When it is time to change air filter in the spray booth?

[Zoom]

How do I know when do you change??

[Funkychiken]

Who knows, I hardly ever change mine, occasionally I vacuum it, and it lasts a lot longer.

I use a 3M face mask with the correct filters too, so not too worried about the fumes...

[espo]

From the color I'd say it's time. Usually you will notice an area that starts to look like it is getting plugged up. Sometimes if it's not to bad you could rotate the filter 180 degrees and it will be good for just a little while longer. I watch to see if the over spray is not going into the filter and then just replace it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I watch to see if the over spray is not going into the filter and then just replace it.

Bingo. Watch how spray moves when the filter is new. When it slows down appreciably, change it.

[kurth]

As mentioned previously, watch the overspray and make sure it is getting sucked out of the booth. once it starts to move slowly and linger, it is probably time to change it.  I let mine get so dirty one time, the booth could no longer draw the overspray/fumes  out of the room, it was like painting in a closed room.  

 

[Roncla]

I remove my filter regularly and go over it with a vacumn cleaner as I'm using lacquers/ base coats and the overspray is mostly dry by the time it reaches the filter.

 

[Art Anderson]

My Pace Peacemaker uses ordinary furnace filters, and exhausts outside.  Now, those filters can be had for VERY little money (I avoid the ultra fine filters meant for removing allergens from the air--as with exhausting to the outside through a dryer hose & vent in a plywood "plug" that I put in an open sash window,  truthfully I get virtually NO paint fumes inside my workroom, and NEVER any overspray dust.  The HVAC filters I buy (furnace filters, if you will) cost me a couple of bucks apiece, and get changed quite regularly, so air flow is never a problem.

Art

[espo]

My Pace Peacemaker uses ordinary furnace filters, and exhausts outside.  Now, those filters can be had for VERY little money (I avoid the ultra fine filters meant for removing allergens from the air--as with exhausting to the outside through a dryer hose & vent in a plywood "plug" that I put in an open sash window,  truthfully I get virtually NO paint fumes inside my workroom, and NEVER any overspray dust.  The HVAC filters I buy (furnace filters, if you will) cost me a couple of bucks apiece, and get changed quite regularly, so air flow is never a problem.

Art

Not sure if it would even make a difference but my concern would be that a small amount of particles would pass thru an inexpensive basic filter and contaminate the blower motor. I have used some budget filters and found residue in the dryer hose. Not a lot but enough that I changed to a more dense cut to size material that seems to have solved that problem.

[Art Anderson]

Not sure if it would even make a difference but my concern would be that a small amount of particles would pass thru an inexpensive basic filter and contaminate the blower motor. I have used some budget filters and found residue in the dryer hose. Not a lot but enough that I changed to a more dense cut to size material that seems to have solved that problem.

A valid point.  However, as discussed in this very forum, practically to death, a properly designed and built spray booth will use a "squirrel cage" blower to move the air--those have the motor (almost always a sealed, sparkless electric motor) OUTSIDE of the air stream.   That is the type of system used in gas furnaces and gas water heaters, for what should be very obvious safety reasons.  My Pace Peacekeeper spray booth has this very type of explosion-proof unit.

Art

[espo]

Art. I agree and mine is such a unit. I admit to some AR issues and tend to error on the side of caution. I know many are still using different types of blower motors that really shouldn't be used in this manor.   

[Art Anderson]

Not sure if it would even make a difference but my concern would be that a small amount of particles would pass thru an inexpensive basic filter and contaminate the blower motor. I have used some budget filters and found residue in the dryer hose. Not a lot but enough that I changed to a more dense cut to size material that seems to have solved that problem.

With a squirrel cage blower, the motor is COMPLETELY outside of the air stream in my booth--in fact, the motor is completely outside of the booth itself, up on top of it.  In addition, it's completely sealed up.  It's exactly the same unit that is in my gas water heater, down in the basement as well.

Art

[Art Anderson]

Not sure if it would even make a difference but my concern would be that a small amount of particles would pass thru an inexpensive basic filter and contaminate the blower motor. I have used some budget filters and found residue in the dryer hose. Not a lot but enough that I changed to a more dense cut to size material that seems to have solved that problem.

As for any paint particles that might get through the filter--I have yet to find any paint dust in the exhaust hose, on the inside of the dryer vent, or on the window screen beyond that, and that's after 7 years of using my Pace booth.

Art

[Zoom]

Thank you for your comments.
I will shift the filter and look how the air flow goes.
I will also look in the exhaust hose, to see how if there is some paint dust.