Furnace issue?

[ptbeads]

I'm trying to set up a more permanent studio area in my basement. I've been wading through the Safety and Studio threads looking for info, but so far I haven't found what I'm looking for.

Anyway, my furnace is in the basement. If I want to set up a studio area, do I need to be a certain distance from the furnace? Is there even an issue here or am I being overly cautious? My propane is kept outside and I use and oxygen concentrator. Any info or location of a relevant thread would be helpful.

[chrisdd]

I don't know all the details, but YES, you have to be careful around the furnace. Your lampwork exhaust system (you do have one installed?) can pull carbon monoxide back into the room. I'm sure one of the tech guys will give you the details.

[MikeAurelius]

The issue is one of being sure you have enough fresh air coming into your work area.

You need a ventilation fan, and with that fan, you also need to provide additional fresh air to replace the air that is exhausted.

For example, if your fan exhausts 350 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air, you need to add an additional 350 CFM of fresh outside air (from at least 10 feet from the exhaust point) into the studio area.

If you don't provide the fresh air, your furnace, hot water heater, even your plumbing system will begin to back draft, drawing some very nasty stuff back into your house.

[ptbeads]

Well, I think I have the beginnings of the correct ventilation system. Although I've read so many different things that now I'm worried.

I purchased a Broan 883001 hood that is 350CFM. I haven't even cleaned the basement, so nothing is set up. I'm not sure if I should even keep that hood. I've printed out a ton of stuff, so I'll hopefully wade through it tonight.
But, as long as the ventilation is good, I can be fairly close correct?

[MikeAurelius]

Yes, PROVIDED you have a source of good flow fresh air to match the exhaused air.

An 8" round duct (non-corrigated) provides 350 CFM free flow fresh air.

[ptbeads]

Ok, we are going to try to work on the basement this weekend.
Thanks for all the information. I'm sure there will be more questions when I really get into this.

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Do be super-extra careful with the propane, though! If your line leaks it's more hazardous in a furnace room because of the pilot lights (of course, there are plenty of ignition sources everywhere in a house, but still). You should be okay if your propane is piped in properly and you've got lots of nice shut-off valves, but I would at least increase your leak checking regularity. I work in a furnace room as well (lots 'o concrete and it's already ugly so I can't really mess it up!) but I decided on natural gas for extra safety 'cause it's lighter than air. You should probably be okay, though, as long as you are Super-Leak-Checker at all times. Good luck! -Heather

[Kalera]

When I was working in my basement I disconnected my hose at the end of every session; that way if there was a leak there would be no way for it to get into the basement!

[MikeAurelius]

Just a caution -- lighter than air doesn't mean safer.

Case in point - about 10 years ago they were installing underground internet service in downtown St. Cloud. In doing so, they were making some test drills to determine subsurface debris. The drill the crew used was deflected by a piece of buried curbing and hit a natural gas line. The gas seeped into the basement of the building right next to the drill area and 20 minutes later exploded killing 4 people and injuring over 100.

5 years ago, a natural gas junction failed beneath a slab building in Ramsey Minnesota. Gas seeped into the bank above and exploded killing two people and injuring 4.

Fuel gas is fuel gas and it will explode when it reaches a certain density.

[Kalera]

While natural gas is hazardous too, I think it is safer than propane in a basement because it is more likely to A: be noticed by people upstairs before a disaster happens, and B: to dissipate before igniting. Propane is harder to safely get out of a basement once it leaks.

[MikeAurelius]

Absolutely Kalera, I'm just pointing out that 'just because it's natural gas doesn't mean it's totally safe'.

[Kalera]

Yes, I agree with that 100%. The house on the corner one block away from me no longer exists because of a natural gas explosion. I didn't live here at the time but a neighbor says it took the house down to matchsticks, blew out the walls in the two adjacent homes, and broke windows as far as two blocks away.

[ptbeads]

We got most of it finished this weekend, but I will make sure I'm extremely careful with the propane until we can get a more permanent setup for the gas. Right now, I am simply going to run the hose through a window, but I will make sure I disconnect it when I turn the gas off. This setup is hopefully temporary and we would like to build a shed for a workshop within a year.
I am also ordering a CO/explosive gas alarm.

Heather - I saw your studio pics! My basement looks a lot like yours. My house is very old and the basement has rock and brick walls. We cleaned up the "coal room" this weekend and will probably put my fusing stuff there. It is a creepy little basement, but is looking better.

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Hey Dianna,

Cool, my basement's current furnace room used to be the coal room too. We used the old coal chute to bring in make-up air, which was handy! We're looking forward to patching, framing, insulating, drywalling and painting the studio corner... Most of the basement is already semi-finished, except for the western utility section. I'd like to move my washer and dryer out of that room eventually... we'll see. Here's to creepy studios! At least the beads are pretty, right? -Heather

[ptbeads]

I was going to post some pictures that dh took, but I was doing some hammering and bent over, so the main focus of my picture is my ass! I'm in sweats, dirty, etc, so it's a fabulous picture!