Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

Need a ducted soldering fan for solder smoke extraction

Status
Not open for further replies.

Flyback

Well-Known Member
Hi,
I wish to solder in a room that hs no windows going externally...their are windows but only to internal.
But it also has a ~12cm diam metal pipe sticking out of the roof by some 15cm.....so if somehow i can strap a tube to this, and put a fan in the tube so that i can extract solder smoke, then it will be OK.
Do you know of any means of doing this?
The bottom of the metal tube is some 6 foot above floor level.
The idea would be to have the soldering work table below the metal tube thing, and the fan to duct the smoke away up it.

(The room is approx 2 metres by 5 metres by 3 metres high)
 
Soldering a 2000w psu.....
Have had throat problems before.

These never seem that good?
filter fan

..these are good, but can you put tubing either side of the fan?...one to go to the pipe, and th eother to the work
ducted fan
 
Last edited:
..these are good, but can you put tubing either side of the fan?...one to go to the pipe, and th eother to the work
No.

Look for "Inline extractor fan"

A 5" / 125mm should be about right.
eg.
 
Add duct such as this:

or this, etc.
 
Or, get a self-contained fan designed for soldering fumes that contains filters for particulates. These range from simple and cheap to complex and expensive.

A consideration is the solder you use, or more specifically, the flux. Rosin flux doesn't bother me; other types are extremely irritating to my nose and throat.
 
Or, get a self-contained fan designed for soldering fumes that contains filters for particulates. These range from simple and cheap to complex and expensive.

A consideration is the solder you use, or more specifically, the flux. Rosin flux doesn't bother me; other types are extremely irritating to my nose and throat.
As I've mentioned on these forums a number of times, I was once part of a study by the Health & Safety Executive about soldering. I queried them about it, and there was no concern over the lead in the solder (or the tin for that matter). The only concern was the flux, as apparently the fumes from the flux could trigger asthma attacks in sufferers.

The result of the study was that there was no requirement for fume extraction in a service environment, but there was in a production line environment. They were also unable to find any TV service engineer who had asthma - perhaps any such left the trade, due to frequent attacks? :D

Following on from that study the composition of the flux was changed anyway, to solve the problem at source - resulting in a far inferior flux.
 
Thanks, i always use the cheapest leaded solder that i can buy, whatever the flux thats inside it......i also use flux paste, and again, i always buy cheapest......but yes iF rosin flux is cheap i happily buy that.

I have had a large number of nights where i was up in the night coughing my throat out due to soldering in enclosed offices, or without a fan near me to disperse the smoke, so i like to have the window open now...........in this place i visited, there is no window, just a "pipe" going up to the roof......so i wish to attach an in line extractor fan going up to it.
 
Last edited:
Cheap solder with whatever crap flux they put in it is no bargain. Inconsistent, poor quality work will be the result.

Buy a name brand quality product like Kester.
 
Smoke?
Why does your soldering iron incinerate the rosin in the solder? Because the iron has no temperature control then it gets way too hot and the solder is also the cheapest then its rosin is made "over there" from animal dung?

My temperature controlled soldering iron and solder are Name Brand and not the cheapest. They produce no smoke, just a pleasant scent. My Weller soldering iron is 55 years old and still works fine. It is still made today.
 
Thanks,
The below looks the thing, but looks to be too smooth and not having facility for connection of ducting either side of it?
 
The below looks the thing, but looks to be too smooth and not having facility for connection of ducting either side of it?
The ducting just slides directly on and clamps to it, as if it were a coupling sleeve, as below!

What more do you need???
 
I bought an industrial cooker hood, and some 4" ducting.. Only cost £50 for the hood ( second hand ) and pennies for the foil expandable ducting.

I use it for welding as well...
 
I had a few fume extractors but found I like air filters better. The extractors didn't really do a good job if your soldering long hours and filling the room with fumes. I was using basic stand up airlifters that worked pretty good but since my work desk is in front some windows I switched to this window sil insert type that takes the air out instead. This is the one I've been using lately https://ebay.us/OMXWtU
 
My best guess here is fabricate your own fume hood large enough to cover your workstation area, You can buy or just roll your own hood design. Then add an inline fan similar to those used in cookstove systems, similar to this example. If you want, add an inline filter to your scheme and just pipe your contaminated sir to outside atmosphere.

Ron
 
You'll need to find the right air flow velocity for the task.

You need just enough to carry the fumes away. But too much air flow can make soldering difficult as it will carry heat away from the work.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top