Help with exhausting Cigar Smoke from my garage

[mygar]

Hi Guys,

I plan to install an inline exhaust fan to clear cigar smoke in my garage - it will be installed in the attic.
I am looking at this 10" inline fan: https://acinfinity.com/hydroponics-growers/ventilation/inline-fan-systems/cloudline-pro-s10-quiet-inline-duct-fan-system-with-speed-controller-10-inch/

My garage size: 5580 cubic feet
Air Flow Rating of Fan: 1200 CFM

Flexible duct runs:
* From register to inline fan: 12 ft
* From inline fan to roof vent: 6 ft

The register will be overhead where I smoke and I plan on cracking the man door next to me... or partially/fully opening my 18 ft garage door.

Questions:

1. If I have my 18ft garage door all the way open... this will significantly reduce the negative pressure in the room. Will this have a negative effect on smoke being drawn into the register?
2. According to my calculations... with my garage space and inline fan rating, I should get close to 12 air exchanges an hour. This seems adequate, but I am questioning if I should go with a 12" inline fan with a higher CFM rating.

Thanks! 

[Rhinoww]

I can only speak to filtration in terms of the exhaust filtration for my garage woodworking shop. Since that is a closed filtered system to remove dust the more cfm and the bigger the pipe the better. 
I have an indoor gas grill in my kitchen. There is a good overhead, a 1600 Cfm fam connected to a short 12 inch pipe system with very few turns. With no open doors/windows I can grill a steak and not smell it in the house. But I have a drafty old house. I would ask about how well sealed your garage really is when thinking about negative pressure. A cracked window or door may also help. I think opening an 18 foot garage door may be overkill. Another consideration is where you are drawing the air. Try to draw it away from doors to you home. 
It’s a hard battle to clear smoke in a garage before it can settle. Perhaps others have done it, but my wife is a bloodhound. So I build a covered porch with fans and infrared heaters. In my case we found a compromise that works. 

[mygar]

I agree with you there, my garage is definitely not sealed. I was just thinking that a slight negative pressure is desired, helping the smoke being drawn into the register like a vacuum.

[Lt4-396]

There are many many different variables involved with this but I will just point out some things to consider and ask a few questions to hopefully provide a better install/finished outcome.

Definitely don't open the large door as you do want to keep a negative pressure in that area. Also inlet location is just as important as exhaust location. If you can have an inlet opposite or across from where the exhaust is, that will help. Even bigger bonus if you can sit between the inlet and outlet as the "stream" of fresh air will carry the smoke out especially if the inlet is low or preferably on the ground.

Personally, I always upsize the equipment and try to always run at less then 100%. Having a 12" fan pulling 1200cfm working at 75% will be significantly quieter than a 10" fan at 1200cfm and 100%. Those ratings are also usually without ductwork and no restrictions, just keep that in mind.

Think about vibration as well. Is this going to be rigidly mounted to a beam or hung using a rubber/silicone interface. Also use HVAC grade tape on any and all connections. It's tempting to use duct tape due to costs but trust me it does not last especially in the heat.

Since it's a garage it's not nearly as important but consider the air velocity in the piping and more importantly across the inlet vent/register. Nothing is more annoying than the oddly pitched tone this can create. You can play with duct diameter to change this.

Are you going to have a dampener or another means to close the system or are you ok with having a direct path from your garage to outside, obviously this depends what type of garage it is.

Depending how serious you want to get you can rent a smoke machine from a party store, fill the area, turn on the fan and watch for yourself what works best. I usually recommend this when function-over-form.

Feel free to PM me or ask any questions you may have.

[Russell]

Just had a cigar in my garage with a box fan in the window opposite from the garage door which was cracked 8”, worked like a charm. 🤣 But I envy the more legit route you’re heading. Best of luck brother! Keep us updated. 👍🏼

[Chibearsv]

I've got a similar fan setup, fan in the attic, register in the ceiling, exhaust out the garage roof. I also had to set a stand fan (pointed up to the register) next to me while smoking. Before I did that, the smoke would just gather around me since the fan simply can't pull air off the floor to the ceiling. I also used to crack the main garage door a tiny bit for air exchange, but we get a lot of wind outside that often created positive pressure, not good. Now, I leave the garage completely shut (it's certainly not tightly sealed) turn on the ceiling fan, turn on the stand fan, and turn on the air cleaner in the laundry/mud room. Works really well and any smell that gets into the mud room from opening the door or just seepage gets eaten up by the air cleaner pretty quickly. I haven't found a zero odor solution yet but I've minimized it to the point that my wife can simply fire up one of her smelly candles now and she's happy. I haven't heard a complaint or gotten the held nose sign in a while. Good luck.

