Paint booth fans

2

20mercury

Promoted Users
Question and only asking for experience and suggestions.

I have painted 2 Corvettes in a negative pressure homemade paint booth in my shop and used Wally World box fans with brushless motors for exhaust with no hint of any negative consequences.

Question came up in conversation with others, do you really need or maybe better off with explosion proof fans?
 
I've sprayed with a cheap box fan under the garage door in a home made booth made by draping plastic sheets over a 4 post lift. 50% or less visibility with all the fog from spraying clearcoat. I'm still here... although I won't do that again. I have these types of fans now. https://www.northerntool.com/produc...r8plb_bwTLGT1MLZbrIaAln8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Much better air turnover. I used two of these last time and reduced the fog better and no explosions.
 
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i have sprayed for more than 20 years with a torpedo heater in the booth. doesn't get much more flame than that. never an issue. one time way back when i started in late 90's i remember the propane heaters i had on the wall, the fog was so thick that the flame turned from blue to yellow. never an issue. if its that hard to get overspray to ignite then no box fan is going to be an issue.
 
Jim C said:
i have sprayed for more than 20 years with a torpedo heater in the booth. doesn't get much more flame than that. never an issue. one time way back when i started in late 90's i remember the propane heaters i had on the wall, the fog was so thick that the flame turned from blue to yellow. never an issue. if its that hard to get overspray to ignite then no box fan is going to be an issue.
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That’s because you were burning off the VOC before they could reach a critical mass, and they never would be able to if they’re always getting burned off.
 
my shop has a 36" 3/4 hp chicken house fan. it hasnt ignited any thing yet. now what ever is outside near it will have a light coat of what ever was sprayed lol.
 
Much Thanks for the feedback!

I will tell my better half to cancel that insurance policy on me she just got; no bonanza likely for painting in my homemade booth anyway, LOL's!

Seriously, so I am thinking the base or clear or primer/air mixture is not as flammable as say pure reducer or say acetone or say gasoline, otherwise we all would have popped off a long time ago. And, with continued air makeup from a fan, maybe you never get to the lower explosive limit or to the right air/fuel ratios for the typical materials you are spraying on an auto??

In any event, proof testing is the final test and so "not to worry" about this one.
 
Many years ago (over 40) my dad's neighbor painted a lot of cars in his garage. One night his garage exploded and he burned up alive. I never did hear how it started but it was said that he had a lot of reducer in there.
 

66FBACK said:
Many years ago (over 40) my dad's neighbor painted a lot of cars in his garage. One night his garage exploded and he burned up alive. I never did hear how it started but it was said that he had a lot of reducer in there.
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Highly reduced lacquer and 20+ coats being sprayed with high pressure conventional spray guns was problematic. A lot of people used to have 25- gallon natural gas water heaters in 1200 sq. ft V.A. loan homes above the door into the home from the garage (framed in later carport) built into platforms suspended from the roof rafters. There were a lot of fires from the pilot light and volatile vapors rising for people doing work in such garages. Today--there is so little solvent--way less risk with an open flame or sparking from an electrical device provided there is some air movement. If you can see to paint reasonably--likely way lower risk today.
 
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On my way right now to pick up my exhaust tubing for my new booth setup. 3 phase motor with vfd so I can control the fan speed now. Cook manufacturing makes a lot of stuff like this
 
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