Sticking with
a routine maintenance schedule not only ensures better, faster
workflow, but also helps your spraybooth live a longer, healthier
life.

Consider the following checklist when creating
a routine maintenance schedule:

• Filters – You must change them.

No matter what kind of booth you buy, air enters and exits your
booth through filters, gradually clogging them with dirt, dust
and overspray. Not only are clogged filters a risk to overall
refinish quality, but they’re also a fire hazard, a hazardous
waste and ignitable under certain conditions.

Take the time to set up and adhere to a replacement schedule based
on either calendar date or usage time. Some filters require attention
more often than others, so check with your supplier for recommendations.
Be sure to keep to the filter-change schedule, pay attention to
both ceiling and floor filters, and always use the filters/arrestors
recommended by the manufacturer – not those ineffective, single-stage
furnace filters.

To assist in your quest for clean filters, you might also make
it a habit to check the booth’s pressure daily with a manometer,
which will indicate when the intake filters are overloaded. Some
booths even have a pressure switch that shuts off the air supply
and exhaust fan when the intake filter is clogged. Note: When
checking booth pressure with a manometer, daily readings should
be similar to past readings.

• Fans – Check for gunk.

As you well know, fans help flow the air through the filters to
create booth pressure. They also accumulate gunk. Because dirty
blades can lead to imbalance, vibration and possible bearing wear,
clean your booth fans on a regular basis.

If your exhaust fan wobbles from overspray built upon the blades,
take care of it before it does more serious damage to the unit.
Also, be sure to oil the exhaust-fan pulley and motor bearings
regularly and, as a safety precaution, always shut off the main
exhaust-fan switch or power supply before oiling.

• The Painters – The paint job is only as clean as its painter.

While sometimes overlooked, personal cleanliness is vital to a
quality finish. Never enter the booth wearing dirty clothes or
shoes – the dirt can easily jump off you and onto the finish.
Be certain clothing and gloves are clean before entering the booth.

• Air Hoses – Check and clean these daily – inside and out.

Dirt that accumulates on hoses has the potential of falling onto
fresh paint. Hoses also can become filled with moisture, dirt,
etc., which will severely hamper your spraying and damage your
paint job.

• The booth itself – Wipe it down for each and every job.

Keep the entire booth free of dirt and overspray by wiping down
the floor and walls before or after every job. Check with your
booth manufacturer to see what cleaning agents should and shouldn’t
be used because some painted interior walls can be damaged by
some cleansers.

Tip: It’s also a good idea to wet the spraybooth floor before
every job. Doing so will keep the dust and dirt factor low. Just
be careful not to slip.

An easy way to keep inside booth walls clean is to coat them with
a strippable, spray-on coating. When the overspray becomes too
thick, just strip the walls and recoat.

Also, clean up scraps, masking paper, rags and so forth.

• Leaks – Check for them regularly.

Dirt can get inside the booth through cracks and seams, so make
it a point to periodically check for them and to caulk all places
where dirt might enter, including the seams of the filter system
and the lighting.

• Lighting – Replace weak or burned-out bulbs.

A painter who can’t see properly can’t paint properly.