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Snakeroom ventiliation

guttersnacks Apr 19, 2006 05:21 PM

My snakeroom "in progress" will be a back room in my garage that measures about 12x16 with 10 foot ceilings.
I live in southeast Virginia.

I am thinking about installing 2 bathroom vent fans in the ceiling and running the vent line directly into the soffit area of the roof on the garage, this gives me a direct dump and draw to the outside air. I want one fan to draw and the other to vent. I'll put each on opposite sides of the room. My problem is that I am not sure if newer products on the market are going to be able to be reversed like some older ones I've seen in home when I used to do remodeling.
Does any one have any experience with newer units and reversing the polarity on them? Or is there maybe a better solution to bring clean air into the room? I dont want to use air from the garage as a source as I do a lot of work on vehicles and want to avoid the chemical smells and sawdust from the tools.

Thanx

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Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

Replies (7)

jayf Apr 19, 2006 06:03 PM

I think your best bet would be to try to figure out how to reverse the newer vents and just pull in air.

The room is not air tight so air will escape as it is pushed out by the fresh air. So no need to have a vent out fixture also.

The problem I see is that if you do not want to pull from the garage air you should try to pull from the house air instead of outside air. I think if you pull from outside air it will cause large fluctuations in your room temperature.
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- Jason F.

chris_harper2 Apr 19, 2006 09:38 PM

My snakeroom is also in the back of my garage. I did some research and basically found that just regular opening and closing the door of a snake room is enough air exchange.

Someday I may run a supply line to my house. I won't hook a fan up to it as I already have an exaust fan. When that runs it would create the suction necessary to pull air from the house.

Unfortunately my snake room does open up to where I cut wood so I am worried about dust. I'm going to build an air cleaner and try to get dust collection hooked up to my table saw soon.

I may also build an air cleaner for my snake room. Nothing more than a fan that pulls air through a tight box with a furnace filter at one end. Pretty simple and cheap, especially if you can find an old HVAC fan.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

guttersnacks Apr 19, 2006 11:26 PM

There, I just corrected myself.

Good idea about the air cleaner Chris. I was kind of thinking the same thing, sort of but not with a HVAC blower. Thats gonna have some power. Wow.
Part of the reason I ask is because of daily snake poop contributions to a stinky room, or if someone pukes and I dont get into the room for 24 hours or so. It'll be pretty ripe, and Im looking for some way to really air the room out quickly. I guess a large room fan in the door pointing out to the garage would work fine too when necessary.

Thanks for the insight guys. I'll figger sumpin out.
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Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

bighurt Apr 20, 2006 04:30 AM

>>Part of the reason I ask is because of daily snake poop contributions to a stinky room, or if someone pukes and I dont get into the room for 24 hours or so. It'll be pretty ripe, and Im looking for some way to really air the room out quickly.

Just wanted to add that moving the air in the room or venting will not help in that particular situation as much as you hope. The problem is the source of the smell, the only way to eliminate the odor is to eliminate the source.

Chris, is right about the air exchange you will get plenty by just opening and closing the door when you come and go.

A purifier will be nice but I don't think in your situation it will provide as much relief as you hope. Regardless you will have better air.

Jeremy
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

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0.0.1 Youth -coming soon-

guttersnacks Apr 20, 2006 02:21 PM

Right, well obviously ventilation is not going to un-stink a partially digested mouse, my point was to help get rid of the lingering smell after I dispose of the gooey rat. This doesnt happen often for me, but it will happen once or twice a year, and it's nice to be able to deal with it quickly.
The only door I have to the snakeroom opens right up into the garage, so again, I do not want to depend on air from the garage to replace whats in the snakeroom.
Maybe Im just over-explaing/over-thinking what Im trying to achieve. I take what ya'll have suggested and pick what I need. I appreciate your time.
The 20" duct fan "scrubber" idea sounds good. It would be cool to be able to also integrate a charcoal filter too.
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Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

chris_harper2 Apr 20, 2006 09:31 AM

I found a discussion on a woodworking forum about homemade air filters/cleaners. There was one idea that makes you think "Why didn't I think of that myself, D'Oh!".

Just take a 20" box fan and use duct-tape to attach a 20"x20"x2" furnace filter to it. So cheap you can have a few of them around your shop and even one in your herp room.

Needless to say I'll be keeping my eye open for a sale on 20" box fans.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

LKirkland Apr 21, 2006 02:48 AM

It works pretty well. Cheap.
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Louis Kirkland
Cornerstone Reptiles

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