Explosion-Proof Exhaust Fan

[pancholasvegas]

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Reaching out to the GJ community hoping for some advice. I'm nearing the completion of a paint booth that I am building in my garage. Please note, this is not just some plastic sheets and a drop-cloth thrown down. This is an 9'X12' enclosed room that I've built specifically for spraying motorcycle frames, tanks, etc., as well as other small parts.

Everything that I have found in my research states that I need to use an explosion-proof fan for the exhausting of the paint fumes. I am not in disagreement, I'd like to not blow myself up. Admittedly, in the past whenever I've sprayed, it's had plenty of ventilation and a floor fan to exhaust the fumes. This is clearly not the case in a dedicated booth.

I am looking for suggestions on the most cost-effective/simple set-up for what I need to do here. Has anyone implemented one of these explosion-proof fans in their own shop or booth? There are several listed on Amazon as being "Explosion-Proof," though I have my doubts that they are authentic. McMaster Carr has several solutions, however that price point is a bit out of budget at this time. Looking to see if anyone has any recommendations or thoughts to share.

 

[BrandonV]

I assume for the cheap options you can verify the ATEX/IECEx listing on their respective registries.

 

[karoc]

Not knowing but is paint you be using water base or lacquer? From what I have read that most are moving towards waterborne paint. But either way you want whatever to **** through filters. If I was kinda doing something myself maybe belt driven fan where the motor is out of the airstream. I know nothing about paint booths and exhaust fans, but keeping your lungs clean and booth safe is top priority

 

[micromind]

.....Explosion proof......I bet I can blow it up.........lol.

In the electrical world, 'explosion proof' simply means that a device (switch, fan motor, etc.), is capable of containing the ignition of a specified gas inside the device and not igniting anything flammable outside the enclosure.

The actual fan is just one part of the entire system. For example, if you had an explosion proof fan and used a normal light switch in the same room to turn it on and off, the spark inside the switch would very likely cause an explosion but not the spark inside the fan motor. Everything in the hazardous area needs to be explosion proof.

Yes, explosion proof stuff is expensive, an actual explosion is even more so.

 

[mrbill55]

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Reaching out to the GJ community hoping for some advice. I'm nearing the completion of a paint booth that I am building in my garage. Please note, this is not just some plastic sheets and a drop-cloth thrown down. This is an 9'X12' enclosed room that I've built specifically for spraying motorcycle frames, tanks, etc., as well as other small parts.

Everything that I have found in my research states that I need to use an explosion-proof fan for the exhausting of the paint fumes. I am not in disagreement, I'd like to not blow myself up. Admittedly, in the past whenever I've sprayed, it's had plenty of ventilation and a floor fan to exhaust the fumes. This is clearly not the case in a dedicated booth.

I am looking for suggestions on the most cost-effective/simple set-up for what I need to do here. Has anyone implemented one of these explosion-proof fans in their own shop or booth? There are several listed on Amazon as being "Explosion-Proof," though I have my doubts that they are authentic. McMaster Carr has several solutions, however that price point is a bit out of budget at this time. Looking to see if anyone has any recommendations or thoughts to share.

You should be able to get a small, say 10" explosive proof fan from manufacturers like "Mophorn" for under $200. You'll need to get filters and tape them in place......Don't forget about lighting, LED "daylight" bulbs is the way to go these days. So says this retired bodyshop owner.


Bill S.

 

[pancholasvegas]

Not knowing but is paint you be using water base or lacquer? From what I have read that most are moving towards waterborne paint. But either way you want whatever to **** through filters. If I was kinda doing something myself maybe belt driven fan where the motor is out of the airstream. I know nothing about paint booths and exhaust fans, but keeping your lungs clean and booth safe is top priority

It will not be water-base. Everything that I spray is solvent based. I utilize a Supplied Air Respirator and complete paint suit when I spray 2K Paint, so health is already taken into account. Yes, I will build a filter system for whatever fan is arranged.

.....Explosion proof......I bet I can blow it up.........lol.

In the electrical world, 'explosion proof' simply means that a device (switch, fan motor, etc.), is capable of containing the ignition of a specified gas inside the device and not igniting anything flammable outside the enclosure.

The actual fan is just one part of the entire system. For example, if you had an explosion proof fan and used a normal light switch in the same room to turn it on and off, the spark inside the switch would very likely cause an explosion but not the spark inside the fan motor. Everything in the hazardous area needs to be explosion proof.

Yes, explosion proof stuff is expensive, an actual explosion is even more so.

I've taken all other precautions for electrical in the booth. There are no normal light switches, or other electrical fixtures contained in the booth. All electrical is operated from an outside the booth environment.

You should be able to get a small, say 10" explosive proof fan from manufacturers like "Mophorn" for under $200. You'll need to get filters and tape them in place......Don't forget about lighting, LED "daylight" bulbs is the way to go these days. So says this retired bodyshop owner.


Bill S.

Thank you for the information on the manufacturer to look into. Yes, I have filter system planned and the lighting is handled, as well. Running several LED lights in the booth.

