Dust Collection Placement


Eric.

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So since my shop is going in the garage and it has to share space with my lawn care business, I have limited options for my tool placement...I think I've got ideas for all the major tools except the DC. I thought about hoisting it up and mounting it in the rafters, but that would make maintenence, cleaning filters, emptying canisters, etc a real pain.

I have a small deck coming off the back of the garage and I could set it right outside the back door in a corner of the house where it would be partially covered by the overhang of the roof...the wetness is pretty minimal there even in the strongest thunderstorms. I would also build a tall, roofed rectangular box for it from eastern red cedar or redwood or other outdoor-friendly wood to keep it completely dry, with a door on the front for access and louvered panels on the two sides facing the house to let the machine breathe and stay cool. Then run the main DC line right out of the back of the garage.

So my concerns are these...I do live in Missouri, and it gets notoriously humid here in the summer. Do you guys think the humidity would be a major problem? I can't see it being much less humid in the garage itself, but maybe I'm wrong. I'd also be concerned about breathability for both filtration exhaust and machine cooling, even with louvered panels on the housing.

Just a thought. Any opinions?

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Outside DC is nice to have but distance from the tools could be a factor requiring a bigger machine. Length of line reduces the flow. Extra fittings and such allow for leaks and if they are outside you may not notice them for a while. If you house it outside you will have noise to deal with this might make you a bad neighbor to some. Noise proofing tends to cause heat and airflow problems. Also dust will be outside as well depending on your Unit. I like the idea of keeping the motor inside and the dust outside if that is possible. Mostly it is up to you to assess your situation just remember to consider what effect it will have on the outside Neighbors kids pets wife etc...

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Outside DC is nice to have but distance from the tools could be a factor requiring a bigger machine. Length of line reduces the flow. Extra fittings and such allow for leaks and if they are outside you may not notice them for a while. If you house it outside you will have noise to deal with this might make you a bad neighbor to some. Noise proofing tends to cause heat and airflow problems. Also dust will be outside as well depending on your Unit. I like the idea of keeping the motor inside and the dust outside if that is possible. Mostly it is up to you to assess your situation just remember to consider what effect it will have on the outside Neighbors kids pets wife etc...

Neighbors shouldn't be an issue...I don't do much work in the middle of the night, and their dogs bark enough to where they'd have no room to complain anyway.

Mostly just concerned with the humidity and ventilation factors. I like the idea of keeping the motor inside and the collection outside, if it's doable. That would take some research I guess.

Added distance from the shop would be negligible, as it would be placed right outside the garage. Might have to add a bend or two, but not much more distance.

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@eric1978,

There are some serious problems with putting the DC outside as you are considering. Please read this thread and pay careful attention to what Vic has to say there.

-- Russ

Thanks for the link to that thread, Russ...that's interesting stuff. But those problems shouldn't apply to my situation. I have no appliances in the garage, and it's uninsulated and plenty drafty (I can see light come through around the garage door...it's on the list).

I'm still trying to convince myself to put an expensive machine outside in the sticky mid-west weather, housed or not. I think I'm selling myself on the idea, though...I just don't have any room left.

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I have no appliances in the garage, and it's uninsulated and plenty drafty.

Good deal. Sounds like you are good to go. If your garage is as drafty as you say, and not air conditioned, I don't see why the humidity would be any different in the shed you are planning than in the garage itself. Sounds like they're both more or less "outside".

-- Russ

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Good deal. Sounds like you are good to go. If your garage is as drafty as you say, and not air conditioned, I don't see why the humidity would be any different in the shed you are planning than in the garage itself. Sounds like they're both more or less "outside".

-- Russ

Exactly my thoughts! Thanks for the input.

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Good deal. Sounds like you are good to go. If your garage is as drafty as you say, and not air conditioned, I don't see why the humidity would be any different in the shed you are planning than in the garage itself. Sounds like they're both more or less "outside".

-- Russ

Agreed! Go for it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As far as bends, go, no doubt you are aware to try to only use 45 degree bends to get the pipe around a corner. I'd like to recommend that you not have any bends at all on the main line feeding into the impeller, but I realize that is not always possible.

One quick question to add into the mix, though: are you planning to add a "trash can cyclone" to the DC system? This could be kept inside, which will limit the extra dust going outside into the humidity. (I'd also recommend the slatted doors, not spaced as much as louvered door, for winter use. I have relatives in MO, and they do talk about snow from time to time. Maybe a lever based flap on a door, with the handle inside the garage, to allow for greater ventilation when necessary? Greenhouses do this all the time, based off automatic thermostats.)

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As far as bends, go, no doubt you are aware to try to only use 45 degree bends to get the pipe around a corner. I'd like to recommend that you not have any bends at all on the main line feeding into the impeller, but I realize that is not always possible.

One quick question to add into the mix, though: are you planning to add a "trash can cyclone" to the DC system? This could be kept inside, which will limit the extra dust going outside into the humidity. (I'd also recommend the slatted doors, not spaced as much as louvered door, for winter use. I have relatives in MO, and they do talk about snow from time to time. Maybe a lever based flap on a door, with the handle inside the garage, to allow for greater ventilation when necessary? Greenhouses do this all the time, based off automatic thermostats.)

Thanks for the suggestions, AJ. Yeah, ideally I would be getting a cyclone, but the problem with putting the trash can and the machine inside is the same as putting the whole unit inside...no space!

So I've got some noodling to do. I'm racking my brain to find a space inside the garage, but coming up empty so far.

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