How often do you change your face mask/filter cartridges?

[fender]

I use a half mask with replaceable filter cartridges. I seem to remember the instructions advising to change the cartridges at improbably frequent intervals (such as a month or so). I suspect that this is certainly advisable if you spend your working hours respraying cars (for example) but is possibly overkill for painting a 4mm van every couple of weeks or so.

 

how often do you actually find it necessary to change the cartridges (or the whole mask), and is there some other hazard, apart from just letting in fumes/particulates, which is associated with the age of the filters themselves?

 

thanks

[AngryMeerkat]

Hygiene doesn't affect the filters, only the air being sucked in is filtered. The exhaled air is fed out through the rubber part of the mask, which should be cleaned regularly anyway.

 

The general rule for changing filters on an occasional-use mask is when the filter material looks clogged/dirty. Rubbing the external material of the filter will tell you if the dirt is just loose (in which case blow the filter off with an air line and re-use) or has penetrated into the filter showing replacement is required.

 

Worst case - the filter will become clogged, making inhaling breath difficult. In this case, it's definitely time for a new filter!

 

Mark

[Barry O]

I change mine after about 8hours use.

[fender]

I change mine after about 8hours use.

 

are you referring to a disposable masks or a half-mask with disposable filters?

 

Hygiene doesn't affect the filters, only the air being sucked in is filtered. The exhaled air is fed out through the rubber part of the mask, which should be cleaned regularly anyway.

 

The general rule for changing filters on an occasional-use mask is when the filter material looks clogged/dirty. Rubbing the external material of the filter will tell you if the dirt is just loose (in which case blow the filter off with an air line and re-use) or has penetrated into the filter showing replacement is required.

 

Worst case - the filter will become clogged, making inhaling breath difficult. In this case, it's definitely time for a new filter!

 

Mark

 

Thanks. That's basically what I've been doing, following a common-sense approach, but just wondered what others do or if there was something I was missing. I assumed that if I put the mask on (I clean it after every use) and cannot smell the butanone, or whatever I'm using, and it's not difficult to breathe then the filter is still ok.

[Barry O]

Disposable Masks and also my mask with disposable filters..