Baileigh/Jet Air Cleaner

My two air filtration systems are at eye level, blowing towards me. I'm breathing filtered air when they are turned on (for most of the time, they aren't).

Yes, the air filtration system must be the second or third line of defense. I have an air quality monitor to guide me if I even need to put on a mask no matter what dust extraction measures are already in place. I agree with Steve that it could give a false sense of safety just because the unit is running.

Invest in an AQM. Btw, when was the last time that you had a chest X-ray (even if you aren't a smoker)?
 
I teach shop safety at a local maker-space.  I tell my students about the dangers of breathing fine dust.  This fine dust is only stopped by HEPA filters.  A shop vac with a 20 or 50 micron filter lets those particles pass right through.  Since these dangerous, sub-micron particles are invisible, non-HEPA filters give you a false sense of security.

I teach 3 lines of defense.

    1) Capture the sawdust and fine particles at the tool.  Use a method appropriate to the tool.  For example use a downdraft table for hand sanding.

    2) Capture fine particles that escape into the environment.

        a) Filter the air as discussed here.

        b) Vacuum horizontal surfaces where particles settle with a HEPA vacuum to prevent them from becoming re-airborne.

    3) Wear a dust mask.  That’s your last line of defense before the dust reaches your lungs.  Use it. You don’t want to be that 67 year old guy dragging around an oxygen canister.

Finally, I agree that an AQM is an excellent investment.  Otherwise you’re just guessing.
 
OK. Sooo ............. what is a good stand alone (non-cellphone) quality AQM?  There are a million of them on amazon, but are they any good?

Seth
 
Mine is this economical model:https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BVTBG2FX?tag=track-ect-ca-1998359-20&linkCode=osi&th=1

Over the past year, its readings (AQI, temp., and humidity) have been spot-on with the measurements reported by the local environmental agency for my location and my other indoor thermometer/humidifier sensors. There is no reason to believe that the PM2.5 readings would be way off. In the shop, I use the real time, continuous setting.

In terms of woodworking tools/machines vs dust, I find this:

DF500 (CT15) - Zero concern
SawStop PCS (dual dust collection) and Kapex (HEPA shop vac and dust deputy) - Little concern in general unless crosscutting mdf
Prolonged sanding with PRO 5 (CT15) - Some concerns
Prolonged sanding on the stationary belt sander (HEPA shop vac and Dust Deputy)- Visible concerns (N95 mask and air filtration system are needed)
Bandsaw - Some concerns (Plan is to connect it to a dust collector rather than a shop vac).
 
smorgasbord said:
Does it connect to the web to show you air quality from other sensors so you know the difference between your outside and inside air quality?
Click to expand...

No, though that would be nice especially if it would log readings.
 
Back when I purchased the Dylos DC-1700, I stumbled upon this government agency that tests samples of various AQ meters. They're called South Coast AQMD, this is from their website:

"South Coast AQMD is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley.  The region is home to more than 17 million people–44% of the population of the entire state of California.

South Coast AQMD's Governing Board adopts policies and regulations that promote clean air within its four-county area, the smoggiest in the nation.

South Coast AQMD operates a network of air quality monitors continuously at nearly 40 permanent locations throughout the four-county area, and an additional 10 community sites near the large refineries. This also allows South Coast AQMD to notify the public whenever air quality is unhealthful."

"South Coast AQMD’s AQ-SPEC program aims at being the testing center for low cost (under $1000) air monitoring sensors to establish performance standards by which sensors are evaluated. The program evaluates sensors in both controlled laboratory conditions and in the field. In the field, sensors are tested alongside one or more of South Coast AQMD’s existing air monitoring stations using traditional federal reference/equivalent method instruments to gauge overall performance. Sensors demonstrating acceptable performance in the field are then brought to the AQ-SPEC laboratory for more detailed testing in an environmental chamber under controlled conditions alongside traditional federal reference/equivalent method and/or best available technology instruments."

There's a lot of different products to look at here but there are several standouts that are in the $150 range.
http://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations/criteria-pollutants/summary-pm
 
smorgasbord said:
This onehttps://www.amazon.com/IQAir-AirVisual-Temperature-Real-Time-Forecasting/dp/B0784TZFRW  does, although it's pretty pricey. There's also an outdoor version as well.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, pricey, but looks nice even with the graph on the screen. It's about double the AirKnight price I paid, triple the current Amazon price.

Cheese said:
There's a lot of different products to look at here but there are several standouts that are in the $150 range.
http://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations/criteria-pollutants/summary-pm
Click to expand...

Have to give these a look for fun. This one works well, but if I decide to nerd on PM values in the shop, I may want a rated one with logging
 
PaulMarcel said:
Have to give these a look for fun. This one works well, but if I decide to nerd on PM values in the shop, I may want a rated one with logging
Click to expand...

