Air Quality During The SHTF ...

[HB of CJ]

Air Quality ... Personal ... SHTF ...Wildfires ...

The ongoing numerous Wildfires Burning through out our Pacific Northwest made us recheck then reconsider our air quality preparations. We found them very lacking. While our Baby Suzuki Jeeps have oversize air cleaners both for the engine and A/C, our lungs are very non protected.

The NBC gas masks are now inside the Bug Out Bags. They were not before. We did not then perceive any real need with our prepps. Wrong. Our air outside right now in the Illinois Valley SW OR is very poor. Very poor. Even affecting healthy individuals. The usual smoke symptoms.

Back in about 2001 during the Biscuit/Florence fire the smoke here got extremely thick a couple of nights. I tried sleeping wearing a NBC gas mask with a fresh NBC filter. Could not. Too much effort forcing air through the element. We need to get some effective low resistance breathing filters

Any ideas, recommendations or experiences?

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[The Heretic]

There are a number of P90+ type respirators you can buy at industrial supply, on Amazon, etc.

The higher the number, the more particulate matter it filters. I have a number of the simple disposable type:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YKBV2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have these in my GHB and I use them at home for various project, like spraying weeds, sanding, etc.

I use something better for painting.

Also, you want eye protection. Ash and dust and rain/snow/ice can blind you.

A nomex/et. al. balaclava is a good idea too, as is maybe a shirt or hood. I know from experience how much pain a few embers falling on you can cause.

I also have a Tyvex full suit - helps with decon/cleanup/etc.

 

[Joe13]

I got bandanas and dust masks.


Should order a couple respirators I suppose.

 

[uscsoldier]

Wrap your car air filter in panty hose, also I really like my SGE 400Gas masks

 

[albin25]

I double up the intake filter element and humidifier is always full on the C-pap machine...and sleep like a baby (although I DO get up to pee).

 

[Joe13]

although I DO get up to pee).

They do make adult diapers if it comes to that

 

[The Heretic]

Just ordered a nomex balaclava

 

[The Heretic]

I double up the intake filter element and humidifier is always full on the C-pap machine...and sleep like a baby (although I DO get up to pee).

My next place I build will have the ventilation system closed up pretty tight with intake being filtered thru multiple HEPA filters. Also thinking of earth tubes for warming and cooling and give particulate matter a chance to settle in the tube. The tube might become an ad-hoc escape tunnel and indoor shooting range.

 

[cookie]

They do make adult diapers if it comes to that

5 am I pee and 6 am I poop and at 7 am I wake up.

 

[CountryGent]

Good question.

Right now: it has been positively nasty in these parts, smoke wise, for a short while now. Currently we are keeping potato-heads (the toddlers) indoors at all times with a properly equipped house. Neither of the two big people have respiratory issues, so short bursts outside are no big whoop.

Beyond that: both big people have gas masks and NATO filters. Both wee ones have hoods that filter out bad stuff too. So, if it ever gets nastier, we're prepared. And if it is radiologically nasty, we've got preps put away for that too, but that is another topic.

 

[308]

My next place I build will have the ventilation system closed up pretty tight with intake being filtered thru multiple HEPA filters. Also thinking of earth tubes for warming and cooling and give particulate matter a chance to settle in the tube. The tube might become an ad-hoc escape tunnel and indoor shooting range.

Why multiple HEPA filters? Seems more appropriate to have the HEPA as a final filter with a 30% Prefilter to gather the chunks and a 95% after that to protect the HEPA. Otherwise you just load up your final protection with large particulates. The fan will need to overcome all that pressure as well.

 

[Joe13]

Why multiple HEPA filters? Seems more appropriate to have the HEPA as a final filter with a 30% Prefilter to gather the chunks and a 95% after that to protect the HEPA. Otherwise you just load up your final protection with large particulates. The fan will need to overcome all that pressure as well.

Giant charcoal filters are pretty good at getting rid of air pollutants and with the proliferation of pot grows in the two states they are fairly cheap and last a long time.

Went to a place where they smoke inside and we were about to leave when we found that out and they turned this 5 foot filter with a jet engine on top of it that cleared the whole house of any smell in under 3 min.

I'm wishing I had one of those now....

 

[308]

Giant charcoal filters are pretty good at getting rid of air pollutants and with the proliferation of pot grows in the two states they are fairly cheap and last a long time.

