Hello all you 'fritters'!!
i have been encouraged to join your forum by several of your members, the reason being i have supplied them with ventilation systems for their work stations. So i am here to answer all your questions in relation to ventilation. So any queires or questions you have please direct them my way and i will do my best to answer them for you, and no doubt you will probably teach me something about glass along the way.
best regards
Steve
what sort of ventilation systems have you provided?
I already have an extractor fan i just dont know at what height it should be above the torch?
I see from Steve's profile that he comes from progrow.co.uk, so I am guessing he has supplied lots of people with Airforce Tornado series fans (I have an Airforce Tornado 100 myself from Steve's emporium!)
Hi Steve and welcome :) I'm another happy customer:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/4121724815_fbf87e1504.jpg)
Professionals will probably faint at the connection bits, but it's doing a great job! ;D
Quote from: Failariel on March 08, 2010, 06:44:04 PM
what sort of ventilation systems have you provided?
mainly acoustic fans by a company called airforce who have unfortuately gone belly up, we do however have replacements, here is our website http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/fans-filters-ducting.html
Quote from: SilverGems89 on March 08, 2010, 06:49:22 PM
I already have an extractor fan i just dont know at what height it should be above the torch?
hi silvergem, the bottom line is it should be as close as possible so as not to interfere with your work, ideally you would have some type of hood above your working area that will 'catch the fumes...
Quote from: sparrow on March 08, 2010, 07:06:13 PM
Hi Steve and welcome :) I'm another happy customer:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/4121724815_fbf87e1504.jpg)
Professionals will probably faint at the connection bits, but it's doing a great job! ;D
thats good to know, and to be honest looks incredibly well put together!! compared to some things i see.....
Quote from: helbels on March 08, 2010, 07:03:01 PM
I see from Steve's profile that he comes from progrow.co.uk, so I am guessing he has supplied lots of people with Airforce Tornado series fans (I have an Airforce Tornado 100 myself from Steve's emporium!)
hi there, im glad its working well for you, and you are right we have quite a few happy customers from here...
"thats good to know, and to be honest looks incredibly well put together!! compared to some things i see....."
Are you sure that's not just because Beaders are probably smoking less intoxicating substances than your other customers Steve ;D ;D ;D
Lol! I got great support from you guys, it was really helpful when I had to deal with builders etc. (bearing in mind I had to get them to drill a rather large hole through a rather thick wall, I did want to get it right!)
Hi !! I'm sure that's where my husband got our hydroponics from. :)
That studio looks incredibly tidy, Sabine ;D ;D
Hello Steve,
I have a fabulous fan from you guys. The Airforce Tornado 100. You were very helpful and wonderfully quick with the delivery. My set up doesn't look as tidy as Sabine's but it is anchored down well.
Thank you
think it was you i spoke to last week steve when my fan was getting sent out...i answered the phone mid-bead and you were like 'oh i know that noise, youre melting glass right now!'
welcome to fh, couldnt believe the psychic hothead detection abilities ;D love the fan too :)
I have one of your fans too and love it, use it everyday almost.
Haha, you should see it now.....I really need to tidy up!
Hi Steve - from another satisfied customer!
Hi Steve
I live in a rented property so I don't want to bash a hole in the wall. Is it ok to have a tube attached to the output of the fan and stuff it out of a window?
How do I calculate the rate of extraction that I need? I know the cubic size of my shed but don't know how often the air should be changed.
My OH was keen to install a domestic cooker hood - we saw one in B&Q for about £60, Having briefly looked at your website it seems that I would have to spend considerably more to use your equipment.
Thanks
Janet
My husband got me an air force 200 to go in my new studio space. I'm just waiting for him to install it and put in a bench.
Is there any advice he might need on installing it?
Hey Steve, Im looking for some dimpled mylar, and couple of 600w hps bulbs, and a new nft flow tray as well as a stack of hoses & connectors for my autopot rig.
Whatcha got lad?
::) ::)
I was keeping up with this thread but ya just lost me ....
I have some spare tubing left over from when I installed my fan if anyone wants it. I have about two meters.
Llewennog - stop showing off!
Hello from another satisfied customer,
You can just peek my airforce sitting behind my barley box.
mm ...that sounds a bit cheeky.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/4093542562_100c3c281d_m.jpg) (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/4093542562_100c3c281d_m.jpg)
Quote from: SallyR on March 09, 2010, 08:31:30 AM
Hi Steve - from another satisfied customer!
hello there sally ...thats good to know thank you....