Paul, the Dylos has data logging capabilities, that's the reason I purchased it. What's interesting is that this new list of tested machines has at least doubled/tripled in the last 3-4 years. That means more options are continually being brought to market.

My thoughts, more machines are being released that are more accurate and cheaper than the earlier versions...what's not to like?
 
I've enjoyed cigars for many years and part of that has been constantly working on and designing room air filtration/extraction, so when I got into woodworking, there was some symbiosis. For cigars, the best is to just extract and replace with fresh conditioned air. However, that gets to be quite a proposition, but it's still my preference. And I want rapid extraction because I don't want the cigar smoke lingering.

For my woodworking space (the garage), I've been building a Corsi-Rosenthal type unit that will utilize a 20 inch box fan and five 20"x20"x1" Merv 14 filters. The multiple filters give the same kind of surface area that you'll find in a canister type filter, and anything above Merv13 gives HEPA-like filtration. My filters just arrived yesterday so I'll be pushing the box build up next.

I looked at the units mentioned in this thread, like the JET, Powermatic, Wen and some others. My friend has the Delta version in his shop, and they work well enough - but my concern is that they don't move enough air quickly enough. So, for similar money, you can build a Corsi-Rosenthal type box and gain better performance. Plus, I don't think the filtration performance with the commercial units are really that fine.

Of course, any of these filters work better if you can locate the filter next to the working tool. I've been testing this out with another 20" box fan that I've bungeed a 16x20x4 Merv 12 filter (it was at The ReStore for $20) to it and have been placing it near the workpieces and the results are positive. Unfortunately, I'm running tight on space so having a large air filter on wheels to roll around is not in the plan - I'm going to fly it above. Perhaps not the most optimal but I'm betting on the greater CFM giving a little advantage.

Someone else mentioned that air filtration and tool extraction have to go hand-in-hand and I agree. It could be just tool extraction but if you're not using that and only air filtration, the dust is still going everywhere - and in a recent Fine Woodworking podcast, Seri Robinson noted that airborne dust particles can remain airborne in your workshop for up to 72 hours. In addition to my CT MIDI I, I've also upgraded my Rigid 14ga shop vac with both the Dustopper and HEPA bag and filter - those upgrades have been worth the cost and effort.
 
I do have a hanging filter, but mostly I use my Oneida V-3000 with an open blast gate.  It absolutely moves a lot of air and has a HEPA filter.

I have an iVAC with minimum runtime; and have an extra blast gate on the "stub" of my system that would be used if I were to extend it over to the other side of the shop.  The extra gate is not connected to any tool, and is at the address that opens up when nothing else is open.  When a tool comes on it closes as the collector starts up; and the correct gate opens up (except for my router table which I still have to do by hand).  After the tool shuts down, the collector stays on for a few minutes and that extra gate opens up.  Also if I just switch the collector on without a tool running that gate stays open as an air filter.

It would be great if there was a way to hook an iVAC system into an air quality monitor.  Jason Bent was showing off Grit automation doing that; but I've got lots of money already invested in automated iVAC gates and switches so converting is not something I really want to do.
 
For those folks that want to get deep in the weeds, here's a paper entitled "Evaluation of 9 Low Cost Sensor Based Particulate Matter Monitors" written in 2018. There's a lot here and it's not necessarily a fun read.  [tongue]

I've highlighted the major areas just as a directional arrow of sorts because otherwise all of the verbiage gets mixed together in a word salad.  [smile]

To summarize quickly, they chose 4 AQM products that they thought may be capable of replacing their industrial Grimm & SidePak machines which cost about $25,000 each. These 4 AQM products were designated as Group I.

They then chose 5 other AQM products that they thought would be capable of monitoring air quality in residential use that used color displays for quick visual identification. These 5 AQM products were designated as Group II.

Along the way, they discuss data logging using Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi modules and then discuss the color displays for the Group II products of which only one corresponds to the US EPA standard.  [sad]

Another short discussion is AQS (Air Quality Score) vs AQI (Air Quality Index). There's a little snippet here for everyone...this measurement/monitoring process is a lot less straight forward than I originally thought.  [crying]

Whoops...the .pdf file is too large, I'll just paste the unhighlighted url link instead.
https://aaqr.org/articles/aaqr-18-12-lcs-0485.pdf
 
jeffinsgf said:
Hey! Another INCA 710 guy!  [big grin]
Click to expand...

I wanted one of those long ago after hanging out with Roger Savatteri when he took me to Eagle Tools. Place is loaded with Inca stuff.

Also like the overhead light on the boom arm. I have ridiculous amounts of lighting, but that's a nice trick
 
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