Jet Air Filter installation.

[Dave Falkenstein]

I scored a slightly used Jet Air Filter - the gizmo that is suspended from your shop ceiling. When installing the filter, is there a preferred direction for the exhaust to flow out of the filter - like toward an open shop door? The remote controls are on the box on the same side as the exhaust, so I also want to be sure the remote receiver is in a position that it will work reliably. Thanks in advance for your guidance.

[Brian Kent]

I live in Riverside, CA. Not nearly as hot as Phoenix, Arizona except for our 114° last July. I do not have an air conditioner in my shop so the exhaust from my jet air filter is very nice pointed in my general direction.

[Robert Mahon]

I installed mine so it exhausts toward the garage door, which is open in the summer months. As far as the remote goes; I Velcro'd it onto the side toward the rear of the unit and it works just fine. It also doesn't get lost.

Direction of flow is your choice because it does a pretty good job of causing shop-wide air flow.

Lastly, get a Charcoal filter element for it, which will withstand repeated cleanings better then the paper element will.

[Prashun Patel]

To improve air exchange, you could duct the exhaust 3 feet. Compact air cleaners have been reputed to operate more efficiently when the exhaust is placed far enough away from the intake so's not to encourage recycling of the same air....

[Steve Campbell]

Dave I have the same jet air cleaner. The remote control works anywhere in my shop. You don't have to be in line of sight for it to work. One other thing I did that seems to work for me is go to the big box store and buy a furnace filter the same size as the primary filter( 12X24 ) if I remember right. You can get some good high quality filters for a few bucks. I then took duct tape and taped it right over the primary filter. I can change that out and the primary filter lasts a lot longer. I have never had to replace the secondary filter. I do take it outside and clean it once and awhile.
Hope this helps. Steve

[Andrew Williams]

I have my ambient air cleaner oriented so that it will create a continuous room-sized swirl of air. If the fan just blew out the window, it would pick up a lot less dust in the process, since all it is doing at that point is lowering the pressure in the room, instead of creating a vortex of air movement, all aimed at the filter elements. I would suggest exhausting the filter to the exterior only if you have another window (on the opposite side of the room) also open, to create a full cross-ventilation that will pick up as many dust particles as possible.

That said, operations such as hand routing still make an incredible amount of dust, some of which is plenty heavy enough to settle over everything in the shop before the filter can suck it out of the air.

[Brad Townsend]

I recall reading somewhere that the best location for one of these is along a wall and about 3-6' off the floor. Supposedly this provides the best air circulation for better filtration. The suggestion was made to mount it on an open shelf under a work surface.

So where did I put mine? From the ceiling in the middle of the shop, of course!:D

[glenn bradley]

Mine is shop made but has the same principle. I have it positioned to 'suck' from the source of the dust more or less. As it is an ambient cleaner, the air is circulating through it so with mine it probably doesn't make much difference. I am amazed at how much it catches though.

[Dave Falkenstein]

I recall reading somewhere that the best location for one of these is along a wall and about 3-6' off the floor. Supposedly this provides the best air circulation for better filtration. The suggestion was made to mount it on an open shelf under a work surface.

So where did I put mine? From the ceiling in the middle of the shop, of course!:D

On a wall? All of my walls are covered with cabinets, pegboard and a lumber rack. I'd give up my Festool catalog for wall space!! I'm restricted to hanging it from the ceiling.

Thanks guys for several good thoughts. You are very helpful, as always. The Creek flows!!!

ps - Here's an interesting perspective by Howard Acheson:

http://www.woodworking.com/ww101dust.cfm