Quote from: helenfchalmers on March 08, 2010, 10:11:46 PM
think it was you i spoke to last week steve when my fan was getting sent out...i answered the phone mid-bead and you were like 'oh i know that noise, youre melting glass right now!'
welcome to fh, couldnt believe the psychic hothead detection abilities ;D love the fan too :)
im pretty sure that was my business partner Dave.,....we have learnt to recognise the sounds at the end of the line......so beware!!
glad the fan worked ok for you.....
Quote from: hollergrafik on March 08, 2010, 10:28:18 PM
I have one of your fans too and love it, use it everyday almost.
excellent thats what we like to hear! :)
Quote from: JaySpangles on March 09, 2010, 08:55:38 AM
Hi Steve
I live in a rented property so I don't want to bash a hole in the wall. Is it ok to have a tube attached to the output of the fan and stuff it out of a window?
How do I calculate the rate of extraction that I need? I know the cubic size of my shed but don't know how often the air should be changed.
My OH was keen to install a domestic cooker hood - we saw one in B&Q for about £60, Having briefly looked at your website it seems that I would have to spend considerably more to use your equipment.
Thanks
Janet
hello Janet,
poking ducting out of the window is not a problem, its a good idea to make the distance between fan and exhaust point as small as possible. To calculate the size fan you need to use is a bit of an open ended question, firstly you need to claculate the volume of your room in m3. so length x breadth x height so if we say your room is 3m long 2m wide and 2m high would give us a cubic volume of 12m3.
Most fans will have a cubic capacity listed for the amount of air they can move in 1 hour.
So if we take for example hvk 100 fan as an example it will shift 175m3 in an hour, divide this by 12 (our room size) and it tells us the fan will exchange your whole volume of air 14.5 times every hour, roughyly a complete air exchange every 4.1mins.
Pressure also effects the amount of air movement and this is where it can get quite complicated!! but you should always lean towards more than less air movement. Bear in mind that really the fan wants to be moving air away from your working area so a booth or hood will make it more efficient. I should point out i am no expert when it comes to the intircacies of how you work and what your requirements are, but a hood is a good idea as it catches hot air rising, if you can get it close enough to your working area and it extracts the fumes then it is doing its job.
A good way of testing this is with a smoke bomb, but these are not so readily available, joss sticks make a useful alternative.
So yes you could use your cooker hood, i am unsure if the model you are looking at has a fan, cheaper ones rely on carbon filters and dont actually extract the fumes so this maybe something you could check, conversely if it has a fan fitted check its rating (how much air it shifts).
If it is just a hood then a good quality high powered fan attached to it that extracted out of your room would be the ideal option.
hope this helps
steve
Quote from: llewennog on March 09, 2010, 09:52:04 AM
Hey Steve, Im looking for some dimpled mylar, and couple of 600w hps bulbs, and a new nft flow tray as well as a stack of hoses & connectors for my autopot rig.
Whatcha got lad?
got the lot;
dimpled mylar; http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/info_3383.html
600w hps; http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/hid_lamps.html
nft trays hoses in here; http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/hydrosystems.html
thats the first time ive been called lad for about 25 years!!
Thanks for the info
"So if we take for example hvk 100 fan as an example it will shift 175m3 in an hour, divide this by 12 (our room size) and it tells us the fan will exchange your whole volume of air 14.5 times every hour, roughyly a complete air exchange every 4.1mins."
So how many times per hour should I aim to change my air ideally?
Quote from: JaySpangles on March 09, 2010, 04:43:01 PM
Thanks for the info
"So if we take for example hvk 100 fan as an example it will shift 175m3 in an hour, divide this by 12 (our room size) and it tells us the fan will exchange your whole volume of air 14.5 times every hour, roughyly a complete air exchange every 4.1mins."
So how many times per hour should I aim to change my air ideally?
nice avatar!
well if you are in a very small enclosed room i personally would not want to breathing fumes for any length of time, as i said i dont know what kind of fumes your work gives off but an extraction fan set close to your working are is going to suck the fumes away immediately, so its not so much about exchanging the whole area of air.
Most memebers here i have sold fans to use a tornado (mainly because its acoustic) in a small work area and it works fine shifting 325m3 an hour, it provides a bit of overkill as it is a simple solution that means you dont have to build a hood above your work area and can instead plonk a fan down on the table next to you. If i am honest with a hood fitted above your work station (thus making the collection of fumes more efficient) i would think an hvk 175m3 per hour would do the job for a typical working space. Obviously everyones situation is slightly different so it can be a 'suck it and see' type scenario.
