Ventilation

Sal · January 25, 2008, 09:19:36 PM

Well in case you can't find it in my stupidly long post above my fan is a systemair RVK 200 E2-L1, 950m³/hr

Is is very sad to find a fan quite lovely? (I think I may have been driven slightly mad by the hours spent trawling throguh all the information

). Got to test it properly tomorrow but seems pretty good

loulou3012 · January 26, 2008, 08:24:37 AM

Hi,
Unfortunately I cant move nearer the window as the room is also my utility room and the washing machime etc is all plumbed in at that end . I think I am going to have to go for a strong fan and have the long ducting (the wall where the window is is the only outside wall )en put the ducting out the window when in use .
When I rang the company that sold fans on the internet they said anything over 150mm will be noisy but obviously I am going to need a powerful one . Sal can you let me know how you get on with yours once it is tested today please ?
Thanks
Lou

Sal · January 27, 2008, 10:20:06 AM

Hi, I'm really sorry-didn't get round to testing it yesterday. WIll do my best to do it today and let you know how I get on.

Sal · February 02, 2008, 10:32:12 AM

I am so, so sorry-I completely forgot to let you know how I got on and then I had a bit of an internet meltdown for a few days. Anyway I'm back now! My fan worked a treat-pased the smoke test with flying colours. I would have to say though that I wouldn't want to have a less powerful fan than I've got for the length of ducting I need to use at the moment (10m - although it's not all pull out completely and it is ridged-smooth walled would be better but I just can't do that where I'm set up). If you've got any more questions just ask and I'l do my best to help! In the end it really wasn't that difficult to sort out and I'd recommend that anyone gets their ventilation sorted for peace of mind. My total set up cost just over £50 including postage which really isn't too bad (I was lucky and found a 2nd hand fan which really helped)
Sal xx

loulou3012 · May 06, 2008, 10:23:02 PM

Sorry to drag this subject up again ! But I have taken all your advice and persuaded my hubby to totally change the room around so that I can work up the end near the window !
We bought a stainless steel table (which is Fab) and then installed a cooker hood over the area where my torch is .
However there is a big But . I dont think the fan is taking all the fumes out as I am still feeling my chest is tight after working for about half an hour . The cooker hood I bought has an extraction rate of 580cubic metres which I was told is powerful ! ( and it was one of the highest I could see for a hood )
Does anyone know the ideal height for the hood to be over the torch without it distorting the flame ? (I wondered if we had it too high ? ) Also my table is wider than the hood so the torch is sat just in front of the hood , so I wondered if we moved the hood out it might help ?
Any suggestions would be gratefully received as I am in the dog house with hubby now

Louise

ejralph · May 12, 2008, 09:06:23 AM

I can't help with the specifics of your set up sadly, as I use an extrator in front of my torch, not an overhead one.

I was just thinking that maybe if you are doing close work and leaning towards the beads it could be that you are still breathing in the fumes as they rise up to the extrator before they are being removed? (one reason I don't really like the idea of overhead extraction actually, since I am always getting up close and personal with my torch and beadies!)

Have you tried the incense test? You should be able to hold a burning stick of incense where your torch flame would be, put yourself where you would naturally be if working on a bead and still not be able to smell the incense.

If you can smell the incense then it means your extraction is either not strong enough or just in the wrong place.

I have two fans - one (more or less) directly in front of the flame, and one at the top of the shed near the apex. The top one works more for heat extraction really, but the torch fan is the one that removes all the fumes. Like Mary mentioned up thread, I really notice if I forget to put that fan on, I get whiffs of nasty smells within moments.

If your chest is feeling tight after working, it sounds like something needs adjusting in your ventilation set up - maybe you need to build a box to work in, so the air being extracted by the hood is more focused into being drawn from where you are working rather than all around?

Emma

ebj · May 12, 2008, 09:04:17 PM

Emma - where do you get the fans that just look like holes that sit in front of the fan??

ejralph · May 15, 2008, 08:11:43 AM

B&Q - just normal bathroom extractor fans. I had to cut holes in the shed wall and construct a very groovy housing for them from old pepsi bottles and gaffer tape though.

Made a box do-dah around the torching area to work in from some sort of fireproof board material.

It all looks ghastly - but it works a treat!

Emma

ejralph · May 15, 2008, 08:12:41 AM

Oh and Mr Man had to wire up the fans to put plugs on them so I can just plug them in. I probably could have done that, but hey - you don't keep a dog and then bark yourself do you.

Emma