A spray booth’s exhaust ductwork is the primary highway for moving volatile vapors and overspray particles out of the shop environment. Over time, paint solids escape the filter bank and bake onto the interior walls of the ductwork and the exhaust fan blades. This heavy accumulation chokes air velocity and creates a severe, highly combustible fire hazard if left unchecked.
Procedural Steps to Maintain Exhaust Ducts
Step 1: Pre-Inspection Safety Protocol
Complete Isolation: Always lock out and tag out the main electrical disconnect switch for the exhaust fan motor before opening any duct access doors.
Fall Protection: Use stable, industrial-grade ladders or scaffolding when servicing vertical duct stacks or roof-mounted components.
Step 2: The Clean-Out Door & Stack Inspection
The Inspection Interval: Inspect the interior of the exhaust ductwork, stack head, and fan assembly at least once a month for paint buildup.
Accessing the System: Utilize designated duct clean-out doors located along the stack run to visually check the thickness of the residue layer.
What to Look For: Pay close attention to elbows, transitions, and the areas directly preceding the automatic roof ventilator (stack head). These directional shifts are natural collection points for heavy overspray drop-out.
Step 3: Proper Mechanical Stripping Procedures
Non-Sparking Tools Only: When scraping dried paint, tar, or residue from the interior duct walls, use exclusively non-ferrous, non-sparking scrapers (such as brass, aluminum, or heavy-duty plastic). Standard steel scrapers can create friction sparks that can ignite flammable dust pockets inside the stack.
Protecting Moving Components: Carefully scrape the interior casing and any backdraft dampers inside the stack head assembly. Ensure the dampers swing completely free and do not bind due to paint buildup.
Debris Collection: Sweep and vacuum all loose paint flakes and scrapings out of the duct bottom. Do not allow debris to fall back down into the fan wheel housing or onto the booth cabin roof. Collect all waste immediately and store it in a code-compliant, tight-fitting, non-combustible waste container.
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Keep your ventilation paths clear and fire-safe:
Heavy-Duty High-Capacity Exhaust Media (Stops overspray before it reaches your ductwork)
Duct Access Panel Replacement Gaskets & Fasteners
15G Poly-Backed Fiberglass Paint Arrestors are designed for spray booths that demand greater filtration beyond the capabilities of standard fiberglass.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageMulti-functional panel filters are for use as secondary filters, burner filters, air make-up, and pit filters.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagePA Series 22G Fiberglass Filters are a heavy duty media, AFC’s most popular arrestors and most economical option for capturing and filtering overspray.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe PEY Series Polyester Paint Arrestor is a high efficiency, 2″ dry polyester media made for medium to heavy duty filtration applications where performance and the removal of a wide range of particles is the priority.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageAerospace spray booth exhaust filters are M319 compliant for 2 and 3 stage systems. Test reports available.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageHEPA filtration is for use in the final stage of finishing systems where ultra fine particulate capture is required. Pre-filters are used to extend the life of the more expensive final stage HEPA.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagePA Series Fiberglass Filters are AFC’s most popular arrestors and most economical option for capturing and filtering overspray.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageA popular overspray arrestor, GFS 15G fiberglass filters are designed to provide longevity, efficiency and economy for most spray booth applications.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageCPA media is a multi-layer, graduated density polyester designed for high-performance.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageA multi-layered, progressively dense polyester, CPA Gold media is suitable as the 1st stage in an aerospace exhaust system.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe PRH Series paint arrestor is a high efficiency, dry polyester media used in light-production booths requiring low pressure drop filtration.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe XFP-6000 bag filter is the final stage of a 2 or 3 stage aerospace filtration system, designed for the collection of chromate.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageCompare to Binks, Andreae, Chemco and Compleat accordion style, single stage filters. The Accordion is the better baffle for overspray collection. 10+ boxes ship free!
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageScrim pads play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and safety of water wash spray booths.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageGFS Wave Filters are for use with all coatings, including the 1st stage of a 2 or 3 stage aerospace filtration system.
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Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe King Series Premium Media fiber structure and tri-layer design provide an extremely efficient and long lasting media, creating an ideal painting environment with all paint types, including waterborne.
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