Six things arrive with a laser, and only one of them is the laser.
A CO₂ laser comes with a chiller or water pump, an air pump or compressor, an exhaust fan and duct, and often a fume extractor. Each plugs in, takes space, or needs a path outside. The room is where projects stall: a circuit that cannot carry it, a wall that cannot take a duct, a doorway narrower than the crate. This page goes through the room in the order a facilities manager will ask about it, using only what Boss publishes in its manuals, machine pages and terms of sale, and it says plainly where Boss publishes no number.
Electrical, compressed air, water and cooling, ventilation or filtration, the crate and the route in, room conditions, and who installs it.
Whether the fume plan is settled before the quote, and whether anyone measured the route from the dock to the room.
The one thing worth knowing before anything else
For CO₂ machines, Boss’s terms of sale put the installation site with the buyer. The buyer prepares the site to the operator manual’s specifications, supplies the utilities, and manages inspection, rigging and placement. Boss provides guidance and support. So the electrician, the duct, the forklift and the floor are yours to arrange. Read the operator manual for your series before you request the quote. The manuals are public on the Support Hub.
A CO₂ system chosen to the room you have: outlets counted, exhaust route or filtration decided, and the route from the dock measured against the crate.
Request a QuoteBoss’s LS, HP and EVO manuals all give the operating voltage as AC 110 V, 60 Hz. The machine pages add current for some models and say 220 V is available on request for the LS-1420 and LS-1630.
| Model | Electrical, as Boss publishes it |
|---|---|
| EVO Desktop | 110 V / 60 Hz. No current figure published. |
| LS-1420, LS-1630 | 110 V (220 V on request). No current figure published. |
| LS-2440 | 110 V. No current figure published. |
| LS-3655 | 110 V, 1,500 W / 13 A |
| HP-2440, HP-3655 | 110 V, up to 20 A |
| HP-5598 | 110 V, 1,500 W / 20 A |
Three things follow from that table.
- The machine is not the only load. The water chiller, the air pump or compressor, and the exhaust fan each plug in separately. The LS manual says to put the compressor switch close by and preferably on the same circuit as the chiller and exhaust fan, so the supporting equipment is on whenever the laser is. A fume extractor is another plug: Boss’s Filtrabox manuals list 120 V at 0.7 kW for the Micro and 120/240 V at 1.1 kW for the Compact X.
- Boss’s two documents pull in different directions on circuits. The LS manual says same circuit for the support equipment. The chiller manual recommends a dedicated circuit with proper overcurrent protection and grounding, to local code, and a stable supply protected from surges. Your electrician has to resolve that for your room. Bring both manuals.
- A laser in a school shop can run for most of the day, class after class. Under the National Electrical Code, a load expected to run three hours or more is a continuous load, and a circuit should carry no more than 80 percent of its rating continuously. On a 15-amp circuit that is 12 amps. A machine that draws 13 amps, before the chiller, does not belong on a shared 15-amp classroom circuit. That is an electrician’s call, but it is the arithmetic to bring.
One more line from Boss’s terms: the warranty does not cover damage from power surges or improper electric current. Surge protection on the supply is an inexpensive thing to settle at install and an expensive thing to discover afterward. Put any current figure Boss does not publish on the quote request, and get the answer in writing.
Air. The LS-1420 and LS-1630 are sold with an air pump or a compressor, and the LS-2440 and LS-3655 with a compressor. Every LS can run on your own air instead, and Boss’s machine pages say so. What air assist does to a cut belongs to the air assist guide. The facility points are narrower: a compressor needs an outlet, floor space and a place to drain, and Boss recommends a water and oil separator, because moisture that reaches the lens leaves spots that soften the beam. If you plan to use a building air line, ask whether it is dry and oil-free.
Water. Every Boss CO₂ tube is water-cooled, and the machine will not fire without flow. The LS manual recommends distilled water and a tube water temperature of 68 to 77°F. The chiller manual adds what the room must provide:
- Indoor only, on a flat surface that can carry its weight with water in it.
- At least one foot of clear space behind the rear air outlet and four inches around the two side air inlets.
- Ambient temperature of 41 to 113°F, below 80 percent relative humidity and non-condensing, with intake air free of dust, oil mist and corrosive gas.
