How can I save time and money while putting in dust collector ductwork?
Some people have come up with some creative solutions for this question.  Obviously you can’t really take any shortcuts on the major equipment.  But what about the ductwork?  It doesn’t look like it should take precision engineering to hook up some pipes to carry dust out of your machines, does it?

Here are a couple things people have tried.  To save money some people have used plastic PVC pipe.  But are these good ideas?  No.  Flex ducting is safe to use and is an accepted practice in the dust collection industry but should be minimized, while PVC runs the risk of explosions… and both will run up your electric bill and overwork your dust collector blower.  There is a solution available that provides economic operation, flexibility and easy, inexpensive installation;  we will get to that soon, but first let’s cover the dangerous topics.

Definitely do not use PVC for dust collector ductwork.  Dust passing through the PVC can create enough static electricity to cause an explosion.  And this is not like the explosion danger signs you see at the gas station warning you not to use cell phones while pumping gas.  PVC pipe used on a dust collector creates powerful electricity that will give you a painful shock and straighten your hair.  PVC is made for water and is not safe to use for transporting dust.  There is no easy way to ground the PVC pipe used as ductwork.  Metal ductwork naturally grounds itself.  The other problem with PVC pipe used for ductwork is static pressure.  Radius for elbows and T-fittings are too small to allow decent airflow.  Air and dust moving through the ducts must take changes in direction along a gentle radius.  Asking the air and dust to turn a sharp corner will cause a major clog.  To even run the system without dust, air would still slow down at the elbows and t-connections, causing static pressure that will over work the dust collector motor.

Now let’s consider flex ducting.  Flexible ducting should be avoided if possible.  Flexible duct also causes increased static pressure.  The accordian like ridges in the sides of flex duct make nitches that trap the air.  To picture the turbulence inside flex duct, imagine driving along the highway and then suddenly the smooth road turns to bumpy gravel.  When air hits the flex duct, you can hear the difference.  To minimize the issues of flex duct, use as little of it as possible.  Keep your ductwork metal, with a smooth inner wall wherever possible. 

Now, do you want to know the best way to save time and money on your ductwork?
Careful planning always saves time and money.  Draw out the entire system to scale, including machines and ducts.  Draw both the top and side view.  This will help you plan the correct sizes for everything.

As far as duct material, you can save a lot on installation by using Quick-Fit by Nordfab.  It gives you all the advantages of metal ducting without all the extra supplies and labor.   Watch the Nordfab ductwork movie.  Each piece is prefabricated and cut to your correct size.  When you put it together, the peices clamp together perfectly without the use of tools, caulk, screws, welding or saws.  No need for an expensive crane, just start at one end, hold the piece in place and snap on the clamp.  Being a modular system, the ducts can be disassembled and reconfigured …making floor plan changes quick and easy.  It can even fit onto existing standard ductwork.  Installation is fast and simple, yet the ductwork is perfectly stable for permanent use indoors or outdoors.

All inquiries about the Nordfab ducting system will be sent to Lisa Johnson at Nordfab.  Just fill out the contact form on this website.

Finally lets look at that electric bill…  what can you do to lower it?  Turning out the lights when you leave the room is one idea, but take it to the next level and you can really save money.  Running dust collectors all day long uses a good amount of electricity.  A product called the ECO-GATE can turn off your dust collector when not in use.  Furthermore, it can even turn down the motor of a central ducted system to accomodate how many machines are running at one time or another.  The Ecogate system uses sensors to control the blast gates and regulate the dust collector blower speed.

Dave Bayseck is very knowledgeable and can answer all questions about the Ecogate products.  Click "contact us" to send a message about the Ecogate.