Thanks for the confirmation. I use the filtered box fan on all my construction jobs. Also, I use two in my basement work shop. Depending on my work load, the filters clog up. I the vacuum to remove the dust from the filters and keep on working. Keep up the excellent job. Thanks for sharing.
I have had a 20" box fan/filter mounted in the middle ceiling of my 24x24 shop for a few years. Mounted the fan upside down so the control is in easy reach and the mounting frame I built enables me to slide the 20x20x2 filters (or two 20x20x1 filters) in and out. Under $20 for the fan, built the frame out of scrap lumber... so it just costs me the filters I change about once a month... also wired it to my lights so when the lights come on so does the fan.
I use shrink wrap for securing palets, super quick to change filters. Also worked great in the house this summer when Seattle was swimming in smoke from the fires in B.C.
I've been watching a lot of boxfan-filter build vids since the air cleaner I wanted went on backorder and un-coincidentally doubled in price in the meantime. But I was concerned that no one was saying how comparable it was at cleaning. THIS is what I needed to know. Thanks!
Great video , one suggestion I built mine with a pair of staged filters one super cheap Duststop mesh type filter in front to remove the larger particles and a higher grade MERV 11 behind. I end up changing about 3 of the dust filters for every 1 of the MERV 11 filters and it means my MERV 11s last about 4 times as long as they did before adding the dust filters.
@@keithlake5342My furnace filter box is designed for one 4 in. thick X 20 X 25. Now use a 3 in. thick X 20 X 25 with a 1 in. thick as a prefilter. I don't think a cheap, low efficiency prefilter restricts the airflow. It just grabs the large particles allowing the larger high efficiency filter to do it's job better and last longer. The furnace manufacturer is fine with this configuration and it doesn't affect their warranty, so restriction must be minimal.
Had to come here for the comments! EXCELLENT low budget solution (hell a great solution period) to people who make excuses for not having air filtration (ahem, me until recently). The cheaper air cleaners don't push that many CFMs and your box fan solution is awesome. The better models have three speeds and can move a lot more air and have washable secondary filters. The unit I just put in my shop is 550,700,1050 CFMs Low/medium/high repectively costs about $350. Do what you will with that, but I have an odd shaped shop so I might add some box fan/filter doohickeys in the dead zones to help clear the air. Thanks brother!
I’ve used filter buy for YEARS. I would have no idea when to change my filters if it wasn’t for them. I even tried to price out a subscription on Amazon and they couldn’t compete on price. Great service
I guess it just depends on what filters you are getting. I find that Amazon is waaaay cheaper on filters. I use the 20 x 20 x 1 MERV 11 filters and Filterbuy is about $16 more for a 6 pack.
This info seems a great addition to Mathias Wandel's vid on this idea. Years ago, after much thought, i decided to vent ALL my dust extraction from machines AND air filtration straight outside. The dust/chips from the 2hp dust extraction unit, and the air cleaning fans all exit my workshop well away from the doors. I have an air inlet into the shop with a flap valve to replace the dusty air that is removed with clean outside air, also well away from the outlet. The plus side to this is no filters to buy and replace,no resistance caused by filters, and no doubts about the particle size actually captured by filters. The downside to this method is not everyone can vent dust straight outside without causing nuisance to others (my shop is well away from other buildings), and of course i lose heat quickly from the shop in the winter. However, for me here in the UK, any heat lost is quickly replaced by my wood stove which is fed with offcuts and a plentiful supply of pallet wood!
I have been building air scrubbers for about 50 years now. I make a square frame which holds 4 biggest furnace filters I can find, mount a recycled squirrel cage furnace blower blowing straight up through the top 1/2" plywood and a solid plywood bottom with 4 castors. Generally the 4 filters are the only out of pocket cost since there is always scrap wood in the shop and blowers are always in the dump (I grab them when I see them). Add a toggle switch in a handy box to turn it on and off. This baby clears the air so fast people can't believe it. Some blowers are multi speed as well so I use switches to control the speed. You can modify it with lots of different filters like static self charging style for fine dust. I generally just blow the filters clean outside using compressed air so you get a lot of mileage out of those 4 filters. I also make wall hanger models for behind and below router and saw tables. We have made over 9000 bell siphons in my shop so I have to filter the PVC sawdust and it does an amazing job. I make slots for the filters so they just slide in and out for replacement or cleaning. I'll have to do a video on my channel. Btw a furnace blower is far more powerful than a "box fan" so it handles filter restrictions far better. Box fans have no real power.
@@jimtruninger8839 probably through my fb page "Smoky Mountain Aquaponics and Homesteading". Very busy getting bell siphon orders out until noon but we can correspond after noon.
@@alphaclean3364 my wife says the same thing lol. I have so many videos I need to make I have trouble choosing where to start. Perhaps I can make this my next one.
I am not surprised but I never would have done what I'm about to do, install a filter on my 2 box fans, usually in the summer, I open a patio door in my shop, hang a box fan in the middle of the opening, and just start the fan, especially when I am sanding, and no dust settles in my shop, you can see the air sucked out by the fan....Now I will use the fan all year around, and filter the air, THANKS to you...!!! Super informative video, thanks again! and keep them coming!
Yeah, straight outside, that's what I do! However, rather than just hang your fan in an open doorway, i have found it much more effective to have the fan fitted tightly into a hole through a closed door or wall, with an air inlet at the other end of the shop.
I really enjoy all the knowledge that you share. Not only are you a very talented craftsman, you share how to be safe and cost effective. Thanks Izzy, looking forward to more of your tips to the trades.
Fan $7 at goodwill Filter $2 Home Depot ( I bought a 3 pack) Clear air for an entire bedroom remodel. Oh! I used some tape up holding the filters. Mount the filter in the garage after remodel
Got one rigged up next to the belt sander..... Huge difference and like you say... We have been using it for about 6-7 years and the fan is still alive with out issues.. 💪🏻
My first box of filters came yesterday. The quality is better than what I have been getting from the box stores, even for a higher price. Ordered Friday morning while I was eating breakfast, had an email that they had shipped by lunch that day and were delivered on Monday. Thanks for passing on their info
This box fan idea with merv filters might work well for cleaning the air in your home too! Not as fancy or good looking as an expensive HEPA air purifier but much cheaper and still effective. I heard many people are putting this idea to good use in California, Oregon and Washington State to help reduce the smoke from the wildfires in their home. Thanks Izzy 👍
I just used a used squirrel cage blower from a hot air furnace,a lot more cfm and actually designed to pull air through filters. Just built a box around it and added a filters on 3 sides.Wired up to a switch on the wall and it has 2 speeds with somewhere around 800-2500 cfm. Seen similar used fans for as low as $40 on marketplace,craigslist,etc. You can also build it to direct the exhaust airflow where ever you want it to go.
I been doing this for over 30 years. I first saw an attachment sold by Sportsman Guide magazine for 20" box fans and thought to myself, why buy that for $35 when I can just attach a 20x20 filter to the back! Viola! It works great! I have two in my garage shop. They work beautifully. I hang the fans upside down though so I can reach the knobs from the floor. I have used them in the house to while doing remodeling work to keep the dust down and out of the rest of the house.
Great info! I've had that Wen air filter in my Amazon shopping cart for months just waiting to pull the trigger. Guess I'll delete that item and get two box fans. The filter site is also super helpful for my ancient household heating system. Thanks!
I made a box fan and air purifiers with the filters...omgosh I absolutely love this. No smells, dust, particles..thank you I absolutely love my home air purifiers.
I have two box fans with furnace filters suspended from a 10' ceiling wired to go on & off with the lights (20x22 shop) plus a reasonably good dust collection system and I'm amazed how often I need to change the filters. The box fan/filter works!
could you explain how you have the fans orientated? My ceiling is too low for the fan to suspend vertically. Could you lay the box fan vertically and suspend it about 12 in from the ceiling?
