Smoking in the house

[KeithS]

A recent topic by Greggj77 "while the wifes away" prompted me to tap this huge knowledge base of smokers.

I'm finishing my basement and intend to be able to smoke down there when it's done. Has anyone out there done anything to allow smoking in an area of their house without stinking up the place? I've talked with some people that say exhaust it with fans, and others say filter it, but I've yet to talk with someone who has done it.

My initial plan is to install an electronic filter on the furnace which is about $500.00, and to also put in a ceiling mount smoke eater in the room, which is another $500 rebuilt.

You can get good fans for about $130.00, I'd need two I think with the room size.

Has anyone done this with success? What did you use?

Keith

 

[PSTAN]

It has been done before, I recall Atuck having a similar system in his basement...his post was in the humidor forum

 

[WhiteAshes]

I'm interested, too. I've been looking around at various smoke eaters online, but I'm concerned about the noise.

I have a 400 square foot room that I'm converting to my smoking room 'cause air handling in the living room area, where I usually smoke, would be too difficult. My living room is about a thousand square feet, and with the exception of the upstairs, the house is "open concept" and devoid of walls, so the affected area downstairs is a few thousand square feet. I'd rather avoid the "smokey bar room" effect this winter, so I'm allocating a room for my enjoyment.

I've thought about the ionic/electronic approach, but there's a part of me that wants more active air movement and explicit, overt filtering. At this point I'm thinking about the CT500 Dynamic Air Cleaner. Does anyone have experience with it? Or the CT100 (smaller) model? Check out My-Air-Purifier.com (I'm not related to them in any way); I learned a lot there.

 

[LilBastage]

Try a search for "smoking room" or "smoke eaters" or "air filters" or any number of other related topics. This has been discussed several times and in detail.

 

[WhiteAshes]

Hmmm.... Hope nobody's knickers are in a twist....

I did do a search, and the results I got were all hearsay or quite dated.

What I'm hoping is that someone here has the CT100 or CT500 and can give first-hand feedback about the unit. Or, just as good, that someone who actually installed some other unit like the one that Atuck referenced, could give some feedback.

 

[DePasta]

I use a 300 CFM exhaust fan routed out the basement window, and a quality HEPA filter. Handles the 400 SQ ft. well and up to 5-6 cigars. within a day or two the smoke smell is gone. The electrostatic filters won't do diddley, need charcoal if you go the filter route.

 

[Gator]

Common sense tells me that 1st and foremost, get the smoke out as quickly as possible. If your room has carpet and fabric drapes, curtains, and fabric covered furniture, then eventually it will absorb smoke...

 

[KeithS]

Try a search for "smoking room" or "smoke eaters" or "air filters" or any number of other related topics. This has been discussed several times and in detail.

I've searched but the results you get are a manufacturers sales pitch. They all say their solution works the best. I'm hoping to find someone who has done it so I don't end up blowing wads of cash and end up with a smoky house :blush:

 

[KeithS]

I use a 300 CFM exhaust fan routed out the basement window, and a quality HEPA filter. Handles the 400 SQ ft. well and up to 5-6 cigars. within a day or two the smoke smell is gone. The electrostatic filters won't do diddley, need charcoal if you go the filter route.

Does that keep the smoke out of the rest of the house?

 

[BrewMeister]

Just my 2 cents.

If your objective is to keep the smell of smoke out of the house. I'd remove the smoking area from the house furnace. A filter will be expensive and I guarantee you, the wife will smell the cigars in other parts of the house once the furnace circulates air. You'd be better to do a split-ac-heat unit something like motel rooms use. It will also have a vent function to bring in fresh air. I'd still recommend an exhaust fan.

There are some fantastic units out there. I was a BOTL's house not long ago that had a fantastic smoke removal system in his den/bar. The actual fan unit/air exchanger was remotely mounted so noise wasn't an issue. It had a wall mounted sensor that monitored the air, and automatically kicked on to maintain the air quality. Unfortunately I don't recall the manufacturer. Cigardawg, might know he has been there more often than I.

 

[LilBastage]

Here are a few threads I found in a quick search that will give you some ideas for what you're trying to do. There are likely many more threads about the same stuff.

#1
#2
#3
#4

If you're looking for specific information on specific units, you'll likely have to go outside this website.

And no, I don't think anyone's "knickers are in a bunch."

 

[mmburtch]

I just christened my room the other day.

First mistake, smoke traveled through the heating ductwork since the blower wasn't on.

Second mistake, I placed my Trion SE400 in a corner of the room so it could be sunk into a soffet. Where it is, the outflow interferes with the inflow.

Additionally, I have a Panasonic 320cfm remote fan exhausting from the room.

With the furnace duct luvers closed, and both exhaust and air cleaner running it seems to be working. I have actually left the electrostatic on and you can't tell that there is a three day old but in the ashtray.

Remember when you seal up this room and turn on the fans, they won't work unless they can pull new air from somewhere. If you don't have a window, you will need a source of make-up air ducted in.

 

[WhiteAshes]

LilBastage: Thanks for the threads. (The extra http://" in the links slowed be down, but I just did a copy link/paste/delete and was able to read the last three.) The fan issues, especially loss of heat, are certainly good tips. The last one, mmburtch's, is impressive.

mmburtch: Thanks for the feedback. Is the Trion SE400 doing the job? I've read elsewhere that they start out great new, but then do a less well job over time. If you had it to do over again, would you still use the Trion SE400 (and place it differently)?

My room will be cut off from the furnace in the attic and the central air for upstars. I'm installing dedicated heat and A/C for the room.

 

[LilBastage]

LilBastage: Thanks for the threads. (The extra http://" in the links slowed be down, but I just did a copy link/paste/delete and was able to read the last three.) The fan issues, especially loss of heat, are certainly good tips. The last one, mmburtch's, is impressive.

mmburtch: Thanks for the feedback. Is the Trion SE400 doing the job? I've read elsewhere that they start out great new, but then do a less well job over time. If you had it to do over again, would you still use the Trion SE400 (and place it differently)?

My room will be cut off from the furnace in the attic and the central air for upstars. I'm installing dedicated heat and A/C for the room.

Crap, sorry about that. :blush: Sometimes I get in too much of a hurry...

Glad I could at least help a little.

 

[mmburtch]

LilBastage: Thanks for the threads. (The extra http://" in the links slowed be down, but I just did a copy link/paste/delete and was able to read the last three.) The fan issues, especially loss of heat, are certainly good tips. The last one, mmburtch's, is impressive.

mmburtch: Thanks for the feedback. Is the Trion SE400 doing the job? I've read elsewhere that they start out great new, but then do a less well job over time. If you had it to do over again, would you still use the Trion SE400 (and place it differently)?

My room will be cut off from the furnace in the attic and the central air for upstars. I'm installing dedicated heat and A/C for the room.

It's only had three cigars, and I need to kluge some sort of air redirect for it to give it a fair test. I would definately locate it more central to do over.

 

[DePasta]

I use a 300 CFM exhaust fan routed out the basement window, and a quality HEPA filter. Handles the 400 SQ ft. well and up to 5-6 cigars. within a day or two the smoke smell is gone. The electrostatic filters won't do diddley, need charcoal if you go the filter route.

Does that keep the smoke out of the rest of the house?

Yep, the room is in the basement and there are no returns, any smoke is kept in the room and quickly exhausted.