# is dumping your DC outside really a good idea?



## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

I have been reading about how there are some members on here that vent their DC outside, thru an exterior wall .... I realize that some use a separtor first (inside), and then vent it out. I have two questions about this:

1) What does the outside of your house look like where it dumps? I would think there would be all sorts of dust stuck to the side of the house, and shrubs, and ground. This does not seem to appealing to me. I think I would rather keep the mess indoors.

2) Does anyone in the area have asthma, and if so, do you care your are dumping the very fine dust (that is the most dangerous)into the environment?

These are two things that have come to mind, and now I just want to hear your thoughts regarding this. I love the idea that it would help my DC run more efficiently. Maybe I am just too paranoid.

Fabian


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't exhaust outside but not for the reasons you list. In the summer we are in the 90 degree range often. I run a small A/C unit to cool the shop. I don't want all that cold air leaving the shop. Same reason in the winter but don't want to exhaust warm air. Also, you will need some opening to replace the air you are exhausting. I made the mistake of starting a home ceiling exhaust fan with no doors or windows open. We had a fire place and the flue was open. Ashes and soot all over the room.
Tom


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I see 3 primary drawbacks to dumping DC air directly outside...

#1. You are pumping your heated / air conditioned air outside. You will need make up air, which will need to be heated, cooled, and / or possibly dehumidified brought into your shop space, a lot of it, quickly... 
#2. You are pumping basically pollutants into the atmosphere. While I don't think you are going to endanger any species as a whole on contribute to whatever catastrophe the screamers are screaming about, it would seem that you are exposing those that are sensitive to fine wood dust in a needless way. Being somewhat inconsiderate of others well being for your air flow improvements.
#3. The dust could / would potentially coat the side of the shop...


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Yipes!*

Quote:
#3. The dust could / would potentially coat the side of the shop... 


Wood it then be consider a "wood" shop.... :blink: 

I would be most concerned about no. 1
As far as no. 2, not so much, unless I lived in a subdivision with houses close by. The EPA would fine you, shut you down and confiscate your children, I'm sure no matter...
No. 3 previously "covered" :yes: bill


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

With a trash can and a Thien baffle in line, the exhaust outside will be negligible. Though, to alleviate other's fears you could exhaust the dust into a filtered container located out side. 
As to the loss of heated air, I have seen no increase in propane usage since I began exhausting outside 3 winters ago. I use the shop 6-8 hrs every day. My shop A/C is an open door and a HUGE fan. 
The advantages of exhausting outside, for me, are 1. saves space, 2. increased DC efficiency and 3. no bags to mess with.


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## Jim Moe (Sep 18, 2011)

Gene Howe said:


> With a trash can and a Thien baffle in line, the exhaust outside will be negligible. Though, to alleviate other's fears you could exhaust the dust into a filtered container located out side.
> As to the loss of heated air, I have seen no increase in propane usage since I began exhausting outside 3 winters ago. I use the shop 6-8 hrs every day. My shop A/C is an open door and a HUGE fan.
> The advantages of exhausting outside, for me, are 1. saves space, 2. increased DC efficiency and 3. no bags to mess with.


 My sentiments exactly!!


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

I'm running a thein style baffle on my HF 2hp DC, and i haven't had to change the bag yet. not that Ive been in the shop as much as I'd like, but ive changed the metal baffle can 4 times so far.


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## cocheseuga (Dec 15, 2010)

Personally, I think it's a horrible idea. With a wife, children and a FIL in the immediate area with allergy and asthma issues, if I saw anyone venting outside I'd have a chat with them. If that didn't work, Code Enforcement would be getting a call.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm not exhausting my DC fines outside yet but really don't see a problem with it. It's funny, the idea of saw dust being a pollutant. Maybe to the opossum that lives under my shop but he needs to pack up anyway!

--------------------------------------------- one day I'll be so good that I won't need this forum any longer... then I'll know I have full onset Dementia! ~tom


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## cocheseuga (Dec 15, 2010)

firemedic said:


> I'm not exhausting my DC fines outside yet but really don't see a problem with it. It's funny, the idea of saw dust being a pollutant. Maybe to the opossum that lives under my shop but he needs to pack up anyway!


Well when you consider the definition of pollution, the creation of sawdust certainly applies.

If you can't see your neighbor, go to town. If your shop is thirty feet away from your neighbor, I think we need to consider the ramifications.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

cocheseuga said:


> Well when you consider the definition of pollution, the creation of sawdust certainly applies.
> 
> If you can't see your neighbor, go to town. If your shop is thirty feet away from your neighbor, I think we need to consider the ramifications.


Wood flour is a drop in the bucket it would seem to me. So it may cake up a bit on the ground outside... It's going to rot and produce less CO2 than the two of us breathing and nitrate deposits in the soil. As far as airborne... How far could it really go? It's 100' to the nearest structure and vented near the ground I should think it would drop up quick.

JMHO though!

