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geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: portbaron on Sun, 24 June 2018, 03:12:19

Title: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: portbaron on Sun, 24 June 2018, 03:12:19
I just open a window (across the room though) and put a room fan next to my head blowing air over the board and away from me. Not sure if this is good enough. What do y'all do?
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 24 June 2018, 07:01:29
Don't ventilate..

Breath Deep...

Get' dat keyboard High. !!

mmmm.... soldering flux
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: Findecanor on Sun, 24 June 2018, 08:18:08
I have a generic air purifier with fan and filter but not carbon filter. I don't think it is enough...
I do however use disposable breath masks with carbon filter and do try to ventilate the room afterwards ... unless my neighbour could be smoking outside. I find cigarette smoke to be more unpleasant that solder fumes, even though it might be less toxic.

I have a few spare PC fans. Maybe I should build a air filter rig...
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: fanpeople on Sun, 24 June 2018, 09:04:11
Yeah just use your lungs to ventilate, organic filters are best.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: Parva Ovis on Sun, 24 June 2018, 10:05:11
I have a Hakko FA-400 fume absorber with carbon filter that works a treat, as long as whatever I'm soldering is really close to the absorber. Usually there's also a window cracked open and the ceiling fan is on, mainly just for the slight amount of heat.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: Rob27shred on Sun, 24 June 2018, 10:34:34
Don't ventilate..

Breath Deep...

Get' dat keyboard High. !!

mmmm.... soldering flux


This explains a lot TP... :p
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: MajorKoos on Sun, 24 June 2018, 12:10:06
Couple of things:
- Use a fan to keep your work area clear of fumes so you can breathe.  Open window is kinda mandatory.
- Use your breathing.  Inhale before starting to solder and then gently blow the fumes away from yourself while soldering a few points.  Stop soldering when you run out of breath, rinse and repeat.
- If you've got one of those carbon fume extractors use it too, but don't forget about your breathing because stray wisps of smoke can still escape.

The second one is super important.  You don't want to be sitting with your face over your soldering iron and inhaling that stuff.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Sun, 24 June 2018, 13:41:46
How long are you guys heating joints to get enough fumes to be a problem?

I just make sure the room I'm in has some air flow, never had to open windows or anything like that.

PS: There are a few older threads on this topic but I'm on .mobile and tapatalk is being dumb copying links.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 24 June 2018, 13:42:26
I don't think ya'll are soldering enough for filtration to make a huge difference..  Do it near a window with a fan blowin' out if you must..


Overall.. cigarette smoke is not really that harmful unless you're the actual smoker..   Once it's in the air, the PPM is very very small..  Unless you're around all the time,  the damage is minimal..

It's not terribly different from driving down the high way.



Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 24 June 2018, 13:47:12

This explains a lot TP... :p

[attach=1]
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: chuckdee on Sun, 24 June 2018, 23:17:59
I use a fume extractor: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007ZLH4Q/
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: typo on Mon, 25 June 2018, 00:28:46
proper setup with soldering station under a hood with forced exhaust to outside. No, you really do not want to breathe that. I know you joking TP.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: fanpeople on Mon, 25 June 2018, 04:41:35
proper setup with soldering station under a hood with forced exhaust to outside. No, you really do not want to breathe that. I know you joking TP.

He is not joking.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: barrel on Tue, 26 June 2018, 06:39:16
I don't it's an eternal challenge to not die while soldering a board.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: DALExSNAIL on Tue, 26 June 2018, 06:43:27
I dont use anything tbh

LIVIN ON THE EDGE
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: gingerjack on Thu, 10 October 2019, 23:17:58
I can speak only from a hobbyist POV, still here are some options:


Of course, having a decent ventilation in the room is required - even an expensive fume extractor is of no use if the extracted smoke has nowhere to go! If you don't have a window you can open every once in a while, then it is better to either move your bench elsewhere or install a ventilation system first.
I always work with an air purifier (Houzetek (https://houseweather.org/best-smart-air-purifier/#product3) works for me just fine) + a regular anti dust mask. Better be safe than sorry.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: pixelpusher on Fri, 11 October 2019, 00:33:13
Nice necro!

It really is a lovely, intoxicating smell tho... I'd hate to remove it :)
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 11 October 2019, 04:45:40
I built a simple fume extractor. Wooden frame with feet, PC fan, carbon filter and fan grilles.
I soldered a couple header pins directly to a wall wart's cable and turned on the fan by plugging in the wall-wart.
Edit: There, Fixed.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: fanpeople on Fri, 11 October 2019, 05:22:56
I built a simple fume extractor. Wooden frame with feet, PC fan, carbon filter and fan grilles.
I soldered a couple header pins directly to a wall wart's cable and turn it on by plugging that in.

I am going to assume this means to a 12v line and not into 240/120 times the fun.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: Sintpinty on Fri, 11 October 2019, 20:49:16
I just open a window (across the room though) and put a room fan next to my head blowing air over the board and away from me. Not sure if this is good enough. What do y'all do?

Bold of you to assume i actually solder and have a area for working B)
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: ju6ju8Oo on Sat, 02 November 2019, 23:46:33
Get a 12V1A 12cm fan, attach an active charcoal onto the fan guard.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: romevi on Sun, 03 November 2019, 00:05:08
Don't ventilate..

Breath Deep...

Get' dat keyboard High. !!

mmmm.... soldering flux


fpbp
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 03 November 2019, 01:38:44
I've never ventilated, but I have heard that it is a good idea.

That smell though - brings back so many memories.
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: typo on Tue, 05 November 2019, 12:05:29
Often times I take up projects "seriously" and have for years so I have a "draft hood". I realize that would not be practical for everyone however. If you were doing it a lot or running a business, perhaps better than cancer?
Title: Re: How do you ventilate your soldering area?
Post by: jamster on Tue, 02 June 2020, 03:33:16
Those little "fume extractors" mentioned on this thread don't actually do anything. All they do is take the visible plume of solder smoke and put it through enough turbulent airflow to make it invisible- all the gunk is still in the room, as the tiny bit of token carbon-treated sponge is too insubstantial to do anything.

I've done air quality testing while soldering, with much bigger DIY versions of these "extractors" running. I've also tested with decent sized air purifiers running at full volume- they don't really do enough either in an enclosed room.

The only effective things are going to be extracting the air right outside, or using some kind of respirator (I now use a 3M respirator with VOC and particulate filters).