Fresh Air System

R

RichB

I'm looking at buying a BreathCool2 System
http://www.amazon.com/Breathecool-S..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=1CQMS6GTQMHA2G3F3VVM
I had seen a discussion where this was talked about by Bob Heine, and had a couple questions. I'm 72, and have COPD , the 3M full face mask I have now restricts my breathing with
my diminished lung capacity. I was wondering if the full face mask with the fresh air system is like normal breathing, or is it strained to open the relief valve? I also wondered if the air
pressure is irritating blowing on the eyes?
This is my last full build, and I like to do all the work myself if possible. (31ModelA)
Thanks guys, Rich
 
Rich, I'm only 71 but the Breathe Cool system pressurizes the mask and the blower speed/volume is easily adjusted. It does blow air over your eyes but you can turn down the volume or wear goggles if it's annoying.. It's similar to my CPAP machine but provides positive pressure all the time. The Breathe Cool 2 System comes with a gauge to set it up close to optimum and you can adjust it up or down to make it comfortable.
 
I was hoping you would reply Bob, I could not see how to send you a message on this board. Only 71, long way to catch up to me! LOL
Sounds like the machine is what I'm looking for, thanks for the reply!
Take care, Rich
 
Is the air supply hose flexible enough to easily move along the floor without bunching up when one would walk around the car then back?
 
Mike, they all bunch up to some degree or other. When using one there is a learning curve with maneuvering it and your paint air hose around the vehicle. I've never been able to get comfortable using one. The one I liked the best was the Pure Air 2000 which filters the air form your existing line. I would not recommend it though to anyone who does not have a properly engineered and top quality filtered compressed air lines. If you don't have your airline setup correctly and low quality filtration you can have issues with oil aerosols and burn through the filters very quickly. Breathing oil aerosols is not something that you want to do.:)

Rich my 2 cents, Never heard of the Breathe Cool, I'm wary of products I've never heard of. The compressor looks a bit funky as well. SAS Safety makes top quality systems with quality components that will last. It's who I would go with. Good Luck with your "A". :) [h=1][/h]
 
MikeS said:
Is the air supply hose flexible enough to easily move along the floor without bunching up when one would walk around the car then back?
Click to expand...
Mike, It's a ribbed hose and will hang up on obstacles easier than a smooth air hose. It's as flexible as a rubber hose but not as flexible as a Flexzilla hose. The system comes with a belt and short whip to attach to the mask. The main hose then connects to the quick connect on the belt/whip. It's not foolproof but in Rich's situation it's probably a real good lifeline. I haven't tried to crush the hose but I have stepped on it and it doesn't crush under my 200 pounds.
 
I checked out the Pure Air 2000 as it sounded pretty good. I realized then I would probably need a larger capacity compressor to keep up with the simultaneous consumption between the gun and mask. I use a body suit, nitrile gloves and 3M respirator (always with new cartridges) and swimmers type of goggles to seal around the eyes but I"m getting more conscious about skin absorption from exposed areas around my cheeks lately which is why this thread interests me. Funny, in a way, of how we take health for granted when we are younger and get more concerned as we get older. :)
 
Chris, I am just a hobbyist and have no experience with all the different supplied air systems or their suppliers. I also don't know if my rationale has any basis in facts but this is why I chose the Breathe Cool II system.
  • I rejected using my compressor to supply the clean breathable air simply because my compressor is marginal for HVLP spraying. In addition I wasn't comfortable that I could get the air clean enough with no contaminates (and I have no way to measure the contaminates)..
  • The SAS stand-alone system uses an oil-less compressor with a tiny air filter and it looked like a little inline desiccant air dryer. I was pretty sure a small air compressor was going to heat the air up and as it cooled in the small air line, you would have water supplied along with the air. Where I live in South Florida, those little desiccant dryers turn blue as soon as you open the package. There was an advantage to the use of a PVC air hose because it is much smaller than the ribbed hose whip they use at the mask. The full-face mask is sold by Honeywell and features a nose guard to reduce fogging. Not sure how much but the nose shield looks like it blocks the view.
  • The Breathe Cool II system uses a turbine blower with two very large air filters and no sign of a dryer. The air coming out of the turbine is the same temperature as the air going in and it is in quite high volume at pretty low pressure. The air line is the same diameter as the outlet on the turbine pump so the pressure drop over the 50-feet of hose shouldn't cause water to condense. The hose is a drawback because it is quite large (0.92 inches). I do like the fitting on the turbine pump. It's a standard garden hose bib size so I was able to put a ¾-inch copper pipe through the garage wall. Turbine pump is outside well away from the painting site. The full-face mask is not a brand name I recognize and it is definitely made in China.
  • The price difference was about $300: I am using Amazon’s prices to make it apples to apples. The SAS system is $770 and the Breathe Cool II is $470. Other than the face mask supplier I couldn’t see the extra value to match the price. The Honeywell mask SAS uses is NIOSH approved and the one on the Breathe Cool system is not so if I were running a business SAS would be the obvious choice.
Survival Air Systems 3800-30 Economy 1-Man Full Face Mask System
http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Air-Systems-3800-30-Economy/dp/B000RFR4GQ
SAS%20Supplied%20Air_zpsidajqjvd.jpg