--------------------------------------------- one day I'll be so good that I won't need this forum any longer... then I'll know I have full onset Dementia! ~tom


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## cocheseuga (Dec 15, 2010)

firemedic said:


> Wood flour is a drop in the bucket it would seem to me. So it may cake up a bit on the ground outside... It's going to rot and produce less CO2 than the two of us breathing and nitrate deposits in the soil. As far as airborne... How far could it really go? It's 100' to the nearest structure and vented near the ground I should think it would drop up quick.
> 
> JMHO though!
> 
> --------------------------------------------- one day I'll be so good that I won't need this forum any longer... then I'll know I have full onset Dementia! ~tom


There's probably a lot of variables as to how far airborne material will carry, and in what particular direction. Dust from the Gobi Desert has been found in Minnesota. Radiation from Fukushima found here in the US.

Now I'm not saying those examples apply to sawdust, but it can travel. I think the farther away from the source the more it dissipates and blends in with background pollution. It would be interesting for someone with the equipment to see what the concentration is in a particular setup at set distances. 100'? You're probably okay. But it would still be interesting to see.

I'd be real hesitant to do it in a neighborhood, so to speak.


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## Jim Moe (Sep 18, 2011)

cocheseuga said:


> There's probably a lot of variables as to how far airborne material will carry, and in what particular direction. Dust from the Gobi Desert has been found in Minnesota. Radiation from Fukushima found here in the US.
> 
> Now I'm not saying those examples apply to sawdust, but it can travel. I think the farther away from the source the more it dissipates and blends in with background pollution. It would be interesting for someone with the equipment to see what the concentration is in a particular setup at set distances. 100'? You're probably okay. But it would still be interesting to see.
> 
> I'd be real hesitant to do it in a neighborhood, so to speak.


 Perhaps you should contact "Mother Nature" and have a talk with her about creating wind that carries everything and anything it wants too. Especially in the spring when the Cottonwood trees start their fuzz balls. I get a little tired of all these "Tree Hugger" Doomsday prophacies!


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## cocheseuga (Dec 15, 2010)

jimmomech8 said:


> Perhaps you should contact "Mother Nature" and have a talk with her about creating wind that carries everything and anything it wants too. Especially in the spring when the Cottonwood trees start their fuzz balls. I get a little tired of all these "Tree Hugger" Doomsday prophacies!


'Mother Nature' isn't grinding up her trees into microscopic particles, so I'm not sure what I'd be having a talk with her about.

I'm curious about how the interest in how dust interacts with the lungs at set distances makes one a 'tree hugger.'


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## SSN Vet (Feb 1, 2012)

two issues that haven't been addressed.

Depending on how much air you're moving and how big your space is, you have the potential to draw a vaccum on your room. If you're in a basement shop and have a gas fired applience like a hot water heater or gas log stove sharing the space, you may find yourself messing with the draft and wind up sucking flue gasses back into your space.

Not directly applicable to the home shop DC ... especially with a shop vac system, but just as an interesting (to me at least) OBTW comment.... in a commercial system, if you exhaust through the wall to the outside, you are required to have a spark detection and fire supression system in your duct work that will automatically initiate upon detection of any light (spark or flame) in the duct work. If the system exhausts inside, you are NOT required to have the spark detection and fire surpression system (at least for systems below a certain HP).


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

jimmomech8 said:


> Perhaps you should contact "Mother Nature" and have a talk with her about creating wind that carries everything and anything it wants too. Especially in the spring when the Cottonwood trees start their fuzz balls. I get a little tired of all these "Tree Hugger" Doomsday prophacies!


I don't think here amongst woodworkers we have any tree huggers.


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

SSN Vet said:


> two issues that haven't been addressed.
> 
> Depending on how much air you're moving and how big your space is, you have the potential to draw a vaccum on your room. If you're in a basement shop and have a gas fired applience like a hot water heater or gas log stove sharing the space, you may find yourself messing with the draft and wind up sucking flue gasses back into your space.
> 
> ...


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

in the summer time around my house it would work great, it would keep some air moving. in the winter I don't want to lose any of the heat from the wood heater.

no neighbors close enough to disturb


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

rrbrown said:


> I don't think here amongst woodworkers we have any tree huggers.


Don't be so sure. It's a good way of measuring trunk diameter to figure bd/ft of a tree!


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

dbhost said:


> Don't be so sure. It's a good way of measuring trunk diameter to figure bd/ft of a tree!


Ha ha, I use my wife's cloth sewing tape.


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

Gene Howe said:


> Ha ha, I use my wife's cloth sewing tape.


 
YOU ARE ONE BRAVE MAN!! :thumbsup:

I stay away from my brides sewing stuff


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

dat said:


> YOU ARE ONE BRAVE MAN!! :thumbsup:
> 
> I stay away from my brides sewing stuff


Shhhhhh! She still doesn't know. I got the red one. she still has a yellow one. 
She has some neat devices for measuring and cutting quilt stuff. I haven't figured out how I could use them yet.


