Query for fireman(or woman) – Type of workshop fire alarm??

[Sawdust=manglitter]

I intend to install mains fire/smoke alarms (with backup battery) in my house and will also be installing one in the workshop.

The plan so far is to install a heat alarm in the kitchen, and fit an optical smoke alarm in the hall near the kitchen and one the other end of the hall near the bedrooms - it’s a long-ish bungalow.

My question is what would be most suitable in the workshop, where I also store my wood? Would a heat alarm be enough, or would an optical or ionisation alarm be triggered often if I’m using a branding iron on wood or if a router bit is a bit dull/dirty and burns a little? Also, what alarms would be most suitable in a dusty enrivonement? in case it makes a difference I’m lucky enough to have my workshop in a detached double garage which is something like 7m by 6m - its about 1m away from the house.

Thanks in advance for any advice given

 

[sunnybob]

call in at your nearest fire station, theyll send out an expert to survey it.
But just in case, check they wont charge you.(lol)

 

[Chris152]

call in at your nearest fire station, theyll send out an expert to survey it.
But just in case, check they wont charge you.(lol)

I don't know if it's the same where you are Sawdust, but here the Fire Service came knocking on the door offering to survey and fit them for free - battery operated only, and I guess just the one type, but definitely worth contacting them as Bob says.

 

[Mike Jordan]

You've already had good advice but here's a bit more from a worn out fireman, heat detectors will do the job in areas where either type of smoke detector could drive you mad with false alarms. Your best defence is known as good housekeeping! No you don't need to wear a pinny, it means leaving the workshop immaculately clean of all waste materials and chippings, with all quipment unplugged or isolated, and any heating ( particularly solid fuel stoves) cold. If your extractor is housed separately from the workshop that needs to have a heat detector over it as well, a smouldering fire in dust can take a long time to turn into a destructive fire and is hazardous to extinguish because of the danger of a dust explosion.
Mike.

 

[sunnybob]

Taking it to the extreme regarding smouldering fires, when I worked as an MoD contractor, if we had done any kind of hot work in an empty building, even if it was just sparks from an angle grinder, we had to stay on site for 2 hours after work finished, and then go round and check before singing the job off.
:shock: :shock: :shock:
the good part was we got paid for hanging around =D> =D> =D>

But in your case, where the only thing youre concerned about is a branding iron, dont fret too much. Is it electric? or a blowtorch heated?

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

Thanks for the advice guys. It's more for added security/piece of mind. The branding iron is heated by blowtorch, but i am so conscious of it and careful that it's not a huge concern.

The main concern is that when i'm stabilizing wood in a vacuum chamber it would ideally need to leave the vacuum pump on for around 24hrs, so overnight. So the OH has told me not to do anymore until i get alarms fitted! :shock:

And the workshop is rarely clean with me - I do really need keep on top of that!!

 

[sunnybob]

I'm confused;
surely you operate the vacuum pump to get all the air out, and then close a valve? why does the pump have to be on all night?

At the end of each day I vacuum the floor, and then walk around making every wall socket is off, before I close the doors. A good habit to get into.

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

In order to get all of the air out of the core of the blanks of wood you want to stabilize you need to keep the pump running. For whatever reason, just bringing it to a vacuum and closing the valve wont remove the remainder of air from the wood. Its the advice given by the manufacturer of the resin (see link) and I've tried it out myself. The first blanks i tried the pump was only on for about 4hrs and there were still bubbles present but i turned it off anyway as i thought 4hrs should be plenty, but they didnt have great penetration. When i've run the pump for 18-24hrs the blanks have come out much better with full penetration and more vivid colouring (when using dye)
https://www.turntex.com/help-center/cac ... ctus-juice

 

[sunnybob]

Presumably this pump is quite small power wise?
i really dont know about this process, but as added safety have you reduced the fuse in the plug?
up to 700 watts you only need a 3 amp fuse. If the pump is low and the fuse is high, the pump could melt down before the fuse blows.

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

Presumably this pump is quite small power wise?
i really dont know about this process, but as added safety have you reduced the fuse in the plug?
up to 700 watts you only need a 3 amp fuse. If the pump is low and the fuse is high, the pump could melt down before the fuse blows.

The pump is 1/2 hp (370ish Watts), so again I guess a 3amp fuse would do?

 

[sunnybob]

absolutely 8)