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08-13-2022, 08:27 PM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 13
Year: 2004
Chassis: 38' CE200
Engine: T444E
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Fresh Air/Asphyxiation
Is there a concern for asphyxiation in a sealed off bedroom with a mini split?
In my particular case, it's a 8' long room at the rear, with two windows, and a wall/door separating it from the rest of the bus.
Is this even a concern? Would I need to establish some sort of fresh air inlet/circulation system for the bedroom?
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08-13-2022, 09:34 PM
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#2
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2018
Location: topeka kansas
Posts: 1,769
Year: 1954
Coachwork: wayne
Chassis: old f500- new 2005 f-450
Engine: cummins 12 valve
Rated Cap: 20? five rows of 4?
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Dunno
Generally I would say, “No.”
William
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08-14-2022, 12:20 AM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 1,607
Year: 1996
Coachwork: AmTran (Now Navistar)
Engine: DT444E (7.3L) International
Rated Cap: 31,800 pounds
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The interior portion of a mini split is the evaporator. High pressure liquid refrigerant is pumped from the outside unit to the inside unit where it passes through a restriction called an orifice. When the high pressure liquid passes through the orifice it expands. When gas expands it cools. The refrigerant is in a closed system so there are no emissions. The interior unit then uses a fan to pass interior air over the heat exchanger that is COLD and then into the space to be cooled.
There should be no asphyxiation risk from your mini split.
__________________
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We've done so much, for so long, with so little, we now do the impossible, overnight, with nothing. US Marines -- 6531, 3521. . . .Ret ASE brakes & elect. Ret (auto and aviation mech). Extra Class HAM, NAUI/PADI OpenWater diver
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08-14-2022, 07:30 AM
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#4
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 13
Year: 2004
Chassis: 38' CE200
Engine: T444E
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Hey Good Morning Ham,
I should have clarified more gooder;
I’m not concerned about the refrigerant itself as it’s in a closed loop, that was more of an explanation of the specific situation.
I was more concerned with the available o2 in a small room. Similar to what you would check with o2 monitors in a Confined Space situation. As well as general fresh air situations people are using. There’s not exactly a massive fresh air inlet for the AC.
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08-14-2022, 09:29 AM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 1,075
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC2000, 40' MPV
Engine: 5.9 Cummins/B300 trans
Rated Cap: U/K
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigeoneer
Hey Good Morning Ham,
I should have clarified more gooder;
I’m not concerned about the refrigerant itself as it’s in a closed loop, that was more of an explanation of the specific situation.
I was more concerned with the available o2 in a small room. Similar to what you would check with o2 monitors in a Confined Space situation. As well as general fresh air situations people are using. There’s not exactly a massive fresh air inlet for the AC.
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If you're in a small, hermetically sealed, room and breathing...the 02 level will fall. The c02 level will rise and eventually you will lose consciousness and die.
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08-14-2022, 12:12 PM
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#6
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: Midwest
Posts: 267
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It's actually a concern for you, whether it is for anyone else, and should be addressed. You should feel comfortable in your own bus.
Modern cars are sealed well enough that the OEMs have a system built into the HVAC to allow a bit of fresh air to pass through the car. Even on recirc, you're getting outside air in. School buses on the other hand are normally sealed as well as a screen door so it's not a concern on them, but if you've put the effort in to seal the envelope then a source of fresh air would be a good idea. Many ways to do it, but just so you know, letting uncontrolled air into your bus will drop the efficiency of the HVAC. You can go simple by just putting a 3 inch hole with a computer fan to blow air in, with another 3 inch hole on the opposite side to let it out. You can also go complicated by ducting an inlet into the suction side of the split mini's inside system so that the split's fan draws outside air to blow across the evaporator with a similar sized opening elsewhere in the bedroom area to let air out. You'll want the inlets to be filtered, of course, and both inlets and outlets will need to be screened against insects.
I feel like I've had this conversation before. Weird, but got deja vu typing it in.
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08-14-2022, 06:44 PM
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#7
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Almost There
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: AZ
Posts: 93
Year: ‘09
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Vision
Engine: 6.7
Rated Cap: 35’
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I doubt it. Unless you sealed the place up air tight, really really tight, you will be fine.
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08-14-2022, 07:34 PM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 1,075
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC2000, 40' MPV
Engine: 5.9 Cummins/B300 trans
Rated Cap: U/K
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In short...the 02 level won't be affected by the mini-split, and it's highly unlikely that your room will be air tight. If you're still a little concerned about it, just crack open a window or block the door a smidgen.
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08-16-2022, 03:42 PM
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#9
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Northern California (Sacramento)
Posts: 1,424
Year: 1999
Coachwork: El Dorado Fiberglass
Chassis: Ford E450
Engine: V10 Gas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigeoneer
Is there a concern for asphyxiation in a sealed off bedroom with a mini split?
In my particular case, it's a 8' long room at the rear, with two windows, and a wall/door separating it from the rest of the bus.
Is this even a concern? Would I need to establish some sort of fresh air inlet/circulation system for the bedroom?
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A specific risk of asphyxiation? Probably not. But as a general concern, if you are really well insulated and the door shuts tight, you are approaching a hermetic seal, and the environmental pollutants (or dangers) that normally are not a concern may become a larger risk factor-in indoor air quality, if not in terms of asphyxiation.
Your mini-split doesn't produce any exhaust, it just recirculates what's already in the air. Unless there's a significant and sudden refrigerant leak, which is probably very unlikely, there's little to worry about with that unit.
If you have a wood stove, I'd say the stakes go up. Add a carbon monoxide alarm back there if you haven't yet. If you decide to vent the room with a fan, remember that carbon monoxide is heavier than air an accumulates near ground level, so I probably wouldn't put the fan or vent down there. On the other hand, smoke rises...
If your bus is rear engine or if your exhaust system is old, you may have lingering air quality issues, especially if you drive long hours and someone hangs out in the back.
Related: emergency egress. Is one of those windows in your back room an emergency exit in the event a fire starts in the forward areas?
Also related: water vapor from breathing-contributes to mold without proper air circulation. A smaller space exacerbates this.
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08-16-2022, 05:40 PM
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#10
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Virginia
Posts: 2,324
Year: 1971
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: International Loadstar 1700
Engine: 345 international V-8
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While not to likely to be well enough sealed to be a problem there are oxygen level detectors you could buy, that would let you know if it became a problem.
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