Installation, is this Job for Me?
Before you attempt to install an air purifier or smoke eater you should ask yourself, Is this a job for me? Installation of LakeAir products isn’t necessarily a hard task but depending on where you are installing and what is in the area, it can become a daunting task. In this page we will help you make sense of installing a smoke eater and figuring out if it is a job you should tackle.
What Mounting is Called for?
One of the first things to determine is what type of mounting is called for. The most common mount type is ceiling hung. Ceiling hung is separated into 2 subsets. The first type of ceiling hung is free hanging. This is when the smoke eater is hung from the ceiling or celling supports and not in contact with anything else. The other ceiling hung is when the unit is hung but contained in a drop ceiling grid. After ceiling mounts we have wall mounts. Some wall mounts go on a bracket, others are mounted so they are flush with the wall.
Free Hanging Ceiling Mounts
Free hanging ceiling mounts are often very easy. We will go over how to do a free hanging mount first. We will talk about where to hang them later in page. Other than where to hang your smoke eaters lets talk about what to hang them from. Whatever you are going to hang them from has to be strong enough to support the smoke eaters. Your smoke eaters for the most part will weigh between 90 and 125 pounds. It is always best to hang the from 4 points. Each smoke eater has (4) 1/4-20 threaded weld nuts on the top of it. 1/4-20 is a very standard thread, and you should be able to find most any type of hardware with that thread.
Hanging directly from the Ceiling / Roof
Hanging directly from the roof can be a tricky situation. One major concern is that the hardware you use does not fully penetrate the roof and cause a leak. Be certain you have enough clearance if you are making a penetration into the roofing material itself. Equally important, is being certain the material you are attaching to is strong enough to hold the smoke eater.
Common Anchor Hardware for Hanging Units from the Roof / Ceiling
Lag Bolts/ Eye Screw
If the surface you are attaching to is wood, Using a lag screw may be a good choice. After drilling a small pilot hole turn the eye screw into place.
Threaded Rod
It the material you are attaching to is concrete or spancrete it is often good to use a special cement anchor and threaded rod. Many times for very long suspension, threaded rod is good hardware choice.
Unistrut Channel
Unistrut can be used for many surfaces and has many associated pieces of hardware to make most any suspension job much easier
Beam Clamps
If the ceiling structure has metal beams, a beam clamp is a good way to safely suspend the weight of air cleaning equipment.
Hanging using Chain or Cable
Hanging a smoke eater using chain or cable is the most common installation. The ceiling structure will dictate where you anchor the suspension points at the ceiling. Be sure to choose anchor points that will be convenient to get to and will have enough strength to hold the suspended equipment.
Insert the anchor hardware into the roof or ceiling joists. Be sure to get the anchoring hardware in far enough to obtain a strong hold. Attach the chain, using a quick link to connect to the anchor hardware.
Screw the eye bolts (supplied) into the 1/4 -20 nut inserts on the top of the LakeAir product. Be sure to thread the eye bolt in alway and tighten the jam nut to secure the eyebolt.
After the eye bolts have been installed, lift the smoke eater into place using a lift. A drywall jack is a great tool for this project. In most areas you can rent a drywall jack for less than $100.00 a day. Be sure to secure the equipment to the lifting equipment.
When you have the smoke eater or make-up air unit at the right height connect the unit to the chain that is hanging from the anchor hardware. Using a trio of (2) quick links and a turnbuckle (as shown below), attach the LakeAir product to the chain.
After you are sure all connections have been made, lower the lift and go onto adjusting the level of your newly hung air purifying equipment.
As you turn the center barrel of the turnbuckle clockwise the length of the turnbuckle shortens. Turning the barrel counterclockwise the turnbuckle lengthens the overall length.
This method, using all 4 turnbuckles, allows you adjust the level of the smoke eater. This is particularly helpful when installing a unit into a drop ceiling grid.
Hanging using Unistrut
On this installation the customer Old Virginia Tobacco decided to mount the unit hung directly from the ceiling. Securing the unistrut before loading it on to the lift was the right call.
Make sure the smoke eater is securely fastened to the lifting device. Make sure there are no obstruction in the area so work can be performed safely. Almost no matter what smoke eater you are installing, the easiest way to lift the equipment to the proper working height is with a drywall jack. Lift the unit using the crank on the drywall jack.
Securing the Smoke Eater to the Ceiling
The design of the Unistrut makes it easy to secure the unit to the ceiling, in this case the roof joists. This installation is in a historic building in Virginia. The stout building can easily support the smoke eater. Additionally, the good looks of the air cleaning unit will compliment the space.
Mounting a Flush Mount unit into a Drop Ceiling Grid
Installing a LakeAir smoke eater into a drop ceiling is much like installing a free hanging unit. In almost all cases you will use the structure that supports the ceiling grid to support your air cleaning unit.
A LakeAir flush ceiling mount unit sits inside the ceiling grid. In a few cases you may have to adjust the existing grid so that our products fit into it. If the ceiling grid was installed properly, it makes a near perfect 2 foot by 4-foot rectangle and your LAFC will fit in easily.