I read some where that you should have a complete change of air every 6 minutes. Which is a complete change 10 times an hour.
so from your calculations, I'd say your more then covered!
our own vent guy ..how exciting ...i think you might be busy :D
think a ventilation question thread might be in order ???
welcome to fh ......
Hi Steve and welcome to our world! :D
I got my fan from you at Christmas and we still haven't got it up and running ::). The flame is flickering too
much to use, so I'm wondering if I got one that is too powerful (Airforce 200, in a small shed, and in a barley box). You
have a speed reducer on your site, but it is temperature controlled and I would just want a simple one that I can set to slow,
medium and fast. Any idea where I can get a suitable one? :-\
Quote from: sarah t on March 10, 2010, 10:31:31 AM
our own vent guy ..how exciting ...i think you might be busy :D
think a ventilation question thread might be in order ???
welcome to fh ......
vent guy.....hmm ill go with that
ill look at starting a vents thread sarah....
Quote from: Margram on March 12, 2010, 12:54:51 PM
Hi Steve and welcome to our world! :D
I got my fan from you at Christmas and we still haven't got it up and running ::). The flame is flickering too
much to use, so I'm wondering if I got one that is too powerful (Airforce 200, in a small shed, and in a barley box). You
have a speed reducer on your site, but it is temperature controlled and I would just want a simple one that I can set to slow,
medium and fast. Any idea where I can get a suitable one? :-\
if noise is not too much of an issue (they make the fans buzz a bit) the simplest cheapest option is a systemair controller, they cost about £55 ....if noise is an issue then an airforce controller is the best option, these are simply dial controllers..but a bit pricey.... http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/info_3248.html
we used to sell the systemairs and im still in contact with that company so if you want one let me know
hope that helps
steve
Oh, thank you - I'm going to order the quiet, pricey one (ouch!) - don't want to annoy the neighbours... :)
Hi Steve,
I have been wondering about ventilation for a while! I don't know anything about anything technical, so could you tell me everything I need and what I should do with it please?! I work in my conservatory (c. 4m x 3m x2m). I don't want to cut any holes or fix anything permanently as I tend to reorganise the room fairly often and my husband has even less DIY skills than me anyway. I do have lots of windows, so could those silver tube thingies go in/out of one of those?
Please help! I realise that just opening the door is not good enough and I need to invest in proper ventilation!
Becky
I work in a conservatory and don't have an adequate fan, but the on I do have has the silver vent pipe just poking out of a window
Hi and welcome,
Another satisfied customer, good advice and great customer service. I bought the HVK 250A1 Fan (800m3/hr) a little noisier than the Airforce models but a great fan which works well. I think if I wanted to add more torches in the future this fan would handle this with ease. I work from a conservatory and have the fan next to the window with tubing going from my work space to the fan and then out of the open window. I use and old piece of cardboard covered in clingfilm which wedges into the window opening from the end of the window frame to the ducting. Hopefully with will help reduce any fumes from being blown back into the room. (Although I think the force of the fan will prevent this). My aim is to put the fan into a lined wooden housing in my shed (when I get a shed) to reduce the noise even more.
I'd love to see pictures of this.
Quote from: beckyg on April 25, 2010, 03:25:06 PM
Hi Steve,
I have been wondering about ventilation for a while! I don't know anything about anything technical, so could you tell me everything I need and what I should do with it please?! I work in my conservatory (c. 4m x 3m x2m). I don't want to cut any holes or fix anything permanently as I tend to reorganise the room fairly often and my husband has even less DIY skills than me anyway. I do have lots of windows, so could those silver tube thingies go in/out of one of those?
Please help! I realise that just opening the door is not good enough and I need to invest in proper ventilation!