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## jeffoldhouse (Dec 14, 2011)

I use a ClearVue and I vent to the outside most of the year. Living in southeast Ohio the temps are usually the coldest in Jan and Feb (except for this year!) so I usually set my return back into the shop during those months. I get a lot of heat generated back into the shop through the filters in the summer, which is why I chose to reroute. I have my D/C in a seperate room and with the noise level that was generated through the filter I installed a 25' section of insulated flex duct between the blower and the filter. This just lays across the attic and I hadn't planned on running the exhaust outside. But when I was running the A/C, the heat coming through the filters made me change my mind. The make up air doesn't seem to be a problem and the system works well in either mode. 

I live out in the country and don't have anyone within 100 yards of me and a lot trees between us. I have a small amount of dust along the outside wall, but it is on the backside and not noticed.


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

Gene Howe said:


> She has some neat devices for measuring and cutting quilt stuff. I haven't figured out how I could use them yet.


 
yes'sir, one of those pizza cutter looking rollers with the sharp blade could be used for something


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

dbhost said:


> Don't be so sure. It's a good way of measuring trunk diameter to figure bd/ft of a tree!



You know I had that reason in my first post but it didn't sound right so I edited. But that would be the only reason.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*hugging a tree is useful*

When coming home through the woods drunk and you need to pee. It's only a one handed hug, but it will keep you from falling completely over. The tree doesn't care if it's not a full hug. It probably doesn't even care about the pee either ...... :blink: bill


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

dat said:


> yes'sir, one of those pizza cutter looking rollers with the sharp blade could be used for something


Yeah, and those cool plastic measuring doo hickies. She's got a bunch of different sizes, shapes and colors. She does one pattern that's sort of like a segmented bowl but it ends up looking like a big pin wheel. She's got those angles down pat and can whip one out pretty fast. I'm jealous!


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

that would make a great looking cutting board


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

make sure that if you duct your exhaust to the outside, to keep it at least 10' from any other house air inlet.


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## BradK12 (Feb 7, 2012)

If you have a neighbor like mine that smokes outside 24/7, which in turn the second hand smoke hazes over my house/shop, I would have no problem blowing something back in return!!! :laughing: Otherwise, think of this way.....if you don't want it floating around in your shop then why in the world would you want to have it floating around your ENTIRE property (house, shop, car, boat, landscaping....wife, kids, dog, cat, fish...)

Just my $0.02.


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## Dallas (Feb 1, 2012)

I am curious now as to how you guys get rid of your sawdust? I’ll explain what I do. I have red wrigglers, composting worms. I have a composting area that is about 25’x25’ with all refuge in bins, piles, etc. My worms go through it amazingly fast and by the end of the winter it is about time for me to mix my compost into my garden, trees bases etc.. I do not have a DC and I will not feed them pressure treated dust, hardy dust etc.. just un treated wood. But they eat it up as fast as they would coffee grounds and I have a benefit product afterwards. I bought a pound of worms from uncle jims worm farm about 2 years ago and now I have several million crawlers. (also used to take my kids fishing behind the house.
So. I was wondering if anyone else had a crafty way of removing their dust.. I think it was dat who said he keeps his dc self contained as he uses a wood heater. I want to install a iron cast pot belly heater in my shop and was wondering if pressed dust (into pellets) will burn good?


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Dallas said:


> I am curious now as to how you guys get rid of your sawdust?




This is gonna sound odd, but read on it will make sense...
I have found that sawdust, cleaned of any possible contaminants such as plastics etc that might get in the dust bin from say the floor sweep, gets packed in paper sacks, and then stowed in a big plastic trash sack and loaded in the truck to head to the campground for our camping / hunting trips...

During breakfast while camping we tend to cook more bacon than is healthy to eat, so we end up with a LOT of bacon fat rendered, that gets drained into the paper sacks soaking the sawdust... The ensuing goo gets put into the fire ring, in the middle, and fresh logs (campfire type stuff, not bigger than say 6" diameter, limb fall stuff...) get stacked teepee fashion, and the bag gets lit...

The bacon grease / sawdust mix make for a very hot burning, but also slow burning kindling of sorts. It tends to bring other campers out of their tents / RVs if we get an early start... Makes the whole area smell like bacon... I bet the Vegans hate it...


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

THAT SMELLS GOOD JUST READING WHAT YOU TYPED.

I save a bunch of sawdust and my bride saves her candle ends, I melt them down and mix the melted wax in with the sawdust, after it dries I'll cut it into squares and keep in the boat and camping stuff for fire starters. we give them away by the handfulls too.


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## Dallas (Feb 1, 2012)

I like the ideas. I'll make a couple "fire starters" this weekend. No plans on camping soon but would be good to make and keep with my gear for when my kids want to go again. Do you have a cotton wick in it?
We don’t cook much bacon L but when we do I’ll be sure to have some sawdust for that mixture as well…


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

NO WICK, the wood chips work as a wick


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