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mmmmush
Stranger
Registered: 10/30/05
Posts: 48
Last seen: 3 years, 1 month
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Re: Is this Flow Hood a good deal? [Re: Darkman]
#18085082 - 04/10/13 12:29 AM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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dude you can make this and even use a heap that is 99.999 ant 3 microns build the hood and ever thing in the pic for about $250
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wood chip
Stranger
Registered: 02/22/09
Posts: 210
Last seen: 10 years, 4 months
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Re: Is this Flow Hood a good deal? [Re: mmmmush]
#18086551 - 04/10/13 11:40 AM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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Never ever ever buy a used flow hood unless you plan to replace the filters.
Vertical hoods make little sense. I have yet to see a single reason why someone would want one over a horizontal. Think about the air flow. Once it hits the ground it has to change direction. They are often used for PCR work and not recommended for tissue work. Marketing is my guess. I have researched the subject a little and can find no explanation for the vertical hood design.
I actually have one, but I never use it except as a glove box. It says PCR work station on it and is similar to the one you posted.
I would recommend getting the fungi perfecti hood. You will have close to if not zero contaminants if used properly. This has been my experience.
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fastfred
Old Hand
Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 6,899
Loc: Dark side of the moon
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Re: Is this Flow Hood a good deal? [Re: wood chip]
#18087250 - 04/10/13 02:09 PM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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> Vertical hoods make little sense. I have yet to see a single reason why someone would want one over a horizontal.
They're much cheaper and don't rely on laminar flow. The filters are cheaper and you can make your work area any size you want with minimal worries over static pressure and CFM.
It's just cheaper and more efficient design. Trying to have your opening as large as your filter and entire workspace is just not very smart from an engineering perspective and creates all sorts of problems.
I have a large laminar flow hood going up for auction in Spokane at a consignment auction. It's next weekend (April 20th I think). If anyone's interested, PM me for details. I'm sure it will go for next to nothing. It's a great deal if you want to spend the $$$ for new filters. Otherwise throw it in your shop as a nice big air filter + workbench.
I just don't have the room for it, or the money for a filter replacement. I've always built my own designs using normal (non-laminar) flow hood methods. They've always worked great and tested out perfectly.
If you want a really nice, huge, professional laminar flow hood then buy mine! Otherwise just build your own. I've always used off-the-shelf MegaMart HEPA filters and free blowers from HVAC places, thrift stores, or scrap furnaces/appliances.
Beware the MegaMart HEPA filters, some kinds will work while others will not. Some have blow-by, and even on the ones that don't seem to I usually add some hotglue or silicone to make sure.
If you build your own you can easily make far better ones than are sold commercially, at least in our price ranges.
I think I posted a few guides on the topic way back when. If anyone's interested I can dig them up and repost them.
-FF
-------------------- It drinks the alcohol and abstains from the weed or else it gets the hose again. -Chemy The difference between the substances doesn't matter. This is a war on consciousness, on our right to the very essence of what we are. With no control over that, we have no need to speak of freedom or a free society. -fireseed "If we are going to have a war on marijuana, the least we can do is pull the sick and the dying off the battlefield." -Neal Levine (MPP) I find the whole "my drug should be legal but yours should be illegal" mindset disgusting and hypocritical. It's what George Bush and company do when they drink a cocktail and debate the best way to imprison marijuana users. -Diploid
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wood chip
Stranger
Registered: 02/22/09
Posts: 210
Last seen: 10 years, 4 months
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Re: Is this Flow Hood a good deal? [Re: fastfred]
#18087652 - 04/10/13 03:33 PM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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"They're much cheaper and don't rely on laminar flow".
Why do you think they are cheaper? The type shown are much more expensive.
You absolutely want laminar flow for mushroom cultivation. The horizontal is a far better design. Except nothing less. Use a glove box if you can not achieve laminar flow.
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fastfred
Old Hand
Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 6,899
Loc: Dark side of the moon
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Re: Is this Flow Hood a good deal? [Re: wood chip]
#18090419 - 04/11/13 02:11 AM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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Yep, if you want to waste a lot of money you sure can't beat laminar flow.
If your engineering and construction skills are weak then it's really your only option. Just put a large blower and a massive, expensive filter together and you're done.
It's far cheaper to use a little common sense and logic to design an airflow system rather than brute force the design with huge and expensive filters.
I'm just speaking from professional lab experience and personal construction experience. You don't need laminar flow, there's just no point and it's a big waste of money.
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wood chip
Stranger
Registered: 02/22/09
Posts: 210
Last seen: 10 years, 4 months
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Re: Is this Flow Hood a good deal? [Re: fastfred]
#18097081 - 04/12/13 12:25 PM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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What was your experience?
A laminar flow hood is not a waste of money it is one of the most important piece of equipment a mushroom grower can have. Used correctly, with sterilized substrates contamination rate is zero.
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fastfred
Old Hand
Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 6,899
Loc: Dark side of the moon
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Re: Is this Flow Hood a good deal? [Re: wood chip]
#18097596 - 04/12/13 02:37 PM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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> What was your experience?
I've built 4 non-laminar flow hoods and owned two large lab-grade laminar flow hoods.
Since I've tested my own designs by exposing agar plates in them I know for fact that laminar flow is NOT important in proper flow hood design. Thus any money you spend on laminar flow vs. a normal flow hood is a waste.
All you need is a box full of clean air. You can do that with a glove box, but if you add some airflow then you are also constantly carrying out any contams. The only things important to the flow hood are that the air is clean and is flowing out the outlet at a proper speed to prevent any dirty air coming in. It has to be even to some extent to prevent vortexes and air currents that could suck in dirty air from the exhaust port, but a little attention to designing the input and the proper blower speed easily accomplishes this.
Quote:
A laminar flow hood is not a waste of money it is one of the most important piece of equipment a mushroom grower can have.
A flow hood is convenient and saves time, but it's certainly not essential or even particularly important. It's certainly worth building one, but there's a reason they don't teach micro classes using flow hoods. It's important to learn that you can do +90% with a bunsen burner, a draft free room, and proper sterile technique.
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