Air Filtration on a Scheduled Timer

[atourgates]

I'm trying to reduce dust in our 3-car garage and looking at air filtration systems. Specifically, the WEN 3410 3-Speed Remote-Controlled Air Filtration System.

Our garage gets dust in it from a few sources, including my (occasional) woodworking (I use source-collection, but that certainly doesn't eliminate fine particles from floating around), parking of dusty vehicles (we live on gravel roads) and dust coming in when the garage's windows and doors are open.

My thought was to install then WEN unit, and then figure out a way to automate it so that it can run for a specific amount of time every night. Say, 15-30 minutes, whatever I determine is enough to keep the dust down. Then, obviously I could also run it manually whenever I was doing something in the garage that would create dust.

Has anyone tried this?

I know the WEN has a timer, but it seems to be the "run for 30 minutes when you press a button" type of timer. Not the "run for 30 minutes every night at 10 PM" type of timer.

My thought was to use a WiFi smart plug to automate this, but that would only work if there's a way to set the WEN unit so that it turns on as soon as it gets power.

Is this possible? Is there a better solution I'm not thinking of?

 

[rlitman]

I have HEPA dust filtration units in my house. It helps a lot with my indoor cat allergies.
Anyway, the units I use all have dust sensors (basically PM2.5 counters) that automatically adjust the fan speed based on the air quality. I wonder if something like that exists for a shop...

 

[latenttweet]

I just looked up that WEN system pretty neat. However what i do is run a 20x20 box fan and just bungee cord a 20x20 HVAC filter. I've done this in almost every house i rented, in my grandmas house she has really bad mold/meldew smell and i was able to get rid of it with two filters in the house. i use 3M hepa. 3m Hepa would be too fine for the garage, unless you did a two stage and did a coarse than fine. hmm maybe i could make this with a small wood box. the WEN is cheap enough though. I also put eyelets on the fans and hung them with cables from the wall. It's a good setup for the house, because putting a normal hepa on your main HVAC unit can stress it out and reduce air flow as hepa is pretty restrictive.

Also when i do modular paint booth setups i use the same setup. I then add one of those outdoor light timers and just let the fan come on for 8 hours a day so that i am not wasting too much energy, i dont think it needs to be on the whole day.

 

[atourgates]

I found the manual for the WEN on their site - and it looks like there's no way to set it to automatically run when the unit gets power.

I'm guessing the most likely plan would be to get some IR-blaster type device, that sent out the "turn on" and "turn off" signals at a predetermined time. I can find a few that work with Alexa and Google Home, but I'm not sure if those will allow scheduled operation without my saying "Alexa, dust the garage!"

 

[adrenalinejeeper]

I found the manual for the WEN on their site - and it looks like there's no way to set it to automatically run when the unit gets power.

I'm guessing the most likely plan would be to get some IR-blaster type device, that sent out the "turn on" and "turn off" signals at a predetermined time. I can find a few that work with Alexa and Google Home, but I'm not sure if those will allow scheduled operation without my saying "Alexa, dust the garage!"

If you can get an IR blaster to learn the codes, and the IR blaster works with Alexa, look into getting a Hubitat hub to create a schedule. Hubitat has way more customization features than others and works with nearly everything.

 

[Itsjustdirt]

It seems like Alexa and a “smart outlet” plug would do
The trick as long as the smart outlet will support the fan’s energy needs

 

[bdbecker]

Logitech Harmony Hub
https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-hub

Kind of an expensive solution at $100, but it seems like it should be able to do what you are asking using the custom activities function.

 

[atourgates]

Logitech Harmony Hub

Kind of an expensive solution at $100, but it seems like it should be able to do what you are asking using the custom activities function.

Thanks - I can't post links but there's a device that's $15.99 on Amazon, called the "Wifi Smart IR Hub | IR Control Hub | Universal Remote Controller for Smart Home, Hand-free Compatible with Alexa & Google Home, One for All Infrared Controlled Home Devices TV, STB, Air Condition, DVD".

I'm sure it won't have the quality/UX of a Logitech device, but for $16 and Amazon's return policy, I'm willing to take a chance.

 

[turbowoodworker]

I don't understand the problem trying to be solved. Why would you want it to run everyday at a specific time (even if you have not worked that day)? The better filters (Delta, Jet, etc.) move more CFM and allow you to set the timer for 1 or 2 hours additional run time after you leave the shop, when work is done and all that fine dust settles.