Winter break is a facilities event. If the water in the tube freezes it expands and breaks the tube, and Boss’s LS manual says a tube broken by freezing is not covered by the warranty. The manual’s advice is a space heater near the machine, or draining the tube and moving it somewhere temperature-controlled. An unheated shop, or a room on holiday setback, needs that in the shut-down procedure.
Every LS ships with an exhaust fan and venting pipe. Boss’s manual calls for a 6-inch fan of at least 500 CFM on LS machines, and 250 CFM on the EVO. The duct must run outside, away from where people or animals congregate.
Boss sells Filtrabox extractors where venting outside is not possible, because exhausting out of a room “may not be an option due to health regulations or confined space.” The air passes through pre-filter, HEPA and carbon stages and returns to the room.
Ducting out of a school building means a hole through a wall or roof. Whether that is allowed is decided by your facilities office and the authority that reviews building work. We cite no code section. Start that conversation before you choose a room.
| Filtrabox | Boss lists it for | Published spec |
|---|---|---|
| Micro | LS-1416/20 and the fiber markers. Not for the LS-1630 or larger. | 120 V, 0.7 kW, 128 CFM, about 80 lb, 50 dB |
| Compact X | LS and HP 1630 to 2440. Not for the 3655 or larger. | 120/240 V, 1.1 kW, 235 CFM, about 99 lb, 50 dB |
| Expand X-2 | LS and HP 1630 to 5598, heavy extraction. | 470 CFM, 53 dB, optional spark arrestor |
| Expand X-3 | LS and HP 3655 to 5598. | Intelligent flow regulation; optional spark arrestor |
Three facts to have before choosing filtration:
- It is a consumable. The filters are replaced, and Boss’s shop says typically every six months, varying with daily use. The carbon filter weighs about 20 pounds in the Micro and 40 to 50 in the Compact X, per the manuals.
- It ships on its own schedule. Boss’s shop says Filtrabox units are drop-shipped from the manufacturer, with their own lead time shown on the product page. The extractor may not arrive with the machine. Do not schedule student use until extraction is running.
- Returns are different. Boss’s terms set a 25 percent restocking fee on fume extraction units, against 15 percent for standard machines.
Neither option makes a dangerous material safe. A filter or a duct moves smoke, it does not neutralize what PVC gives off. That rule sits upstream of any ventilation plan.
| Model | Crate (L x W x H) | Gross weight |
|---|---|---|
| LS-1420 | 68 x 42 x 51 in | 650 lb |
| LS-1630 | 69 x 43 x 50 in | 1,000 lb |
| LS-2440 | 86 x 54 x 50 in | 1,300 lb |
| LS-3655 | 84 x 60 x 50 in | 1,400 lb |
| HP-2440 | 84 x 47 x 48 in | 1,300 lb |
| HP-3655 | 86 x 64 x 50 in | 1,475 lb |
| HP-5598 | Ships uncrated, 132 x 84 x 46.5 in | 2,800 lb |
| EVO Desktop | No crate size published | Not published |
Boss’s HP-2440 page gives two different machine weights, so the crated figure is shown. Boss publishes no EVO crate size. Ask for it on the quote.
What that means for the route:
- The crate is wider than a standard door. Even the smallest LS crate is 42 inches across. Measure every door, corner, elevator and ramp on the route. Crate panels come off, so uncrating in a wide space first reduces the width you need.
- Offloading is yours. Crates have pallet feet for a forklift or pallet jack. If a forklift is needed, Boss’s terms make the buyer supply it and the people, and risk of loss passes on delivery, before offloading. Deliveries run Monday to Friday.
- Ask for a delivery appointment. Commercial LTL deliveries do not get one unless requested before shipment. A school that is closed, or that has no receiving staff on a given day, needs one.
- Floor loading is not published. Your facilities office knows what the floor and route will carry.
