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scott moss
Posted: Jul 29, 2009 07:53 PM
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fresh air
does anyone have a preference of fresh air systems, or different hoods or masks that work better than another.
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mason
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 07:43 AM
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That's a good question. There are many brands of air supplied respirator, (3M, Bullard, MSA and more). But, each company offers a variety of air supplied systems. The two most commonly used are air supplied from a separate oiless air compressor and air supplied by a commercial air compressor with Co2 monitor, filters, etc. Advantages of the oiless compressor type is that so long as you have the compressor in a location where the air is good, you don't have to worry about Co2 build-up or contaminants coming from the compressor itself. It is also a lower cost way to provide fresh air Disadvantages, the compressors don't produce a high volume of air so you only run 1 to 2 air hoods from them. The air cannot be cooled in hot weather (not enough CFM for a vortex cooler to work) Advantages of the systems that are used with conventional commercial air compressors. Higher volume of air, you can run any number of hoods from one compressor. You can also use a vortex cooler with this type that helps provide cool air to your hood in hot weather. Disadvantages: Air from a standard commercial air compressor must be filtered and monitored for C02, oil, and other contaminants from the air compressor itself. The monitoring and filtering equipment can get quite pricey. Contact your local safety equipment supply store for assistance in choosing the right system for your needs. PS, I like the soft paper hoods over a hard hat type hood. They seem to be easier to work with and provide a better range of vision to me. Be sure to use tear off plastic screens over the visor. You can purchase the tear-offs to specifically fit your air hood. |
