Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but if you accidentally blow up your house because you didn't want to spend the money on a proper and safe fan, your homeowners insurance isn't going to cover it.
I do a fair amount on on site spraying in customer's homes. I bought a small explosion proof fan, built it into a wood box that I could fit into most windows, and set up a filter in front of it. It was expensive, but blowing up someone's house is even more expensive.
I get it, lots of guys have sprayed lots of paint using box fans without incident. I'd be willing to bet that there are plenty of guys who have done it multiple times without incident, so maybe the odds are favorable.
But....what if you are the one guy who is on the wrong side of the odds? And what if someone else gets hurt?
I think that owning my own business for the past 28 years has given me a different perspective.
When I was building my shop 10 years ago, the electrical inspector wanted explosion proof lights in the spray room. My electrician worked with the inspector and reviewed the relevant codes. They determined that I could use vapor tight (but not explosion proof) lights as long as 1. The lights were outside of a 10 foot radius drawn from each front corner of the spray booth and 2. That we installed an air interlock on the booth air supply, so that there would be no air unless the booth fan was operating.
I did have to install an explosion proof light in the booth and in my paint storage vault.
Again, we are all free to risk our own lives and property, but we have no such freedom with other's lives and property.
And I understand that 3rd degree burns over 80% of one's body is a painful way to die, so we shouldn't make light of the risk.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but if you accidentally blow up your house because you didn't want to spend the money on a proper and safe fan, your homeowners insurance isn't going to cover it.
This ^^^ is my second concern, the first is NOT getting my wife hurt since she is the one who will be spraying all the products. I am visually impaired and she has eyes like a cat AND enjoys painting. My original question was can fans selling on Amazon for a few hundred dollars and listed as explosion-proof be trusted to be as they claim. I don't want BIG BOOM but I don't want a gaping hole in my budget either. After digesting the healthy debate and information provided above I am considering setting up as follows:
- Putting up 9mil plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling around the perimeter of the garage with a 3'- 4' offset from the walls
- opening the 3 windows in the garage and fitting them with A/C filters. (1 on the West wall and 2 on the North wall)
- Getting 2 inexpensive "Explosion-proof?" fans (Amazon or TSC) and building a plenum lined with 5 20"x20" activated carbon filters fronted by dust/overspray filters, either individual or continuous mat style.
-Creating openings in the west sheeting and venting the plenum under the garage door on the East wall.
My assumption is that this will create a cross breeze inside the paint area and the carbon filters will help reduce the volume of volatile fumes that will reach the fans. A sanity check and/or recommendations are welcome.
I know the risk is never zero but based on the discussion above the odds appear to me in my favor.
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Emil
I am definitely not going to say what to do or not to do, you have to decide for yourself....I will say I have seen guys painting in a poor ventilated area with a god damn propane heater going the entire time full blast... If you have good air flow im not sure the concentration is going to be anywhere high enough that an explosion could happen, but in the end, crazier things have happened.
Here is my fan when I gutted my old shop....Talk about neglect!!
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Small shop, but it got the job done.
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New fan when I built the new place. It was a winter project to open up the sealed area and clean it all out. I am sure it looks just as bad as the old fan at this point.
24" deal
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New fan 24”…what was old fan? Looks smaller. Where were you getting them? I see you got the louvers as well. Never seen your old garage until now. Looked like it probably did the job ok. Did you have a plenum/filter box? Where were you pulling fresh/cold air from? I just picked up a contraption. Basically a 6ft or so long filter box on wheels that this guy built. Has a fan inside mounted to the top. Then a 8” or so pipe coming off. Then had a flexible rubber hose that hooked to pipe and went up and out thru the wall outside. I bought a bunch of stuff from the guy as he was going out. Some will be trash but a few of the good pieces were easily worth the lot price. I happened to look up into the “rolling filter box” and appears he actually has a Jenny explosion proof fan in there. I gotta tear it apart and pull it out. From the eye appears maybe 20”. I’m hoping it’s variable speed. Time will tell. But I’ll have to order a set of shutters cause it’s going in my wall like yours with a plenum built around it and filters.
There are a number of different kinds of explosion-proof lights on the market right now. These lights are made to be used in dangerous places where there is a chance of blasts or fires because the air contains flammable gas or dust.
1. LED lights that won't explode
LED explosion-proof lights are a type of lighting that is made to be used in dangerous places where flammable gas or dust could cause an explosion. These lights use little electricity and can give off bright, clear light even in places with little natural light.
LED explosion-proof lights are built to last a long time and can handle tough conditions like dust, moisture, and sudden changes in temperature. Also, they don't need much or any care over the course of their lives.
2. Explosion-Proof Lights for Emergencies
When the power goes out or there is some other kind of disaster, emergency explosion-proof lights are meant to provide lighting. Most of the time, these lights run on batteries and can give off bright, clear light for hours.
In places where there is a high chance of blasts or fires, like mines, oil rigs, and chemical plants, emergency lights that are explosion-proof are often used. As an important safety measure, they can help workers get out of the area easily in case of an accident.
3. Lights that can't be damaged by explosions
Explosion-proof lights that are portable are made to be easily moved from one place to another. People who need to move from one area to another in dangerous places like mines, oil rigs, and chemical companies often use these lights.
Most portable explosion-proof lights run on batteries and can give off bright, clear light for hours at a time. Extreme temperature changes, wetness, and dust are just some of the tough elements that they can stand up to.
4. High Bay Lights That Can't Go Off
High bay explosion-proof lights are meant to be used in places with high ceilings such as buildings and factories. Most of the time, these lights are very bright and can light up a big area.
High bay lights that are explosion-proof are built to last a long time and can handle tough circumstances like extreme temperature changes, wetness, and dust. They also use very little energy, which can help big factories save money on their energy bills.
To sum up, there are a number of different kinds of explosion-proof lights on the market right now. These lights are made to be used in dangerous places where there is a chance of blasts or fires because the air contains flammable gas or dust. There is an explosion-proof light for every need, whether you need a light that you can take with you when you move, a bright light for a big building, or an emergency light in case the power goes out. In order to keep your workers safe and your building lasting as long as possible, make sure you buy these kinds of lights if you work in a dangerous area.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from SAFER-Ex.
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