Warning: Store your respirator in a bag ,8 hours of use is the average cartridge life

[Andrew Joiner]

I have 5 year old cartridges and I couldn't smell fumes with my respirator on, so I thought it was effective. I felt the effects of mineral spirit fumes on my last finish job, time for a long overdue change!

I just learned this, so I copied it as a reminder to all.

Q: How should I store my respirator when not in use?
A: The best way is to put your respirator in a sealed bag so that it stays clean and does not get contaminated. Also, if the cartridges are exposed to ambient or open air for long periods of time they will lose their effectiveness and may need to be replaced more often.
Q: How long are the cartridges good for?
A: It really depends on what type of work you are doing and the level of contaminant that you are exposed to. A general guideline is that if you are having difficulty breathing or can smell or taste the contaminant but your respirator has a good fit, you should change your cartridges.
Q: What is the shelf life of a cartridge?
A: Cartridges in their original package have an indefinite shelf life unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer.
Q: What is the difference between N, R and P rated respirators?
A: The letters N, R & P refer to whether or not the particulate filter can be used to filter or protect against oil-based pesticides or chemicals.
N=not resistant to oils.
R=resistant to oils for 8 hours
P=oil proof, possibly resistant for more than 8 hours (follow the manufacturer’s recommendations).
Q: What is the difference between 95, 99 and 100% efficiency in filters?
A: The number designation refers to how efficient the respirator is in trapping particles – 95 means that the filter is 95% efficient, 99 is 99% efficient and 100 is 99.97% efficient.

[Matt Meiser]

Yep, I keep mine in a 1 gallon Ziplock bag. Probably time for a change though anyway.

[Doug Colombo]

Yep, I keep mine in a 1 gallon Ziplock bag. Probably time for a change though anyway.

Me to on both accounts. What is a good brand to purchase ? Mine is so old that I think I may get a new one, as I am not sure I can even find the filters any more !

[Matt Meiser]

I lie the 3m 7500 series. Readily available, inexpensive, and lots of options. I get them at Sherwin Williams or a local safety supply store.

[Jason Roehl]

You can rejuvenate the cartridges...just heat 'em up, preferably in the hot sun. Putting them in an oven could cause a flash fire if they've been used for flammable fumes.

I never bag mine, and they last a long, long time. Pre-filters go a long way toward prolonging the life of the cartridge for one, and I don't spray many non-waterborne products. I have a very good sense of smell, so if my respirator fit is good and I can smell the solvent I'm spraying, I'll swap cartridges.

[Bob Feeser]

Owned a high end body shop for 20 years. The carbon filter only cartridges with a pre-filter are not affected by being left out of the bag. The Norton disposable masks which were the ones we used to buy had a chemical cartridge in them. We used them for spraying urethanes with isocyanate hardeners in them, the kind commonly used on cars. They had to be stored in bags because the air would degenerate the usability of the chemical cartridge so they came in a zip loc type bag.

For woodworking to prevent dust inhalation I just use a 3M carbon based with a pre-filter that sells for $24.97 at Home Depot. See photo below. It is very convenient to leave the lower strap on so it is draped in front of you, and then when making dust, as in doing some routing etc. you just pull it up to have it on.

I also have a fresh air system that consists of a diaphram pump (not oil based) that has a rubber bladder in it, and a over the head mask/bonnet. With two 50 foot lines, one to the outside, and one to the mask, you can put that on, place your tunes in your ears and blast away. That way you are breathing 100% fresh air from outside. The downside to that system is that you can't use it very well if you have to move all over the shop. The hose is a drag It is great if you are doing mass production, or a repeated procedure which doesn't require lots of movement. (I have found by the way that mass production is the only way to make serious money out of woodworking. Many scoff at it. I am not talking about making cheap parts, I am talking about making 10 entertainment systems instead of one for example. All this custom drawing, getting the material, setting up the machines in order to make a single pass is big waste of time. Doing 50 passes instead after you do all of that, in only a half hour brings in big bucks) Sorry for going off topic but I thought I would throw it in there.

I save my full creativity, and tons of time for my own home projects or for creating the prototype. Custom one of a kind woodwork is something to be cherished, and few people out there are willing to pay for it. Oddly enough in production, you can produce the same quality and make more money even while charging a lot less per unit. Anyhow back to the drawing board on my home wainscoting project.

We are talking about clean lungs. Guess where the biggest harm comes from? Your dust collectors in the ceiling emit the less than 5 micron stuff like crazy, and that is what does the most harm, the body has a hard time getting rid of it. Also your shop vac/dust collection system bags do the same thing. Try walking into your shop in the morning, and smell the air. Then turn on your ceiling dust collectors and smell that air too.

My number one way to combat dust and not have to wear a mask all of the time is to place an inexpensive fan in one window of the shop and draw the dust out. So when I am doing a procedure I flip up the face mask, and then about a minute or two after doing the air is clear around me and I can flip it down. It is a great system that works so you can keep your lungs working for you.