Shop vent fans

[wdills]

Antbody want to build their own paint booth? My company recently built a prototype genset for one of our customers. Testing of the prototype is done now and our customer told us to scrap the misc equipment that they didn't want. Part of this is several large vent fans. They have already been sold to the salvage yard but the guy hasn't picked these up yet. I have talked to him and I think he will sell them cheap. There are three 36" fans that are rated at 20,000cfm with 10 Hp, 480V, 3ph motors. There are two 30" fans that are a little over 9,000cfm with 7.5 Hp, 480V 3ph motors. The other two are 30" and are a little over 6,000cfm with 2 Hp, 480V, 3ph motors.

I plan to take one of the small 2 Hp fans for myself. If anyone is interested in a fan let me know and I will discuus with the salvage guy when he comes in tomorrow.

[Welcome]

Thanks for sharing that info with us!

I'm not in the market for an exhaust fan, but as a general question;

Do these fans have the "Explosion Proof" rating???

TIA

[Nelsen Motorsports]

If I can reverse that I can REALLY combat the HOT Georgia summers!

[wdills]

I know the big 36" fans would be OK because the motor is mounted outside the tube and the fan is belt driven. The other motors are direct drive so they are in the flow. To be honest I am not sure if they are explosion proof or not, but I doubt it. Let me add that a lot of people use simple wall vent fans or box fans to vent their homemade paint booths and those certinaly don't have explosion proof motors. I have been painting as a hobby for a long time and have never had an explosion proof fan motor. I have never done it myself, but I know one guy that paints during the winter with a kerosene heater in the room. I have never been that daring.

[jclary]

I know the big 36" fans would be OK because the motor is mounted outside the tube and the fan is belt driven. The other motors are direct drive so they are in the flow. To be honest I am not sure if they are explosion proof or not, but I doubt it. Let me add that a lot of people use simple wall vent fans or box fans to vent their homemade paint booths and those certinaly don't have explosion proof motors. I have been painting as a hobby for a long time and have never had an explosion proof fan motor. I have never done it myself, but I know one guy that paints during the winter with a kerosene heater in the room. I have never been that daring.

I made a good living for years selling industrial spray systems for many applications. From furniture to golf balls and BMW's. (even butter for yeast rolls you get at restaurants!) Few, if any, (even explosion proof) folks would want a motor inline with the air flow. Even the best of filters let some over-spray into the exhaust system and the build-up on the motor would be tough to keep clean.

The belt drive would be the best and easiest to keep clean and maintained. The problem I see is the motor voltage and phase. Not many of us have 3 phase power available so the motors would probably have to be changed out. I would love to have one of the smaller belt drive units and build a down draft or simi-down draft booth, but I am afraid that a combination of age, energy, and other circumstances are combining to force me to downsize my project ambitions.

[wdills]

I was planning to use a direct drive but mount it in the air intkae to pressureize the booth. That way the fan motor is in clean outside air. I have heard of some guys using a driect drive in their exhaust. Before painting, thay spray their motor with pam cooking spray. When they are done, they just wipe the paint residue that got past the filters off the motor housing. There are lots of ways to make this type fan work if you are trying to build a spray booth on a CASO budget.

[stude-sled]

How much for one of the 36 inch fans?

[wdills]

The guy hasn't give me any offical prices yet, but from talking to him I am expecting around $700 for the 36" and $500 for the 30". I'll post definite prices as soon as I know them.