Air Make Up Unit Installation in California
Every paint booth, prep station and oven exhaust removes air from the building, and the air make up unit puts it back filtered and tempered. California collision shops, fleet garages, fabricators and coaters need make-up air matched to their exhaust or the booth cannot hold its airflow and the building pulls dust in through every gap. Double D installs air make up units and ties them into the equipment they serve.
Discuss your installationMatching supply to exhaust
The make-up unit is sized against the total exhaust it has to replace. A booth that exhausts more than its make-up unit supplies runs negative; one that supplies more runs positive and pushes overspray out the doors. Most booths run slightly positive so dust stays out.
Direct-fired or indirect-fired
Direct-fired units put the burner in the airstream and are efficient. Indirect units heat through a heat exchanger and keep combustion products out of the supply air. Space use, local requirements and preference guide the choice.
Filters and intake location
Intake filters keep outside dust from reaching the booth. Intake location matters too: it should be away from exhaust stacks, loading docks and anything that would pull fumes back in.
- Intake away from stacks and vehicle exhaust
- Pre-filters on the intake
- Filter gauge to show loading
- Access for filter changes
Starting and stopping with the booth
The make-up unit should start and stop with the booth exhaust. Temperature controls, burner safety and airflow switches round out the controls. In a booth with a cure cycle, the unit may also switch modes.
Planning a booth or oven project in California
Crews mobilize from Houston; California is roughly 1,350 miles away, so equipment, panels and tooling are staged and shipped ahead of the install crew.
Manufacturing in California is concentrated around Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino). The sectors most likely to be specifying spray booths, blast rooms, powder systems and cure ovens there include aerospace, electronics, food and beverage equipment, and metal fabrication.
Mild temperatures keep heating loads modest; local air-quality districts tend to drive permitting, so exhaust and VOC controls are planned early.
Frequently asked questions
How big should our make-up unit be?
Sized to replace the exhaust it serves, with adjustments for booth pressure.
Why do our booth doors blow open or suck shut?
Supply and exhaust are out of balance. Adjusting make-up air or exhaust usually fixes it.
Direct-fired or indirect-fired?
Direct-fired is efficient; indirect keeps combustion products out. Local requirements and preferences guide the choice.
Where should the intake go?
Away from exhaust stacks, loading docks and other contamination sources.
Can one make-up unit serve multiple booths?
Sometimes, with controls and dampers. Separate units are simpler to balance.