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Ventilation Question

 
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nwright




Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 1



PostLink    Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 2:00 pm    Post subject: Ventilation Question Reply with quote


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If all goes right, I should be finishing off my brewing room this summer. It just so happens that I will be getting an entire basement refinished at the same time. What a deal!!....and like most of you, my "ManCave" comes with an entire house, wife and a 2 year old boy upstairs. Will post a thread as the project begins... Here is my question as I start to put my final plans together. I have a high efficiency furnace with a 6 (this is a rough guess, could be 8) inch PVC vent pipe that runs about 20 feet out my house for its exhaust. Does this pipe need to be a stand alone pipe or could I plug into with with my inline fan and vent my brewing out through that pipe. I am planning on using Nattybrew's idea to make my hood out of wood with the paneling on the inside.

Also, do I need the air intake if my brewing room is going to be somewhat open with the rest of the basement?


Any advice would be welcome. Just in the planning stages now, but I want to do this right from the beginning. Thanks! Mug
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VaWineSnob




Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Posts: 89



PostLink    Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You cannot tie your air exaust into the furnace vent.

If you are using the 6" in-line fan like Kal's, you will likely need make-up air. There are many variables, but as a general rule anything more than a 70 cfm bathroom fan is going to need make up air. That said, there are many that install kitchen hoods with 170 cfm fans in large rooms or open rooms. I know my kitchen vent will not keep up unless I crack a window for make-up air.
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 8:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

+1

Yoi most definitely CANNOT tie into the exhaust of your furnace. That has to be a direct line out to exhaust the poisonous CO gas. Do not tamper with it.

You'll likely need a make up air system as well. It all depends on how airtight your house is, what the rating is. Doesn't matter how big the basement is, the air going out has to come INTO the house somehow. The problem is that today houses are sealed up so tight that running a high CFM exhaust fan can pull things through wood fireplaces which is dangerous, or they simply get starved for air and can't move air out (house goes under negative pressure).

You likely also don't want to exhaust your entire house hot or cold air out either. That's a waste of energy. That's why I built the brewery in an enlosed room with a make-up air system. This way it doesn't affect the rest of the house.

Kal

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BrewTrooper




Joined: 02 Jan 2013
Posts: 1
Location: PA


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reviving this thread. I'm looking to build one of these in my basement, but in planning, I'm worried about the makeup air. I live in northern PA, and the winters get very cold. If I run my exhaust for the entire 90 minute boil, won't the make up air i'm pull from outside superchill my basement? Especially when temperature outside is around 25 degrees F - like it is today?

It seems like this ambient air temp problem will be exacerbated by brewing in a smaller room. Could this be avoided somewhat by piping the intake air pipe to a point right underneath the exhaust hood? Essentially creating a loop but pulling the moisture out with it? This solution creates another concern: Wouldn't that really cool down my exhaust hood to the point where condensation would be like rain? Drunk

Thanks for any help!!
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BrewTrooper wrote:
Reviving this thread. I'm looking to build one of these in my basement, but in planning, I'm worried about the makeup air. I live in northern PA, and the winters get very cold. If I run my exhaust for the entire 90 minute boil, won't the make up air i'm pull from outside superchill my basement? Especially when temperature outside is around 25 degrees F - like it is today?[

Nope, because the kettles are putting out a massive amount of heat. (I live in an even colder climate).

Kal

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Castermmt




Joined: 03 Jan 2011
Posts: 863
Location: Lowell, In

Drinking: Steelhead Porter, Alt-Toids, Hefty-Weizen, Terry's Kolsch, African Amber, Pumpkin Ale, Double Dog Ale

Working on: Janet's Brown Ale, Terry's Kolsch, Pilsner


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome to the dance. You can put your makeup air near the exhaust to minimize the drawing of cool air across the entire basement and yes it will create condensation dripping from the hood regardless if its warm makeup air or not (mine drips in the summer as well). That's why we install gutters inside the hood to channel the condensation to one point and handle it there. I just installed vinyl siding J-channel to create gutters in my hood to address this very same issue. I live 32 miles from Chicago and I get the same weather as you do, it's not that big a issue for me.
Hope this Helps And Happy New Year, Castermmt

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iBrewBeer




Joined: 21 Oct 2014
Posts: 87
Location: Western Springs, IL


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another revival.

What about connecting to the ventilation for a high efficiency hot water heater that is venting out the side of the house? This would be in 3” PVC so I would reduce from my 6” fan to 3” and connect up.

Any issues?
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It would most likely be against code. For safety reasons hot water tanks/heaters must be direct vented. Otherwise the poisonous gasses from your tank could flow back into the brewery. Check with your local permitting office to be sure. If it’s allowed make sure to follow their rules (again for safety reasons) and get the work inspected. That said, I would highly recommend against even considering it. I would be extremely surprised if something like this would be allowed.

Good luck!

Kal

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drumspce




Joined: 21 Oct 2014
Posts: 13



PostLink    Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 4:43 am    Post subject: Another question here - Garage brewing with vent hood Reply with quote

OK here is my question

I brew in my garage and have a pretty large vent hood - 5x4x1 running a 6" inch Vortex S Line S-600 (centered on the boil kettle). What about make up air, is it ok to just leave the garage door open and let the air cycle though or do I need to throttle the amount of air available to the system. I get a little bit of condensation around the vent flange and I just take a stick with a rag taped to it to collect it.


Any ideas to improve it or just go with the status quo?

Sorry to beat a dead keg!
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 12:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Another question here - Garage brewing with vent hood Reply with quote

drumspce wrote:
I brew in my garage and have a pretty large vent hood - 5x4x1 running a 6" inch Vortex S Line S-600 (centered on the boil kettle). What about make up air, is it ok to just leave the garage door open and let the air cycle though or do I need to throttle the amount of air available to the system.

Just leave the door open. That's good. If you read my ventilation article you'll notice that my make up air is just duct to the outside. The fan that is pushing the hot/humid air out will simply pull whatever it needs.

In a garage you may be able to just leave the garage doors open and not have any vent hood or fan at all. That's what I did for a few months while my new basement was being finished. Only issue was condensation on the ceiling directly above the boil kettle so I put a $20 oscillating fan in there pointing at the ceiling to help disperse the steam.

Quote:
I get a little bit of condensation around the vent flange and I just take a stick with a rag taped to it to collect it.
Any ideas to improve it or just go with the status quo?

I'd need to see what you mean exactly (how the room's set up, how much condensation, where it happens exactly, etc). Shoot a video if you want that gives us an idea of what's going on and we can make suggestions.

Cheers!

Kal

_________________
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We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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