Smoking in the Boys Room - Testing Ducting for leaks

[Chris McKimson]

I've completed ducting my Onieda cyclone and have read where folks have tested for leaks using smoke. Could someone describe the process.

Thanks in advance.

Chris

[Steven Wilson]

I lit some smoky inscense (my wife gets the stuff from somewhere, it's a Buddhist thing), closed off all of the blast gates, turned on the DC an then wafted the stick around every joint. Where I noticed smoke moving towards the DC I marked it with a china marker. After marking the spots I sealed the joints with silicone let it set and then try it again. After that I opened up some blast gates and checked again. It took about 2 hours but I got all the duct work sealed nicely.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Chris........I'd bet that you can use canned smoke or incense burners ......go around all of your joints with the DC running and look for the smoke to be drawn into the joints.

[Lee DeRaud]

...go around all of your joints with the DC running and look for the smoke to be drawn into the joints.Isn't smoke supposed to come out of a joint? :eek:

Oh, sorry, I thought this was still the "weed pot" thread. Never mind.:cool:

[Tom Jones III]

Steven, did you actually notice any improvement in DC after you sealed the leaks?

[Chris McKimson]

Ken, I remember Canned Heat, but haven't heard of canned smoke. :) Guess I'll get some incense and give it a go.

Thanks guys. I somehow envisioned smoke somehow inside the ducts. DOH!

Chris

[Kyle Stiefel]

Chris,

On my ducting i have all the joints wrapped in foil tape for ducting which I don't think an air gap could exist. It is just another way to seal the joints up.

Kyle

[Tyler Howell]

They sell the canned stuff to test smoke detectors and leaks in windows and doors. Smoke sticks for same purpose are specialty Items. I've seen both in the insullation section of well equipted HW stores, industrial building maint etc.

[tod evans]

Ken, I remember Canned Heat, but haven't heard of canned smoke. :) Guess I'll get some incense and give it a go.

Thanks guys. I somehow envisioned smoke somehow inside the ducts. DOH!

Chris

come on chris you started this, brownsville station not canned heat. or maybe lee`s on track:rolleyes: ...02 tod

[Marty Walsh]

come on chris you started this, brownsville station not canned heat. or maybe lee`s on track:rolleyes: ...02 tod

Tod,

Chris could always use the system as is and go on Blind Faith...:D

Sorry, couldn't resist...
- Marty -

[tod evans]

Tod,

Chris could always use the system as is and go on Blind Faith...:D

Sorry, couldn't resist...
- Marty -

2-points! got me chuckling....02 tod

[Ken Fitzgerald]

There must be a bunch of us here the same age group.........I recognize all the "groups" and have them in my CD collection.

[tod evans]

There must be a bunch of us here the same age group.........I recognize all the "groups" and have them in my CD collection.

man you`re old!

[Dan Forman]

man you`re old!

Hey now, I am of the same vintage, and let me just say that remark went over like a led zeppelin! ;)

Go with the incense, it will smell better than canned smoke, and will drive out any bad boogie that might be lurking around.

Dan

[Ted Jay]

There must be a bunch of us here the same age group.........I recognize all the "groups" and have them in my CD collection.

CD"S.... I HAVE THOSE IN VINYL!!!!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have them in vinyl too! I was partying so much in those days:rolleyes: .....some of them aren't as useable as they once were!:o

[tod evans]

and i`m afraid of what might be discovered in the dust jackets of some of those ol` albums.....i know there`s no longer an "insert" in big-bamboo:rolleyes:

[Kent Parker]

You guys got me rolling:D :D (and a tumblin')

Try this place for real smoke testing supplies.

http://www.professionalequipment.com/smoke/search.html

Also, for sailboat rigging purposes we use a really cool tape that stretches to two times its length and is self bonding to irregular surfaces, would be great around duct joints. Kinda rubbery and isn't overly stickey like duct tapes.

Try here. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&keyword=318600&jspStoreDir=wm51&productId=28534&resultCt=1&catalogId=10001&ddkey=SiteSearch

Cheers,

Kent

[Reed Wells]

CD collection? I'm still listening to vynal and 8 tracks. lol

[Frank Chaffee]

I never saw a duck that didn't leak.
Frank

[Jim O'Dell]

You got me thinking, theres lot's you can do with canned smoke, or here at the shop, a smoke machine. Pumps smoke into a line, used for testing for leaks on evaporative fuel systems for emisions. One of the tech's drilled a hole in the Mgr's wall one day, ran a rubber hose up to his computer, then turned it on while he was at his desk. The entertainment possibilities of the canned smoke could be unlimited! Jim.

[Andy Hoyt]

What? No Tull? No Zappa? No King Crimson?

Geez, you guys. Checkout the "newer" stuff.:D

[Keith Outten]

When smoke testing HVAC duct you place the smoke bombs inside the duct and inspect the exterior surface for leaks. There is an alternate test, you can use a light source inside the duct and check for light leaks. A Light Leak test is often used to check joints near a open end such as a hood where it is impractical to close off a very large area. Obviously light leak testing should be done in a low light condition at the outside surface of the duct.

[Steven Wilson]

Steven, did you actually notice any improvement in DC after you sealed the leaks? I did this while I was installing the DC so it had't collected anything prior to sealing it up.

[lou sansone]

just finished using a smoke candle to test one of my industrial vent systems....

mcmaster carr

# 4093k13 8000 cubic feet of smoke / 60 second burn time..... ~ $ 3.65

works great, but will put some smoke out

lou

[Doug McLauchlan]

8000 cubic feet of smoke / 60 second burn time


Enough smoke to fill an average hobby shop in < 20 seconds :eek:


I can see this ending up in the Darwin Awards :D

[Scott Vigder]

Think I'll shuffle on down to the store to get some Vanilla Fudge for dessert after I have my Canned Tuna. Then I'll join the Velvet Underground so we can get some REAL test smoke for those joints. This thread could get messy.

[lou sansone]

Enough smoke to fill an average hobby shop in < 20 seconds :eek:


I can see this ending up in the Darwin Awards :D

we acutally filled up a 2000 sq foot room pretty decently

back to the drawing board
lou

[lou sansone]

Think I'll shuffle on down to the store to get some Vanilla Fudge for dessert after I have my Canned Tuna. Then I'll join the Velvet Underground so we can get some REAL test smoke for those joints. This thread could get messy.

uhh .... I think you mean "hot tuna" man!

lou

[Tom Horton]

If you "talking heads" are done, then you may want to put on your "wings" to fly over the "traffic", so you can get to the store run by the "ink spots", where they sell "canned heat" as well as smoke, and are more than willing to sell you tickets to the "rocky horror picture show" playing at the "firesign theatre"....... :D