 

[atourgates]

I don't understand the problem trying to be solved. Why would you want it to run everyday at a specific time (even if you have not worked that day)? The better filters (Delta, Jet, etc.) move more CFM and allow you to set the timer for 1 or 2 hours additional run time after you leave the shop, when work is done and all that fine dust settles.

See this bit from my original post:

Our garage gets dust in it from a few sources, including my (occasional) woodworking (I use source-collection, but that certainly doesn't eliminate fine particles from floating around), parking of dusty vehicles (we live on gravel roads) and dust coming in when the garage's windows and doors are open.

My hope is that by running the unit automatically for a set time every day, I can reduce garage dust from things that happen every day to create dust - e.g., outside dusty air coming in, and dusty vehicles coming in.

 

[matt_i]

What I would be worried about is the open-loop blind eye to humidity.

Filling a cold-er shop with moist humid air, especially as the dew point is approached at night, is a recipe for rust or a bucket of fluid film that has to be slathered on everything. Directionally wrong for a woodshop imo.

Running the internal filtration units (hanging style which recirc air thru a pleated filter) would be a far better idea imo, but their utility is best when fine dust is generated and filling the air. The best mod would be a timer-off-delay so it runs for a couple hours after you cease work.

 

[atourgates]

Running the internal filtration units (hanging style which recirc air thru a pleated filter) would be a far better idea imo, but their utility is best when fine dust is generated and filling the air. The best mod would be a timer-off-delay so it runs for a couple hours after you cease work.

Unless I'm grossly mistaken (which wouldn't be the first time) the Wen unit I'm looking at is the internal recirculating kind you're describing.

Here's a photo:

 

[fitter30]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075H1WLJ1/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is good to 1/2 hp but other go to 1 hp

 

[atourgates]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075H1WLJ1/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is good to 1/2 hp but other go to 1 hp

The challenge I think I'd have with that, and other power switch-based control units, is that the Wen defaults to being off. As far as I can tell, there's no way to set the Wen to turn on as soon as it gets power, without either pressing a button on the unit, or sending a signal from the remote.

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Wen and $16 IR blaster, so I'll experiment and report back with my findings.

 

[bdbecker]

Thanks - I can't post links but there's a device that's $15.99 on Amazon, called the "Wifi Smart IR Hub | IR Control Hub | Universal Remote Controller for Smart Home, Hand-free Compatible with Alexa & Google Home, One for All Infrared Controlled Home Devices TV, STB, Air Condition, DVD".

I'm sure it won't have the quality/UX of a Logitech device, but for $16 and Amazon's return policy, I'm willing to take a chance.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L9VV9N8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I'm definitely intrigued - looking forward to hearing how well it works.

 

[fitter30]

Heres there tech line. There has to be a easy fix.
800-232-1195 (M-F 8AM-5PM CST)

 

[bwringer]

Rig up a solenoid with a cheap timer to poke the switch at 10pm? Could be hilarious with a rubber zombie finger on a stick...

https://www.rubegoldberg.com/

 

[exranger06]

Maybe look into getting a simpler, not-electronic system that turns on and off with a simple toggle switch. Plug it into a light timer.

 

[K13]

This whole theory of turning it on at 10 at night makes no sense to me. You need to filter the dust out of the air while it is floating in the air. I would have to imagine unless you are doing things in your garage to create dust shortly before your automatic system comes on all the other dust is going to have settled on everything just like it is doing currently and the automated filtration will do next to nothing in reducing the problem.

 

[99driver]

If you're just looking to operate the fan. Chances are there are 2 spade terminals that take the input power and put it into the control board. The control board then probably just powers a solenoid which would have more spade connectors.

Check the motor but it is likely a 110v motor. Rewire the thing so it bypasses the solenoid and the control board. You plug it in and it turns on. It would then be easy to get a wifi controlled outlet or timer or something simple to run your now "dumb" fan.

That would work if you're sold on the WEN system.

 

[homebuilt burner]

I would put a $15 Christmas light timer on a $15 20x20 box fan with a $3 furnace filter. Run it 4 or 5 times a day during high dust times for half an hour.

 

[bdbecker]

...I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Wen and $16 IR blaster, so I'll experiment and report back with my findings.

Any update on this? Does the system work like you had hoped? How do you like the Wen unit?

Now that my ceiling is all sealed up and insulated, I definitely need to do something to help with air quality during these winter months. I've been looking at air filter systems and stumbled back onto this thread and was just curious as to how everything panned out.