Ron, mine are mounted vertically as they sit on the table in front of Izzy with the bottom ~7' off the floor. The speed control on/off is at the bottom. They are side by side so there is 2x4 of fan, maybe an overkill. Thinking about your ceiling height, the fan could be mounted horizontal (~6' off the floor for head clearance) so to blow the air up with filter on the intake side (bottom) of course. Or put it perpendicular on a wall or Jay Bates put a set up incorporated into a cart or cabinet. Lots of options, I played around with mine a little but the bottom line it takes "a lot" of dust out of the air for very little money, mine is 4 years old and going strong. I'm retired and remodeling my house so I'm in the shop all most every day.
I went back and forth for a while. But ended up going with the WEN becuase of the remote and moreover, the timer. It's so nice to set it, forget it and come back to a clean shop.
As it happens, I’ve just had a 20x20 pad poured and will be building my shop on it. I have a filter like Jay Bates built with an AC motor/blower. It uses 3-24x24 filters and does a great job. After watching this, I’ll be adding a few box fans on a switched circuit in all 4 corners of the shop! Thanks!
Great subject Izzy, I have that same Wen air filtration system hanging over my TS I have a DC system for all of my tools with inch ducts. The Wen still picks up a lot of dust. I try do my sanding outside when I can, however when t can not I use a box fan and filter on the bench beside me. What a difference that makes in filtering them air. My DC system has a .5 micron air exhaust filter. I some times open a few blast gates that open up to the room when I cut MDF.
Thanks Izzy, I've seen many box fan solutions and am making one for myself now that you did all the research and convinced me it's the best way to go. You'd be surprised how many box fans are sitting at the curb on trash days now that winter is coming 🙃
Izzy, the metal in the filters are not for electrostatic, they are to keep the filter from pulling the filter media out of the filter frame and into the fan. I have the big brother to that WEN fan and mine does 556 to 1044 CFM. While it’s more expensive than a box fan I prefer it over hacking a box fan, but that’s just me. I like the ability to have the remote on/off, fan speed, and timer function that I would have to hack the box fan. Again, some people might enjoy that but that’s just not me. Your information in the video was good though and gives people something to contemplate. I love my WEN air filter and always set it to run after I leave the shop for at least 1 hour to remove the airborne particles. And always use a respirator or dust mask as well when making dust. Love the videos, keep ‘`em coming!
Ummm...not true on the wire mesh. That wire mesh is not needed to keep the filter in the frame of the frame. An electrical charge is built up by the air moving through the filter. It DOES electrically charge the filter (3 HVAC guys...and no, not filter guys) have told me this, and showed me the differences. I have PLENTY of filters without that wire mesh in them. I buy the cheapest filter I can for my box fans, and they don't have the wire mesh. You can also get the glass fiber filters that have no wire in them... I have heard the argument that "the box fan has an exposed motor, therefore potentially sparking, and potentially causing an explosion". The explosion? Think Grain Silo explosions (fine dust, spark, boom). Now then, I've been told that this can happen with box fans, and that the "shop air cleaners" are sealed motors to prevent this. Is it BS? Maybe, maybe not. I know PLENTY of people running box fans instead of air cleaners, and have for 20 years or more...never a problem. In the end, do what you want. You are responsible for your own safety. My motor knowledge and electrical knowledge tell me that yes, this isn't the wisest thing to do....but my practical knowledge tells me go for it...as *I* have never heard of one of these blowing up...and I know tons of people using a cobbled together filter system, and have been using them for 20 or more years...
@@WreckDiver99 what you say about the sealed motors is interesting........it made me think about the motor on the table saw.........is it a sealed motor or not,,,,,,,,.......do you have any thoughts on this .....please respond......thanks.
@@yardlimit8695 I think it depends on the saw and location. The motor on my table saw is sealed...the one on my dad's is not. The difference? My motor is located inside the saw, my dad's hangs off the back. In general the problem with table saws isn't that major because USUALLY (no, not always of course) the dust is much coarser and more difficult to ignite. Sanding dust however is much finer (again, think along the lines of a Grain Silo explosion...that dust is super fine like sanding dust). As I also stated, has one of these ever blown up? I don't think so...I really don't...but knowing what I do about Grain Silo explosions, as well as Paint Booth Fires...I am a bit cautious of motor selection. In the paint industry everything is Explosion Proof (and boy do you pay the premium for all that), I know in Farming those silos are heavily grounded, and they have all kinds of safety precautions. I know that Bob Clagett (I Like to Make Stuff) changed his paint booth system (from box fan to indirect system) over booth fire worries...I THOUGHT he stated he had a friend that had a fire due to the box fan, but again, that's not for sure. I really don't want to re-watch the video to find out. Regardless...will I do this? Oh...probably, but I'll probably make a box with a pre-filter and a fine filter...because that's just how I roll...LOL
The Mayo Clinic video said that the simple box fan filter system removed about 90% of airborne dust. HEPA filters were over 99% but expensive. 90% works for me.
I do some welding in my garage and I have been using a box fan and a merv 11 filter. The smoke from welding seems to disappear. Works real good for me. Good video Izzy.
I've been using this method for years, I knew right away they did something, since the filters get rather dirty pretty fast in a shop. The other day, early in the morning the sun was shining through a small window I have in the shop and I could see all the particles in the air. I put one of my box fans with a filter on it and within about 2 minutes I couldn't see any more particles. They work surprisingly well.
I made two of these with two fans each. I'm getting 130 CFM at best from each fan. So around 500 CFM total. Admittedly they are lasco fans from HD which aren't the best. Now in rewatching the video what figure is the testing of the WEN is with filters in place and the fans with no filter. That is the only way these numbers make sense. I'm a bit disappointed but it was a fun winter project.. I hope your back is feeling better man.
This is good to know. I've had a 20" box fan hanging from my ceiling for a couple months, but being 6'6" and only having 8' ceilings makes it a bit cramped. I've contemplated buying one like that WEN just for head clearance, but I think I'll save my money and just wear a hard hat.
I'm not sure they have to be mounted vertically - if you provide a few inches clearance on the intake side, you can mount them horizontally - take up all of 8 inches of the 8 foot ceiling.
I have to point out that the air CFM on the unit is measured with the filters in place, on the box fan the CFM is measured with no filters, so the numbers are going to be very different.
You make a very good point. These box fans are designed for unrestricted air flow. The type of fans used in the high-dollar air scrubbers are designed to work under a load due to the resistance created by the filters themselves. Also, unless I'm mistaken, those A/C filters aren't HEPA/MERV 13 rated, so they won't function to remove fine 1-micron and smaller particulates from the air. My guess is the "bag" filters used in the high dollar unit are HEPA filters.
The information provided in the link in the information with the video shows cfm measurements with various filters in place on box fans and this is the basis of the cfm comparison in the video.
@@veritasestveritas8646 Hospital Grade. Attracts and captures airborne particles or allergens less than one micron in size such as pollen, fine dust, pet dander. Also captures bacteria, viruses carrying particles, mold spores and smoke. ur wrong
Should mention that the 540 CFM you're using was 'loaded' with the filter in place. I initially jumped all over that until I read the article you linked to. I just think it's important that folks understand that they can't read a CFM rating on a fan and compare that to a CFM rating on an air filter system. Unloaded vs Loaded.
Wen sells a better model than the one he is showing in the video and it's advertised as doing over 1000 cfm. I was considering that model but, regardless of the model, the replacement filters are expensive. I could buy a lot of $20 fans for the same money as the Wen and enjoy a huge cost savings in the filters. However, before I fill up my shop with $20 fans, I'm going to look into building something that uses a higher cfm blower and inexpensive filters, and can be hung from the ceiling to save space.
I did this years ago as a stop gap since I already had these laying around. Taped them on just like you said. However my immediate first thought was...well what about the static pressure rating? Is that 400 CFM on the filtration system after going through the (clean) filters? If the CFM rating on the box fan is open air as one would imagine it would be its not going to be moving anywhere near that through the filters. I havn't actually looked into it so I'm not sure how box fans fair at this compared to filtration systems so I don't know if I'm right, just my initial thought. I do make water cooled computers though and this is a real aspect to consider there when going through radiators.
