Exhaust fan size

[boetkorsie]

Hi
I am converting a room for spray painting, intending to respray 3-5 cars a year. Be grateful for any help regarding the size of exhaust fans needed for size of the room ? Boet

[curtis73]

I can't speak intelligently about the size or flow of the fan, but I must insist you use a properly spark-protected fan. Atomized laquer thinner, solvents, and paint + regular fan motor = massive explosions of the deadly sort.

[boetkorsie]

Thanks Curtis. I'm in Africa so there is no thought given to consequences. I could only obtain 1 type of fan, chinese, which must be of dubious quality like most others here. The room will not depend entirely on the fans so it will have some free ventilation. There are 4 windows to insert the fans, fans being 18 inch and extracting 60 cube metres per min ( so the label says). I was just wondering if I could reduce the size of fan or eliminate 2 of them as I imagine once the 4 are rolling that they would suck the doors off their hinges !!

[curtis73]

There are ways to minimize your risk. I set up a temporary paint booth and used a regular fan that I put in a window. I taped an air conditioning filter at both the inlet and the outlet. I put one on the inlet to minimize dust, and the filter infront of the fan I figured would hopefully act as a spark arrestor. I didn't die, but I was using a low VOC paint.

[boetkorsie]

Hi Curtis, thanks for providing awareness of safety and I have taken note and will apply what and where I can taking into account resources here. Idea was to put up mosquito gauze on the outside to prevent insects entering. So I should use a non-metalic type. Plan also to use 2 fans as an intake and other 2 fans expelling. Thanks again-Boet