Dust Collection vented outside

[lelandschultz]

I am in the design process of my new shop and was wanting to know if anyone has vented their DC systems outside and if so were there any issues and how they did it.

I am interested in the Clearview but am still looking around.  Was originally thinking of building an enclosure around the DC system to quiet it up but heard some talk that venting outside makes it much quieter and also more efficient....comments?

 

Thanks,

Leland

[dwacker]

Venting outside has its ups and downs. Some will claim it sucks out all your heat and ac. There may be an issue with things like gas furnaces. If your focus is on dust collection and you don't mind loosing a little energy due to venting outside its a good choice. Just use common sense and dont over think it. For most hobby shops your not going to have any problem at all venting outside. I don't think its going to be a whole heck of a lot quieter unless you move the whole unit outside.

If your shop is sealed up tight with a gas furnace of wood stove you would need to modify the air intake to the shop. Really just need to look at what you care about most. Personally I sacrafice a little energy and mounted my cyclone outside and have no issues but only have electric heat.

[Trip]

I believe there was an entire thread on this a few months ago...

 

As PB says, there are pros/cons, so check the thread....

 

One thing though, if you are in a built-up area, you may be prevented from venting outside via code -- so it maybe a completely mute point.  I know of one or two who vented outside, then had to stop because their neighbors turned-them-in.

[dwacker]

I believe there was an entire thread on this a few months ago...

As PB says, there are pros/cons, so check the thread....

One thing though, if you are in a built-up area, you may be prevented from venting outside via code -- so it maybe a completely mute point. I know of one or two who vented outside, then had to stop because their neighbors turned-them-in.

Umc, ubc, nfpa and osha interpretation of both all require outside venting of cyclone dust collectors. Thus why my collector is outside, it had to be to pass inspection.

[Trip]

I'm thinking local building/inspection codes -- which of course trump anything because they are at the whim of the inspector.  Not that it's right, but that's the way it is.

 

Our local guy made me switch to twist-lock for all my stationary tools before he'd pass my shop -- not that it's code mind you -- but I needed his sticker to get insurance, so why fight it?

 

There are two dozen-man shops within five miles of me and they can't vent outside -- our area of Somerset County shares the same inspector.  You could put the collector in a code-compliant outbuilding (which one of the shops does), but it would still have to be filtered and exhausted into that space.  The other shop partitioned their space (he's got a 13,000sf to play with) to have a separate collector room.  I also have a separate collector closet, but it lives within my shop and mainly for sound reduction.  Unfiltered atmospheric exhaust is a complete no-no around here.

 

Your mileage may vary, which is why it's good to check.  Of course you can always go the 'beg forgiveness' route   But I try to stay within local code whenever possible -- if there was ever a fire, I just don't want questions to arise downstream.

[dwacker]

No local code trumps nfpa ever, can't. Nfpa can't be relaxed ever. Environmental codes are secondary to nfpa always. Local can only make nfpa rules more strict not less. You would have to have an explosion arrestor on the vent to be mounted indoors not filters.

[Tpt life]

Don's right but so is Trip H in a way. I have found that you cannot expect an inspector to do his homework. Some do and some do not and those who do not tend to be overbearing with assumed authority. You really have to do your own homework and then courteously offer it up to the inspector when you submit your plans. When you do this you are at the inspectors mercy. If OSHA or NFPA apply and local code will not allow compliance with these standards then you run the risk of the inspector denying your project all together.

[Eric.]

Mine is vented outside.  I'm in a garage so I don't have to worry about furnaces, etc.  I lose a little conditioned air when the doors are closed, but I don't have to deal with filters.  It's a trade-off I'm happy with.  I don't see how it would change the noise levels at all unless the entire unit is outside...mine is still loud.  That's what hearing protection is for...how often do you run your DC without a tool on, and how often do you run a tool without hearing protection?

 

Oh, and I didn't check any codes or anything.  I know my neighbors well and they won't complain...besides, it's my house and I'll do what I want...it's not bothering anyone or hurting anything.

[Trip]

==> No local code trumps nfpa ever, can't. Nfpa can't be relaxed ever. Environmental codes are secondary to nfpa always. Local can only make nfpa rules more strict not less. You would have to have an explosion arrestor on the vent to be mounted indoors not filters.

 

No one is saying you need to ignore health/safety/etc to comply with town codes -- quite the opposite -- you need to comply with all requirements...  If your township allows your shop vent outside for health/safety/etc, then great -- have at it.  But if the town says no exhaust venting, then you need to find a solution that the township agrees with --- or you wont get/maintain a CO.  It's not acceptable to say, "I need to violate one code to meet another".  That doesn't fly.  It's up to you to maintain an operation that meets all requirements.  To satisfy health/safety/etc and local venting requirements, you may need a separate utilities out-building, maybe sub-partition the space for a separate utilities room, maybe deploy different equipment, relocate HASMAT operations, etc.  But it can be done...  folks do it all the time.

 

But to return to my original point, your mileage may vary -- some townships simply allow things that others don't...and it's usually better to check then find out the hard way.

 

I suspect the OP is talking about a home-based shop in residential zone (or worse, a HOA).  In that case, you may or may not be able to vent outside.  It's completely up to the HOA, your neighbors and the town -- in roughly that order.

 

It's also up to what you're willing to try to get away with  Lot's of folks vent outside until someone complains (typically the neighbors), then you stop.

[davestanton]

My shop vac system is vented outside and my 2 horse dust collection system recirculates in the shop through a 1 micron filter. The coldest it gets at my place is 0 celcius, (32 F). I have 3 radiant heat ceramic heaters mounted down the center of the shop suspended from the roof. I am so impressed with the shop vac being vented outside I am going to also vent the 2 horse system outside. The difference in air quality and efficiency of an unfiltered system is great. PS, I use cyclones to separate prior to exhausting.

I live on acreage so neighbours are not a concern.

[dwacker]

Generally this topic goes a few different way. There are those that worry about noise and dust. Then you have the energy geeks vs the dust collection geeks.

The noise levels are fairly minimal if the unit is inside and vented outside. Really no reason for neighbors to complain. The dust is a mute point. A cyclone doesn't throw dust all over your neighbors. I could see maybe a little dust after a few years of no rain but even then its not enough for anyone to complain about. Then you have the energy conservation folks that mean well but loose sight of the goal which is dust collection. You can safely vent a cyclone no matter how you heat, it just may take an air make up method. As far as rules go most folks don't follow them, the dust collector police are not going to come knocking.

If your worried about noise a simple baffle box just like a performance car muffler will silence a cyclone vent, granted that would be against code it will work great and trap nearly all the dust that may happen to escape. A baffle box will also not affect the performance of the unit, like a filter does. If you want to play by the rules you would just vent to a straight pipe with an arrester cap like a chimney.

Just use some common sense and have a little respect for your neighbors, there really shouldn't be an issue.