Venting exhaust from within a building - out of the box

[Out of Character - 0]

I was thinking about this and thought I would see what opinions I can get. In a commercial building with a closed door policy could it be safe to exhaust a gas engine through the sewer. Cooling the exhaust before it goes into the sewer isn't a big problem. I was thinking that all the drains have traps to prevent the gasses from coming in. I'd be scared to do it in a multi tenant building because I wouldn't have any clue if there was a problem in the other units.

What say you?

 

[Desk Jockey]

:shock:
Man I wouldn't do that.

If there is no other alternative what about vents for furnace, Hot water heater or maybe even bathroom exhaust.

If you do it I'd get several Carbon Monoxide detectors placed throughout the place.

How about encaping the place?

 

[ACE]

Ivebeensold Ivebeensold Ivebeensold

That sounds like a bad Idea.

 

[dgardner]

The exhaust gasses would most likely take the path of least resistance and travel up the vent stacks. One huge problem is many commercial buildings have air handlers on the roof that pull in some fresh air. You could easily end up pulling CO in too. Very bad idea.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[sweendogg]

while there are many nay sayers.. I like the idea.. You know we always see these propane powered buffers used in enclosed spaces.. makes you wonder... If Mike Draper's van is completely propane.. awaiting conversion to natural gas.. could he in theory run his unit inside...

Things that make you hmmm. if he gets his van to completely natural gas.. makes you wonder even more if that would become acceptable.

Still would need venting I suppose. We have thought about the idea for cold winter days when we need the power and heat of the truckmount for a cleaning issue on some dropped off upholstery or rugs.. but don't want to take the truck out because of all the snow on the ground.. being able to exhaust out through our dock door.. and it would be doable for us, as we would only need the exterior exhaust ports installed in our dock door.. but for the few times we would use it.. kinda of a wasted investment.

 

[Desk Jockey]

while there are many nay sayers.. I like the idea.. You know we always see these propane powered buffers used in enclosed spaces.. makes you wonder... If Mike Draper's van is completely propane.. awaiting conversion to natural gas.. could he in theory run his unit inside...

Back in the 80's we used to run our Hydro Genie inside the mall here for years until their insurance finally put a stop to it.

 

[Jim Martin]

I hate to be the sad sack of this idea but....there are a few things to consider.....

first off....most drain pipes that go into the sewer system have one way doors on them so that if the main line were to back up it would not flood every building on the block....I really don't think exhaust has enough force to open this door....normally it takes water pressure.....

second...all VTR pipes..(vent threw roof ) have "P" traps installed somewhere to prevent gases from coming back into the building....and as we all know....a "P" trap is filled with water and will not all the exhaust to go threw....

 

[floorguy]

while there are many nay sayers.. I like the idea.. You know we always see these propane powered buffers used in enclosed spaces.. makes you wonder... If Mike Draper's van is completely propane.. awaiting conversion to natural gas.. could he in theory run his unit inside...

Things that make you hmmm. if he gets his van to completely natural gas.. makes you wonder even more if that would become acceptable.

Still would need venting I suppose. We have thought about the idea for cold winter days when we need the power and heat of the truckmount for a cleaning issue on some dropped off upholstery or rugs.. but don't want to take the truck out because of all the snow on the ground.. being able to exhaust out through our dock door.. and it would be doable for us, as we would only need the exterior exhaust ports installed in our dock door.. but for the few times we would use it.. kinda of a wasted investment.

dude those are 13-17 hp motors...running for 10 mins up to an hr or 2(in a huge OPEN building....not in a office type setting)

the TM motors are what 20-35 hp, running for a lot longer...

apples to tangerines

 

[sweendogg]

Dude.. it was just a thought... and there are many warehoues running 50 to 60 horse propane motors everyday all day! With out a single hickup!


AHHHEEMM

http://www.cat-lift.com/_cat/index.cfm/ ... -capacity/


If the place is large enough to pull a truck in.. usually its going to be a service dock areas, I'm betting it would be no problem to run a propane truckmount in one of these warehouse, stock alley areas.

 

[sweendogg]

To add to this: I had to confirm.. the reaction of propane with oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water.. hence why its plausible to use these types of engines indoors with out issues.

So... who is up for fruit salad?

 

[Jimbo]

Remember an older TM cleaning unit that used a B&S engine that ran on propane??...and was said to be ok to run inside a building?

I heard a story when I was a disty that some Briggs and Stratton corporate guy saw one running in an airport in the western US...was horrified...called the higher up powers @ B&S...and refused to sell any more engines for that particular use...might be urban legend...but you cannot buy one of those units today...I would not do it, Mr Chico...maybe a bunch of Myttee Portables...but not a tm.

Jim in Reno

 

[Royal Man]

Instead of going through with all this hoopla. Why don't you just pad encap it?

Most commercial cleaning is going to encap anyway.

Yes propane does not need to be vented.

 

[minuteman]

You could buy a used Bane-Clene Mini-Mount and trick it out to meet your specs. Saw a few in an airport on electric extended golf carts.

Greg

 

[Bruce Humphrey]