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Straight answers on choosing, fitting and looking after the spare parts for a welding helmet with a battery-powered air-purifying blower.
The main items are the particle filters and any pre-filters, the rechargeable battery, the breathing hose, the lenses (the outer cover lens and the filter lens) and the headband and fitting parts. Filters and batteries are the ones replaced most often, which is why HSE advises keeping spare batteries and filters to hand as part of an RPE programme.The blower unit and helmet shell usually last far longer. Check your manual for which parts are intended to be replaced by the user.
Change a filter that is damaged or visibly contaminated, or that has become harder to breathe through or restricts the airflow. This can happen quickly in very dusty conditions. For filters used with fan-assisted respirators, the manufacturer sets the change interval, so follow the manual.Many blowers also have an airflow or filter warning; if yours does, take it seriously and stop welding to fix the cause. Never use a filter past its shelf-life date, and it helps to mark the date a filter was fitted.
Check the battery condition and airflow before every use, as the manufacturer instructs. Trade guidance for powered respirators also suggests checking the airflow level or battery status again during long shifts, for example after four hours and then every two hours, though the interval depends on your manufacturer and risk assessment.If the airflow drops or the low-flow warning sounds, leave the fume area, following your RPE procedure, and change or recharge the battery in clean air. Charge the battery as the maker describes.
Inspect the hose and its connections before each use for cracks, kinks, splits or loose fittings, because a damaged hose can leak air or restrict flow. Keep it away from sparks, spatter and sharp edges, and route it so it does not snag.Wipe it clean as the manufacturer advises, and let it dry before storing it. Do not use solvents unless the manual allows them. Replace a damaged hose rather than repairing it with tape.