Vent cfm

[jjbuck]

Want to set up a burner and hood. How many CFM exhast fan is recommended for a basement setup?

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[bf514921]

I run a 600 cfm, but I am only worried about steam, and brew electric

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[jjbuck]

I will be using a Blichman floor burner converted to NG.

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[DrPaulsen]

Mine is around 400 cfm and it's not quite enough. I open a few windows and run a fan to make up the extra. I bet 600+ cfm would work.

[Matt F]

When researching mine I believe the recommendation is ratio of 100 btu = 1 cfm. So 70,000 BTU burner = 700 cfm. You need an equivalent amount of make up air which can be forced air and also air volume in a room. I can run my 1,600 cfm exhaust with a 500 cfm make up air fan and a large volume room, my bar and rec room, with no issues. I usually crack a window to contribute more make up air. No issues in over 10 years.

[jjbuck]

Thanks guys. This makes it easier to shop.

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[tony b]

Hey John! Hope things are going well for you!

You will have the exact burner setup that I have. My exhaust fan is 400 cfm and I am in a big open room with a door leading to the rest of the house. It works OK. Occasionally it will get a bit humid in the brew room, especially in summer, but I have a window right next to the burner that I can open if I need to (rarely).

[UndeadFred]

Be careful with anything over about 250 CFM with the makeup air. Any flame sourced heat (gas water heater, fireplace) can and will suck back Carbon Monoxide and/or ashes if you don't at least crack a window somewhere when you run the rig. Very large kitchen vent fans often have a smaller outside air draw fan somewhere else in the room or house to make up for this.

But with common sense you can go big..

[JimPotts]

UndeadFred, that's a really good point, for those of us with non-sealed-burner water heaters (probably most of us).

There have been times when I've had a downdraft from my water heater, just due to outside wind and a screwy air pattern in my house. Fortunately, mine burns pretty "clean."

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[Matt F]

Safety first. Don't do this without Co2 & natural gas detector. Mine has read 0 the 10+ years I have been brewing in my basement. Many folks in this forum have seen it in action.