Becky
hi becky sorry for the late reply on this one, yes you can poke flexible ducting out of one of your windows. So you would need a fan for a small work space the 100mm ksa is adequate http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/info_3243.html these just plug in to a normal socket. You would then need ducting to match, id imagine 5 mtrs would be plenty so here http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/info_1762.html this just slides over the spigot on the fan, you would then use a 100mm hose clip http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/info_349.html to fix it to the fan, so no diy skills needed by you....or your husband!
hope this helps
steve
I'm just sooooo glad my ventilation is done and dusted. It was the most expensive and difficult part of setting up to lampwork. Well, now I have a fan that on full power sounds like a jet engine and has the power to suck the knickers off a virgin!!!! Good luck to all you lot struggling with it, I've put that horrible experience to the back of my mind never to be revisited! :o
My neighbour over the back of us, kept going out to find the helicopter, he thought that was flying about, lol. Then realised it was my ventilation in the shed! hehehe :D
Quote from: beadysam on May 18, 2010, 08:29:23 PM
and has the power to suck the knickers off a virgin!!!!
and you know this? ......
lol :D :o
ha ha ha, I am going to have to share that one ;D
Yeah ventilation was the worst bit for me too. Thank god it's done!
My ventilation sucked up an entire saucer of frit yesterday.
I haven't got it set up properly yet as Hubbie is doing the DIY for my studio in his normal SLOW way.
So the end sucky bit is propped on top of a flower pot behind my torch. When I turned it on the pipe contracted and pulled it onto my bench and it gobbled up my frit I had placed ready to use.
At least I know it sucks!
Quote from: Pandanimal on May 19, 2010, 02:17:51 PM
My ventilation sucked up an entire saucer of frit yesterday.
I haven't got it set up properly yet as Hubbie is doing the DIY for my studio in his normal SLOW way.
So the end sucky bit is propped on top of a flower pot behind my torch. When I turned it on the pipe contracted and pulled it onto my bench and it gobbled up my frit I had placed ready to use.
At least I know it sucks!
Brilliant! That made me chuckle. If its anything I stock I'll send you some more if you let me know - its worth it for the visual picture of all the frit rattling around the fan and raining out the other end, never mind the look on your face! ;D :-*
You should of seen the air turning blue around me!
It was some of your frit it got, "smoke on the water" but I have plenty left so don't worry. I was just thinking of you tonight, Sam actually.
You know those little plastic pots with screw on lids that you sent me some samples in once?
Do you ever sell those empty? cause I just this evening drilled holes in the lid of one to see if it works as a salt shaker for enamel powder. I will give it a go tomorrow and if it works I will be in the market for maybe 20 or so of them. so long as they don't cost the earth.
I'd like to see my evil ventilation trying to suck frit out of a little pot!
Ooh, I've just seen this reply. Yes I've got loads of those small tubes. I keep meaning to do the enamel thing but haven't got around to it yet. Let me know if it works, and if you decide you need some and we'll sort something out. ;)
Hi there & A question for sparrow...
Looking at your fab-o set up I can see from your picture you have an interesting looking leaning/tilting stainless steal holder/s that are in front and off to the side of your torch....
May I ask, where did you get it?
8)
Do you mean these things?
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50115739
Hi Steve,
a question for you, is it possible to rotate the fan housing of the Airforce tornado af 100 fans through 90 degrees i.e. so that the motor is running in the vertical plane?
Thanks
Joy
Okay Steve, I have just been to your site and ordered a fan, it may have instructions which tell me if I can rotate it, it's not crucial but would be helpful if we can
Can any one tell me if this is all i need to set up please http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/info_3244.html http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/ducting-clips-tape.html#a1762 i,m going to order the hose and clip off this page .i,m either going to take it out window or through ceiling into loft do you think that would be ok .xxcatxx
how big is the room that you are going to put it in?
approx 10ft by 8ft old money .xxcatxx
Quote from: Meagan Lily on June 24, 2010, 07:45:07 PM
Hi Steve,
a question for you, is it possible to rotate the fan housing of the Airforce tornado af 100 fans through 90 degrees i.e. so that the motor is running in the vertical plane?
Thanks
Joy
soory for such a late reply and yes you can position the fan as suits you....
Quote from: beadysam on May 19, 2010, 03:39:56 PM
Quote from: Pandanimal on May 19, 2010, 02:17:51 PM
My ventilation sucked up an entire saucer of frit yesterday.
I haven't got it set up properly yet as Hubbie is doing the DIY for my studio in his normal SLOW way.
So the end sucky bit is propped on top of a flower pot behind my torch. When I turned it on the pipe contracted and pulled it onto my bench and it gobbled up my frit I had placed ready to use.
At least I know it sucks!
Brilliant! That made me chuckle. If its anything I stock I'll send you some more if you let me know - its worth it for the visual picture of all the frit rattling around the fan and raining out the other end, never mind the look on your face! ;D :-*
That is bloody good ventilation!!!