Air Cleaner Recomendations

[Tanner Sammons]

I am thinking my next tool purchase is going to be an air cleaner. My current shop is 12x24', but would like to get a cleaner that could possibly be used in a bigger shop.

I am looking for any response on air cleaners, whether it is good/bad experience or even hearsay ( I will take it w/ a grain of salt, though:) )

Thanks,
Tanner

[Todd Burch]

Tanner, I have a JDS 250, and for a shop your size, it would work great. If you go with the JDS, don't waste your money on the electrostatic/ionic/bionic/super-duper filter they sell, just use good pleated filters, as I've found they work much better.

A lot of guys make their own... Not much in mine but a little squirrel cage.

Todd.

[Jim Baker]

I have two Jet air cleaners and have been satisfied after 1.5 years use. I don't know if it is good or bad, but I have been using replacement filters from a local heating and air contitioning place. They look the same, cost much less, and best of all, the heating place is right across the street from where I work.

[Howard Acheson]

The two most important criteria for an air cleaner are the CFM and the filters. You want a CFM factor that will clean the size of your shop and a filter that removes the particle size that you are concerned about.

To determine the size or required air flow, use this formula: Volume of your shop (Length x width x Height) times Number of air changes per hour (typically 6 - 8) divided by 60. This will give you an answer in Cubic Feet per Minute which is how air cleaners are measured. MOST AIR CLEANER MANUFACTURERS RATE THE CFM OF THE FAN ONLY, but there are losses due to the filters. If you are building your own or if the air cleaner you are purchasing rates only the fan, figure you will lose about 25 - 40% for filtering losses.

As important as the air cleaner size is how and where you mount it. Try to mount at about 8-10 feet above the floor (no lower than 6'or 2/3 of the floor to ceiling distance if less than 8' ceiling). Mount along the longest wall so the intake is approximately 1/3 the distance from the shorter wall. Mount no further than 4-6 inches from the wall.

The exhaust is the largest determiner of the circulation pattern. You are trying to encourage circulation parallel to the floor/ceiling so ceiling mounting is not recommended. Use a smoke stick (or a cigar) to observe and maximize circulation. Use a secondary fan to direct air to the intake if necessary. Also, consider that a standard 24" floor fan moves a lot of air and, in some shops, just positioning it in a doorway with a window or other door open can accomplish as much or more than an air cleaner. It's all in the circulation patterns.

The exhaust is the clean air so that is where you want to position yourself. Do not place the air cleaner over the a dust producer. That will guarantee that the operator will be in direct line between the dust producer and the air cleaner. The operator wants to be in the clean air stream. If the dust has to pass your nose to get to the air cleaner, you get no benefits. If you have an odd shaped shop, two smaller units may be better than one large one.

DO NOT RELY ON A AIR CLEANER TO ACT AS A DUST COLLECTOR. The purpose of and air cleaner is to keep airborne dust in suspension and reduce airborne dust as quickly as possible AFTER THE DUST PRODUCER HAS BEEN TURNED OFF.

Finally, if you are looking for health benefits, you will not find any air cleaner manufacturer that makes health claims because THERE ARE NO HEALTH BENEFITS. CATCHING DUST AT IT'S SOURCE IS THE BEST LONG TERM GOAL. Rick Peters', author of "Controlling Dust in the Workshop", makes the point that spending your money getting the dust at its source is a better investment than trying to capture it after it is already airborne. If the dust is in the air, it's going to be in your nose and lungs too. Robert Witter of Oneida Air Systems has noted that "overhead cleaners can only lower ambient dust levels AFTER THE SOURCE OF EMISSIONS IS SHUT DOWN, and they take several hours to do this. This is why they are not used in industry." The absolute best answer, if health is the primary concern, is to use a NIOSH approved respirator. The dust cleaner will help keep your shop cleaner but have minimal or no health benefits. OSHA takes this position too. They measure the number of particles per a volume and most air cleaners will not satisfy their specs.

[Tim Spickler]

I recently puchased on of the JET air filters and really like it. It recirculates the air in my shop well. I also like the timed shutoff. Many times I use my air hose to blow the dust off of everything prior to leaving the shop and set the filter to run for 2 hrs.