Inspect at the dock. Boss’s documents give two windows and they differ. The LS manual says damage must be reported within 24 hours of delivery. The terms of sale say within 48 business hours (two business days) of receipt, with the damage noted on the delivery receipt at the time. Work to the shorter one. Photograph the crate before removing the bands, note any damage on the receipt, and tell your sales contact the same day.
| Series | Ambient temperature | Humidity |
|---|---|---|
| LS | 39 to 104°F (5 to 40°C) | 5 to 95 percent, no dew |
| EVO | 39 to 104°F (5 to 40°C) | 5 to 95 percent, no dew |
| HP | 65 to 95°F (18 to 35°C) | 5 to 95 percent, no dew |
The manuals ask for a dry place free from heavy pollution, vibration and strong magnetic fields, with a CO₂ or ABC extinguisher nearby. If you choose an HP to cut thin sheet metal, its manual adds an oxygen cylinder and regulator beside the machine, secured in a holder, rack or barricade, and says never to use oxygen on non-metals. Compressed-gas storage is a fire-code question of its own. Raise it early with your safety officer.
| Question | Who answers it | Put on the quote request |
|---|---|---|
| Which outlets and circuits, and what current? | Electrician | The model, plus a request for current on the chiller, pump or compressor, and any extractor |
| Exhaust outside, or filtration? | Facilities and the building-work authority | The answer, so extraction is on the same quote |
| What is the narrowest point on the route? | Facilities | The crate size for your model |
| Who has a forklift, and when is the dock staffed? | Facilities, receiving | A delivery appointment |
Facility requirements FAQs
Questions a facilities manager asks.
Most of them come down to the circuit, the duct and the doorway.
QCan a laser run on an ordinary classroom outlet?
The voltage is standard: Boss publishes 110 V, 60 Hz. Current is the question. Boss lists 13 A for the LS-3655 and up to 20 A for the HP models, and none for the smaller LS or the EVO. The chiller, compressor and fan are extra plugs, and a continuous load should stay within 80 percent of a circuit’s rating, which is 12 A on a 15-A circuit. Have an electrician size it from the manuals before the purchase order.
QDo we have to vent outside, or is a filter enough?
Either works if it is sized to the machine and material. Boss’s manuals say to duct outside, away from where people congregate, or use a fume extractor, and its shop sells Filtrabox units listed by LS and HP size. A filter is a consumable that returns air to the room. Neither makes PVC safe. Decide before the quote so extraction is on the same purchase order.
QWill it fit through our door, and what do we need to unload it?
Probably not crated through a standard single door. Boss’s smallest LS crate is 42 inches wide and 650 lb, and the larger crates run to 1,475 lb. Crates have pallet feet for a forklift or pallet jack, and the buyer supplies the equipment and people to offload. Measure the whole route, request a delivery appointment, and inspect at the dock.
QWhat happens if the room gets cold over winter break?
Water in the tube can freeze and break it, and Boss’s LS manual says a tube broken by freezing is not covered by the warranty. Boss recommends a space heater near the machine, or draining the tube and moving it somewhere temperature-controlled. Put the shut-down steps in the written procedure.
QWho installs it?
For CO₂ machines, you do. Boss’s terms say the buyer prepares the site, supplies the utilities, and manages inspection, rigging and placement, with Boss providing guidance and support. On-site installation and training is listed for Boss’s fiber cutters, a different product line.
QDoes the laser need its own room?
Boss does not require one. Its manuals say a laser, ducted correctly, can sit in an office, garage or spare room. The room still needs the exhaust or filtration plan, electrical supply, chiller clearances and a person at the machine whenever it runs. Your district’s policy may require a dedicated room.
Sources
Boss-published: LS, HP and EVO operator manuals; the CW-5200 chiller manual; the Filtrabox Micro and Compact X manuals; Boss shop product pages and terms of sale; the LS, HP and EVO machine pages (electrical and crate figures). General source: the National Electrical Code’s continuous-load rule (a load expected to run three hours or more, Article 100; conductors sized at 125 percent of it, 210.19(A)(1), which is the same as loading a circuit to no more than 80 percent of its rating), as explained in Electrical Contractor magazine’s Sizing Conductors, Part III: Continuous Loads. We cite no building or fire-code section. Duct penetrations, gas storage and floor loading are for your facilities office.
Still deciding?
Tell us the room, and the route to it.
Send the outlet details, whether you can duct outside, and the narrowest point between the dock and the room. Ask for extraction to be priced on the same itemized quote as the machine.