Comment by prova_modena | Hacker News Reader

Comment by prova_modena | Hacker News Reader

I would add a good fume extractor as a must-buy to this list if you're soldering once a week or more. The fumes from flux are noxious and prolonged exposure can cause sensitization. I have always been slightly sensitive to flux fumes, so since I began soldering on a daily basis for work I have always used some form of fume ventilation. I use a lot of the MG Chemicals 835 flux mentioned in the article. Even with a ducted extraction fan removing the smoke from my workspace, I began to develop headaches and fatigue from exposure to the flux vapor. These symptoms worsened over time and began starting with less and less exposure. Now I use a fancy Hakko FA430 extractor, which has a bulky HEPA filter and allows me to solder all day without ill effects. Even so, I watch my exposure and have drastically reduced my liquid flux use as just the flux aroma can make me feel a little off. I believe I have been permanently sensitized from using sub-optimal ventilation and that's not a good feeling.

I don't think you need to go buy the $700 FA430 I use, but I would say the extractor needs to have:

- a hose/duct that can be positioned right at the soldering site

- some kind of HEPA filtration or equivalent, even if it is exhausted outside your workspace

- well sealed ducting/hose/fan housing, so fumes don't leak out. I first used a duct fan with some hoses and loc-line for fume extraction, and I now believe it was leaking fumes into my workspace the whole time because the system wasn't airtight :(

Those little "benchtop extractors" with a fan and a carbon filter are absolutely useless. I wouldn't be surprised to learn companies buy them for "regulatory compliance purposes" as they don't really do much of anything except be cheap.

Those little "benchtop extractors" with a fan and a carbon filter are absolutely useless.

If I soldered a lot more often, I might feel differently, but as it is I sorta disagree with this sentiment. All I use for soldering is a combination of one of these[1] "fume extractor" devices and a cheapo $10 desk fan I bought at Walmart.

Now maybe I'm just not inclined to be particularly sensitive to flux fumes, but with the bench fan blowing towards my soldering area, and the "fume extractor" sucking away from it on the other end, I don't notice soldering fumes at all. If I don't turn the fans on though, the difference is acute. I never solder more than a few seconds without realizing I've made that mistake on the occasions when it happens as I notice the fumes immediately otherwise.

Now I'm not saying that this combo is the be-all, end-all, or that it's compliant with any particular regulatory regime, nor am I even saying that it's sufficient for anybody in particular. I'm just saying that to say that a setup like this is "absolutely useless" is not correct, in my experience.

[1]: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VWDN29F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b...

It's "absolutely useless" because it doesn't do the thing its advertised to do, which is extract fumes from your workspace. It dilutes and mixes the air right in front of your face, but your workspace will still gradually fill with solder fumes as you work. If you're an infrequent solderer, that may be fine. But if you are making a habit of soldering, or its your job, get something that actually filters or removes the fumes. I'm giving this advice because I used a setup as effective as yours for years and it caused me health problems through sensitization even though it seemed ok for a long time.

Sure, which is why I said If I soldered a lot more often, I might feel differently. Context has to be taken into account. I'm speaking from the position of being a hobbyist who solders every now and then, and not for hours at a time at that.

For somebody who solders regularly and or does so for hours on end, I would totally agree with the need for a more purpose built and effective fume extraction setup.

> extract fumes from your workspace

If you're just doing a little bit of rework or tacking on bodge wires, I think the small fans are enough just to get the fumes out of your face.

I've been recently trying to set up a soldering station at home and am still in the research phase. I haven't been able to find one cheaper than the FA-430. It's weird as you can get a nice air purifier with a HEPA filter in it for much cheaper than the FA-430. I don't plan on soldering all that much, and so had been looking at the FA-400. I was assuming it was better than nothing.

My belief is that people who review the FA-400 positively would be as well served by a regular fan (and even better served by a box fan with a decent furnace filter in front of it). Possibly they are infrequent users or just not sensitive to flux fumes like I am. My understanding is that activated carbon filters like in the FA-400 rapidly lose effectiveness when exposed to the air.

It's probably possible to DIY something as effective as the FA-430 by adapting an existing purifier or fan, as long as you carefully seal the pre-filter path. Since I use the extractor every day in a workshop with coworkers, I need something durable and idiotproof with parts and filters easily available. So it made sense for us to shell out for the FA-430.

As a personal experience, I'm very sensitive to cigarette smoke, but not at all to soldering fumes.

It's probably better to be an upgrade rather than a must-buy for a beginner. One can invest on the extractors later when he or she found the fume is hard to tolerate, or save for something else if it's not a problem.

For people who aren't soldering all day, they can just wear an N95 respirator.

Yeah that or just use a $1 PC fan to direct the fumes away from your eyes like I've been doing for the last decade. If you solder <100 joints in one session like the average hobbyist, a normal HVAC system that does >4 air changes per hour should have no trouble cleaning up the diffused fumes.

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