smoking room ventilation

[Mark C]

Originally Posted by BigCat

I assume the answer is that I have to seal up the room or the smoke will go everywhere. I'm not opposed to that - I just expect it is going to take more money to do that than it will to have a couple fans put in.

You definitely want to create a pressure differential, lower pressure in the smoking room than the rest of the house. To do that, you'll need an exhaust fan like you said. The size of the fan will depend entirely on how well the room is sealed. You could try guessing, or you could call an HVAC shop and ask them to help you out. They can run a few easy tests to figure out how much flow will be required to maintain a reasonable pressure differential, and size your exhaust fan accordingly. The hole might be a problem for you. Maybe put a sheet of glass (or plexiglass) one the den side of the hole? That way it's still functional, yet sealed. You may need to seal any HVAC ducts in that room, otherwise your fan could pull air through the duct instead of through the doorways.

Originally Posted by BigCat

Do you notice much by way of increased energy costs? I hadn't thought about that until Volt brought it up.

The fan itself will only cost you pennies per hour. For a 2,000 sqft house, figure a total volume ~16,000 ft3... 800 cfm will turnover all the air in your house in 20 min. Depending on where you live, I'd guess you may see an impact. This is where appropriate fan sizing comes into play. Choose a fan too small, smoke will migrate through your house. Choose too large, your HVAC may have a hard time keeping up in the rest of the house.

[Wharf Rat]

I suggest you look hard at the suggestion to close the window into your living space. To stop smoke through a large opening will require a lot of air flow. This greatly increases the size of the exhaust needed. And that big airflow through the opening will probably be blowing things around on your wife's side of the opening.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by Mark C

The hole might be a problem for you. Maybe put a sheet of glass (or plexiglass) one the den side of the hole? That way it's still functional, yet sealed.



The fan itself will only cost you pennies per hour. For a 2,000 sqft house, figure a total volume ~16,000 ft3... 800 cfm will turnover all the air in your house in 20 min. Depending on where you live, I'd guess you may see an impact. This is where appropriate fan sizing comes into play. Choose a fan too small, smoke will migrate through your house. Choose too large, your HVAC may have a hard time keeping up in the rest of the house.

Our plan is to eventually put some type of nice glass in there to seal it off. We don't have any kids yet, but my wife is worried about one climbing into this and jumping into the foyer when we eventually do. Thanks for your thoughts on the fan. That makes sense. I will probably consult an HVAC guy before I make a move.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by Wharf Rat

I suggest you look hard at the suggestion to close the window into your living space. To stop smoke through a large opening will require a lot of air flow. This greatly increases the size of the exhaust needed. And that big airflow through the opening will probably be blowing things around on your wife's side of the opening.

Now that would be something to see!

Originally Posted by Caymus

I have the IQAir Health Pro Plus. It is a HEPA air filter machine that filters out dust, pet dander, etc. The charcoal filter also does quite a good job filtering out the cigar smoke in my man room. It's not cheap, but it does a lot more than just act as a smoke filter.

Do you vent the smoke as well, or does the filter act as a smoke eater?