Vent to outside suggestions (UK)

[Ivan Shuliak]

I use an 8" in-line ventilation type blower.

Even on cold winter days, a 3kW fan fire (plus the heat from the laser itself) is enough to maintain the temperature in my 5m square poorly insulated workshop.
At about 45p per hour it's not adding much to my overheads and I don't have to worry about fumes or replacing filters.

Hi Michael, do you use any duct at all or is it attached straight to the machine. I'm just warring about in-line blower efficiency if we put, let's say 8" blower and then a reducer with Y connection as the Fusion have 2 x 4" outlets on the back.

Also, interesting how different it is with a large and small room terms of temperature loses.

[Keith Outten]

In moderate Winter temperatures exhausting outside will have minimal impact on your shop temperatures and electric consumpton. I have been using an exterior chip box for well over 20 years in Eastern Virginia and extended runs are the normal condition because I use my DC for my laser engraver, CNC router and most of my standard woodworking machines.

[David Somers]

Keith....am curious. Do you actively heat your garage directly, or are you like me, heating it incidentally off the house feed from the furnace?

I fully admit my approach to heat in the garage is not that sensible. Although the Pacific Northwest has some of the cheapest energy prices in the nation it still irks me to take heated air and actively pump it outside and I base my approach on that rather on some sensible calculation. The only time I actively heat in there is if I am doing something delicate on the wood lathe. I will aim a parabolic heater at me while I work since I am standing still for considerable periods. Otherwise temps of 45 and above out there don't phase me at all. That might change as I get older of course. But for now.....

[Jim Finn]

I am in west Texas and it does get well below freezing here but cooling is more important because of the 100°f weather we often have in the summer. I have my two HP 240volt dust collector outside my shop in an insulated (for sound) closet I built for it. I ran all six inch metal duct and my system works well and is pretty quiet.
I heat my shop with one of those oil filled electric heaters in the winter and the dust collection running does not effect the temperature much in the winter but in the summer my two window units used to cool my shop have to work a lot to keep up with the exhaust of the dust collector. I spend 35 hours a week in my shop so cooling is important to me. Short answer is: Dust collector outside is a good idea for me.

[Keith Outten]

David,

My shop is located behind my house. I have two separate mini-split heat pumps that provide air conditioning and heat, one for the shop and one for my office on the second floor.

[Michael Hunter]

I'm just warring about in-line blower efficiency if we put, let's say 8" blower and then a reducer with Y connection as the Fusion have 2 x 4" outlets on the back.

The in-line blower is just fine for my single machine - it gives a good airflow and there's some suction resistance when you go to lift the lid.
It runs with about 3m of flexible hose in total - 2m from machine to fan and 1m out through the window.
(I worry about the flexible hose, but there is a fire extinguisher right next to the machine).

I'm sure that it would NOT be enough for two machines, but since these blowers are quiet and fairly inexpensive I'd just get another blower if I got a second machine.

[Bill George]

CFM out CFM in. The out takes your Cubic Feet per Minute and pushes it outside. Whatever you take out must be replaced and either heated or cooled your choice. There is something called a heat wheel which will let you recover some of the lost conditioned air. Don't fool yourself the make up air comes from someplace, usually infiltration in cracks around doors and windows. Or if you have a really tight house or building it reverse drafts your water heater or furnace. After a few hours of CO poisoning your body will not care if its warm or cold.

I remember discussing the subject on here a few times in the past.