Yeah, using the 4 filters to make a cube on the back allows it to pull more air thru increasing the CFM and allowing the motor to work more efficiently as well. Making them MERV 13 or higher blocks out a lot. This is the level that removes things for the safer levels (I can't remember the numbers rn, but there are lots of videos about the science behind it where they geek out about those numbers) especially for folks with allergies, asthma, COPD, other respiratory things, as well as immunocompromised folks, and it is what scientific labs use for better air quality too (not the box fan idea, but the MERV 13 or higher). Using 2" filters versus 1" filters is even better. Some people do the 4 filter walls and a cardboard floor with the fan pointed up and just set it on the floor. I've seen others put it up in the ceiling to save floor space. Some have put 5 filters replacing the cardboard bottom with a filter. Not sure how this increases or decreases as the science stuff I looked at was with the 4 2" MERV 13 or higher filters and cardboard bottom on the floor for home air cleaners and not specifically for shop use. But yeah, thanks for putting this out there :)
Thanks for the tip Izzy! Just got my 2-20” box fans outfitted with the merv 13 filters (I’m a smoker) from FilterBuy. Hopefully the wife will stop opening the door because of the smell, even when it’s cold out! I have some different filters for when I’m going to creat a lot of dust. Seriously though, such a cheap alternative to the otherwise expensive units out there. We’ll see how it works and I look forward to more of your great tips.
So freakin' timely for me Izzy! Moved my shop from a circus tent in my driveway to a finished room in my house. Air filtration was the next step and I WAS going to purchase that Wen system, until now. I'm a broke maker so the box fan "system" is perfect for me! Thanks for the vid!
Pretty sure the box fan CFM is unobstructed as in no filters, while the WEN is rated with the filters. I wonder what the actual CFM of the box fan is if you a one or two filters?
I made my air filter by making a cube frame that holds 4 20" filters around the outside with the fan blowing out the top of the cube. I have a 10' ceiling so I suspende it with Jack chain so the bottom is about 7' off the floor. This configuration also gives the added benefit of curculated the warm air at the ceiling level through out the shop making it easier to heat. I wired in a receptacle that is in line with the light circuit so as soon as I turn the lights on the filter comes on.
Would that theoretically help the airflow as well vs running one filter in-line? Each filter has a certain amount of resistance so more filter surface area = less resistance?
@@alphaclean3364 You have more surface are filtering the air so would have better flow. You can also see how dirty the filters are just by looking, I use a vacuum with a soft brush to clean once a week and change the filters out once a year.
The wen can be hung from ceiling and operated with a remote. It is quieter. It filters to a lower micron. And it has built in timer to run a while after you are done working. The box fan filter would work but is not as permanent.
It seems like all of those short falls could be corrected simply by plugging the fan/fans into either a switched circuit with a timer. Or just simply like a christmas light timer, or coffee timer where you could turn it on for x amount of hours and still come in WELL below the price points, even if you had to buy it all twice.
You want to see how the air moves in your shop or room or where ever try a balloon with helium and just enough weight to hold it mid range. Watch the balloon move amazing. Unless you have a filter that goes across the entire ceiling you will never get "all" the air but the point is get as much as you can and what this showed is the box fan does as good a job as anything. Great video!!!
I've used a box fan to filter air in my basement workshop for years. Works great. The best results are when you vent outside, but you can't easily fit it to a basement window. I see lots of people using inline fans these days, maybe worth a try.
Thanks alot Izzy was always considering in stalling some kind of filteration to suck up some of that air born wood dust And your box fan is just a great idea that I never thought of. Should help alot for my small basement work shop. Thanks alot for sharing
It is true. We have a show on CBC tv up here in Canada called “Marketplace” that does a weekly investigative show and this week they decided to test air filter systems. The price range was from $150 to $800 with two Dysons in the pack. They also put together a box fan like yours with duct tape. All test were down in a lab. The box fan filter beat out some of the best...including the Dysons! I was shocked. Thanks for the video.
I use blue tape to hold the filters on. this way it's easy to swap it out and seals around the edges. We sleep with fans at night and have box fans with one filter in each room. Wood shop has a furnace fan and 4" 20x24 filter for larger air turn around
Matthias Wandel has a video where he analyzes the air quality using a device which can detect the number of particles in the air. He had even more to say about which filters were the best (hint, there are cheap ones which work better than the expensive ones).
@@simonhopkins3867 I got that dylos meter that Matthias used, and I agree with Izzy, one windy day, it was a nice day out, and also I guess a high pollen day, and small particles were crazy...two box fans with hepa filters brought the numbers down from 800000 to less than 1000 in a few hours....I was happily shocked. So now I have two box fans with filters in my garage shop to deal with the dust. Also with the recent fires in CA, I have been using two of them in the house to keep the air slightly more healthy.
After the smoke got worse I had to increase it to 4 fans/filters. But that kept it down to 1/4 or 1/5 of what the particle count was outside...so it was ok if annoying.
Years ago I made a four sided box with a furnace blower in it. Three filter on the inlet sides and one on the outlet side, so the air gets filtered twice on a single pass. Been running for years, but I replaced the motor once. Check with an HVAC company and they may give you a blower. Get one that runs on 120 volts for convenience. Some run on 220, (heat pumps). I recently added a Jet filtration unit someone gave me. Does not seem to do any more than my homemade one. I have a streamer hanging in front of mine to remind me to change (blow out0)the filters.
The grow op version utilizes a furnace squirrel cage fan ( designed to move air through filters and ducting) with a box on the front to retain the filter- they work flawlessly for yrs on end. Architectural salvage and recyclers usually have dozens laying around for peanuts.
I use a box fan with top mounted controls and a single 20"x20" filter taped to the inlet side with blue masking tape. I have it suspended upside down from the ceiling with jack chain. It runs 24/7 and is doing a great job of filtering sawdust in a small home I'm building.
Thanks Izzy, I’ve been looking at air filters for my shop I think you just reinforced what I’ve known all along about box fans. I guess I’ll just go buy a couple more fans and filters.
I came to the same conclusion when I was done researching. Also taping the filter on and taping he front of the fan (mainly in the corners) really helps to force air through the filter. Never had an issue with a fan over heating. And I do like the fact that you can make like 4 box fan filters for like the same price as a professionally made air filter system.
I just started making a box fan air filter. There's one cheap, non-pleated 20"X24" in front of the fan, to keep the blades from getting coated with larger particles. The air gets pushed into a 2'X2'X1' box with the large side closed off. The four 12"X24" sides feature pleated filters to catch the smaller particles. I hope it works. I'm going to hang it from the floor joists in my basement shop so that it doesn't take up any space, and store my miter saw under it.
Any luck? I like the idea of blowing into a filter so there's less turbulence in the out flow and thought a larger chamber,maybe even bigger than yours would reduce pressure on the motor.
Six years ago I build an air filter box with an 11" duct fan. Two 12" x 20" filters in intake side clean out all the crap in the air in my garage. Without filters it moves 640 CFM. With filters it drops to 580 CFM. Cost was $25 for fan , $10 for electrical switch and wiring, and $12 for filters which get changed every 2 months. Thinking about adding a filter on outtake side for more filtration.
if you want to see the effectiveness of your box filter, hold a bright led flash light across the incoming air flow (preferably in darkness) and see the dust motes get illuminated, then hold the flash light across the discharged air and note the reduction in dust motes. I think you'll be surprised at the difference
This is very useful. It’s nice to have both TBH. The box fans can really stir things up so I use them when dust is heavy and when I just want to scrub the air I run the overhead unit.
I built a box for my box fan and filter and had to block out the corners of the out side otherwise air would actually pull in through there instead of pulling through the filter. Works great though.
I have lung problems so air quality is very important to me. In my shop I have set up two box fans in wooden frames I have built to make changing the hepa filters easy. I have also installed a hepa filter in my shop vac and dust collector. I check the air speed at 3/4 of the distance to the top center of the filter when this speed drops 2 meters per hour that's when I change the filters. I found the shop vac clogs the quickest then the dust collector and the fans last the longest. I check the first of every month and the fans usually last about 2 months. The other filters last about 1 month. When I first installed the fans I went thru filters clogging up every week. After 6 weeks they started to last longer. I figured I must have had a lot of dust stored up before I put the fans up. I also put up a no smoking sign and sealed up a few cracks to the outside. I live in the suburbs of Detroit and it's air quality isn't the greatest. I'm considering doing the same thing in my house, even though I have a hepa filter on my furnace.
