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View Full Version : Sydney Referrals - Extraction & Ducting



Oni Laughton
04-14-2015, 11:55 PM
Hello

I've been reading this excellent forum for a month or so and this is my first time posting.

Background info:
We have a 1200x900 100watt SM Laser, currently we have a small & cheap extraction unit which came with the machine, it's a pretty noisy 550w with a CFM of 870 m3/hr. We are about to purchase a second machine so want to upgrade to one unit which is strong enough to extract from both machines and pump the air up the side of a two storey building.

From research (a lot of it on this forum) I've figured out that I need about a 1.5HP extraction unit and about 1500 m3/hr to handle two machines.

Code states that I need to exhaust above street level so I will be purchasing and installing ducting that goes to the nearest window, does a 90 degree bend and then goes up the outside of the two storey building that i'm in.

Quote's I'm getting are for about $2K for the extraction unit (3000 m3/hr! Stronger than I though I'd need), $2K for the ducting, and a further $4K - $5K for installation. I feel like it's a little high considering the scope of the job, so I'm asking for the following advice:

Questions / Advice Requested:
1) Does this quote sound about right?
2) Should I consider buying the extraction unit and ducting then finding a carpenter to help with the install? Can anyone think of a reason this is a terrible idea?
3) Does anyone have any referrals for the installation?
4) If anyone has any particular extraction units / placed for cheap ducting / companies in Sydney that are well priced I'd really appreciate your input.

I'm learning as I go and the forum's here have been helpful, thanks in advance.

Oni

Rich Harman
04-15-2015, 1:16 AM
Welcome to the forum Oni.

I recommend adding your location so that we can see where you are. I know you said Sydney, most likely NSW but there are several Sydney's in the world... You can also add the details of your machine in the sig line.

About your quote, I can't see how we can comment on that without knowing more details. Some places have strict codes to adhere to for exhausting outdoors, for other places it hardly matters at all. Off hand I'd say that is a whole lot of money but maybe it is reasonable for what you need. I would expect that price to reflect a system installed to meet all required codes. If it is a quote that does not take into account compliance with laws, because the laws don't require it, then I would try to save some money by doing as much as you can yourself. I would also shop around for exhaust systems. It may be simpler to have a unit for each machine rather than connecting multiple machines to one exhaust.

For a comparison, I've got less than $300 in mine. Nothing fancy, just a dust collector repurposed as a laser exhaust.

Dan Hintz
04-15-2015, 7:09 AM
As an example, a 2hp dust collector from Penn state Industries will set you back US$300. If memory serves, this machine is 800cfm @ 6" H2O, which is pretty spiffy.

If you plan on running both machines at once, I would consider a 3hp unit to keep suction at a good level, but the 2hp would be a cheap test initially.

I'm not sure what "installation" includes, but I see no reason why you can't locate the blower and plug it into a 240V socket yourself. The part I would pay for would be install of the piping outside as it means attaching to the building, and insurance comes into play pretty heavily at that point. I'd have them quote for external install of the piping until just inside the building, and you take care of what remains inside. For the outside work, I would think something around US$1k (includes materials) would be a good ballpark figure. Add a few hundred if they're drilling through a wall.

If you plan on putting the blower outside, things change quite a bit. You need a weatherproof casing, you need weatherproof wiring, etc. That will crank the price up pretty quickly.

Michael Hunter
04-15-2015, 11:08 AM
$2K for the ducting is extremely expensive unless that includes installation.
In the UK, 9 metres of 200mm (8") galvanised metal ducting plus fixings and a cap to stop the rain getting in would cost about £100 (GBP) : 150mm (6") significantly cheaper.
Worth getting another quote!

Scott Shepherd
04-15-2015, 12:22 PM
I agree, that's way too much money for what it is. I suspect someone that's quoting it is overthinking what you need. Metal duct work is cheap and you can assemble it yourself. You just need someone to poke holes in the walls or roof to get out, then out a cap on the top and it's done. It's really simple and doesn't need to be that difficult.

Mike Lysov
04-20-2015, 5:07 AM
It seems to be very overpriced for the blower and probably installation too.

I have bought a 2HP blower with 8" in/out for a 280W laser with my laser for AUD$450 but that's directly from the laser manufacturer in Taiwan with probably extra added by my laser distributor in Australia. You can probably find it locally for under AUD$500 on ebay. Installation is tricky to estimate without knowing all details and seeing it on the site but $4000 just for the installation is a lot.

I asked guys who built a pergola and a shed for me to do piping for my other smaller 100W laser and they charged me $400 for the whole job. It included all pipes(they used plastic ones from plumbing), all mounting and most important they drilled 4" hole in a double brick wall. The pipes are running outside of my shop only about three meters up and bent a couple of times.

For the big laser I did it myself but there are not a lot of pipes involved at all, just a 90% bent, 90cm long aluminium pipe and a hood, all in 8'. It just runs through the garage ceiling on the roof covered with tiles. All hardware in aluminium costed me about $300 with delivery from Australian online duct store and about a day of work. Somebody trained for this job can probably do it within 2 hours but it was the first time for me. I did a hole in a wrong place with a timber beam blocking the way on the roof but I was thinking about this problem ahead and I had a plastic vent to cover it with. The second hole was right and spot on because I had a wrong hole already and could see where I needed a new one.

The 2HP blower is more than enough for my 280W laser and I cut MDF all the time. I have the same cutting bed 900x1200mm

Update: Sorry, I was wrong about the blower price. I have paid AUD $450 for it. I was looking at the wrong invoice and $135 was just a 30% deposit. But I was checking ebay.com.au when I was ordering my laser and ebay prices were very close to it excluding shipping cost.