[Fuzz]

Get a bigger fan.

 

[garbandz]

You might want to put a timer on the circuit, so you can leave the fan on for a few minutes after you leave the garage....

Also, if you use a two speed fan, you can turn it up if you have guests helping you smoke the place up.

[BrightonCorgi]

I think the fan will pump out the smoke with garage door open no problem. 

[mygar]

11 hours ago, Lt4-396 said:

There are many many different variables involved with this but I will just point out some things to consider and ask a few questions to hopefully provide a better install/finished outcome.

Definitely don't open the large door as you do want to keep a negative pressure in that area. Also inlet location is just as important as exhaust location. If you can have an inlet opposite or across from where the exhaust is, that will help. Even bigger bonus if you can sit between the inlet and outlet as the "stream" of fresh air will carry the smoke out especially if the inlet is low or preferably on the ground.

Personally, I always upsize the equipment and try to always run at less then 100%. Having a 12" fan pulling 1200cfm working at 75% will be significantly quieter than a 10" fan at 1200cfm and 100%. Those ratings are also usually without ductwork and no restrictions, just keep that in mind.

Think about vibration as well. Is this going to be rigidly mounted to a beam or hung using a rubber/silicone interface. Also use HVAC grade tape on any and all connections. It's tempting to use duct tape due to costs but trust me it does not last especially in the heat.

Since it's a garage it's not nearly as important but consider the air velocity in the piping and more importantly across the inlet vent/register. Nothing is more annoying than the oddly pitched tone this can create. You can play with duct diameter to change this.

Are you going to have a dampener or another means to close the system or are you ok with having a direct path from your garage to outside, obviously this depends what type of garage it is.

Depending how serious you want to get you can rent a smoke machine from a party store, fill the area, turn on the fan and watch for yourself what works best. I usually recommend this when function-over-form.

Feel free to PM me or ask any questions you may have.

Thank you for your reply!

You have given me some things to think about.

I agree with you on going larger, not taxing the unit at 100%, and to consider cfm loss due to friction. Regarding the register... I was going to place this directly overhead where I smoke, but I am concerned about the potential noise. As you said, I can play with the duct size and register type. 

I do not plan on installing a dampener. The garage is not heated so no worries about heat escaping to the outside.

Also, that is a very interesting idea using a smoke machine ... or I will invite everyone from my lounge over for testing as well!!

[mygar]

10 hours ago, Russell said:

Just had a cigar in my garage with a box fan in the window opposite from the garage door which was cracked 8”, worked like a charm. 🤣 But I envy the more legit route you’re heading. Best of luck brother! Keep us updated 👍🏼

Honestly ... this does work for me. But for it to work, I have to sit next to the large noisy fan. I'm trying to achieve a more lounge-like feel.

[mygar]

17 hours ago, garbandz said:

Also, if you use a two speed fan, you can turn it up if you have guests helping you smoke the place up.

The unit has a controller with a 10-speed setting.

[BossHogg]

I'm curious to know how much this helps when it is done. I'm considering getting a 20" Wall Mounted Shutter Exhaust Fan, Automatic Shutter, with Thermostat and Variable Speed controller, 2.2A, 3368 CFM, 5000 SQF Coverage Area.

I will mount it at the top of the garage where the vent is located. This will keep the garage cooler in the summer and provide an exhaust for the smoke when I enjoy a cigar in the garage.

Let me know how yours turns out please. 👍 

[mygar]

14 hours ago, BossHogg said:

I'm curious to know how much this helps when it is done. I'm considering getting a 20" Wall Mounted Shutter Exhaust Fan, Automatic Shutter, with Thermostat and Variable Speed controller, 2.2A, 3368 CFM, 5000 SQF Coverage Area.

I will mount it at the top of the garage where the vent is located. This will keep the garage cooler in the summer and provide an exhaust for the smoke when I enjoy a cigar in the garage.

Let me know how yours turns out please.

Will do!