Great video and interested in seeing your build. My question and I can’t seem to get a solid answer but where should you mount these units. If you have an “average” sized shop should it be on the ceiling, eye level, down low or all three. If you have any specs or suggestions I’m all ears.
Agreed, but a filter on the front and back to prevent leakage and for the cost it is WAY better than nothing. I used one inside the house with an overhead fan that moved the air, this got the air to the box fan since with static pressure being low it will not really circulate air very much. What I really want is an air filter system that uses common HVAC filters so I do not get boned on the filter prices.
Great video! The volume of air that any kind of fan moves is reduced when you put a filter on it. It's not just the CFM rating, but also the vacuum pressure it can generate. Box fans don't suck as hard as squirrel cage blowers. And not all filters are equally restrictive. Lots of variables.
To get that much air flow would my fan have to be on high speed? I built a box fan set-up several years ago and it always seemed to do a good job and I usually keep it on med speed. Thanks for all your videos. I have learned a lot.
Yeah good question,I would like to run it as low as possible and leave it on longer so I don't kick up settled dust with it. Maybe mak an out put diffuser.
I believe your CFM may be an incorrect observation. The fan alone has no resistance do to not having the filter. I assume the other flow is based on the two stage filters in place. Yes?
Building a closed box from the air filters increases the surface area, which can improve the fan efficiency. That also means one can choose a more restrictive filter in that configuration to filter the same volume as a singular less restrictive filter. Trade-off is cost, however due to the larger surface area the filters may last longer. Seem most find a negative pressure set-up as more preferable as well because the dust just goes onto the filters and the fan itself should stay fairly clean.
This is way cool for those of us who do not have lots of money and a smaller shop then most. My work space is less then 100sq and in my house. I will be looking into this very soon.
I was told by an engineer years ago that if I used one of these fans and had the fan blow into the filter instead of sucking air into it, It would be more efficient. I have been using this method for about 10 years and it seems to work. Any ideas which is the best method, as I have never heard this mentioned before?
I use a box fan and filter and it works great. I use a re-usable/washable filter so I don’t have to buy them over and over because they get dirty quick. I plan to add a second fan at some point. Also, I have a window unit for AC and heat and I position the fan about 2 feet in front to catch the cool air and better disperse it through the shop. Fan and filter is definitely the way to go.
Summer fires made the air really bad here in the West. My electronic particulate meter was reading over 5000 indoors. 2 box fans and 2 filters cut the reading down below 100
I had a 20'' box fan I used in my bedroom. Wife likes it hot, I like it cold, that and the white noise was nice. That 20$ fan lasted for 7 years working anywhere from 8-18 hrs/ day. ( I was working nights and my wife was on days, so it got a lot of use). I cant imagine many people running a fan in their shop anywhere that long.
I've looked at this idea from you and others. I'm sure it filters the air, but it also seems like the high velocity exhaust air would blow up dust from other surfaces which may not otherwise be airborne. I saw one design that blew air past the fan and into a box that had 8 filters on it. This allowed the exhaust air velocity to be lower which may not kick up as much dust off the other surfaces. While it has the disadvantage of having to try to protect the motor from the unfiltered dust being sucked through it, it may provide better overall air quality in the shop. I have not tested this, and suppose it would depend upon how dusty your shop is to begin with. Only an air quality monitor can tell for sure...
If you vent to the outside, where are you pulling clean air from? One concern is won’t I be tossing out a lot of conditioned air (heated/cooled)? The second part of this is will I be getting dust from all over the shop? Don’t you need to force air to circulate even if you are expelling it outside?
I use both, it's cheap enough. My shop is small so the cheapest WEN works, $130. Sits over my head not taking up space and very quiet. The box fan is used under my table collecting anything that falls. I usually only turn it on when handling heavier projects
Really need to see this measured to agree. My experience has been that by adding the filter there is a reduction on airflow, now maybe that has more to to with they type of filter, but a comparison of actual measured airflow would clear up any speculation.
Michael Elliott I overlooked that, the tiny little motor on box fans would be bogged down with a couple filters added. And you know the cfms are probably over stated anyway lol
I believe he's getting the 500cfm figure WITH the filters added. without a filter, a box fan can be anywhere from 2500cfm to 3600cfm (or so says online specs).
If you pull the grill from the box fan you'll get a surprising amount of added CFM from it. Plus, it keeps you on your toes when you get your hands near it ;) And for sure a cost to not overlook is the cost of the replacement filters!
Replacement filters are not really a factor as both units would need to have their filters replaced and I imagine that the unique size of the Wen (and other's like it) make it a little pricier and not something your big box store will have on hand.
@@handplanepastor8558 < that is actually why it IS a factor. I can get a 20x20 in a five pack for around a buck. At that price I can change them twice a week.
Mugsy Kudzu where do you get your filters at that price? Are they the cardboard framed type and what is the filter media. The cheapest furnace filters I’ve seen are just under $5 each at Home Depot.
@@corydriver7634 Rural King has them for .79 cents a peice right now, true value had them for two bucks but you have to buy twelve. These are both flat panel, but they work. I got a box of twenty at restore last year for ten dollars, they're always with a look
Thanks for the confirmation. I use the filtered box fan on all my construction jobs. Also, I use two in my basement work shop. Depending on my work load, the filters clog up. I the vacuum to remove the dust from the filters and keep on working. Keep up the excellent job. Thanks for sharing.
I have had a 20" box fan/filter mounted in the middle ceiling of my 24x24 shop for a few years. Mounted the fan upside down so the control is in easy reach and the mounting frame I built enables me to slide the 20x20x2 filters (or two 20x20x1 filters) in and out. Under $20 for the fan, built the frame out of scrap lumber... so it just costs me the filters I change about once a month... also wired it to my lights so when the lights come on so does the fan.
I use shrink wrap for securing palets, super quick to change filters. Also worked great in the house this summer when Seattle was swimming in smoke from the fires in B.C.
I've been watching a lot of boxfan-filter build vids since the air cleaner I wanted went on backorder and un-coincidentally doubled in price in the meantime. But I was concerned that no one was saying how comparable it was at cleaning. THIS is what I needed to know. Thanks!
Great video , one suggestion I built mine with a pair of staged filters one super cheap Duststop mesh type filter in front to remove the larger particles and a higher grade MERV 11 behind. I end up changing about 3 of the dust filters for every 1 of the MERV 11 filters and it means my MERV 11s last about 4 times as long as they did before adding the dust filters.
2 years late but nice tip. It makes sense logically!
Prefiltering with a less expensive filter is always an excellent idea, even for your furnace or A/C system.
I like that idea but do you think it restricts the air flow ?
@@keithlake5342My furnace filter box is designed for one 4 in. thick X 20 X 25. Now use a 3 in. thick X 20 X 25 with a 1 in. thick as a prefilter. I don't think a cheap, low efficiency prefilter restricts the airflow. It just grabs the large particles allowing the larger high efficiency filter to do it's job better and last longer. The furnace manufacturer is fine with this configuration and it doesn't affect their warranty, so restriction must be minimal.
Thank you so much. Izzy you just saved me 125.00. I had the Wen model in my shopping cart. My fan is just sitting in my garage. Izzy your the man!
Had to come here for the comments! EXCELLENT low budget solution (hell a great solution period) to people who make excuses for not having air filtration (ahem, me until recently). The cheaper air cleaners don't push that many CFMs and your box fan solution is awesome. The better models have three speeds and can move a lot more air and have washable secondary filters. The unit I just put in my shop is 550,700,1050 CFMs Low/medium/high repectively costs about $350. Do what you will with that, but I have an odd shaped shop so I might add some box fan/filter doohickeys in the dead zones to help clear the air. Thanks brother!
