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Removing Odors from my Garage

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How many of you have had the problem of LBC odors in your enclosed garages. My garage connects directly to the house via a side door/secret entrance that allows me to visit my precious baby as often as I need or want. She however has often filled the air in the garage with noxious (according to my wife) odors that often waif into the house (mostly gasoline and oil). To solve this, I installed a Nutone wall fan of the variety used in kitchens and wired it to run a full 10 minutes every hour. Problem solved. There is enough of an air leak in the garage door that allows fresh air to be drawn in and the noxious odors vented out, and away from my wife's sensitive nose. One less complaint from the other owner of the car.
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Bill
 
Bill -

Don't want to alarm you unnecessarily, but unless you've got LOTS of fresh air coming in (and maybe even if you do), you may be putting yourself at risk. In my "former life", I sold commercial/industrial ventilation equipment. Gasoline fumes are extremely explosive, and a fan that doesn't have an explosion-proof motor can be a problem.

Mickey
 
Dang, Mickey. Do you see that switch at the bottom. I just went out and turned it off. Now you have gotten me paranoid.
Guess I better do some more homework. Of course, what about the electric lights, electric garage door opener and any other electrical device used in the garage? Just how much of a real problem could this be. Aren't well all succeptable to this danger? Good question for the forum.

Paranoid Bill
 
As I remember it, the problem is the arcing in the motor. Sparks are generated when it does that, and if the fumes are concentrated enough, well, you know.

And you're right about any electrical device, but a fan is pulling all those vapors across the motor, so the chances are greater there.

For what it's worth, I've got a 24" wall fan mounted in the back of my 12'x24' shop; it's got a regular motor, but the only time it's on is when the double doors (8') are open.

Any other opinions out there?
 
I thought Nutone fan motors were just induction motors and did not have any brushes, slip-rings, centrifugal switches or other spark generating characteristics. So where's the spark? If your motor is sparking you in are in big trouble anyway you look at it.

The only spark will be the on-off switch, if it is not electronically switched. Additional safety would just be over kill in my opinion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
If you were to wash the floor with gas I know there would be a problem. Back in the late 60's a buddy tried cleaning the floor at the gas station with gas and it did flash.
Last summer I had my car painted in the garage and had a regular fan blowing out thru the dog door and didn't have any issues.
 
This is a subject I have asked about as well. I have "fixed" most of the smell issues, but LBC's still smell. I like the fan idea, but after hearing these hooror stroies about things that go boom, I am unsure.

Is there some sort of gauge or meter that can read the level of gas fumes in the air and determine what level is dangerous? I have very little experience with this, but it seems that unless the fumes were super strong, they would not have the concentration to actually explode. Of course, I have no basis for this.
 
Perhaps the source is Hypoid gear oil getting on hot pipes? Very distinctive and unpleasant smell! Another source of olfactory annoyance is wool carpets that have got wet. Once they're wet, they'll never be quite the same...
 
I like the idea of the fan, paranoia aside. Most of us have our furnaces and hot water heaters in the garage, most being gas fired. I would have thought that if something was going to pop it would have happened long before the fan could be an issue!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
you could put the fan on the outside, blow fresh air in and add another vent on the opposite side of your garage to let the "fumes" out. that way the fumes don't pass over the motor.
rob
 
Try a shot of Fabreeze near the every once and a while.

The odor is all part of the experience of ownership, I think! It Kinda reminds me of all the money spent.....
 
[ QUOTE ]
I thought Nutone fan motors were just induction motors and did not have any brushes, slip-rings, centrifugal switches or other spark generating characteristics. So where's the spark? If your motor is sparking you in are in big trouble anyway you look at it.

The only spark will be the on-off switch, if it is not electronically switched. Additional safety would just be over kill in my opinion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed. 99% of modern small fan motors are shaded pole, & have no brushes. Larger ones are usually PSC & have no brushes or switches either.
D
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I thought Nutone fan motors were just induction motors and did not have any brushes, slip-rings, centrifugal switches or other spark generating characteristics. So where's the spark? If your motor is sparking you in are in big trouble anyway you look at it.

The only spark will be the on-off switch, if it is not electronically switched. Additional safety would just be over kill in my opinion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed. 99% of modern small fan motors are shaded pole, & have no brushes. Larger ones are usually PSC & have no brushes or switches either.
D

[/ QUOTE ]

Was not aware of this - I was just relaying what I had to keep in mind when bidding jobs wherever there was the possibility of explosive fumes. OSHA, you know.

However, to me there's no such thing as being too careful. (Overkill sounds ironic in this case, doesn't it?) Be sure there's plenty of ventilation, whatever you do. Can't have too much of that, either.

Mickey
 
Every building code in this country requires all sources of ignition in a residential garage to be at least 18 inches above the floor. Ever notice that your water heaters and furnaces are elevated? The lowest elevation above the floor where gasoline fumes will ignite is 18 inches. This is true with free air ventilation or a closed space. Once the gas vapors get above the 18 inches they are not of sufficient quantity to ignite. Stink, oh yeah, ignite, no.

UL did a home safety video a few years back on water heaters. Part of the video included lowering a flame down to an open bucket of gasoline. They did this under several different conditions, each with the same result; the gas did not ignite until the flame was within 18 inches of the floor.

Heavier petro products like gear oil have a lower ignition elevation. Now crude on the other hand is an entirely different creature; look at it cross-wise and you will be in for trouble. All those lighter than air gasses trapped in there.

TMI I am sure. Bill turn your fan back on and sleep well.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Every building code in this country requires all sources of ignition in a residential garage to be at least 18 inches above the floor.

[/ QUOTE ]
Uh - oh, the lowest hv lead of the distributor cap on my LBC is only 19" above the floor. Goes a little lower if I lean on the fender. Maybe I shouldn't start it in the garage?
D /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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