Cyclone outside-filter inside idea

[CharlieBlink]

I just purchased the CV1800 and am in the process of building the ducwork. My shop is half of a 36x48 pole barn - shop half is heated and insulated the other half is cold storage with an insulated 2x4 wall between. My original idea was to just vent the DC outside through the soffit but Ed talked me out of that due to the fact the DC will suck my conditioned air out necessitating the return air. I plan to put the DC in the cold half of the barn. I could build a closet around it and insulate it and have a return air duct between the two barn areas but I thought that a better option was to put the cylone and motor and the noise in the cold side of the barn with the filters inside the shop ducted through the wall.

I figuring the noise is generated at the motor and impellor assembly but was wondering how much noise is generated from the filter area. At this point I am thinking of using about 4-5' of insulated duct between the cyclone and the filter with large radius turns through the wall and down to the filter. A couple of large radius elbows or maybe square duct made similair to the transition pieces would also come to mind. This would solve two problems - eliminating the closet and puting most of the noise outside the wood shop in the cold storage barn.

My concerns are:
-Is there going to be a significant reduction of noise with this set up?
-Is there any concerns with running warm air through the cyclone in the winter while it stays out in the cold?
-Is insulated duct between the filters and the cyclone necessary or would rigid duct be sufficient to reduce the noise factor.
-Would there be any concerns if I supported the filters horizontally in an affort to prevent utilizing shop space? (they would fit over the double swing door between the cold and heated shop - I was thinking a hinge set up to allow them to drop to vertical to facilitate cleaning the filters)

Thanks in advance for any and all advice
Charlie

 

[Crafted]

Hi Charlie

The only bit of info I think I could help you on is to run the 8" insulated flex like you want. I bought a roll which is 25' long and used the entire length in s-type curves to where it finally meets the clean-out stack I built. As for noise, I find most of it comes from the back end of the impeller as you suggest but not from the filters as the make up air. I can feel the air coming out of it but do not find it has any real level of noise that is noticeable much less annoying.

Best of Luck to ya! Wait until you get to the hood modifications...
what. a. lot. of. work!!!!!

 

[DuaneD]

Charlie,

My shop is a room inside a barn (the shop part is insulated, heated, and air conditioned). I mounted the cyclone outside the shop about 12' away from the shop. The return ducting is 8" flexiduct (about 10') and the filters are mounted inside the shop and hang down. You can see some photos of my setup in the gallery

http://www.gallery2.clearvuecyclones.com/v/CV1800+and+CVMax/DuaneD/

I would say that doing this substantially reduces the noise. Without power tools running you can easily hold a conversation and listen to the radio. I have not measure the decibels, but open the door to my shop and with the cyclone running it is very loud.

I am very happy with this setup (about a year now).

Duane

 

[dbreg1]

Outside of shop cyclone

Outside of shop cyclone

Planning to install new clearvue cyclone next week if it arrives on schedule. Intend to install outside shop in seasonal patio storage area and mount filters inside shop something like Duane did. Will also have wye on return air that will directly vent outside in all but most cold winter months to save on filter wear and pull fresh air into shop.

Question: Are filters inside a substantial source of noise? If so, would it make sense to put them outside shop as well? That would require sealing a portion of the outside shed and cutting a return air grill into the wall.

Comments from anyone with this kind of setup would be appreciated.

 

[Danscyclone]

I just moved my cyclone powered by a 2 hp airfoil impeller to an attached shed and ran about 20 ft. of 8 in. metal hvac pipe thru the attic to my filters and outside vent. I was really surprised on how much noise I got thru the filters and outside, 575 Hz, sounded like a stuck siren, the CV is a little lower hz. I thought about enclosing the filters but replaced most of the metal hvac with a 25ft long 4 in. insulated 8 in. flex hvac duct. This totally eliminated the noise at the filters and outside. Some have reported that the thin flex duct doesn’t hold up so I plan to cut it back until I start hearing noise and then replace it with a heavier dust flex hose and wrap it with the insulation. Now, if I could just get rid of the noise coming upstream to my machines.

correction, the flexduct is R8 with 3in. insulation

 

[Jim O'Dell]

I can't tell you how much noise you will get through the filters as I only vent outside. I can tell you, as Dan said, the sound outside the shop sounds like a small turbine engine running!! I can easily carry on a conversation in the shop with the CV running without raising my voice substantially. Much quieter than my Ridgid shop vac.
Many people with the filters in the shop say to have them in an insulated closet, then build a folded vent to return the air back to the shop. The same thing could be done with the filters outside the shop in the cold storage area as well, but they would need to be in a closet space that the air coming out of the filters would then go through a folded vent to return the air to the shop. The folded vent acts like a muffler does on a car, changing the direction 180 degrees at least two times. This bounces the sound waves into themselves helping to disrupt and cancel some of them. Plan to have more air volume than an 8" pipe has to keep the rushing air from crating it's own noise. 2 to 3 times the volume would be ideal. This suggestion is based on common sense, not scientific proof. Jim.