# Dust Collector in same room as Furnace



## SuperCubber (Feb 23, 2012)

Hi folks,

I'm currently in the process of a new home build, which will have a basement shop. My plan was to put the dust collector on the other side of the wall from the shop. The problem is, that is the most logistically feasible location for the furnace. This sounds like a potential fire hazard. I'm admittedly uneducated about furnaces, though. Can any of you help out?

Thanks,


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## jkinoh (Mar 16, 2013)

What kind of furnace? Gas forced air? Heat pump? (which I would expect in SC). Is it pretty sealed off with outside fresh air intake, etc.? My dust collector is very clean, but if it was out of sight, I'd probably let it fill the 55gal drum, then filters would begin to get clogged. I'd probably be more concerned with dust circulating into house, which tends to PO wife!!


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Not in my home………………..


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

If you have sealed combustion with fresh air and exhaust both routed outside, it should be perfectly safe. If drawing combustion air from the same room as the DC, it's theoretically possible to achieve the perfect dust/air ratio to generate an explosion but that would be a LOT of dust suspended in the air. It would have to go into the furnace, ignite and flare backward from the intake to explode, so not very likely but possible.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

I would not even consider that. Even with a 1 micron filter, there could be enough dust to hurt the electronics in the furnace. And even a slim chance of fire or explosion. And hauling the dust and chips out through the house…And the possibility of dust spreading into the house would not work with my wife. And then consider the noise…. And the building inspector would most likely be not very understanding. Keep it in the shop.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I would not do it. You will be introducing dust into the furnace area thru leaks and what happens when you empty the DC.


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## SuperCubber (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks very much for the replies.

Jkinoh, it'll be a gas furnace.

Ibewjon, I would not be hauling chips and dust throughout the house to empty it. Regardless, doesn't seem like a great idea.

I think I've been educated. I won't put it in that room. I'll work out another spot for it. Thanks again!


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## farmfromkansas (Jun 16, 2019)

Why not just build a small unheated room outside the house, and put the DC in there? If this is a walk out basement, it would be fairly simple.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

I can assure you a furnace can stop running if it isn't happy with it's environment. Overall in the scheme of things Dust, and furnaces don't like each other much. Well actually the dust doesn't mind, just the Furnace.

I'd agree if you have to have a basement shop, put the compressor, and DC outside in an enclosed, and sound deadened box of some sort.


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## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

I would seriously encourage you to look into a heat pump. Either conventional or geo thermal. They are much more efficient and work for both heating and cooling. Plus the geo type can also be set up to pre-heat your hot water. There are federal and some state rebates, particularly on the geo type which is up to 30% federal tax credit….that is not a gross income deduction but a credit against taxes you owe. I have one and it is great.

If you do the heat pump there is no problem with your dust collector location.


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

This reminds me of an incident back in the early 1970's when I was building a homebuilt airplane, a 55 ft. span sailplane. It had laminated Sitka spruce wood spars. I had completed the laminations and after planing and trimming the spar to size I was using a belt sander to finish. I was wearing a mask. After a while I noticed the dust was getting pretty thick in the air like a heavy fog. Then it struck me!! The gas water heater with its pilot light  wasn't far away. I quickly exited the house and prayed. Nothing happened, but it made me very aware of keeping an eye on the amount of sanding dust in the air when I was working.


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## SuperCubber (Feb 23, 2012)

> Why not just build a small unheated room outside the house, and put the DC in there? If this is a walk out basement, it would be fairly simple.
> 
> - farmfromkansas


This is actually a very likely possibility, even if I don't do it with the original build. I am also considering a full bump out, maybe 5-10 feet.


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## SuperCubber (Feb 23, 2012)

> This reminds me of an incident back in the early 1970 s when I was building a homebuilt airplane, a 55 ft. span sailplane. It had laminated Sitka spruce wood spars. I had completed the laminations and after planing and trimming the spar to size I was using a belt sander to finish. I was wearing a mask. After a while I noticed the dust was getting pretty thick in the air like a heavy fog. Then it struck me!! The gas water heater with its pilot light wasn t far away. I quickly exited the house and prayed. Nothing happened, but it made me very aware of keeping an eye on the amount of sanding dust in the air when I was working.
> 
> - Planeman40


All this time I thought "Plane" in Planeman was in reference to a hand plane! I too am a planeman.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

There is a whole section of the National Electrical Code covering locations with airborne dust. It is very explosive. That is why grain elevators explode. My dust collector originally had bags, so I called it a dust creator. It put enough dust through the bag that I would not have wanted it anywhere near an ignition source. It has been converted to a pleated filter.


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