Frequently Asked Questions About Confined Space Blowers

When you or your employees are working in a confined space, you may be required to use a ventilator or confined space blower or you may be thinking about doing it for the safety and well-being of your employees. However, if you have never purchased or used one of these ventilator systems and fans, you may have some questions. Here are a few frequently asked questions about confined space blowers.

What is a Confined Space Blower?

A confined space blower is a type of fan that is designed for use in tight quarters or confined spaces. This type of fan helps to bring clean air into a space where employees may be working or equipment may be running.

Why Should You Ventilate a Confined Space?

Most confined space ventilators are used in conjunction with other ventilating equipment. These blower type fans  helps to bring fresh air into the space or can be used to removed old stale or contaminated air from the same space. Ultimately, this procedure helps to ensure that the fan is not simply re-circulating the existing air in the space, but rather bringing new air into the space as well. Ventilating helps to keep your employees cool, helps to remove fumes, gasses, dust and other air borne particulates that may be present in the space based on the work that is being done, and helps to keep air in the area fresh and clean. Some of these confined spaces include tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, pits, manholes, tunnels, equipment housings, duct work, pipelines and rail cars.

Are There Different Types of Confined Space Blowers?

As is the case with most fans, there are two primary types of confined space ventilators. There are standard axial blowers or fans or centrifugal blowers which are typically gas engine driven. An axial fan pushes air into the space at a high volume but low amount of pressure. A centrifugal fan pushes air in with a higher amount of pressure but lower flow rate. Other types of confined space blowers include high volume, gas engined driven, 12 volt DC, pneumatic and air driven fans.

Getting answers to the questions you have about confined space blowers will help you to better understand the importance of these types of fans and ventilation systems and why they are important when working in a small or confined area.