their source, rather drawing out air after the fumes have mixed with lots of it.

Those 12v PC fans are not really that effective, much better would be the 6" or 8" 240v operated fans intended for main frame computers. You can get these from electronic surplus dealers for a pound or two and they will keep going for many years. Google for Bull electronic surplus, as one possible source.

[Adrian]

That's a possibility...

That's what I was thinking of with the 'extractor fan and 4" hose' idea....

Trouble with a 'hood' arrangement (like a fume cupboard) is that there are times when you have to be 'above' the work being soldered, rather than working at arms length as in a fume cupboard - so if you're extracting via a hood then the fumes have to go past you to get to the extract system - which isn't ideal...

I thougt I said in the original post that these are mains fans (of unknown parentage - but they're a good bit more effective than the 12V PC 'air stirrers').

The other issue is noise level - as I like music playing while I'm working, and with the existing fans running flat out the music has to be turned up really loud.... so the idea was to mount the noisy fans _outside_ the studio and just have the ducting inside - don;t know how much this might reduce the noise. The Studio is timber-built - so maybe some sort of mechanical isolation of the fans would reduce the noise (the existing ones are probably 25 years old -so the bearings are likely shot!)

Another plan is to arrange some sort of mechanical switchery - so that lifting the iron off its stand causes the fans to start up - or even go from 'idle' to 'max'.... but that's phase 2 of the scheme!

Thanks Adrian