I have been using my Oneida Dust Gorilla for the last year and have been resonably happy with it. I am however very tired of the noise level. Early on, I had built a box around the filter and lined it with foam and this only made a small difference.
I am wondering if I had the duct work insulated either with fiberglass or spray foam if this would make a significant difference? I have a 1200 sq' shop and have the machine located inside so it won't suck out the A/C every 5 minutes. I live in S. Georgia and it is important for not only comfort, but humidity level to have the building climate controlled. Important financially to have the collector located inside. Any other noise advise on this would be apreciated. Thanks, BigJim
From contributor Da
I have an Oneida system, but placed the fan and cyclone above a small, airtight room on the outside of the building. The exhaust is routed back into the shop via a filter bag set-up that is in the shop. This makes it much more livable.
The heated or cooled air is recycled back into the shop, clean, and there is no pressure differential between inside and outside. Oneida also offers mufflers for their systems. I'd contact them for design help.
From contributor JR
We put a muffler/silencer from Air Handling Systems on our big cyclone and it cut the noise level down. Still noisy, but much better.
From contributor Le
I vented mine outside and it makes an amazing difference. I was worried about the heat loss in the winter but so far I'd rather have the quiet than the heat.
I only run the DC when needed so it's not usually that bad. I still have the setup for the filter if feel like changing it back.
I was told by the Oneida tech that their muffler only reduces noise by 2dB. That is pathetic and barely noticeable.
Here is a Clear View instruction manual to make one of your own
From contributor Ji
Acording to the cfm, the Dust Collector would hypothetically empty all the cool air out of my shop every 6 minutes. the good thing is, that I had the building insulated with spray foam when I built it so it is resonable to keep the Ac on 24-7 but not if it won't ever shut off. Just about the only wood I work with is Exotics and I'm constantly cutting and sanding fiberglass so I keep the DC running.
Our Rel.Hum here stays above the 90% mark most all the time and even in the winter so again, it is important to keep the air in the building cool and dry.
I have an adjacent room behind the DC that I can move it in to and will soon, but also wondering how much noise is traveling down the ducting. A good friend has a spray foam buisness and could insulate the pipes, but even at his cost, it is expensive. If it will help, it would be worth the cost. If not, well I'll just skip that idea.
Thanks, bigjim
From contributor ca
We built a box with stud walls, and filled the cavities with insulation, around ours and it has helped tremendously. We have a door on it. We are adding these as soon as they show up...
good luck, cm
From contributor Da
If a system is vented to the outside, there is a chance of problems with a vented heating system.
That is, the fumes that need to go out the heating chimney are sucked back in by the dust exhaust fan, and can kill you. If a (inswing) door to the exterior is sucked open or hard to close, and you have a heat source that requires any sort of vent, there can be a problem.
The first pro shop I worked in had a set-up that could be vented to the outside or inside, and if done incorrectly could fill the break room and shop with CO2. I found people getting sleepy in there more than once before we decided to take it to management and get it changed.
