Quick answer: Dust collector heat loss is about 1.08 × CFM × (inside temp minus outside temp) Btu per hour when the collector exhausts outdoors. For example, 10,000 CFM at a 38°F difference costs roughly $6 an hour with natural gas.
What is dust collector heat loss costing your shop?
Plug in your numbers, then see what sending heated air outside costs your shop over a winter.
Your shop
How we got there
This uses the standard sensible heat formula and assumes your collector exhausts outdoors, so treat it as an estimate. Fuel figures also come from the Energy Information Administration.
Want to keep that heat inside instead?
When the filters get the air clean enough, it can go back into the shop instead. Either way, send yourself these numbers or talk it through with us.
How the dust collector heat loss calculator works
Q = 1.08 × CFM × ΔT
Q is the heat leaving in Btu per hour, while ΔT is your shop temperature minus the outside temperature. Then the calculator turns Btu into dollars using Energy Information Administration fuel figures and your heater efficiency.
Example: dust collector heat loss in a 10,000 CFM shop
A 68°F shop when it's 30°F outside, running 900 hours over the winter.
| Fuel and price | Heat leaving | Per hour | Per week | Per heating season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas, $1.20/therm | 410,400 Btu/hr | $6.16 | $277 | $5,544 |
| Propane, $2.50/gallon | 410,400 Btu/hr | $14.02 | $631 | $12,618 |
| Electric, $0.13/kWh | 410,400 Btu/hr | $15.64 | $704 | $14,076 |
Your numbers will be different, so run your own above.
How to keep that heat in the shop
Return the air instead of blowing it outside. When the filtration gets it clean enough, MultiStar and Vacumobil systems can send it back into the building. Whether that fits depends on your material, filtration and local requirements. Also, Höcker's energy management controls slow the fan when machines shut off, which can cut energy draw by up to 60%.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate dust collector heat loss?
First, multiply 1.08 × CFM × the temperature difference to get Btu per hour. Then divide by your fuel's heat content and heater efficiency, and multiply by your fuel price.
What is makeup air?
It's outside air that replaces the air a building exhausts, so in winter it has to be heated.
Where do I find my dust collector's CFM?
Check the nameplate, but use the airflow it actually runs at, because that's often below the max rating.
How accurate is the heat loss estimate?
It's a planning number, since it doesn't account for humidity, altitude, wind or your makeup air setup.
So if you're serious about keeping your heat inside, Höcker is here.
Talk to HöckerIf you're not sure what CFM your shop needs, then try the CFM Calculator.