Air Cleaner Question

[wdcav1952]

I am considering an air cleaner for my shop. I have a dust collector that I use all the time, but dust is still a problem. The shop is approximately 12 ft x 24 ft with an 8 ft ceiling. This gives a rough figure of 2300 cubic feet in the shop.

At present, I am looking at this unit, in part because I can drive to Grizzly to pick it up and save shipping.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Hanging-Air-Filter-w-Remote/G0572

Any ideas and/or input will be appreciated. I considered making my own, but would rather go with a commercial unit as this one has really good filtration.

TIA,

 

[purplehaze]

air cleaner

That awful expensive for a fan with a filter even with a remote.

I know someone that built one; it doesn't look as nice but it cost a lot less. It's basically a box fan in a plywood enclosure with a furnace filter. He says it works pretty well. I am sure you could hook it up to a remote also. Just a thought.

 

[Daniel]

I have a couple of things to point out. An air cleaner if you think about it is trying to clean the dust from exactly where you did not want it to get in the first place. No dust collector is perfect and they are necessary but if you think about it that way an air cleaner is not something you want to run just while you are in the shop.
they take a while to work well. if you can put it on a timer switch and let it run for a couple of hours each time you leave the shop I think you will be much happier with the results it gets. The main idea is to walk into a shop that has fresh well cleaned air. once your in it you will just dirty it all up again anyway.
Second. air cleaners will try and create a river of moving air from their output to their input if given any chance at all. even if the air gets blown completely across the shop. there will be a flow of air primarily directly back to the cleaner. Install it so that the air is blown around the shop and will keep as much air mixed up as possible. try to anticipate where stagnant pockets would try to form that sort of thing, and eliminate as many as possible. realizing you can only aim the thing in one direction means you can only take the single best shot at getting max air moved. aiming the cleaner straight down the middle of the shop is seldom the best choice.

 

[SuperDave]

Bill,

I built one three years ago for less than $75. Over half of that was for a pre-wired two speed blower on EBay. A plywood box with three slots for filters from the Borg and a hinged door to access same and I was up and running. It changes the air in a 22 x 24 shop every 15-20 seconds... but then I had more time than money

 

[woodboys]

Cav, I have the next size up from the one you're looking at. As Daniel says that you want it to run awhile after you stir up dust. These models have timers on them you adjust with the remote. Put the unit above your most dust making machine and angle it so it creates a whirlpool effect sort of. The instructions will show you what to do and where to set it. My shop is 24X40 with 12 foot ceiling is why I went with the bigger one ( that and it was on the scratch and dent sale in Springfield) It does a good job, I was amazed at how much dust was floating around it picks up. Don't spray stain or finishes with it on though. DAMHIKT. By the way you can use regular filters for the prefilter in them. Saves money that way.

 

[talbot]

Hi William, I cant comment on the unit of choice but I would suggest whichever one you go for. do check the noise level before you buy.
Some, including my own, can be alarmingly noisey at the high speed. Im actually considering changing mine now due to the noise.
Regards, Bill

 

[rherrell]

Cav, I have the JDS-750 and I couldn't be happier with it. It's made in the USA, has a 10 year warranty on the electrostatic filter and a LIFETIME warranty on the machine itself. When I see the pre-filter getting dirty I remove one thumbscrew, slide out the pre-filter and the electrostatic filter, take them outside and blow them off with an air hose and reinstall them. Ten minutes tops.
On the low setting I can't even tell it's on and after I sweep the shop I put it on HIGH and set the timer for two hours and leave. It's also great for circulating air so I turn it on when I want to heat or cool the shop a little faster.
The main selling point for me was the LIFETIME warranty and the MADE IN USA sticker on the side. Here's a link to a good review of three different filter systems. http://tinyurl.com/5frrtx