goggle and mask that doesn't fog up and get hot?

[james]

I need to work in my crawlspace for a few hours (sealing ducts, etc).

Due to dust, I use a goggle and a dust mask. However, after a few minutes the goggle starts to fog up, my face gets hot and wet and I feel like I'm running out of air. I tried different types of dust masks (with valves and without) but they all gets hot and are hard to breath after a few minutes. Inevitably, I had to remove the goggle and dust mask.

Is there an combination goggle/dust mask that is actively ventilated, i.e. a battery powered fan that draws air, to prevent fogging and moisture build-up?

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

If you have plenty of money, you could try this one:

I've used something similar in respiratory isolation rooms and will tell you it feels like you're being air conditioned. It's great for avoiding that closed in, can't get your breath feeling. It's just expensive.

There are several others on the market. They all seem to run in the $200+ range.

[Boden]

My wife gave me one of these a few years ago and I use it all the time. It's great.

Boden

[aemeijers]

A supplied-air respirator? Probably be cheaper to hire the work out. Goggles/mask that suck in local air would just slam the dust you are trying to avoid, right into your eyes, or the filter would clog up in minutes.

Have you tried ventilating the crawlspace while you work? Something similar to what Ma Bell uses for confined-space work in underground vaults- a big portable fan and/or air scrubber with collapsible ducts you run down into the work area? I imagine a rental place that caters to industry rather than DIY would have them. I only have trouble with goggles fogging up where there is no air circulation and/or high humidity. (Like working under a car in summer, when it is muggy and hot.) Of course, I also wear glasses, so that is an extra 2 surfaces over each eye to fog up.

If an expensive rental is a little off-putting, try the poor man solution- a box fan and some plastic on the access cubby, sucking OUT, and some sort of air hole at the far end, for 24 hours or so. If you don't have plastic over the dirt, sounds like you need it.

-- aem sends...

[C & E]

All of the ventilated solutions are going to cost you hundreds of dollars. The ones that I know of are in the $200 range and are used for woodworking and woodcarving. It sounds to me that for a couple hours work you might as well hire a contractor or handyman outfit. That is, unless you would have an ongoing need for a unit like this.

[nicksanspam]

Perhaps the warm moist air you breath out is condensing on the inside surface of the goggles. You might do better with a combined mask that doesn't allow your outgoing breath to touch the inside of the goggles or separate goggles and breathing filter. The goggles might have a filtered opening to allow water vapor from your skin to escape, or they might be part of the incoming airpath. Outgoing air might bypass the filter to avoid condensation there.

Nick

[jack]

I bought an inexpensive one at Garrett-Wade a few years ago. Had to return it because it was incompatible with hearing protection, but that doesn't seem to be a problem for you.

[ransley]

Its common for commercial interior paint spraying, call sherwin williams or Harbor freight for cheap stuff, maybe a commercial paint spray rental will rent equipment, a cheap swimmers goggle works, maybe respirator filters are clogged.