I’ve used filter buy for YEARS. I would have no idea when to change my filters if it wasn’t for them. I even tried to price out a subscription on Amazon and they couldn’t compete on price. Great service
I guess it just depends on what filters you are getting. I find that Amazon is waaaay cheaper on filters. I use the 20 x 20 x 1 MERV 11 filters and Filterbuy is about $16 more for a 6 pack.
This info seems a great addition to Mathias Wandel's vid on this idea. Years ago, after much thought, i decided to vent ALL my dust extraction from machines AND air filtration straight outside. The dust/chips from the 2hp dust extraction unit, and the air cleaning fans all exit my workshop well away from the doors. I have an air inlet into the shop with a flap valve to replace the dusty air that is removed with clean outside air, also well away from the outlet. The plus side to this is no filters to buy and replace,no resistance caused by filters, and no doubts about the particle size actually captured by filters. The downside to this method is not everyone can vent dust straight outside without causing nuisance to others (my shop is well away from other buildings), and of course i lose heat quickly from the shop in the winter. However, for me here in the UK, any heat lost is quickly replaced by my wood stove which is fed with offcuts and a plentiful supply of pallet wood!
The big negative is loosing heat or cooling at a rapid rate
I have been building air scrubbers for about 50 years now. I make a square frame which holds 4 biggest furnace filters I can find, mount a recycled squirrel cage furnace blower blowing straight up through the top 1/2" plywood and a solid plywood bottom with 4 castors. Generally the 4 filters are the only out of pocket cost since there is always scrap wood in the shop and blowers are always in the dump (I grab them when I see them). Add a toggle switch in a handy box to turn it on and off. This baby clears the air so fast people can't believe it. Some blowers are multi speed as well so I use switches to control the speed. You can modify it with lots of different filters like static self charging style for fine dust. I generally just blow the filters clean outside using compressed air so you get a lot of mileage out of those 4 filters. I also make wall hanger models for behind and below router and saw tables. We have made over 9000 bell siphons in my shop so I have to filter the PVC sawdust and it does an amazing job. I make slots for the filters so they just slide in and out for replacement or cleaning. I'll have to do a video on my channel. Btw a furnace blower is far more powerful than a "box fan" so it handles filter restrictions far better. Box fans have no real power.
Make a video!
@@alphaclean3364 Check out Jay Bates video "Mobile air cleaner cart".
fiskfarm who can i get i get in touch with you. I have some questions
@@jimtruninger8839 probably through my fb page "Smoky Mountain Aquaponics and Homesteading". Very busy getting bell siphon orders out until noon but we can correspond after noon.
@@alphaclean3364 my wife says the same thing lol. I have so many videos I need to make I have trouble choosing where to start. Perhaps I can make this my next one.
I am not surprised but I never would have done what I'm about to do, install a filter on my 2 box fans, usually in the summer, I open a patio door in my shop, hang a box fan in the middle of the opening, and just start the fan, especially when I am sanding, and no dust settles in my shop, you can see the air sucked out by the fan....Now I will use the fan all year around, and filter the air, THANKS to you...!!! Super informative video, thanks again! and keep them coming!
Yeah, straight outside, that's what I do! However, rather than just hang your fan in an open doorway, i have found it much more effective to have the fan fitted tightly into a hole through a closed door or wall, with an air inlet at the other end of the shop.
I really enjoy all the knowledge that you share. Not only are you a very talented craftsman, you share how to be safe and cost effective. Thanks Izzy, looking forward to more of your tips to the trades.
Fan $7 at goodwill
Filter $2 Home Depot ( I bought a 3 pack)
Clear air for an entire bedroom remodel. Oh! I used some tape up holding the filters. Mount the filter in the garage after remodel
Got one rigged up next to the belt sander..... Huge difference and like you say... We have been using it for about 6-7 years and the fan is still alive with out issues.. 💪🏻
My first box of filters came yesterday. The quality is better than what I have been getting from the box stores, even for a higher price. Ordered Friday morning while I was eating breakfast, had an email that they had shipped by lunch that day and were delivered on Monday. Thanks for passing on their info
This box fan idea with merv filters might work well for cleaning the air in your home too! Not as fancy or good looking as an expensive HEPA air purifier but much cheaper and still effective. I heard many people are putting this idea to good use in California, Oregon and Washington State to help reduce the smoke from the wildfires in their home. Thanks Izzy 👍
Thanks for the video Izzy - you just saved me 300.00 bucks!
I just used a used squirrel cage blower from a hot air furnace,a lot more cfm and actually designed to pull air through filters.
Just built a box around it and added a filters on 3 sides.Wired up to a switch on the wall and it has 2 speeds with somewhere around 800-2500 cfm. Seen similar used fans for as low as $40 on marketplace,craigslist,etc.
You can also build it to direct the exhaust airflow where ever you want it to go.
I been doing this for over 30 years. I first saw an attachment sold by Sportsman Guide magazine for 20" box fans and thought to myself, why buy that for $35 when I can just attach a 20x20 filter to the back! Viola! It works great! I have two in my garage shop. They work beautifully. I hang the fans upside down though so I can reach the knobs from the floor. I have used them in the house to while doing remodeling work to keep the dust down and out of the rest of the house.
I have that same fan with a filter that does a pretty good job in my small shop! Now I feel I don’t need a big filtration system. 👊🏻
Great info! I've had that Wen air filter in my Amazon shopping cart for months just waiting to pull the trigger. Guess I'll delete that item and get two box fans. The filter site is also super helpful for my ancient household heating system. Thanks!
I use two box fans in my shop. They are placed on opposite walls so that when turned on they create a circular air current . Works great.
I made a box fan and air purifiers with the filters...omgosh I absolutely love this. No smells, dust, particles..thank you
I absolutely love my home air purifiers.
I have two box fans with furnace filters suspended from a 10' ceiling wired to go on & off with the lights (20x22 shop) plus a reasonably good dust collection system and I'm amazed how often I need to change the filters. The box fan/filter works!
could you explain how you have the fans orientated? My ceiling is too low for the fan to suspend vertically. Could you lay the box fan vertically and suspend it about 12 in from the ceiling?
Ron, mine are mounted vertically as they sit on the table in front of Izzy with the bottom ~7' off the floor. The speed control on/off is at the bottom. They are side by side so there is 2x4 of fan, maybe an overkill. Thinking about your ceiling height, the fan could be mounted horizontal (~6' off the floor for head clearance) so to blow the air up with filter on the intake side (bottom) of course. Or put it perpendicular on a wall or Jay Bates put a set up incorporated into a cart or cabinet. Lots of options, I played around with mine a little but the bottom line it takes "a lot" of dust out of the air for very little money, mine is 4 years old and going strong. I'm retired and remodeling my house so I'm in the shop all most every day.
@@rickgreen9936 Thanks for the ideas. Looking forward to trying this out.
I went back and forth for a while. But ended up going with the WEN becuase of the remote and moreover, the timer. It's so nice to set it, forget it and come back to a clean shop.
As it happens, I’ve just had a 20x20 pad poured and will be building my shop on it. I have a filter like Jay Bates built with an AC motor/blower. It uses 3-24x24 filters and does a great job. After watching this, I’ll be adding a few box fans on a switched circuit in all 4 corners of the shop! Thanks!
Great subject Izzy, I have that same Wen air filtration system hanging over my TS I have a DC system for all of my tools with inch ducts. The Wen still picks up a lot of dust. I try do my sanding outside when I can, however when t can not I use a box fan and filter on the bench beside me.
What a difference that makes in filtering them air. My DC system has a .5 micron air exhaust filter. I some times open a few blast gates that open up to the room when I cut MDF.
What DC system do you use
Thanks Izzy, I've seen many box fan solutions and am making one for myself now that you did all the research and convinced me it's the best way to go. You'd be surprised how many box fans are sitting at the curb on trash days now that winter is coming 🙃
I Like your ideas being practical, simple, non-expensive with optimization approach.
Great Buddy! Keep up the good work!
Izzy, the metal in the filters are not for electrostatic, they are to keep the filter from pulling the filter media out of the filter frame and into the fan.