Adjusting the Drop Ceiling Grid
If you need to repair or resize the ceiling grid, use the following steps.
- Carefully measure the distance between the main grid runners and the cross-tees. The opening should be exactly 4 feet long and 2 feet wide.
- The proper opening size is 4 feet long and 2 feet wide. It is better to be a little larger than smaller. There is a 1/8-inch tolerance for oversized openings.
- If the grid spacing is too wide, carefully cut the main runners or cross-tees to the correct length. The best tools to do this seem to be tin snips or a thin bladed cut off wheel.
- If the grid spacing is too narrow, you may need to purchase new cross tees to insert in place of existing ones to achieve the proper spacing.
- Double-check that your grid is square by measuring diagonally across the grid in both directions; adjust as needed to ensure the measurements are equal.
Lifting the Smoke Eater into Place
As mentioned in other steps, before lifting the smoke eater into place it should be secured to a lift. It’s a good idea to place cardboard or some other material between to smoke eater and the lift to avoid scratches in the finish.
Carefully separate the cross tees from on side of the runners so you can raise the air purifying unit above the grid. After the grid is connected to the hanging hardware drop the unit carefully into the grid. Note, the grid will not safely support the weight of the smoke eater, you must suspend it using the proper hardware.
When you have the smoke eater or make-up air unit at a height just above the ceiling grid connect the unit to the chain that is hanging from the anchor hardware. Using a trio of (2) quick links and a turnbuckle (as shown below), attach the LakeAir product to the chain.
After you are sure all connections have been made lower the lift and go onto adjusting the level of your newly hung air purifying equipment. Using a turnbuckle is especially helpful when leveling a unit going into a drop ceiling.
As you turn the center barrel of the turnbuckle clockwise the length of the turnbuckle shortens. Turning the barrel counterclockwise the turnbuckle lengthens the overall length.
This method, using all 4 turnbuckles, allows you to properly adjust the level of the smoke eater ,so it fits into the ceiling grid. This provides a nice looking and safe ceiling.
System Wiring
System wiring does not have to be difficult, but that depends on the existing wiring in your building. Luckily LakeAir products do not require a lot of energy to run them. So we don’t have to worry about dangerous voltage or high amperage. All electrical wiring needs to be done carefully and properly. In some municipalities it may even be required that it is done by a certified electrician. In any case we recommend all wiring be done by a competent individual well versed in electrical wiring and always installed to the local building wiring codes.
Variable Speed Control: Wall Switch / On Board / Bluetooth -WIFI
All LakeAir products have variable speed control. They use potentiometers. Potentiometers are specific type of “dimmer” that uses low voltage to interact with the blowers to change its speed. A potentiometer does not change the voltage going into the motor. It instead changes the speed while still at full voltage.
For this reason, each unit has full power supplied to it. The speed is controlled by the 0 to 10 volt dc signal that is sent to the control side of the motor. if the control speed signal has 0-1 volt of power the blower will not spin. If it is given a 5 volt signal the motor moves at 50% of its possible speed. if the signal sent is 10 volts, your unit will run a 100% speed.
When we wire a unit we have to be able to control the 120 volts for on an off and we need to control the speed control voltage 0 to 10 volts(DC) to adjust the speed. 120 volts requires a ore heavy duty signal, while low voltage speed controls signals can be transferred over much thinner material
On Board with Bluetooth / WIFI
Controlling your air purification equipment through Bluetooth / WIFI is by far the easiest installation solution. When you order a product with on-board WIFI, you will be able to mount your unit, plug it in and go! Think the plug is too far away? We can customize your unit with an extended power cord. This is an extra and there is an additional charge. We limit the length you can extend your cord to 50 feet. The standard cord length is 8 -10 feet this length varies from model to model. Extra cord length to 24 feet cost an additional $65.00. For lengths longer than 24 feet to up to 50 foot is an additional $130.00.
If the idea of wiring consisting of nothing more than plugging your smoke eater in. On-Board WIFI is definitely the way to go. On-board WIFI is not dependent on an internet connection. It can be controlled by a Bluetooth device. The control can be shared with multiple Bluetooth devices. Setting up additional devices may or not dependent a WIFI connection. This varies from secondary devices. Bluetooth control also allows you to set up special scenes (for example, turn blower speed up to 85 % for 4 hours @ 5:00 PM and then turn off the unit at 9:00) The possibilities are near endless.
On Board with Rotary Potentiometer
If you order your smoke eater(s) with an on-board rotary potentiometer, the unit will come with a standard 120 volt 3 prong plug. To turn the unit off or on, you will need to activate from the machine itself (unless it is plugged into a outlet that is controlled by a switch.) Speed control will have to be adjusted from the air purifier itself.
You cannot control the speed of your unit by hooking it in line with split phase speed adjuster. LakeAir smoke eaters need to be supplied with a full 120 volts.
