Deciding between paint booth equipment can affect job performance and operational success. Included in this decision-making process is the choice between paint booth exhaust fans. Exhaust fans play a crucial role in performance, as they directly impact airflow and exhaust filtration life.
Exhaust fans help to stabilize air velocity and create consistent airflow within a paint booth. This, in turn, affects the life of the filtration system.
For automotive paint booths, there are two commonly used exhaust fans: tubeaxial and centrifugal.
Tubeaxial exhaust fans are more popular because they are energy-efficient and have low hardware and installation costs. However, they tend to require more frequent maintenance, as they don’t perform well under loads. Also, because they generally do not have a means of secondary exhaust filtration, their blades get dirty more quickly, and the fan’s performance diminishes over time.
Centrifugal exhaust fans are a higher quality equipment that offer higher performance under a load. While they are a quiet type of fan, they actually deliver a powerful amount of airflow. Because they are better under a load and are a higher quality fan, they are generally installed with a secondary filter that helps to keep them clean. But, similar to the tubeaxial, if overspray is allowed to settle on the fan blades, they can become out of balance or broken.
Knowing which exhaust fan is right for your paint booth will help ensure your booth is reaching peak performance.
It’s crucial to be aware of indicators that may hinder performance—for example, abnormal noise, vibration, or lack of airflow. Other indicators are too much overspray, a loose belt, and bad bearings. While these issues may arise due to aged equipment, it’s best to routinely maintain and clean exhaust fans to help extend the longevity of the hardware.
For more information on paint booth exhaust fans, or scheduling maintenance, contact Accudraft. We’re a leading paint booth manufacturer providing automotive shops with high performing and quality finishing systems across the United States.
