In-line fans for spray booths?

[RedHeadKevin]

I'm building a new spray booth, and I was wondering what's the word on using an inline fan, like:
https://images.homedepot-static.com/pro ... 4_1000.jpg
for a spray booth fan. The specs say it should have plenty of power to clear an average size spray booth (~160-250 CFM) and blow it through some duct. If it's sucking air through a filter, there shouldn't be much risk of fire, right?

[Kylwell]

Most of those are boosters and need the air to be already moving to work. There are one that can act as a primary the big thing you have to worry about is blowing flammables though it if it doesn't have shielding to stop the motor sparks from igniting the fumes. Then you get what's know as a thermojet and it can melt things in a heartbeat.

[TazMan2000]

The filter will pick up droplets of paint and should be changed whenever you notice it getting stained. It won't pick up everything but the rest of the tiny droplets should dry up as they pass through the ducting. However they still can adhere to objects, so don't have the duct-work pointed at your expensive Ferrari. The risk of fire is minimal, as these fans are designed not to create any sparks. Solvents or alcohol should not cause any problem unless you are using a huge paint sprayer designed for automobiles. It would be wise to keep flammables separated from your work as much as possible for safety's sake. Murphy's law applies.

I build one myself a while back and used a cheap bathroom fan along with some LED puck lighting.

P.S. Those types of fans will not create sparks, however, the fan can create heat. So ensure that lint or dust doesn't build up on it. If you notice a buildup of paint on the motor, it will probably best to replace it with another cheap one. Ensure you wire it up correctly and use proper copper marrettes. If the fan was made in China, they may have put in aluminum marrettes and that causes problems with dissimilar metal corrosion which may cause fire or sparks.

TazMan200

[USSARCADIA]

The Panasonics are the best fans, the only bath exhaust fans we use. The are efficient and quiet. They make a nice large one that I hooked up for a customer once and it really sucked!

[TShark]

A spark proof blower is really a necessity when dealing with paint/chemicals. Especially since a paint booth by definition is a confined area. Here is a link to a short YouTube video I put together on my DIY paint booth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7w9GqQE_RI&t=8s

Hope this helps

[jgoldader]

I found a sparkless boat fan (bilge fan, IIRC), it’s worked perfectly for me. It was even built into a tube section.