Ideas for Room Air/Dust Filter in Systainer 5

[wow]

In keeping with my fascination with all things systainer, I'm thinking of designing and building (for myself) a shop air filter contained in a Systainer 5. The idea would be to have a compact, systainerized air filtering system that I can easily take on-site to collect any errant fine dust that might be created.

In addition to the obvious requirement that it collect fine dust, some of my design criteria would be:

• Prefilter to catch most 'junk' that is relatively cheap and easily replaceable.

• Bag filter to do final 'fine particle' filtering. Washable or otherwise reusable.

• As quiet as possible - probably around 65 dba, which is about the same as the CT26/36/48. Quieter if possible. Need to research this more.

• Useable while stacked under or on top of other systainers, i.e. on the bottom of a sysroll. No need to do anything but plug it in and turn it on.

My questions that are not yet answered:

1. What particle size should I target to filter? 10 microns? 5? 2.5? 1?

2. Multi-speed? Variable speed? Not sure about this. Depends somewhat on the minimum airflow required to assure adequate dust collection.

3. Should it connect with a Plug-It cord? Or should I just make it hard wired?

4. Since I have to plug it in anyway, should I mount a couple of 'convenience' outlets on the systainer to plug tools into? Or would that be superfluous since I'd likely have DE plugged in and powering any tools?

I am talking to company that designs and manufactures custom bag filters, so some of what I decide will be based on what they have to say. In the meantime, any ideas, comments or questions are welcome!

 

[SittingElf]

Wayne,

Can't say whether or not your idea has merit, but I can post the specifics of the JDS air filtration system I have for MY shop, though it isn't portable.

Specifically on the filtration:

The powerful 1/3 HP motor combined with the composite blower wheel deliver 1,255 max CFM and 916 CFM of filter air! This will clean a 35’x 35’x 7.5’ shop in 10 minutes! This new stronger motor has thermal overload protection and consumes only 4 amps of power. That’s pennies per day to operate!

The Air-Tech HP has tool free filter change that is quick and easy. As always, JDS has more efficient filters than any of the competition! The first stage filter is a washable electrostatic filter that has a 10 year warranty. This filter has a $50 value and comes as standard equipment with the Air-Tech HP! The second stage filter is a MEREV 14 per ASHRAE 52.2 bag filter that captures 99% of particles as small as 5 microns and 91% of particles as small as 1 micron in size. In layman’s terms this will provide your shop with the cleanest environment possible.

The JDS Air-Tech HP has a unique track that allows for tool free filter change. Just lift the filter up and out. The electrostatic filter is washable and has a 10 year warranty. The bag filter captures 91% of 1 Micron size particles.

The final filter is the diffusing filter. The unique design of the Air-Tech HP cabinet allows for a mixing chamber which enables the exiting air to be dispersed across the entire surface area of the diffusing filter. This feature is important in creating the proper airflow patterns necessary for trapping microscopic dust in your shop. The back of the cabinet also has a door that can be opened to allow an optional charcoal filter to be installed. By installing the charcoal filter “downstream” from the particulate trapping filters, only clean air passes through the charcoal filter, which enhances the performance and extends the life of the activated charcoal.

Good luck with your design,

Frank

 

[Thunderchyld]

Will a sys 5 give you enough room for all the fiddly bits? 

I'd probably shy away from giving it any extra outlets, mainly because of cord storage.  There's also the point that if I'm going to go to the trouble of making an electrical jump box I'd like to make it downright amazing.  For me, given some of the "fun" I've had trying to run multiple tools at once, I'd like the jump box to have two separate circuits with a relay between them to effect the auto-on like on the dust collectors but with each tool being on a separate circuit.

The air scrubber that I use is most likely overkill, I managed to get a great deal on a Phoenix Guardian when I was doing some water damage repair.  Part of why I love the Guardian is the capability to connect ducting and run as a positive or negative pressure flow control.  I should set up and do a video reenactment of a scenario I dealt with, to show off why I like a larger unit vs the small ceiling hangers.  I was refinishing a basement and needed to remove about 100 feet worth of deteriorated tack strip.  The strips fell apart and pulled off the nails fastening them to the concrete.  Looking back, next time I'll just use a crowbar on the pins and caulk the divots.  What I did then was take an angle grinder to them.  Within minutes there was so much particulate in the air that you could barely see the opposite wall.  We brought the guardian in from the truck and set it up and the air was clean in five minutes.  We left it set up and it was doing such a good job we could have worked without dust masks. 

