[Jewelry making - Article 00125] - Re: [Orchid] Safety of fans for soldering ventilation

[Michael McCoy]

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    The flammable limits of propane in air are 2.4 - 9.5%, not quite the
    50/50 mix mentioned below, but John's point is still valid. Unless
    you have a leak, or are leaving your torch valve open for quite long
    periods of time, it is very unlikely that you will reach the
    flammable limits in the ambient air. There are a couple of important
    things to consider, though. 

    The exhaust system you're talking about will remove air from the
    room. It will be important to make sure that sufficient replacement
    air comes into the work area, otherwise any exhaust will be
    inefficient. An open window opposite the exhaust will often suffice.
    McMaster Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com - search for part number
    5159T41 ), sells a variety of hazardous location fans. Their
    DC-powered fans are reasonably economical. Since they are 12 VDC, you
    would also need an AC-DC converter and associated wiring. Still
    cheaper than the available AC fans, I think. 

    One last thing that may be important to keep in mind. Propane is
    heavier than air. Obviously, this means it will sink to the floor
    where it will accumulate. Your exhaust system should have sufficient
    airflow at the source of the propane emission to capture the gas and
    vent it outside. If it doesn't, then the gas may accumulate low in
    the room where most vents won't get at it. Now, my opinion (standard
    disclaimers apply), is that you still won't build up enough gas to
    cause any problem during any reasonable usage. However, I thought
    that this point was important to consider, especially since the
    workroom is in your basement. 

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