Propane burner in garage

[Chachie]

Hey all, the wife and I are looking to setup our 13gal still inside our garage away from prying eyes. I am aware of the dangers of using propane in an enclosed area, however, I think I have this figured out safely, I just want a second set of eyes on my plan. See image below. Plan on running the exhaust fan (which moves air @ 1350cfm) with the garage door cracked about 12", sucking air out of the garage using active exhaust and passive intake. The Hardibacker lining the shelves and glass bench will be 18" tall and 5' on each side with a full sheet of hardibacker on the ground under the burner as well. I think the fan will pull enough air out of the garage to replace the air frequently enough to not be an issue. Take a look, is there anything im not thinking about? With blowing glass, some of the chemicals released from fuming silver/gold and burning cadmium colors will absolutely wreck you, so a high level of ventilation is a must. But my torch is also firing directly into the fan.

[still_stirrin]

You’ve got several “sets of eyes” on your plan, yet no responses (as of yet). I would suppose that “the lookers” are apprehensive to acknowledge safety (or the lack of it) for your proposal because of the potential concerns.

That aside, only you know the setup and ventilation features which would make this safe. There is always a concern for the build up of carbon monoxide when burning with an open flame inside a closed room. Of course this concern also applies for those of us who have gas powered water heaters in our homes. Code requires adequate make-up fresh air sources to reduce CO production.

And an open flame in the close proximity of a fuel (like high purity alcohol) is also a concern. Arrangement of the collection vessel should always consider this. With fuel and an ignition source located inside a closed room always increases the risk to explosion. And I’m assuming you never intend to operate the still unattended, even for a short while. That would compound the danger.

So in summary, I can’t say your setup is safe, or even recommended. Nor can I say that it is excessively dangerous. It would be foolhardy for a representative of this website to authorize safety conditions for your arrangement, equipment, or operations. You must accept responsibility for your endeavors. But, at least considering the cautions noted, you should be able to make a wise conclusion to your request. OK?
ss

[FLOB]

Adding a carbon monoxide detector to the area wouldn't hurt.

Stay safe.

[Truckinbutch]

still-stirrin summed it up . Your own safety is up to you .
I've stilled on a propane burner for several years in my basement shop .
I installed a 20" fan vented to the outside and maintain a CO monitor at my work station . I never leave my still beyond 3 steps away when it's running .
I've experienced no problems .
My deal works .
Your deal is up to you .
Watch the monitor . If CO readings start rising you need to clean your burner .

[HDNB]

i wouldn't sweat the CO, sounds like you are aware of the dangers that's half the battle. an extraction fan and a 12" lift on the overhead door seems like a reasonable amount of ventilation.
The biggest concern is the collection point being sufficiently distant from the flame. a physical barrier for accidental spills is a good idea. constant supervision is critical.

[Yonder]

No sweat. Garage stilling is fine as long as adequate ventilation is provided. Mind your leaks and your set up is fine.

[Chauncey]

I run my burner near the doorway in my shop w a few fans going. Never an issue for me but Im real careful about it

[Chachie]

Well we got everything together and fired it up yesterday afternoon for a cleaning run and everything went great! We did opt to keep the garage door all the way open AND have the fan running so plenty of fresh air coming in. We also set everything up behind the shelving such that it cant be seen from the street, so we will probably just run with the door open 90% of the time anyway.

[CaptMorgan]

I run my 15 gallon keg on a turkey fryer propane burner in a 10 x 12 shed. It has no ceiling to speak of. My last run, I took my co detector from the house since I had read your topic. I am aware of Co dangers. The detector never registered any Co. I do have a window but kept it shut since temps were around freezing. This is not to say anything burner is safe. I usually run 8 gallons of mash in about 8 hours using about 5# of propane. My burner flame is very blue and has very little yellow, just at the tip when I have it p high to get heated up to distilling temp.

[shadylane]

@ Chachie
Your thinking about safety
I'd recommend having a garden hose with a sprayer, set up and ready.

[Yonder]

I don't see a problem. You will have adequate air flow for the area. Just keep the gas souce away from the flame and have fire retardent/extinguisher near by. Do it (safely) to it.