BrewHark
Active Member
So after 3 full 9-10 hour days of f*#&ing around with my exhaust issues I finally figured it out. I have a 38.5' run with 4 90 degree turns and a slight "jump" over some other duct work. I have a 24"w x 72"L x 12"tall stainless hood. First, what didn't work:
First attempt: ran all duct work, screwed and taped (metal tape) all seams and connections. The exhaust port comes from the top of the hood, so my first 90 degree bend is about 3 feet above the hood. To start, i used the s-600 fan by Vortex (347 CFM) about 12" after the first bend. The exhaust was blowing out of the house just fine, but the fan was leaking like a sieve.
Second attempt: removed all ductwork and wrapped the 6" duct with insulation. for the insulation, I used 8" insulated fleixble duct and just ran it over the 6" duct. I move the fan down the line to the lowest spot on the 38.5' run, which happens to be about 12' short of the outside vent and just before 2 90 degree turns. No leaking in the duct work, but again the fan leaked like crazy. I tried calking and taping the fan but the way it sets in the bracket makes it almost impossible to waterproof.
Third attempt: New fan similar to the one Kal uses (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072DTPTJY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20). I also re-pitched all the duct work to ensure that the low point occurred was 6" beyond the fan, which is almost directly over the sump pump in the unfinished part of my basement. I ran a rigorous boil for 90 minutes and ended up with a spot on the floor about 2" in diameter and no leaks anywhere in the duct work. This fan was more powerful than the last and did not appear to generate anywhere near the same level of condensation as the prior fan. the water collected in the bottom of the fan and dripped very slowly out of the bottom screw. I removed the screw near the end of the boil to see how much water collected and it was only about 2 tbs full. That is success in my book. Note: that with this fan, if you install it with the bracket in the same position it comes out of the box, the plug will be on the bottom of the fan housing. You definitely don't want water dripping over the electrical box, so I had to drill some new holes to reorient the bracket.
I hope this helps someone avoid the frustration I had during this process. My wife said I reminded her of Ralphie's Dad (Christmas Story) fighting with the furnace in the basement.
First attempt: ran all duct work, screwed and taped (metal tape) all seams and connections. The exhaust port comes from the top of the hood, so my first 90 degree bend is about 3 feet above the hood. To start, i used the s-600 fan by Vortex (347 CFM) about 12" after the first bend. The exhaust was blowing out of the house just fine, but the fan was leaking like a sieve.
Second attempt: removed all ductwork and wrapped the 6" duct with insulation. for the insulation, I used 8" insulated fleixble duct and just ran it over the 6" duct. I move the fan down the line to the lowest spot on the 38.5' run, which happens to be about 12' short of the outside vent and just before 2 90 degree turns. No leaking in the duct work, but again the fan leaked like crazy. I tried calking and taping the fan but the way it sets in the bracket makes it almost impossible to waterproof.
Third attempt: New fan similar to the one Kal uses (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072DTPTJY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20). I also re-pitched all the duct work to ensure that the low point occurred was 6" beyond the fan, which is almost directly over the sump pump in the unfinished part of my basement. I ran a rigorous boil for 90 minutes and ended up with a spot on the floor about 2" in diameter and no leaks anywhere in the duct work. This fan was more powerful than the last and did not appear to generate anywhere near the same level of condensation as the prior fan. the water collected in the bottom of the fan and dripped very slowly out of the bottom screw. I removed the screw near the end of the boil to see how much water collected and it was only about 2 tbs full. That is success in my book. Note: that with this fan, if you install it with the bracket in the same position it comes out of the box, the plug will be on the bottom of the fan housing. You definitely don't want water dripping over the electrical box, so I had to drill some new holes to reorient the bracket.
I hope this helps someone avoid the frustration I had during this process. My wife said I reminded her of Ralphie's Dad (Christmas Story) fighting with the furnace in the basement.