I have the big brother to that WEN fan and mine does 556 to 1044 CFM. While it’s more expensive than a box fan I prefer it over hacking a box fan, but that’s just me. I like the ability to have the remote on/off, fan speed, and timer function that I would have to hack the box fan. Again, some people might enjoy that but that’s just not me. Your information in the video was good though and gives people something to contemplate.
I love my WEN air filter and always set it to run after I leave the shop for at least 1 hour to remove the airborne particles. And always use a respirator or dust mask as well when making dust.
Love the videos, keep ‘`em coming!
Ummm...not true on the wire mesh. That wire mesh is not needed to keep the filter in the frame of the frame. An electrical charge is built up by the air moving through the filter. It DOES electrically charge the filter (3 HVAC guys...and no, not filter guys) have told me this, and showed me the differences. I have PLENTY of filters without that wire mesh in them. I buy the cheapest filter I can for my box fans, and they don't have the wire mesh. You can also get the glass fiber filters that have no wire in them...
I have heard the argument that "the box fan has an exposed motor, therefore potentially sparking, and potentially causing an explosion". The explosion? Think Grain Silo explosions (fine dust, spark, boom). Now then, I've been told that this can happen with box fans, and that the "shop air cleaners" are sealed motors to prevent this. Is it BS? Maybe, maybe not. I know PLENTY of people running box fans instead of air cleaners, and have for 20 years or more...never a problem.
In the end, do what you want. You are responsible for your own safety. My motor knowledge and electrical knowledge tell me that yes, this isn't the wisest thing to do....but my practical knowledge tells me go for it...as *I* have never heard of one of these blowing up...and I know tons of people using a cobbled together filter system, and have been using them for 20 or more years...
@@WreckDiver99 what you say about the sealed motors is interesting........it made me think about the motor on the table saw.........is it a sealed motor or not,,,,,,,,.......do you have any thoughts on this .....please respond......thanks.
@@yardlimit8695 I think it depends on the saw and location. The motor on my table saw is sealed...the one on my dad's is not. The difference? My motor is located inside the saw, my dad's hangs off the back. In general the problem with table saws isn't that major because USUALLY (no, not always of course) the dust is much coarser and more difficult to ignite. Sanding dust however is much finer (again, think along the lines of a Grain Silo explosion...that dust is super fine like sanding dust). As I also stated, has one of these ever blown up? I don't think so...I really don't...but knowing what I do about Grain Silo explosions, as well as Paint Booth Fires...I am a bit cautious of motor selection. In the paint industry everything is Explosion Proof (and boy do you pay the premium for all that), I know in Farming those silos are heavily grounded, and they have all kinds of safety precautions. I know that Bob Clagett (I Like to Make Stuff) changed his paint booth system (from box fan to indirect system) over booth fire worries...I THOUGHT he stated he had a friend that had a fire due to the box fan, but again, that's not for sure. I really don't want to re-watch the video to find out.
Regardless...will I do this? Oh...probably, but I'll probably make a box with a pre-filter and a fine filter...because that's just how I roll...LOL
The Mayo Clinic video said that the simple box fan filter system removed about 90% of airborne dust. HEPA filters were over 99% but expensive. 90% works for me.
Bob W that is for every pass. Ten passes of the box fan gets you close to 99%
@@fredsiebenmann7242 Actually, 2 passes do. First pass gets 90% of 100%. Second pass gets 90% of 10% = 9%. 90% plus 9% = 99%.
@@SomeTechGuy666 devils advocate here. Wouldn't it still be 90 as the dust it's missing is just because the dust particals are too small?
@@scottroy6195 It gets caught in a smaller opening in the filter. People have tested this.
@@SomeTechGuy666 cool thanks.
I do some welding in my garage and I have been using a box fan and a merv 11 filter. The smoke from welding seems to disappear. Works real good for me. Good video Izzy.
So happy to see you are finally getting off your ass!!! Cheers mate. So glad you’re getting around.
I've been using this method for years, I knew right away they did something, since the filters get rather dirty pretty fast in a shop. The other day, early in the morning the sun was shining through a small window I have in the shop and I could see all the particles in the air. I put one of my box fans with a filter on it and within about 2 minutes I couldn't see any more particles. They work surprisingly well.
Where do you point the exhaust at? Towards the center of your shop maybe? Where is your box fan located in your shop? Please tell me more.
What about turbulence in the air caused by the exhaust? Do you have several box fans? Do you make them circulate the air?
@@leonardorojas1781 They are portable enough to move around where the source of dust is. At least that's what I've been doing with mine.
I made two of these with two fans each. I'm getting 130 CFM at best from each fan. So around 500 CFM total. Admittedly they are lasco fans from HD which aren't the best. Now in rewatching the video what figure is the testing of the WEN is with filters in place and the fans with no filter. That is the only way these numbers make sense. I'm a bit disappointed but it was a fun winter project.. I hope your back is feeling better man.
This is good to know. I've had a 20" box fan hanging from my ceiling for a couple months, but being 6'6" and only having 8' ceilings makes it a bit cramped. I've contemplated buying one like that WEN just for head clearance, but I think I'll save my money and just wear a hard hat.
I'm not sure they have to be mounted vertically - if you provide a few inches clearance on the intake side, you can mount them horizontally - take up all of 8 inches of the 8 foot ceiling.
Now no dust in Rogers. . ...
I have to point out that the air CFM on the unit is measured with the filters in place, on the box fan the CFM is measured with no filters, so the numbers are going to be very different.
You make a very good point. These box fans are designed for unrestricted air flow. The type of fans used in the high-dollar air scrubbers are designed to work under a load due to the resistance created by the filters themselves. Also, unless I'm mistaken, those A/C filters aren't HEPA/MERV 13 rated, so they won't function to remove fine 1-micron and smaller particulates from the air. My guess is the "bag" filters used in the high dollar unit are HEPA filters.
The information provided in the link in the information with the video shows cfm measurements with various filters in place on box fans and this is the basis of the cfm comparison in the video.
@@veritasestveritas8646 You can purchase Merv 13/Hepa grade filters at your local box store.
@@veritasestveritas8646 Hospital Grade. Attracts and captures airborne particles or allergens less than one micron in size such as pollen, fine dust, pet dander. Also captures bacteria, viruses carrying particles, mold spores and smoke. ur wrong
According to the data provided at the link, they use a special high-powered box fan. With the hospital quality filter installed, they got 192 CFM.
Should mention that the 540 CFM you're using was 'loaded' with the filter in place. I initially jumped all over that until I read the article you linked to. I just think it's important that folks understand that they can't read a CFM rating on a fan and compare that to a CFM rating on an air filter system. Unloaded vs Loaded.
Wen sells a better model than the one he is showing in the video and it's advertised as doing over 1000 cfm. I was considering that model but, regardless of the model, the replacement filters are expensive. I could buy a lot of $20 fans for the same money as the Wen and enjoy a huge cost savings in the filters. However, before I fill up my shop with $20 fans, I'm going to look into building something that uses a higher cfm blower and inexpensive filters, and can be hung from the ceiling to save space.
I did this years ago as a stop gap since I already had these laying around. Taped them on just like you said. However my immediate first thought was...well what about the static pressure rating? Is that 400 CFM on the filtration system after going through the (clean) filters? If the CFM rating on the box fan is open air as one would imagine it would be its not going to be moving anywhere near that through the filters. I havn't actually looked into it so I'm not sure how box fans fair at this compared to filtration systems so I don't know if I'm right, just my initial thought. I do make water cooled computers though and this is a real aspect to consider there when going through radiators.
I had the same thought. This really needs to be tested instead of just reading tech specs.
😂
Good info! I've heard of using the box fan to filter the air. Glad you did your research and did this video. Thanks!
