OP
OP
I wouldn't recommend it - she can get violent occasionally for some reason, but only directed at me oddly enough ....
Planning my darkroom ventilation system
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- Thread starter Jeff Bannow
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I wouldn't recommend it - she can get violent occasionally for some reason, but only directed at me oddly enough ....
OP
OP
I've updated the darkroom layout on the 1st page to reflect the new design.
Almost ready to start putting up the walls!
Almost ready to start putting up the walls!
Jeff,
Do I understand the new design correctly? It appears to me that the air intake is outside. If this is correct it will get very chilly in your darkroom in MI winters. Even if there is heat in the room you will be heating outside air which I would think is more expensive than heating inside air. Please confirm or correct.
John
Do I understand the new design correctly? It appears to me that the air intake is outside. If this is correct it will get very chilly in your darkroom in MI winters. Even if there is heat in the room you will be heating outside air which I would think is more expensive than heating inside air. Please confirm or correct.
John
OP
OP
The air intake is actually that square on the top of the matting table. It will be in the top of the wall coming in from the dry room. I am planning on attaching a furnace filter on the outside to keep the air clean as well.
Careful! If you don't have combustion air intake for your furnace, you need to watch out for starving your furnace of combustion air.
Pre darkroom, your furnace had that whole area from which to draw air. Now, you've not only reduced it by about 2/3s, but you've added a competing airflow (the ventilation from your darkroom). Worst case, I think you could actually suck the combustion fumes back into the room. Especially if there is a door (closed) into the furnace area from the stairs.
The above is moot if, in fact, you do have combustion air coming into the furnace. Or if it's electric.
But there have been 2 cases in recent memory (in Minnesota) where improperly vented furnaces resulted in CO poisoning and, in one case, death.
Pre darkroom, your furnace had that whole area from which to draw air. Now, you've not only reduced it by about 2/3s, but you've added a competing airflow (the ventilation from your darkroom). Worst case, I think you could actually suck the combustion fumes back into the room. Especially if there is a door (closed) into the furnace area from the stairs.
The above is moot if, in fact, you do have combustion air coming into the furnace. Or if it's electric.
But there have been 2 cases in recent memory (in Minnesota) where improperly vented furnaces resulted in CO poisoning and, in one case, death.
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OP
OP
Well, the furnace is a boiler for baseboard water heating. It has a pipe coming out of it, which I guess is to a chimney instead of intake. However, the room that the furnace is in is not enclosed at all - it is open to the rest of the basement and then to the upstairs.
Does this sound like I am safe then? Would adding something like a carbon monoxide detector in the darkroom help?
Does this sound like I am safe then? Would adding something like a carbon monoxide detector in the darkroom help?
If it runs on anything that comes out the ground (oil, natural gas, propane, etc) it creates CO. If the pipe coming out goes to a chimney or stack, it's the exhaust.
I'm no expert, but have researched the issue with a recent remodel. For example, in my city, I could not add a kitchen fan over 300cfm with out adding make up air for combustion. CFM is measured as output, which may be less that the rated cfm of the fan. Need for make up air is also a function of how many other appliances in the home exhaust (bathroom fans, clothes dryer, and even a fireplace).
It also depends on how tight the home is constructed. Make up air is essentially a hole in the wall - after we go through all this effort to make the home tight. Though more modern furnaces do have a more elegant solution.
Don't take this as professional advice but I think being in an open room does help. At a minimum, I would relocate the air input so it's not competing directly with the furnace draft. Preferably through the floor to the room above (outside would be even better - but I know it gets chilly in Detroit). If that's not feasible, then to as far away from the furnace as possible. That might mean an interior duct so that the intake is effectively opposite the sinks as you have planned.
Also, I would add a CO detector as you mentioned - if it goes off you'll need a plan B for ventilation. But I would put it in the room where the furnace is, but not too close. I would also put the fan on a timer, so that there is no chance of leaving it on overnight. Finally, I'd go with a less powerful fan - under 300cfm - or one with 2 speeds. CO will hurt you a lot more and a lot faster than darkroom chemical fumes.
Obviously the biggest danger is when people are asleep, especially on the same level as the furnace.
I'm no expert, but have researched the issue with a recent remodel. For example, in my city, I could not add a kitchen fan over 300cfm with out adding make up air for combustion. CFM is measured as output, which may be less that the rated cfm of the fan. Need for make up air is also a function of how many other appliances in the home exhaust (bathroom fans, clothes dryer, and even a fireplace).
It also depends on how tight the home is constructed. Make up air is essentially a hole in the wall - after we go through all this effort to make the home tight. Though more modern furnaces do have a more elegant solution.
Don't take this as professional advice but I think being in an open room does help. At a minimum, I would relocate the air input so it's not competing directly with the furnace draft. Preferably through the floor to the room above (outside would be even better - but I know it gets chilly in Detroit). If that's not feasible, then to as far away from the furnace as possible. That might mean an interior duct so that the intake is effectively opposite the sinks as you have planned.
Also, I would add a CO detector as you mentioned - if it goes off you'll need a plan B for ventilation. But I would put it in the room where the furnace is, but not too close. I would also put the fan on a timer, so that there is no chance of leaving it on overnight. Finally, I'd go with a less powerful fan - under 300cfm - or one with 2 speeds. CO will hurt you a lot more and a lot faster than darkroom chemical fumes.
Obviously the biggest danger is when people are asleep, especially on the same level as the furnace.
That could be serious because I have heard that he takes naps as soon as he is out of Eva's sight.
John
OP
OP
I'll probably be napping in the darkroom! That's why I got the Jobo - now I can powernap while processing.
I:confused: have fluorescent lights and haven't noted any problems with them. What are they doing that I should know about? :confused:
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