 

[alex946]

. What particle size should I target to filter? 10 microns? 5? 2.5? 1?

1. two stage - 30 microns (EU4) and 1 microns (HEPA13)

2. two speed, day and night

3. Plug-It

4. no need for any secondary outlets

S&P silent fan:

 

[rljatl]

Have you considered using a maxi Systainer?  I wonder if you could cut up a standard filter(s) in an economical way so that it would then fit in a maxi systainer?  Just a thought.

Maxi Systainer Case

 

[semenza]

Seems like a small box fan and various furnace type filters could be pretty easily fit into a Systainer?  Interesting idea for site use too.

Seth

 

[wow]

• 1/3 HP motor combined with the composite blower wheel deliver
• 1,255 max CFM and
• 916 CFM of filter air!
• consumes only 4 amps of power.
• first stage filter is a washable electrostatic filter
• second stage filter is a MEREV 14 per ASHRAE 52.2 bag filter that captures 99% of particles as small as 5 microns and 91% of particles as small as 1 micron in size.

Good luck with your design,

Frank

This was quite helpful! Thanks!

Will a sys 5 give you enough room for all the fiddly bits? 

I'm not sure exactly what 'fiddly bits' you're thinking of, but I want to keep it in a standard systainer so the Sys 5 is as big as I get.

I'd probably shy away from giving it any extra outlets, mainly because of cord storage.  There's also the point that if I'm going to go to the trouble of making an electrical jump box I'd like to make it downright amazing.  For me, given some of the "fun" I've had trying to run multiple tools at once, I'd like the jump box to have two separate circuits with a relay between them to effect the auto-on like on the dust collectors but with each tool being on a separate circuit.

Good point - thanks for that!

. What particle size should I target to filter? 10 microns? 5? 2.5? 1?

1. two stage - 30 microns (EU4) and 1 microns (HEPA13)
2. two speed
3. Plug-It
4. no need for any secondary outlets

Thanks. That seems to be right in line with my current thinking...except that I'm not certain about the Plug-It cord. We'll see.

Have you considered using a maxi Systainer?

I did, but it doesn't meet my requirements. Nice thought, though.

Seems like a small box fan and various furnace type filters could be pretty easily fit into a Systainer?  Interesting idea for site use too.

Seth

Well, aren't you the practical one?
[poke]

From a functional standpoint that's about all you'd need, and I've used the 'furnace filter on a box fan' trick many times. But to be honest I was hoping for something a bit more elegant?!

I'm waiting for information from a couple of companies on whether they can make a custom sized bag filter that I can make work. Or more correctly, waiting to see if they can make a custom sized bag filter that I can AFFORD?

This may turn out to be one of my hare-brained ideas, and it might never happen. But I am still proceeding as if I will succeed...

Keep those comments coming!

 

[Northern Early]

i love the idea

1, I don't know

2, Nn my jet in my small shop i barely ever use speed one and two. I'd rather be full blast full time. noise isn't an issue with my tools going. If I was evacuating air during a spray session I would be more inclined to use lower power but i have a home brew system for that.

3, i would think a plug it cord would be nice, but i wouldn't want to ever open the systainer except for service so a side mount plug it hook would be used, at which point why not hard wire it.

4, i don't think i would personally use other plugs. i have a system for my extension cords that works well for me

now to my first thought when i read this. Am aftermarket radiator fan from a car. when people put SBC motors into miatas they don't fit, so they buy fans from Spal (?)(jegs.com)(summit.com) that are an inch or less thick. they come in different sizes, blade pitches, push/pull. I don't know the best way to wire because they are 12 vdc units not ac. but i would imagine something could be created.

I like the idea of the maxi tainer as well. i would imagine a particle filter from my jet ceiling circulator would fit in one of those.

Personally i use a neg air type system in a window with a prefilter.