# Question about DC venting/ducting



## MCPorche (Apr 7, 2013)

I have a detached garage. It has a 2 car garage, a 1 car garage that we use as storage, and a 1 car garage that I use as a workshop. ( I couldn't talk the wife into using the two one car garages for cars, and the two car for a workshop....

Anyway, above the ceiling is an attic space that is not used for anything. Each end of the attic is vented with an octagonal gable vent.

I've got a HF DC sitting in the box, and I'm going to build a Thein separator for it.

My question is this. Once I build the Thein, and make sure it works, I was thinking about disconnecting the filter/bag assembly from the fan, and running a duct up through the attic, and venting it directly out one of the gable vents.

But....then I started wondering...since the attic is unused space, is there any reason not to simply run a duct up into the attic, and let whatever little bit of dust makes it past the separator blow up into the attic?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Monte


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

MCPorche said:


> But....then I started wondering...since the attic is unused space, is there any reason not to simply run a duct up into the attic, and let whatever little bit of dust makes it past the separator blow up into the attic?


The fine dust is a fire hazard if allowed to just collet in the attic. I'd advise against just letting in blow there. Iy you don't have neighbor/code issues, you could just vent it outdoors.

Mark


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

What you think is a "little bit of dust" will quickly be not such a little bit....venting into the attic is a really bad idea.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

+1 on venting into the attic is a bad idea. Also, if you vent out one of the gables, it will cover the outside of the garage and make a serious mess. 

If you want to vent outdoors like that, I would just make a hole down closer to ground level. If you have the space, and no regulations restricting it, I would build a little covered area just tall enough to fit a 30 gallon trash can on the outside of the garage and have it dump into that. This way there won't be a huge mess, and you'll be able to empty the trash can wherever you want


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

captainawesome said:


> +1 on venting into the attic is a bad idea. Also, if you vent out one of the gables, it will cover the outside of the garage and make a serious mess.
> 
> If you want to vent outdoors like that, I would just make a hole down closer to ground level. If you have the space, and no regulations restricting it, I would build a little covered area just tall enough to fit a 30 gallon trash can on the outside of the garage and have it dump into that. This way there won't be a huge mess, and you'll be able to empty the trash can wherever you want


The gable vents also serve a purpose, and that is to ventilate the attic so that your "roofing system" isn't compromised by any condensation that could build up because of the temperature differences from outside to inside. Most homes aren't vented adequately as it is, and using one end of the vented gables will cut down on any cross flow that you may have.

The wood dust in the Attic is very bad idea for reasons stated above.


I like Captain's idea of using some sort of bin to collect the dust outside. Just keep in mind that if you heat your garage, that you will be venting that heated air outside as well. How much that factors in your decision is up to you.


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## tvman44 (Dec 8, 2011)

I would vent outside but not into the attic for all the reasons already mentioned. .


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## MCPorche (Apr 7, 2013)

Thanks so much for all of the advice.

There was something in the back of my brain telling me it wasn't a good idea, but I couldn't seem to figure out why. Now I know.

Thanks again.


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## nightriderrv (Apr 25, 2013)

Sprinkle a little fine dust in a fire and you will see the major reason everyone was talking about the stuff is like gas


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