Is Central Vac in brew area a problem?

HBTers,

The movers are coming Monday to get us moved into our "new" house. Shortly, we will be installing a central vacuum system into the main floor of the house. There is a 14' wide x 32' long area of unfinished space at one end of the basement that will be a great place for a workshop/brew area. It's also the ideal location to place the main unit for the central vacuum.

I'm certain that many very, very fine particles (spores, bacteria, etc) go straight thru the filters in these units, but I don't know for certain. Of course, I would not be brewing during actual vacuuming.

I know that folks brew/ferment/bottle in garages and basements that have all sorts of possible contaminants and still make great beer. Someone did say that it might not be a great idea to make cheese and brew beer in the same small area.

Does anyone see a problem with brewing in the same space as the central vacuum unit? There is another location I could place this thing, but it would be easier in the shop.

Thanks,
Keith

I'd say it will be a problem, but you already suspect so. But it's easy to solve - why not route the central vacuum exhaust outside the house?

I agree.
I wouldn't want to brew anywhere near the central vacuum unless you vent the exhaust outside the house.
I don't think it's and if, but a when for getting horrible infections in your beer.
You are moving tremendous volumes of air from the entire house and it's all blowing through dirt.

I really don't see too much of an issue. All of the things your worried about are already in your house. I use a vacuum in my brew room all the time. The airlocks should keep everything fine with your brews. Now, I wouldn't go transferring beer while the vac was running. But just because it's in the room, I don't see an issue. But, if its something your worried about, then do what makes you happy. Trust me, I have plenty of what my wife calls 'issues' or 'rituals' that seem silly/useless to others.

I would vent the central vac outside regardless of whether I were brewing in the area or not. Simply smell the exhaust from a vacuum and then decide. There are lots of dust mites and other nasties that don't get trapped by the system. I would rather have them forced to live outside.

ChuckO said:

I would vent the central vac outside regardless of whether I were brewing in the area or not. Simply smell the exhaust from a vacuum and then decide. There are lots of dust mites and other nasties that don't get trapped by the system. I would rather have them forced to live outside.

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Agreed.

It doesn't sound ideal but at the same time there's stuff in the air normally we don't want in our brews so we sanitize and such. Routing the exhaust outside would be an idea, but there are a couple things to consider if you do that. Routing the exhaust outside will create a negative pressure inside the house.

Modern homes are sealed up pretty darn tight so that could result in flu gas getting pulled in through the chimney if you have a gas hot water heater or furnace, probably unless it's the high efficiency condensing type. It would make a probably negligible impact on energy costs; basically you'd be pulling in air from outside the house for makeup air for what the vacuum exhausts, so then that air will have to get heated/cooled by the hvac.

You haven't been in a room where a central vacuum dumps into. If you had your opinion would be different.