Yeah, using the 4 filters to make a cube on the back allows it to pull more air thru increasing the CFM and allowing the motor to work more efficiently as well. Making them MERV 13 or higher blocks out a lot. This is the level that removes things for the safer levels (I can't remember the numbers rn, but there are lots of videos about the science behind it where they geek out about those numbers) especially for folks with allergies, asthma, COPD, other respiratory things, as well as immunocompromised folks, and it is what scientific labs use for better air quality too (not the box fan idea, but the MERV 13 or higher). Using 2" filters versus 1" filters is even better. Some people do the 4 filter walls and a cardboard floor with the fan pointed up and just set it on the floor. I've seen others put it up in the ceiling to save floor space. Some have put 5 filters replacing the cardboard bottom with a filter. Not sure how this increases or decreases as the science stuff I looked at was with the 4 2" MERV 13 or higher filters and cardboard bottom on the floor for home air cleaners and not specifically for shop use. But yeah, thanks for putting this out there :)
Thanks for the tip Izzy! Just got my 2-20” box fans outfitted with the merv 13 filters (I’m a smoker) from FilterBuy.
Hopefully the wife will stop opening the door because of the smell, even when it’s cold out!
I have some different filters for when I’m going to creat a lot of dust.
Seriously though, such a cheap alternative to the otherwise expensive units out there. We’ll see how it works and I look forward to more of your great tips.
So freakin' timely for me Izzy! Moved my shop from a circus tent in my driveway to a finished room in my house. Air filtration was the next step and I WAS going to purchase that Wen system, until now. I'm a broke maker so the box fan "system" is perfect for me! Thanks for the vid!
Pretty sure the box fan CFM is unobstructed as in no filters, while the WEN is rated with the filters. I wonder what the actual CFM of the box fan is if you a one or two filters?
I’ve had a JDS for several years - wish I had thought or heard about this sooner. Thanks Izzy.
Thank you very much for making this video. I’ve been holding on to an unused box fan for this purpose. I’ll be putting it to work now.
I made my air filter by making a cube frame that holds 4 20" filters around the outside with the fan blowing out the top of the cube. I have a 10' ceiling so I suspende it with Jack chain so the bottom is about 7' off the floor. This configuration also gives the added benefit of curculated the warm air at the ceiling level through out the shop making it easier to heat. I wired in a receptacle that is in line with the light circuit so as soon as I turn the lights on the filter comes on.
Would that theoretically help the airflow as well vs running one filter in-line? Each filter has a certain amount of resistance so more filter surface area = less resistance?
@@alphaclean3364 You have more surface are filtering the air so would have better flow. You can also see how dirty the filters are just by looking, I use a vacuum with a soft brush to clean once a week and change the filters out once a year.
The wen can be hung from ceiling and operated with a remote. It is quieter. It filters to a lower micron. And it has built in timer to run a while after you are done working.
The box fan filter would work but is not as permanent.
It seems like all of those short falls could be corrected simply by plugging the fan/fans into either a switched circuit with a timer. Or just simply like a christmas light timer, or coffee timer where you could turn it on for x amount of hours and still come in WELL below the price points, even if you had to buy it all twice.
I have my blower plugged into an Amazon plug. When I am done filtering the air, I go to my Alexa and tell her to turn it off.
You want to see how the air moves in your shop or room or where ever try a balloon with helium and just enough weight to hold it mid range. Watch the balloon move amazing. Unless you have a filter that goes across the entire ceiling you will never get "all" the air but the point is get as much as you can and what this showed is the box fan does as good a job as anything. Great video!!!
What a great idea. I've been lighting matches and bowing them out like a dummy
I actually tried this last weekend, for sanding the cabnets in my kitchen, it Did make a big difference. Same exact fan too!
I've used a box fan to filter air in my basement workshop for years. Works great. The best results are when you vent outside, but you can't easily fit it to a basement window.
I see lots of people using inline fans these days, maybe worth a try.
That’s awesome, glad you did your homework on it cause I’ve been using box fans in the shop for years.
Thanks alot Izzy was always considering in stalling some kind of filteration to suck up some of that air born wood dust
And your box fan is just a great idea that I never thought of. Should help alot for my small basement work shop.
Thanks alot for sharing
I've been doing this for awhile, glad to know that these are so effective. Thanks Izzy!
Definitely not the result that I was expecting! Thanks, Izzy man.
It is true. We have a show on CBC tv up here in Canada called “Marketplace” that does a weekly investigative show and this week they decided to test air filter systems. The price range was from $150 to $800 with two Dysons in the pack. They also put together a box fan like yours with duct tape. All test were down in a lab. The box fan filter beat out some of the best...including the Dysons! I was shocked. Thanks for the video.
the charcoal would also help with Taco Tuesdays;)
On Taco 🌮 Tuesday’s, we eat tacos 🌮, drink 🍹 beer 🍺 and take a siesta. The fans are for keeping cool 😎.
My house smells like onions from Tuesday until Thursday every week. Glad I discovered this because it's a game changer!!!
I use blue tape to hold the filters on. this way it's easy to swap it out and seals around the edges. We sleep with fans at night and have box fans with one filter in each room. Wood shop has a furnace fan and 4" 20x24 filter for larger air turn around
I just bought a fan and filters last week because I am cheap. Glad to hear i'm on the right path. I might need to add a fan or 2 for my 20x20 shop.
Great video I has been using the box fan for years I’ve had no problem from them and they use a lot less electric ⚡️
Matthias Wandel has a video where he analyzes the air quality using a device which can detect the number of particles in the air. He had even more to say about which filters were the best (hint, there are cheap ones which work better than the expensive ones).
Yes I remember that one. 👍
@@simonhopkins3867 I got that dylos meter that Matthias used, and I agree with Izzy, one windy day, it was a nice day out, and also I guess a high pollen day, and small particles were crazy...two box fans with hepa filters brought the numbers down from 800000 to less than 1000 in a few hours....I was happily shocked. So now I have two box fans with filters in my garage shop to deal with the dust. Also with the recent fires in CA, I have been using two of them in the house to keep the air slightly more healthy.
After the smoke got worse I had to increase it to 4 fans/filters. But that kept it down to 1/4 or 1/5 of what the particle count was outside...so it was ok if annoying.
Years ago I made a four sided box with a furnace blower in it. Three filter on the inlet sides and one on the outlet side, so the air gets filtered twice on a single pass. Been running for years, but I replaced the motor once. Check with an HVAC company and they may give you a blower. Get one that runs on 120 volts for convenience. Some run on 220, (heat pumps). I recently added a Jet filtration unit someone gave me. Does not seem to do any more than my homemade one. I have a streamer hanging in front of mine to remind me to change (blow out0)the filters.
The grow op version utilizes a furnace squirrel cage fan ( designed to move air through filters and ducting) with a box on the front to retain the filter- they work flawlessly for yrs on end. Architectural salvage and recyclers usually have dozens laying around for peanuts.
I use a box fan with top mounted controls and a single 20"x20" filter taped to the inlet side with blue masking tape. I have it suspended upside down from the ceiling with jack chain. It runs 24/7 and is doing a great job of filtering sawdust in a small home I'm building.
Thanks Izzy, I’ve been looking at air filters for my shop I think you just reinforced what I’ve known all along about box fans. I guess I’ll just go buy a couple more fans and filters.
I came to the same conclusion when I was done researching. Also taping the filter on and taping he front of the fan (mainly in the corners) really helps to force air through the filter. Never had an issue with a fan over heating. And I do like the fact that you can make like 4 box fan filters for like the same price as a professionally made air filter system.
We're all waiting on your box build where you spend more on hinges than you do on the fan and filters. Bring it on! :)
I just started making a box fan air filter. There's one cheap, non-pleated 20"X24" in front of the fan, to keep the blades from getting coated with larger particles. The air gets pushed into a 2'X2'X1' box with the large side closed off. The four 12"X24" sides feature pleated filters to catch the smaller particles. I hope it works. I'm going to hang it from the floor joists in my basement shop so that it doesn't take up any space, and store my miter saw under it.
Any luck? I like the idea of blowing into a filter so there's less turbulence in the out flow and thought a larger chamber,maybe even bigger than yours would reduce pressure on the motor.