[mygar]

18 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

I've got a similar fan setup, fan in the attic, register in the ceiling, exhaust out the garage roof. I also had to set a stand fan (pointed up to the register) next to me while smoking. Before I did that, the smoke would just gather around me since the fan simply can't pull air off the floor to the ceiling. I also used to crack the main garage door a tiny bit for air exchange, but we get a lot of wind outside that often created positive pressure, not good. Now, I leave the garage completely shut (it's certainly not tightly sealed) turn on the ceiling fan, turn on the stand fan, and turn on the air cleaner in the laundry/mud room. Works really well and any smell that gets into the mud room from opening the door or just seepage gets eaten up by the air cleaner pretty quickly. I haven't found a zero odor solution yet but I've minimized it to the point that my wife can simply fire up one of her smelly candles now and she's happy. I haven't heard a complaint or gotten the held nose sign in a while. Good luck.

Thanks for giving me your experience on this. Whats the CFM rating of your fan?

[Chibearsv]

14 hours ago, mygar said:

Thanks for giving me your experience on this. Whats the CFM rating of your fan?

Mines only 350, so yours sounds like plenty.

[BrightonCorgi]

I'd imagine you'll need 10" ducting for real horsepower fan. Had to do this for a commercial style hood vent at home.

[Cigar Surgeon]

I haven't posted my article on my home lounge build yet but some insights to key questions:

You won't be disappointed by having a fan that's overkill. The worst case scenario is you run it on lower setting. 

You'll definitely want to run it on low after you're done, I run mine on 10% overnight and the smell is pretty much completely gone by morning. 

[CaptainQuintero]

Is it for smell or health reasons? Or both I guess.

[mygar]

5 hours ago, CaptainQuintero said:

Is it for smell or health reasons? Or both I guess.

Both for sure.

[Jackdani7401]

I looked at doing something similar to what you’re considering. Ultimately, I ended up with this. 

AC Infinity AIRLIFT S16, Shutter Exhaust Fan 16” with 10-Speed Controller, EC Motor - Wall Mount Ventilation and Cooling for Sheds, Attics, Workshops, and Greenhouses https://a.co/d/3Wv8mQ3

10 speed controller and smoking alone I never use it over speed 3. Myself and 4 buddies I turned it up to 6 and it kept up quite nicely. I keep my doors closed, as they are not tightly sealed and allow for sufficient air flow. I’m in Michigan and the garage is cold enough on its own. There is enough airflow around my doors to allow the fan to actively pull out the smoke and still maintain the negative pressure so the smoke doesn’t end up in the house. 
 

The downside was I had to cut a hole in the outside wall. It fit nicely between the studs and I already had an outlet close by. 
 

I'm sitting under the fan and it’s on 3 speed in the video. 

[mygar]

Thanks for the video... it looks like it works great!

[Sir. smokes alot]

You can get and air atomizer as well. I have one out in my shop and it works wonders. It will completely take the smell out of the air. 

[01Vert]

I am running two 560 cfm 8” fans on independent, variable fan controllers.  8” flexible ducts to registers in the ceilings with the fans rubber mounted to the exterior walls and not the ceiling trusses.

Room is under 2000 cu ft so I am way overkill on air exchange and have not turned them all the way up as the split unit would not keep up with the loss of warm air.  Mine are extremely quiet with virtually zero noise from air movement and only an almost inaudible ‘hum’ from the whole assembly   

Definitely get a big of a fan as you can afford or run two.   Running them slower and in a duct that has some length and a 90 degree turn will eliminate a ton of noise too.  I did not use rigid pipe as I was afraid I would get a harmonic at some speed from the air or the assembly vibrating.  I did not want to hear a 60hz hum from the fan, either.  

FYI large ducting can get expensive and an outside vent cap over 8 inches gets HUGE so you may want to look into two smaller fans.  EDIT  I see you are using a roof vent instead of a wall vent.   Just be VERY careful if your shingles are over 10 years old and do not cut and install in colder weather.   

I agree that running them overnight afterwards helps a lot.   

One thing I think you will find is that with a garage door open the room will have currents that the fan will not be able to overcome and smoke will swirl around.   It’s amazing in my room how moving a  small electric heater around or even sunlight on the skylights will affect the currents in the room.  

pics from during construction   

[El Presidente]

I am about to go through a den build next month. This thread has been most helpfull