air filters for solder fumes...????

[Brian Marshall]

what is the best type of air filter for solder fumes...  hepa... charcoal??? what am i looking for here?

[zachary vex]

the black foam carbon ones made for soldering work well.  they're sold as a set with refills... fan and replaceable foam inserts.  you need the carbon to absorb the formaldehyde, etc.  when my assembler is finished with one of those foam filters, it's hard crusty grey (formerly jet black).

[ahermida]

what is the best type of air filter for solder fumes...  hepa... charcoal??? what am i looking for here?

www.mcmelectronics.com should have them.

Alf

[KORGULL]

There was a pretty sizable thread on this topic floating around not long ago. If you want to search for it, I think it is entitled: solder fume  protection. Maybe some more info/ideas/sources for you there.

[Hal]

search for 'mad hatter' to find the other one  :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:

[AL]

Hold on a second - don't jump the gun yet. Filters and respirators can get expensive.

How much are you soldering (time involved, amount of solder etc.)? If it's negligible I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you think you need a facepiece then the first things you need to worry about are:

What type of solder?
What is the OSHA/NIOSH exposure limit?

Once you have this info and you're sure you need a respirator then you can find the type of filter that is recommended for use. Most exposure limits are for an 8 hour TWA (time weighted average). That's a limit for a typical 8 hour work day - if you're exposed to that much toxin in a smaller time frame you definitely will need a respirator. Don't just go out and buy a facemask with any filter. Filters are specific to certain toxins/particulates. There isn't one "catch-all" filter that works for everything. And, since we're on the subject if you have a beard or goatee and aren't willing to shave it you may as well not bother with the respirator. Your face needs to be clean shaven AT ALL TIMES for the respirator to create a proper seal. I have a NIOSH pocket guide to chemical hazards so if you need any specifics let me know.

AL

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

The other approach (instead of a mask) is to use a metal tube that sucks the fumes away from the point of the iron. You can see these (expensive & elaborate) systems advertised, then roll your own. (thin metal tube along the top of the iron, attached to suction pump). Or work in a draft.
the danger is the resin fumes (some worse than others, causing asthma), the lead is not the main issue.
If you smoke (anything) , rest assured the cigs are doing you a LOT more damage than soldering will :shock:

[alteredsounds]

Sorry to resurect an old topic but I've got alot of breathing problems recently which I'm putting down to soldering in a badly ventilated room.  To be honest I hadnt given it a 2nd thought until it started getting bad and coincidently I've had time off work over the holidays and have been soldering for hous on end.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FUME-EXTRACTOR-SOLDERING-SOLDER-DESOLDER-THE-SOLDERMAN_W0QQitemZ7581886734QQcategoryZ106001QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Anyways, how good are these, are they likely to work?

Thanks,
Nick,

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I tried something like this (admittedly DIY) without much success. The problem was, that 'sucking' isn't as directional as 'blowing', so you really need  the suck to be close to the iron. Plus the fumes naturally rise. If I was trying again, I'd use a metal tube on the iron, with a hose to a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner. In fact I have got a metal tube and hose to fit my HAKKO iron, (bought it a a spare part) but havn't got it running yet.
To use the displayed item above, I'd try making some kind of frame so it would sit horizontally above the work, so the rising fumes are tending to go towards it. Being in an enclosed room is going to make things hard, though. Don't know whether you can make a board with a fan & ducting hose (put the board in place in the window when working).

[KORGULL]

Paul Perry wrote:

Don't know whether you can make a board with a fan & ducting hose (put the board in place in the window when working).

That sounds a bit like what I made: A computer fan is enclosed in a small box with a clothes dryer hose fitted to the rear of the box. The other end of the hose then passes through a hole in a board which sits in the window opening. The fan is raised up about six inches above the table and catches all the fumes and vents them outside. I do need to solder pretty close to the thing for it to catch all of the fumes, but it's not really a problem once it is set up in a good spot. Use the most powerful fan you can find. They're really cheap.
I also have the exact filtering unit pictured in the above link. It works pretty well and has a powerful fan. I keep it on top of the other fan and will switch it on during especially smoky sessions, or times that I need to be at a distance from the other unit. I would definitely rather have the fume extractor in the link than nothing at all.

[alteredsounds]

Thanks for the advice.  I think I stupidly underestimated the fume problem despite there being several posts here about it.  I only soldered for 10 minutes max yesterday and had a MUCH improved night's sleep without weezing problems.

Cheers,
Nick,

[birt]

i have a tube from an old vacuumcleaner above my bench with a fan attached. it leads to the attic above me.

[Phorhas]

i have a tube from an old vacuumcleaner above my bench with a fan attached. it leads to the attic above me.

Tube Vacuum for solder fumes... hmm... I can see the hype already!

"the only fume extractor suitible for high-end solder - tube based!!!"

[Herr Masel]

Doesn't a simple fan suffice?

[The Tone God]

Doesn't a simple fan suffice?

You would just be dispersing the fumes around the area. You really need to filter it in order to be safe.

Andrew