 

[dogdog]

If you are lucky you can get one from Craigslist for about $200… well at least that was how much I paid for it. It is basically a large fan in thick balanced blade and the motor is outside the wind tunnel. Motor is just any other ac motor. …. There are also explosion proof motor if you want those installed….

The one I got is something that looks like these... used of cause and needs bearing "upgraded"

Explosion Proof Hazardous Location Fans Blowers & Exhaust Ventilation

Shop the largest selection of intrinsically safe explosion proof exhaust fans, air circulator fans, blowers, inline fans and hazardous location ventilation fans & pedestal fans at Industrial Fans Direct. Free Shipping!

www.industrialfansdirect.com

pretty sure mines is a 24" model but you should calculate your CFM needs without over drafting too much **** your spray out before it have a chance to land on your object.

 

[mrbill55]

Thank you for the information on the manufacturer to look into. Yes, I have filter system planned and the lighting is handled, as well. Running several LED lights in the booth.

You need to have a filter for incoming, as well as exhaust air.

Bill S.

 

[pancholasvegas]

You need to have a filter for incoming, as well as exhaust air.

Bill S.

Agreed. I framed in a window for intake that is sized that I have an appropriate amount of air intake (I believe.) filter material will be cut to shape and applied. (I need to also mention budget. This window was free. As well as the door.)

 

[rockettauto]

So here is why you see such a large difference in some of the pricing.

The cheap "explosion proof" fans are basically sealed up so they don't have exposed electrical arc.

If we're looking at OSHA regs ( not saying that's a concern but just for some guidance here) that means these fans would be allowed within ten feet of a booth. Not inside, and not as part of an exhaust.

For a booth exhaust fan the requirement is that the exhaust air does not pass over the motor at all. These are the real booth exhaust fans and cost quite a bit more.

What I have done in the past is simply use a pressurized design with one of the cheap EP fans.

The fan blows air in and the exhausted air is simply a result of that. So on the exhaust side it's simply a free flow. No exhaust air passes the fan because it only blows air in.

One of these in 14" or larger is good and you can remove the shudders and slide wire rod through the holes to lock the filter in and easily slide them out to change the filter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092873L1R/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I would slap a HEPA filter into there.

On the exhaust side I just used the cheap green filter stuff as otherwise it gets clogged in paint way too quickly. Positive pressure also means you won't **** in any dust through cracks and crevices.

 

[Fishn1]

Keep your eye on government auction sites. I won two explosion proof fans from a local fire dept for 50 bucks. I got lucky, well, and the only bidder. I plan to use these as part of my paint exhaust system.

 

[Noltz]

The purpose-built solution not withstanding, I'd look at hot-water heater vent blowers. They'd be explosion proof. Just need to check the CFM available and perhaps use more than one. And yes you need good filters down low for the intake side too.

 

[Firebrick43]

The purpose-built solution not withstanding, I'd look at hot-water heater vent blowers. They'd be explosion proof. Just need to check the CFM available and perhaps use more than one. And yes you need good filters down low for the intake side too.

You heat already hot water?

But as to the fans on water heaters, no, few are explosion proof. Almost all of them have open frames where the gases can get inside the motor. They are safe in that application due to the fact that the motor is sealed from the exhaust area by the fan housing but the frame is open to fumes from say a paint booth. Also they are a low volume high pressure fan, exact opposite of what you want in a paint booth.

 

[Steve_P]

I know I will get killed by the safety engineers for this, but I have painted for decades in a home-built boot with an exhaust fan with a totally enclosed motor that I bought from Enco. Modern paints have very little solvents in them, and they're not as volatile as lacquer thinner. And I've sprayed lacquer in this booth many times. And it's almost impossible to find lacquer anymore, in any state, as the big names like PPG stopped making it; because there hasn't been a US made car with lacquer on it for ~40 years.

 

[pancholasvegas]

I appreciate the input from everyone. Today I took delivery of a used industrial Loren Cook explosion proof exhaust fan from the next state over, courtesy of eBay. I was able to pick this up (shipped) for less than the price of one of those Amazon made fans. Happy ending for the wallet and the peace of mind.

 

[Norcal]

One option is a fan that has the motor outside of the hazardous area, I need to go out to my boneyard & get the model numbers off a couple of them out there to compare.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

The purpose-built solution not withstanding, I'd look at hot-water heater vent blowers. They'd be explosion proof. Just need to check the CFM available and perhaps use more than one. And yes you need good filters down low for the intake side too.

They are absolutely NOT explosion proof. They are open frame, shaded pole motors...

Tommy

 

[Fav Onefour]

Agreed. I framed in a window for intake that is sized that I have an appropriate amount of air intake (I believe.) filter material will be cut to shape and applied. (I need to also mention budget. This window was free. As well as the door.)

That door will allow a lot more than you would expect. I know the price is right, but drawing the main flow under the door is going to be dust city for painting. In some cases with high draw exhaust, it would be worse than an open room . The door is installed inswing. Those two hinge jobbers are pretty loose even if the frame is square. If you are keeping the door, gasket the jamb frame and filter the bottom gap.
I'm not trying to be hard on you with the door. I'm just speaking from experience and hopefully it helps.