Symptoms
What's wrong with your booth?
Pick the symptom you're seeing, or let us walk you through it. Either path lands on the same diagnostic + filter recommendation.
Not sure which one fits?
Answer 3-5 yes/no questions and we'll narrow you to the right symptom.
Aerospace stage-3 pocket filter loading
Stage-3 NESHAP pocket filter loading faster than expected. Indicates upstream stage failure, volume increase, or chromate-heavy work.
Severity: high
Booth pressure too positive (pushing out)
The booth is pushing air OUT instead of pulling air IN. This is a compliance violation under NESHAP Subpart HHHHHH.
Severity: high
Burner will not reach bake temperature
Burner runs but booth cannot hit target bake temp during cure cycle. Mostly mechanical/control causes.
Severity: high
Exhaust fan not running or running slow
The big exhaust fan that pulls air out of the booth isn't working right.
Severity: high
Fish-eye contamination on topcoat
Crater-like defects with raised edges from surface contamination (silicone, oil, water). Surface preparation + compressed-air-system issue.
Severity: high
Flame failure fault during run
The flame ignites but doesn't stay lit reliably.
Severity: high
Gas pressure fault (high or low)
Natural gas pressure to the burner is outside the acceptable range.
Severity: high
Humid-day finish issues (orange peel, sag, slow flash)
Paint defects that appear or worsen on high-humidity days. Resolved by humidity conditioning + flash-time extension.
Severity: high
NESHAP differential-pressure alarm on filter bank
EPA NESHAP 6H differential-pressure alarm triggered. Filter efficiency documentation + immediate replacement may be required to maintain compliance.
Severity: high
OSHA spray-finishing documentation gap
OSHA 1910.107 + NESHAP 6H expect filter-change log, painter training certification, and differential-pressure records. Missing records = compliance gap.
Severity: high
Overspray escaping booth into shop area
Paint is leaving the booth and contaminating the shop. Compliance and OSHA exposure risk.
Severity: high
Paint booth cycling on and off unexpectedly
The booth is not staying in its run mode. It starts, then trips off, then tries to restart.
Severity: high
Solvent pop / pinholes in topcoat
Volcano-like blisters or pinholes in cured topcoat from trapped solvent escaping during bake. Bake-cycle or flash-time issue.
Severity: high
VFD fault on paint booth (generic)
A variable frequency drive (VFD) that controls one of the motors is faulted.
Severity: high
Waterborne basecoat sag / runs
Waterborne basecoat sagging or running on vertical surfaces. Tied to airflow velocity, humidity, and blower angle in modern waterborne workflows.
Severity: high
Booth pressure too negative (too much suction)
The booth is pulling too hard, more suction than it should have.
Severity: medium
Burner fail to start (no ignition)
The booth burner isn't firing when it should.
Severity: medium
Burner short-cycling during bake
Burner cycling on and off at short intervals during bake instead of holding a steady mid-fire output. Hits target then drops, repeating.
Severity: medium
Cold-start burner trouble (winter mornings)
Burner fails to ignite or holds flame poorly during cold-start. Resolves once the booth warms up; recurs at next cold start.
Severity: medium
Condensation on booth interior walls
Visible moisture forming on the interior wall panels during or after bake cycles. Often during cool-down or high external humidity.
Severity: medium
Edge mapping / repair telegraphing
Repair-edge or seam outline showing through topcoat. Body-repair + coating cure issue, not booth-mechanical.
Severity: medium
Filter pressure drop warning on HMI
The booth is telling you it's time to change filters.
Severity: medium
Filters loading too fast (premature pressure drop)
Intake or exhaust filters reaching replacement threshold sooner than expected. Common after paint-volume changes, coating switches, or shop-environment changes.
Severity: medium
Filters loading too slow (suspiciously long filter life)
Filters lasting noticeably longer than expected. Usually indicates bypass, wrong-grade filter, or sensor drift — not actual filter longevity.
Severity: medium
Intake motor feedback / communication fault
The control system isn't getting confirmation that the intake motor is running correctly.
Severity: medium
Booth has low airflow / weak feeling inside booth
The amount of air moving through the booth has dropped. Usually a filter or motor issue.
Severity: medium
Paint defects traced to booth conditions (not paint product)
Paint is not laying down correctly. Finish quality is suffering. Often blamed on paint but actually caused by booth environment.
Severity: medium
Premature pressure-drop alarm (filters look clean)
Differential pressure alarm triggers but visual inspection shows filters are not loaded. Typically a sensor/instrument issue.
Severity: medium
Static buildup in dry climates (arid winter shops)
Static electricity attracting overspray and airborne particulate to substrate, causing inclusions. Worse in low-humidity climates and winter.
Severity: medium
Summer flash time too short (paint drying too fast)
Mid-coat solvent flashing off too quickly in hot ambient. Causes mottling, dry spray, and metallic-orientation defects.
Severity: medium
Uneven cure zones (hot/cold spots in booth)
Bake cycle delivers different temperatures across the work zone. Some panels over-cure, others under-cure. Burner alignment or airflow imbalance.
Severity: medium
Uneven filter loading across the bank
Some panels load faster than neighbors. Indicates airflow imbalance, panel damage, or localized high-paint zones.
Severity: medium
Emergency stop won't release / booth won't restart
An emergency stop is holding the booth locked out even after being 'released'.
Severity: low
Paint booth won't start after a power surge or power outage
The booth is completely dead or shows no normal startup sequence after an electrical disturbance.
Severity: low