Air conditioning / ventilation

[Executivos]

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out a solution for my rehearsal space. Everything I read says to avoid holes in walls (even as far as surface mounted electrical stuff) How do I get fresh air inside a room within a room when everything is sealed off. I know most studio's have a concern with the ac making noise that comes through on tape....This is not a concern for me, I just don't want noise getting out.

[John Sayers]

I think this has been covered so try a search.

basically you can make a duct to the outside, through a window frame is easiest, and extend the duct outside along the building aso the sound has to travel along it to get out. Line the box with insulation and presto! silence. You can put the aircon unit at either end. As yours is just a rehearsal room put it inside and draw the fresh air in through the long duct.

Cheers
John

[Bushice]

My problem will be slightly different, but I think I have a decent solution. I will be extending the ducts from the house out to the garage for heating and cooling, but most of the time the system will not be needed, as for much of the year here the temperature is very nice. I will use a space heater during very cold times (there won't be many of those) and a portable air purifying unit, one of those HEPA filter types, for most of the time when it is cool to keep the air fresh and free of dust (it is dusty here) .

The only hitch will be installing a thermostat in the room that will shut off the main AC system when it is cool enough, since the main house does not ever usually need AC. That I will have to look into, but I figure there is a solution out there. I'm not the first to build a garage studio!!

If I could, I'd install an independent cooling system, but I'm sure the expense would be too great, and well beyond my budget.

Bushice

[Executivos]

yeah I'm in souther california too, and for the most part the weather has been great. (really cold right now...it was snowing in malibu!) I was back east over christmas. I used to think the cold and snow was cool. Not anymore....

I'm not SOOO concerned about the ac/heat as much as the no oxygen/passing out factor.

I've seen some (very little) mention of ducts with insulation. Is that something I buy or just line the interior myself.

When you say line the box with insulation....

Do you mean putting the ac unit in a box outside? (I'd probably prefer to keep in outside of the practice space)

Sorry again for my lack of knowledge. I'm just trying to avoid expensive mistakes....

[John Sayers]

This is what I mean. I've drawn it going straight out and down the wall but you can make it go along the outer wall if you want it to be longer and thus more soundproof.


cheers
John

[Executivos]

ok sorry to keep bringing this up. I have searched and searched and searched, and I'm not coming up with much.

I uderstand your technique as shown in the picture, and I think thats the way I'm going but I have two questions.

How much sound will that leak? BTW there are no windows, it would just be a whole in the outer wall and a whole in the inner wall.

Lining the mdf box with insulation, in which air that I breathe is passing through, won't that put fibers into the room which is not very healthy?

I saw the attached picture on another site...does this help? Once again it does have the insulation on it.

[frederic]

Originally posted by John Sayers
This is what I mean. I've drawn it going straight out and down the wall but you can make it go along the outer wall if you want it to be longer and thus more soundproof.


cheers
John

If I may make a suggestion.... I would make the MDF enclosure you designed face up, rather than down. This way the cold air goes to the ceiling, and drops, rather than sits on the floor. This will result in a cooler "feel" to the room using less energy.

[notCardio]

Originally posted by Executivos
[B]Lining the mdf box with insulation, in which air that I breathe is passing through, won't that put fibers into the room which is not very healthy?/B]

I have often wondered this myself. As someone who has spent a lot of time running cables through suspended ceilings that have fiberglass batting insulation in them, I can tell you that fiberglass is NOT good for any part of your respiratory system, and there are some people who are actually allergic to it, making them break out in rashes. It makes me sneeze and cough, even if I'm wearing a dust mask, and it makes me itch. That's why Corning made such a big deal about their pink-faced "itchless" insulation. I can't imaging having air blowing over it into a small, confined space and having that as your only source of ventilation.

Or are they referring to a different kind of insulation?

Could you cover the insulation with some sort of acoustically transparent fabric, and if so, what would that be?

[Executivos]

I think you have the idea with acoustic fabic etc...I saw they sell some insulation with a think layer of plastic coating it...Am I right in think thing the plastic won't harm the acoustic effects of the insulation, but still keep fibers from killing me.

[notCardio]

Although I'll admit I don't know this for a fact, I would think that the plastic WOULD affect the sound absorption properties. Plastic is generally highly reflective, not what you'd want in that application. Remember, this stuff is really intended to stop heat transmission, not as an acoustical surface treatment. And, now that I think about it, most places have building regulations that prohibit this type of insulation to be exposed to the interior of a living space ( meaning it has to be covered with drywall ) due to it's flammability. I suppose being on the interior of ductwork might qualify.

[Executivos]

the plastic is REALLY thin...kinda like plastic wrap? I think the fabic is a better idea anyway.

[frederic]

the insulation used in these type of things is not fiberglass, but rather something like Marketek or Auralex. You can use almost anything, but if its toxic or f'glass based, you'd need to put a furnace filter in front of the opening thats exposed to the room.

Originally posted by Cardioidpotent



I have often wondered this myself. As someone who has spent a lot of time running cables through suspended ceilings that have fiberglass batting insulation in them, I can tell you that fiberglass is NOT good for any part of your respiratory system, and there are some people who are actually allergic to it, making them break out in rashes. It makes me sneeze and cough, even if I'm wearing a dust mask, and it makes me itch. That's why Corning made such a big deal about their pink-faced "itchless" insulation. I can't imaging having air blowing over it into a small, confined space and having that as your only source of ventilation.

Or are they referring to a different kind of insulation?

Could you cover the insulation with some sort of acoustically transparent fabric, and if so, what would that be?