Passing Glass
2007-02-27, 12:43pm
I think body temperature can be a safety issue, so I thought I would ask this here in the safety forum.
I work in my garage and frankly, it sucks. It is just WAY too hot for at least 4 months out of the year (I'm in Dallas). Many times, it's 110 or 112 degrees, plus not much breeze in the garage. I can only torch for a few minutes and then I'm either too sweaty to keep from dripping on my workspace, or it's too hot to breathe comfortably. I am trying to figure out a way to have adequate ventilation and still keep the garage somewhat bearable, temperature wise. I'm willing to put a window unit air conditioner in the wall and maybe if I get a strong enough one, the cool air will last long enough before getting sucked out by the hood that it will be a little cooler in the garage. I've been told a swamp cooler might help, but they also make the room very moist, which I don't really want either.
I work in the back corner of the garage furthest from the garage door. So, if I put a vent near the front of the garage, then a window unit in the wall a foot or two further in toward the back of the garage (where I am), so the air conditioner is between me and the hot air vent, it seems like the hot makeup air would have to travel through the "cool zone" created by the air conditioner before getting to my back and going around me and then out via the venthood. Is that possible or ridiculous? I'm in a standard brick home, two-car garage. There are some pretty strong air conditioners out there that could turn a room that big into a freezer. So I'm pretty sure it's doable. I just don't know how practical it is. And it's not the best use of energy, I know. But otherwise, what do you guys think?
Also, I've been told of venthoods which have two seperate paths of air. Like a hood inside of a hood. It supplies its own makeup air, and therefore does not suck the ambient room air out (as much). The outermost hood provides make up air which is under positive pressure and flows down to the work surface, then eddies away from the torch when it hits the work surface and is then sucked up by the inner hood taking the fumes with it. That's a simple version, but you get the idea. Ever heard of these? Possible?
I work in my garage and frankly, it sucks. It is just WAY too hot for at least 4 months out of the year (I'm in Dallas). Many times, it's 110 or 112 degrees, plus not much breeze in the garage. I can only torch for a few minutes and then I'm either too sweaty to keep from dripping on my workspace, or it's too hot to breathe comfortably. I am trying to figure out a way to have adequate ventilation and still keep the garage somewhat bearable, temperature wise. I'm willing to put a window unit air conditioner in the wall and maybe if I get a strong enough one, the cool air will last long enough before getting sucked out by the hood that it will be a little cooler in the garage. I've been told a swamp cooler might help, but they also make the room very moist, which I don't really want either.
I work in the back corner of the garage furthest from the garage door. So, if I put a vent near the front of the garage, then a window unit in the wall a foot or two further in toward the back of the garage (where I am), so the air conditioner is between me and the hot air vent, it seems like the hot makeup air would have to travel through the "cool zone" created by the air conditioner before getting to my back and going around me and then out via the venthood. Is that possible or ridiculous? I'm in a standard brick home, two-car garage. There are some pretty strong air conditioners out there that could turn a room that big into a freezer. So I'm pretty sure it's doable. I just don't know how practical it is. And it's not the best use of energy, I know. But otherwise, what do you guys think?
Also, I've been told of venthoods which have two seperate paths of air. Like a hood inside of a hood. It supplies its own makeup air, and therefore does not suck the ambient room air out (as much). The outermost hood provides make up air which is under positive pressure and flows down to the work surface, then eddies away from the torch when it hits the work surface and is then sucked up by the inner hood taking the fumes with it. That's a simple version, but you get the idea. Ever heard of these? Possible?