Air filter

[bertterbo]

Realisticly, what can you expect from these devices?

I'm thinking of getting one for my single garage.

I appreciate they *claim* to circulate the air, but is it a case of it doing a good job in places close to the air filter, but dust being just as bad a few meters away?

My use case is sanding on the lathe. Although I have an extractor (cam vac), I still get a fine layer of dust everywhere.

 

[TRITON]

You notice on a sunny day the fine dust falling in the rays of the sun, so anything that captures that has to be a plus point. Especially in a smaller working environment.

I'll be getting a record power version at some point in the near future.

 

[MikeK]

I have the Record Power AC400 in the 25 square meter section of my workshop with the table saw, P/T, bandsaw, router table, SCMS, and disk/belt sander. It does a great job of cleaning the fine dust from the air, as verified with my Dylos DC1700 Air Quality Meter. The SCMS is now connected to its own vacuum system independent of the larger shop dust collection system.

Before I made equipment changes in my shop, I could work for about ten minutes before the Dylos particulate count greater than 0.5 microns exceeded 750 to 1,000 above the ambient reading for the day. At that point, I took a break and let the AC400 run on low speed for about 15 minutes with the shop door closed. By then, the particulate count dropped to or below the starting point and I could resume working.

In my experience, the key to success for these air filters is to position them so they can circulate the air in the shop. Mine is suspended from the ceiling off to one side. I can tell that it creates an air stream around the shop because I can feel the slight breeze as I walk around. I also used incense sticks to create my own aromatic wind tunnel indicators to verify the AC400 was moving air in the shop.

I don't worry about the visible dust or chips that fall to the floor, it's the much smaller bits that float around that worry me. I am confident the changes I made to some of the equipment and the addition of the AC400 greatly improved the air quality in my shop.

 

[Sideways]

Like Mike I've found this type of device works well when placed to circulate the air. I have a different type, vintage secondhand microclene. It changes the air in my single garage workshop about 10x an hour. It's also noisy in an enclosed space so I have it on a simple timer that runs for 15 minutes when i trigger it.
I can stand and watch the air getting visibly cleaner in front of my eyes. If you sand, spray or rout in your workshop, they are a good idea.

If you have a bag type hvlp extractor which leak fine dust, they help.

 

[poshpaws]

I bought the axminster ap25 (jet rebrand?) and a bunch of particulate sensors in the room to check its actually doing something .
In my workspace it scrubs the air clean in an hour or two .

One of my better purchases I would say

The only downside with that machine is the remote is the only way to set the timer but with a few £ fixed

 

[Chief Sawdust Maker]

I have had the Axminister for around 18months and I am really pleased with it an the job it does
Mine is suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the shop the remote id stuck to the wall next to the main light switches I have it running on low pretty much all the time I am in the workshop and when i leave i switch it to medium and set 1 hour on the timer
The workshop actually smells different when its running and that's reflected on my air particle metre
One thing it does need is the filters cleaning fairly regularly I do mine most weeks, take them out and blow them through with the air line
I agree with MikeK don't worry about the stuff you can see its the floating stuff that you cant that will get you

 

[Ollie78]

They will gather a surprising amount of dust.
However, I find they allow a lot of dust through thd back.
I add an extra layer of paint booth media in front as a pre filter which can be regularly vacuumed and a tack cloth on the exhaust to catch the super fine bit that comes out.

Ollie

 

[bertterbo]

I might try one then. But from the comments, it sounds like I'll have still get that fine layer of dust over everything, just perhaps without the super fine particles.

 

[MikeK]

I might try one then. But from the comments, it sounds like I'll have still get that fine layer of dust over everything, just perhaps without the super fine particles.

The amount of dust remaining will depend on the efficiency of your primary dust/chip collection system. I don't use a lathe, but understand these are notorious for being difficult for dust collection. A bell mouth shroud as close as possible and lots of airflow seem to be the best solution.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Properly sited they will surprise you in their effectiveness. You will easily notice the difference even between your cleaned dusty workshop and the rest of your living space. Air is fresh and has a sparkle about it when left on overnight. Highly recommended, I went for the Record Power one as it was green

 

[Distinterior]

I too have a Record Power model ( the predecessor to the AC400 , an AC2 I believe) in my home workshop.....Its also mounted up high hanging from the joists via hooks it came with and its controlled by a remote.
I wasnt that optimistic about its efficiency before I bought it, but it has surprised me with just how much fine dust is captured on its filters.
It's not as quiet as I would have hoped, but i can put up with it for a cleaner air environment.

 

[thetyreman]

they make a surprising difference, I have far less problems since getting one, the air is noticeably cleaner, and you'll have less problems with dust gathering on shelves and getting everywhere because it sucks up most of the fine dust, they're a good insurance policy for your health and lungs.