Control at Wall Switch using a Rotary Potentiometer
Rotary potentiometers are becoming a thing of the past. However, they still work well and are available for most of our products. In a speed control where a rotary (analog) potentiometer is used, the blower sends out a signal of 10 volts to the potentiometer. The potentiometer receives the signal and sends it back to the blower. Based on where the dial is positioned the voltage is changed from 10 volts to a new voltage between 0 and 10 volts and is sent back to the blower. The blower speed is changed based on this return voltage signal of the potentiometer. The power to the unit is controlled by turning the rotary dial counterclockwise. the “click” is the deactivation of the power circuit and the blower is turned off or on.
Rotary Potentiometer Room Wiring Overview
The best way to wire a rotary potentiometer with control at a wall switch is shown below.
- Bring all power – Line, Neutral and Ground from your buildings circuit breaker directly into the switch box
- Allow 5 amps of Power for each standard unit. 10 amps is required for LA6 models.
- Connections made within the switch box is covered in the next section
- Be sure to run all the wires from the switch box to the smoke eater.
- Splitting 1 switch to control 2 units can be accomplished by running the supply wires into a junction box and pairing them off to 2 separate sets of wires, one for each unit. If this is done be certain 10 amps is available on that line.
- Connect wires from the wall switch to the wires coming out of the unit. This is also covered further down this page.
Rotary Potentiometer Wiring in the Wall Switch Box
Using the drawing above as a guide connect the building power to the rotary potentiometer. If you buy a wiring kit from us, we will send you a 6 strand cable that is color coded to help identify your connections. 13 wire connectors are also included in the kit. You can use the image to the lower right as a guide to connect the wires from the remote speed control wiring kit to the smoke eater unit.
Controls at Wall Switch: Digital Potentiometer / Bluetooth / WIFI Connector
With a digital potentiometer the same principles apply as a rotary potentiometer. The big difference is that the digital potentiometer provides its own voltage and sends it out based on the settings within the digital potentiometer. when the large “*” button is pressed the voltage out increases. when the small “*” button is pushed the voltage out decreases. When you press the center button the power coming into the black wire is turned off and no power leaves the digital potentiometer through the red wire. These controls can also be activated using a bluetooth device like a cell phone or tablet that have been paired with the digital potentiometer. Direction to pair these devices are found in the manual and in other paperwork shipped with your smoke eater.
Digital Potentiometer Room Wiring Overview
The best way to wire a dgital potentiometer with control at a wall switch is shown below.
- Bring all power – Line, Neutral and Ground from your buildings circuit breaker directly into the switch box
- Allow 5 amps of Power for each standard unit. 10 amps is required for LA6 models.
- Connections made within the switch box is covered in the next section
- Be sure to run all wires from the switch box to the smoke eater.
- Splitting 1 switch to control 2 units can be accomplished by running the supply wire into a junction box and then pairing off the 2 separate sets of wire to each unit. If this is done be certain 10 amps is available on that line.
- Connect wires from the wall switch to the wires coming out of the unit. This is also covered further down this page.
Digital Potentiometer Wiring in the Wall Switch Box
Using the drawing above as a guide connect the building power to the digital potentiometer. If you buy a wiring kit from us we will send you a 6 strand cable that is color coded to help identify your connections. 13 wire connectors are also included in the kit. You can use the image to the lower right as a guide to connect the wires from the remote speed control wiring kit to the smoke eater unit.
Smoke Eater Placement
There are a couple schools of thought when it comes to where to place smoke eaters in your home or business. These theories follow 2 basic lines. (1) place your smoke eaters closest to the source of smoke. (2) set up your smoke eaters so they push air around your space to cover the entire space evenly. It is my belief that both theories have valid points within them.
The truth is every room is its own animal. One room may be affected by very tall ceilings and another room is constantly fighting the HVAC return air flow. I have helped 100’s of businesses clean the air in their establishments. Here are some points to consider where it is best to place your air purification equipment.
- Near the Smoke Source: Place the smoke eater as close as possible to the source of the smoke, such as popular seating areas. This will help to capture the smoke before it spreads throughout the room.
- Higher up preferably where smoke stratifies: Mount the smoke eater at a level where the smoke stratifies. Smoke finds a particular level where air temperature is optimum to support it. Placing your smoke eater at this level maximizes its effectiveness.
- Away from Air Vents: Avoid placing the smoke eater near air vents, as this can disrupt airflow and reduce its effectiveness.
- Strategic Placement for Multiple Units: If multiple smoke eaters are needed, strategically place them to cover the entire smoking area. Consider using a combination of ceiling-mounted units. to maximize coverage.
- Add high volume low speed fans: Adding fans to keep smoke from accumulating in corners or other dead zones helps the over-all efficiency of your smoke removal system.
- Regular Maintenance: Ensure that the smoke eaters are regularly cleaned and maintained to optimize their performance.
Need More Help?
If at any time you need more help in planning the installation of your air purification equipment, Just give our customer service a call. In a few cases we have been able to send out company staff to assist in the execution of any phase of your project. Please give our CEO Randy Bushh a call at 262-632-1229 for further information.