Six years ago I build an air filter box with an 11" duct fan. Two 12" x 20" filters in intake side clean out all the crap in the air in my garage. Without filters it moves 640 CFM. With filters it drops to 580 CFM. Cost was $25 for fan , $10 for electrical switch and wiring, and $12 for filters which get changed every 2 months. Thinking about adding a filter on outtake side for more filtration.
if you want to see the effectiveness of your box filter, hold a bright led flash light across the incoming air flow (preferably in darkness) and see the dust motes get illuminated, then hold the flash light across the discharged air and note the reduction in dust motes. I think you'll be surprised at the difference
This is very useful. It’s nice to have both TBH. The box fans can really stir things up so I use them when dust is heavy and when I just want to scrub the air I run the overhead unit.
I built a box for my box fan and filter and had to block out the corners of the out side otherwise air would actually pull in through there instead of pulling through the filter. Works great though.
I use a box fan as well. For me, that statement would more accurately be "as well as through the filter". A lot of air still comes through the filter.
Xoxo
Back before everything became plastic, box fans had 90 degree corners. I wonder if anyone still makes that type.
I could have used this video about three hundred dollars ago, but now I know. Thanks Izzy.
I have lung problems so air quality is very important to me. In my shop I have set up two box fans in wooden frames I have built to make changing the hepa filters easy. I have also installed a hepa filter in my shop vac and dust collector. I check the air speed at 3/4 of the distance to the top center of the filter when this speed drops 2 meters per hour that's when I change the filters. I found the shop vac clogs the quickest then the dust collector and the fans last the longest. I check the first of every month and the fans usually last about 2 months. The other filters last about 1 month. When I first installed the fans I went thru filters clogging up every week. After 6 weeks they started to last longer. I figured I must have had a lot of dust stored up before I put the fans up. I also put up a no smoking sign and sealed up a few cracks to the outside. I live in the suburbs of Detroit and it's air quality isn't the greatest. I'm considering doing the same thing in my house, even though I have a hepa filter on my furnace.
Great video and interested in seeing your build. My question and I can’t seem to get a solid answer but where should you mount these units. If you have an “average” sized shop should it be on the ceiling, eye level, down low or all three. If you have any specs or suggestions I’m all ears.
What does the filter do to the CFM though? Box fans aren't designed for static pressure.
Agreed, but a filter on the front and back to prevent leakage and for the cost it is WAY better than nothing. I used one inside the house with an overhead fan that moved the air, this got the air to the box fan since with static pressure being low it will not really circulate air very much.
What I really want is an air filter system that uses common HVAC filters so I do not get boned on the filter prices.
Where’s the box build? Wanted to see how cool of a box Izzy could build. 😢
I didn't think this would surprise me, but more cfm? Didn't expect that!
You just saved me 240 bucks
Great video! The volume of air that any kind of fan moves is reduced when you put a filter on it. It's not just the CFM rating, but also the vacuum pressure it can generate. Box fans don't suck as hard as squirrel cage blowers. And not all filters are equally restrictive. Lots of variables.
I use an old furnace blower in a cart with the four sides of the cart being 20x20x1 filters. Recycles my whole garage every couple minutes.
To get that much air flow would my fan have to be on high speed? I built a box fan set-up several years ago and it always seemed to do a good job and I usually keep it on med speed.
Thanks for all your videos. I have learned a lot.
Yeah good question,I would like to run it as low as possible and leave it on longer so I don't kick up settled dust with it. Maybe mak an out put diffuser.
I believe your CFM may be an incorrect observation. The fan alone has no resistance do to not having the filter. I assume the other flow is based on the two stage filters in place. Yes?
I showed my wife how much money I saved with the box fans I used. Things will be getting better now, thanks Izzy!!!
Been using box fans in my shop for years they never quit thanks for the video
Building a closed box from the air filters increases the surface area, which can improve the fan efficiency. That also means one can choose a more restrictive filter in that configuration to filter the same volume as a singular less restrictive filter. Trade-off is cost, however due to the larger surface area the filters may last longer. Seem most find a negative pressure set-up as more preferable as well because the dust just goes onto the filters and the fan itself should stay fairly clean.
This is way cool for those of us who do not have lots of money and a smaller shop then most. My work space is less then 100sq and in my house. I will be looking into this very soon.
I've been wanting to do this using one of those duel window fans. Great info. thanks.
I was told by an engineer years ago that if I used one of these fans and had the fan blow into the filter instead of sucking air into it, It would be more efficient. I have been using this method for about 10 years and it seems to work. Any ideas which is the best method, as I have never heard this mentioned before?
The pressure from pushing air kills the box fan motors they say
I built a cube-like frame and put 4 filters. I could have put 5 but didn't want to mess with having one on the bottom. It's worked fine for years.
I use a box fan and filter and it works great. I use a re-usable/washable filter so I don’t have to buy them over and over because they get dirty quick. I plan to add a second fan at some point. Also, I have a window unit for AC and heat and I position the fan about 2 feet in front to catch the cool air and better disperse it through the shop. Fan and filter is definitely the way to go.
Summer fires made the air really bad here in the West. My electronic particulate meter was reading over 5000 indoors. 2 box fans and 2 filters cut the reading down below 100
I had a 20'' box fan I used in my bedroom. Wife likes it hot, I like it cold, that and the white noise was nice. That 20$ fan lasted for 7 years working anywhere from 8-18 hrs/ day. ( I was working nights and my wife was on days, so it got a lot of use). I cant imagine many people running a fan in their shop anywhere that long.
I love this. I'm in the UK so 'box fan' although available isn't an 'every store' product. Is there a particular rating to look out for?
Merv 13 is needed to filter viruses. Can a Merv 13 and a Merv 8 Carbon be stacked to also filter odors?
I've looked at this idea from you and others. I'm sure it filters the air, but it also seems like the high velocity exhaust air would blow up dust from other surfaces which may not otherwise be airborne. I saw one design that blew air past the fan and into a box that had 8 filters on it. This allowed the exhaust air velocity to be lower which may not kick up as much dust off the other surfaces. While it has the disadvantage of having to try to protect the motor from the unfiltered dust being sucked through it, it may provide better overall air quality in the shop. I have not tested this, and suppose it would depend upon how dusty your shop is to begin with. Only an air quality monitor can tell for sure...
I have an old furnace blower that I am going to set up as my air filtration. Thinking about venting it outside. Best thing, it was free!
If you vent to the outside, where are you pulling clean air from? One concern is won’t I be tossing out a lot of conditioned air (heated/cooled)? The second part of this is will I be getting dust from all over the shop? Don’t you need to force air to circulate even if you are expelling it outside?
I use both, it's cheap enough. My shop is small so the cheapest WEN works, $130. Sits over my head not taking up space and very quiet. The box fan is used under my table collecting anything that falls. I usually only turn it on when handling heavier projects
Really need to see this measured to agree. My experience has been that by adding the filter there is a reduction on airflow, now maybe that has more to to with they type of filter, but a comparison of actual measured airflow would clear up any speculation.
Michael Elliott I overlooked that, the tiny little motor on box fans would be bogged down with a couple filters added. And you know the cfms are probably over stated anyway lol
I believe he's getting the 500cfm figure WITH the filters added. without a filter, a box fan can be anywhere from 2500cfm to 3600cfm (or so says online specs).
If you pull the grill from the box fan you'll get a surprising amount of added CFM from it. Plus, it keeps you on your toes when you get your hands near it ;)
And for sure a cost to not overlook is the cost of the replacement filters!
Replacement filters are not really a factor as both units would need to have their filters replaced and I imagine that the unique size of the Wen (and other's like it) make it a little pricier and not something your big box store will have on hand.
@@handplanepastor8558 < that is actually why it IS a factor. I can get a 20x20 in a five pack for around a buck. At that price I can change them twice a week.
Mugsy Kudzu where do you get your filters at that price? Are they the cardboard framed type and what is the filter media. The cheapest furnace filters I’ve seen are just under $5 each at Home Depot.
@@corydriver7634 Rural King has them for .79 cents a peice right now, true value had them for two bucks but you have to buy twelve.
These are both flat panel, but they work.
I got a box of twenty at restore last year for ten dollars, they're always with a look