Optimal height for transition from solid pipe to flex hose

[Andrew Thuswaldner]

This question relates to dust collection. I realize it depends on the tool but I would like to know where others have decided to make the transition between rigid pipe and the flex hose used to connect to various tools. Specifically how many inches off the floor did you make your transition? My 6" diameter ducts will come straight down from a 10' ceiling. I would also like to know how long you chose to make the flex hose for your various tools.

[Kent A Bathurst]

This question relates to dust collection. I realize it depends on the tool but I would like to know where others have decided to make the transition between rigid pipe and the flex hose used to connect to various tools. Specifically how many inches off the floor did you make your transition? My 6" diameter ducts will come straight down from a 10' ceiling. I would also like to know how long you chose to make the flex hose for your various tools.

Set it up so the flex is (a) as short as possible, and (b) fewest bends possible - as in zero. Big performance penalty with flex compared to solid.

[glenn bradley]

Kent nailed it. Run the solid as close to the machine as possible. It sounds like you are trying to run solid to a certain height at the wall and then convert to hose for the horizontal to the machine(?). If the machine if more than a few feet from the solid, your loss will be significant. I know as physical space demands an 8' run of hose for one of my machines that rolls into and out of position; I can definitely see the difference when compared to a machine that has a couple feet of hose.

The perfect world being over-discussed and argued, out here in the reality-ville of my hobbyist, home garage . . . er, shop; I make concessions. I run 6" pipe as close as I can get, drop to a 4" blastgate and run hose. Sometimes there is more hose than I would like but, I have to be able to reach the gate ;-) The next step on my DC evolution will probably be something like 6" blastgates and 6" port mods to the machines.

[Paul Murphy]

Consider something like 4' or 5' off the ground, just so you can put a base cabinet under it or a shaper/router table or miter-saw. Nice to re-arrange your machine layout without having to change ductwork.

[Philip Rodriquez]

Ah, you can always cut them back... but you cannot make them longer!

Keep the flex as short as possible.

[Nick Lazz]

This question relates to dust collection. I realize it depends on the tool but I would like to know where others have decided to make the transition between rigid pipe and the flex hose used to connect to various tools. Specifically how many inches off the floor did you make your transition? My 6" diameter ducts will come straight down from a 10' ceiling. I would also like to know how long you chose to make the flex hose for your various tools.

For some tools you don't even need flex. When I first set my DC system up I thought I would need all this flex for different hookups. Turns out I could hard pipe several tools.