[h=1]Breathecool II Supplied Air Respirator System w/fullface mask
http://www.amazon.com/Breathecool-Supplied-Respirator-System-fullface/dp/B00GAFD826/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1460821991&sr=8-3&keywords=breathe+cool[/url][/h]
Breathecool%20II%20with%20Full%20Face%20Mask_zpsaystweb0.jpg
 
I have a breathe cool system that I purchased 8 years ago. I bought it for blasting and I have a half mask for sanding but I don't use it for spraying. Just sanding and blasting. Works great for sanding with the half mask as it's blowing extra oxygen into my lungs for energy. Makes a difference.

Works great and is simple. Small squirrel cage fan blowing through a ribbed hose. I've been thinking about getting a full face mask and use it for spraying instead of the 3m full mask I use now.

Yes, it's China but it's held up well. I've since replaced the blasting hood with a clempco but still use the air supply unit.

The hose is big but it doesn't ball up like an air hose can. Walk on it all the time blasting and it's held up well.
 
I also have the breathe cool. I have a half mask, and a full mask. The half mask works well. However, I want to start using a full mask when spraying iso's or if there is a lot of overspray (like spraying an engine compartment) The full mask impairs my vision a bit, so I'm still working on a good solution. I just picked up a full hood, so I will try that next.

​
 
Lots of great info here, that's what I was hoping for! I had looked at the SAS, but the price difference is the tipping point along with the
good user comments. This will be the last build for me so I did not want to invest more than needed.
Thanks guys, Rich
 
Rich, I have the SATA Vision hood, which is also a pressurized system (using shop air). With any reduced lung function you'll want a pressurized system over a filtered mask that will overwork your breathing. Don't forget to check the used market for a good cost savings. I'm rather tight on my shop's slush fund and couldn't bring myself to buy new. I did have to wait a few years for my Sata hood to come along on ebay. It was still new in the box, a couple years of dust collected on it, but got it for less than half retail..
 
Robert: That's an option I'll check out, that style hood is much less confining than the others I've seen. That hood with a SAS pump would be
a great combo price wise if it was possible to use together.
I have the frame ready to shoot, my friend is going to shoot the color for me this morning. I'll have time to make a decision before I start the
final body work, and paint on the Coupe body.
Thanks, Rich
 
jtfx6552 said:
I have a hobby air II which works great for me, but again, I'm a hobbiest. http://autobodystore.com/SprayBooth.shtml
Click to expand...
When I was researching supplied air systems I looked at Hobbyair but I couldn't tell from any of their descriptions if the system had anything besides on and off. Since you own one, is the speed of the turbine adjustable on the Hohbbyair? I chose the Breathecool system because it had a speed control so you can fine-tune the air supply volume. I also chose it for a silly reason. They offer a cooling bucket (air hose coil in an insulated bucket you fill with ice and water). Not worth $149 but could be copied for less. It works with a Hobbyair system as well (hose bib fittings)
 
I have hobby air and there is only an on/off switch at the fan unit. It runs two hoses for two painters if needed. The hoses have a valve at the connection to the waist band where the hood connects to the air supply. Thats where you control the volume of air coming into your mask. Hoses are like garden hose and do not kink up. Other than being bigger diameter hose, it drags around identical to the paint gun hose. I cant say I like the restrictions of painting with a hood over my head and the face lens does interefere with vision when your going for that just right spray application, but, not having one is not an option.
 
I just replaced the large hood on my hobbyair with the SAS full face mask(flipvue) . Optically, the SAS seems better than the HA hood, and less cumbersome. Also, there is no switch on the HA air unit, just a short length of power cord. I added a foot switch from Harbor Freight - cost $10 or so - much more convenient.
 
There were two options available when I got my HA. One for one painter and one for two painters. Mine definitely has the on/off switch on the pump. I will have to check out the SAS full face mask. What is the flipvue?
 
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