Filters do more for your paint finish than almost any other part of the booth, and they are the part most often neglected. Here is what each stage does, using the stages in our TS 3 as the example.
Stage 1: intake pre-filter
Outside air is drawn into the air unit through a coarse pre-filter, typically a G3 grade pocket filter or a pleated panel filter. It catches insects, leaves and the bulk of airborne dust before the air reaches the fan and the burner. Cheaper and easier to change than the ceiling filter, so it protects the more expensive stage.
Stage 2: ceiling filter
In a downdraft booth, air enters through a ceiling covered with fine filter media, for example F5 class SP-600G. This is the last thing the air passes through before it reaches wet paint, so it decides how many dust nibs you sand out afterwards. It also spreads the air evenly across the ceiling so it falls straight down over the vehicle.
Stage 3: paint arrestor
On the extraction side, the air passes through fibreglass paint arrestor media in the floor or the back wall. Its job is to catch overspray before it reaches the fan, the ducting and the outside air. It loads up quickly in a busy booth.
Stage 4: secondary exhaust filter
Higher-specification booths add pocket filters after the paint arrestor, catching fine particles the arrestor lets through. They keep the extraction fan cleaner and reduce what leaves the stack.
When to change them
| Paint arrestor | Monthly in a busy booth, or as soon as it is visibly loaded |
|---|---|
| Intake pre-filter | About every 6 months |
| Ceiling filter | Typically every 12 months, or as the manual specifies |
These are starting points. A booth running two shifts loads filters much faster than one used a few times a week. Your operating manual gives the intervals for your booth.
Signs your filters are loaded
- Overspray mist hangs in the booth instead of clearing quickly
- More dust nibs in the finish
- The booth takes longer to reach temperature, or the burner cycles more
- Doors are hard to open or slam shut, showing the pressure balance has changed
- If your booth has a pressure gauge, the reading has moved outside its normal range
Loaded filters do more than spoil the finish. They starve the burner of air, work the fans harder and let overspray build up in the ducting, which is a fire risk. Changing filters on time is the cheapest maintenance there is.
We supply filters for Taurus booths and most other makes. See service and spares.