Supercharging an Insulation Blowing Machine 

Thanks for watching.

Hi Bill, do you have an email address and or a website to communicate?

Hi Patrick Reardon, Thanks for the kind comment. Since you might be doing something similar, allow one word of caution. I've noticed the switch gets hot, so it clearly is not rated for this many amps. My next video I'm going to go through the machine and check the wiring and replace the switches (maybe with relays) so it can handle the higher amps. Did I think about having both blowers? Yes, I thought about it and decided against it. I made an assumption that during a dense-pack the larger blower could wind up pushing air backwards out the smaller blower and I would loose the pressure at the end of the hose. I have worked with larger machines with multiple blowers and they used check-valves for each blower to prevent this. So I looked into that as well and just decided I was making the project more complicated than it needed to be. At the end of the day it is a small hopper, small air lock and I just don't need more volume. Have you tested your two-blower machine to see what psi you have? That psi check is crucial for dense-packing. This is Bill's machine, I agreed to do the work for him, and he is letting me make videos. Bill picked up the blower and I don't know where he got it. I'll send him an e-mail and update the comment if I hear back. Thanks for watching the videos. I love seeing peoples projects, so if you get a chance can you send me a picture of your machine and/or project? I'm easy to find on facebook or my e-mail on my website.

Great feedback. You're doing it right. I have been doing densepack with 2-3 blowers with a larger machine by feel. The pressure gauge is a great tool that I'll be sure to connect on the next install. I'll definitely tag you when I get some media on some of my projects. Appreciate you taking the time to share your important knowledge. I'm also using chev batt's and victron on a shipping container with great results. I'm Ottawa, so I'll have to come up with a warming solution to keep the batteries above freezing this winter but enjoyed all your little tips on working with those 60v sections and separating them. Don't have facebook, but would love to stay in touch preardon@gmail.com

Hi gugaiz, Thanks for watching. Your first question: Would 9 psi be too much for spray on cellulose? I don't know. I've never done spray on cellulose. Sorry. Question #2: Can you use a 9 psi blower with dense-pack? Yes. You will only be up at 9 psi if you put a cork in the hose. Usually it will be operating at a lower psi and the important thing will be volume. However, be careful. I have literally blown a wall apart when using a high-psi machine for the first time. Using blowers that can only go up to 4 or 5 psi can keep you from accidentally damaging a wall.

Yes, the blower I'm using could potentially blow the drywall off. If I'm working on an area I don't think can handle the pressure, I will add extra screws. But, I suggest blowing behind insul-webb netting instead of blind cavities (drywall)

@@DavidPozEnergy That motor won't work then because this house was exterior sheathed with celotex fiberboard and interior 1/2" drywall. There is no way the fiberboard would hold up or the drywall. I guess I will have to make a manual packer to pack it into the wall. One more question: the ad for the ameteck vacuum motor says CFM @ 2" Orifice: 142, but you used 1.5" pvc pipe to connect it to your blower. Is it 2" or 1.5"?.....Thanks again for your help.

I used a 45 degree PVC fitting, made for 1.5" PVC pipe. The inside diameter of the fitting was more than 1.5" because it was made to go over 1.5" pipe. That's why it worked. There are many ways to do this, I was just trying to fit the blower into the tight space. I was also considering bolting the blower on the outside and using a short piece of 2" hose to make the connection. Whatever works for you. As for the fiberboard on the outside, yes, it is a very weak product and probably can't handle this. If you were to gut one side or the other and use netting, then the board you leave behind will see less pressure and probably not blow off. But this requires removing the fiberboard or drywall.

@@DavidPozEnergy Yes, you are absolutely right. If I had the money to open walls, I would build 16" deep walls and make my house super insulated. Thanks again for all your knowledge. I have to make a wall tamper...sigh.

Yes, but not much. The numbers vary slightly by manufacturer, but I typically use R-3.8/in. for settled R-value in an open blow, and I assume a settled density of 2.0 pounds per cubic foot. However for a dense-pack I typically use R-3.6/in. You actually don't get down to 3.6 until you reach 4 pounds per cubic foot, so I err on the conservative side.

Side Note: About compressing a fiberglass batt. Sometimes there is a misconception out there. It's true that if you have a 2x4 wall you want to use a 3.5" thick batt made for that 2x4 wall. However, if you cram the 5.5" thick batt (for 2x6) into that wall you will still end up with about R-10.5 total. The R-value per inch decreases, and the batt won't have the R-value stated on the label, but the batt is not worthless. It is more important to make sure there are no voids in the assembly. For example, I have worked on projects with old rough-sawn studs that were, say, exactly 4", not 3.5". If you put in a 3.5" batt (which says 2x4 on the label) then there would be a 1/2" air gap behind the batt. This gap would allow convection air currents to swirl in and out of the batt rendering it's effectiveness near nothing. Instead I used batts labeled for 2x6 with a thickness of 5.5". It won't achieve the R-19 label (or R-20 or R-21 depending on manufacturer) but it will give a good R-12 in that situation and fully fill the cavity.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I really enjoy your videos. I smile every time your daughter sings in the intro!

Compacting the cellulose is designed to reduce air infiltration as it stops air flow once you get it to about 3.25 pounds per square foot, you have achieved an ideal pack Bill Jewell INTEC

For two reasons. First, you can't weigh walls and attics after insulating, but you can count bags. So learning the feel and counting bags is important. Second, I don't have a package scale or luggage scale. However, if you (or anyone) would like to send me a scale then I'm happy to re-make the video with a weight.

Hi Juan, It kinda sounds like the seals on the air-lock need replacing. Don't give up right away on the machine. I show how to check some items in my previous video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jJFRb1ifOAo.html Have you checked that one out? Also, have you tried customer service from the manufacturer? www.inteccorp.com/contact/

LOL

I don't know where you can rent a Force 1. But this company has powerful machines for rent: www.accu1.com/blowing-machine-vacuum-rentals-s/88.htm

I've seen several comments that spoke poorly of the rental blowers from the box stores. I did my attic today with one of those rentals. I have to admit, I was nervous about what to expect with the performance. I was pleasantly surprised. We only had the little gate half open and I was still able to get good coverage and output on a 100' run. I don't know, maybe I was just lucky on the particular blower that I was dealt.

That blower looks good. But I don't know the specs. The new blower is 1.7hp.