Went to a place where they smoke inside and we were about to leave when we found that out and they turned this 5 foot filter with a jet engine on top of it that cleared the whole house of any smell in under 3 min.

I'm wishing I had one of those now....

I saw an entire wall sucked into a data hall out at Amazon because the controls contractor ramped the exhaust faster than the makeup air units.

 

[The Heretic]

Why multiple HEPA filters? Seems more appropriate to have the HEPA as a final filter with a 30% Prefilter to gather the chunks and a 95% after that to protect the HEPA. Otherwise you just load up your final protection with large particulates. The fan will need to overcome all that pressure as well.

Multiple intakes.

Of course there will be coarser higher flow filters before the HEPAs

 

[HB of CJ]

Regarding personal air filters does anybody industrial or governmental produce or provide a HD hood type air filtration system that does not $cost$ an arm and a leg? Do we have any personal experienced recommendations? I am NOT thinking here about a full blown HASMAT HEPA NBC type filtration system.

What we need is something much better than just the paper face mask. These suck and do nothing. Just a physiological gimmick. Looking for something that plops over the entire head with a low resistance filtration system PERHAPS assisted by a small battery pack positive blown system. Under $500 bucks?

We do not need or want the fire department air packs with tanks and stuff. Also do not want the simple throw a way air nose and mouth paper masks. Looking for something much better. Disposable particle FILTER desired. Low restriction positive flow desired, possibly with a small fan assisting. Does such exist?

The filter does not have to be NBC. It does have to remove extremely small particles from the air like smoke motes and perhaps volcanic ash particles. Extremely small stuff. A belt type battery is doable if the battery pack is rechargeable and gives some hours of service life. A fresh sheet consideration here? Yep.

Edited Extra: Now thinking simple. How about a surplus new civil defense foreign made NBC gas mask retro fitted with a very efficient particle only filter aided by a small positive ventilation push fan reducing the breathing effort? Battery powered. Perhaps a belt mounted rechargeable existing battery package?

Much fun creating exactly matching paragraph lengths!

 

[11Charlie]

So here is a question for you @v0lcom13sn0w if I am not mistaken you are a mechanic by trade.

If I have a oil free aftermarket air intake on my truck is there anything further I should do if the air quaility is bad. Technically all I have to do is pop the thing off, tap it on the ground to get it about 80% clean. If I want it perfect then I can vacuum it out with a shop vac. which obviously won't be handy in a SHTF scenario.

 

[cigars]

Got these thru H.Depot online. The kids already had them in the kits in their back packs. The Comfy mask is reusable.

 

[308]

Multiple intakes.

Of course there will be coarser higher flow filters before the HEPAs

What sort of fan and how do you intend to power it when it gets so bad you need to hole up and breath HEPA filtered air? Then there is the whole balance between exhaust and osa to keep the space positive.

 

[HB of CJ]

As long as the pickup truck air filter is designed to be field removable, shakeable or tapp able, (sp?) to remove most of the overlaying dusk, dirt, ask, smoke, whatever AND is designed NOT to dust the engine due to unwanted immediate infiltration/contamination WHILE EMERGENCY FIELD SERVICING, then you are probably good to go. It must be easy and quick to do BE FEEL ALONE.

We are thinking right now a slight positive high volume air flow, provided by a variable speed simple electric fan, type not yet determined. The problem providing breathing air for people, (and farm animals!) is that the air volume must be quite dynamic .... low for resting and sleeping and maximum for full blown physical activity like hiking or running. Thus the fun fan design.

Probably belt or harness battery powered. Lenix Spell Check is acting strange today. Keeps defaulting to British English! Yikes!!!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

So here is a question for you @v0lcom13sn0w if I am not mistaken you are a mechanic by trade.

If I have a oil free aftermarket air intake on my truck is there anything further I should do if the air quaility is bad. Technically all I have to do is pop the thing off, tap it on the ground to get it about 80% clean. If I want it perfect then I can vacuum it out with a shop vac. which obviously won't be handy in a SHTF scenario.

i would gently blow it(this'll make another thread)out with compressed air or vacuum it for maximum efficiency and then run it. the ash particles in the air are so fine that it may not be able to catch 100% of it. just do an oil change after all of this BS is gone. its the big debris you want to mitigate entering the engine. any foreign debris COULD cause driveability issues if caught on the MAF sensor (assuming your car has one) or even worse score up a cylinder wall and cause compression loss and higher than usual oil consumption