Frequently Asked Questions

21221, Farm to Market Rd 529, Cypress, TX 77433

Sentry Air Systems was founded in 1983, by the president, Bryan Rossnagel

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Yes, we do scheduled visits. Please submit your information on our contact page, and we will be sure to contact you and coordinate a tour of our facilities. However, if you are unable to get to Houston, feel free to visit our virtual tour showroom.

Our units meet and exceed many OSHA, NIOSH, and local regulations. Industrial Hygiene Reports and test results are available for various chemicals under our Resource Center.

Orders are accepted via the following:

• Phone
• Email
• Standard mail delivery

It is imperative that the correct filters and unit are a fit for your specific application. With this, before we process any orders we require one call with an application specialist to discuss your application in detail to determine the optimal filtration combination.

Credit cards (Visa, MC, Amex, Discover) and checks are accepted

Shipping costs depend on the weight of the items, dimensions, shipping method, and customer location. SAS works with various carriers to provide the best shipping solution. Shipping quotes will be available upon request.

Every customer has a unique situation and application that requires specific filters , or combination of filter media. The expected usage of our equipment can also call for a larger or even sometimes smaller unit than the customer chooses online. Due to these variables every order is a custom solution for that particular customer and their application.

1. Does it come with a carbon filter?
   All benchtop fume extractors come with a standard pre-filter media & HEPA filter (unless specified otherwise) and have the capability of being upgraded to a higher efficiency filter including, but not limited to, carbon filters.


2. Will this work to absorb smoke from cooking?
   Although we have had customers speak of the ability to cut smells and smoke from cooking, we do not advertise that this is an extractor for kitchen use, and in many cases is not suitable for residential applications.


3. Does it come with a carbon filter?
   No, our benchtop fume extractor are an easy to use air filtration system. Please visit for mounted fume extractors for applications that require your air filtration to be mounted.


4. What type of filter(s) can be applied?

Our filter options can be found in our filter center. However, the filter availabilities are dependent on application and need. We recommend consulting with our application specialist to apply the correct filters to the table sentry.

1. How close does the extractor have to be to the application?
   It depends on the series fume extractor that is in use, we recommend the following distance :
   • 200 Series: 5-6"
   • 300 Series: 8-10"
   • 400 Series: 12"


2. Can this product work with paint?
   While we are confident in the ability of our portable fume extractor, we do not recommend using this product for painting applications. We recommend our Spray Paint Booth for Aerosol Spray, and Painting applications.


3. Is it bad to breathe in solder fumes?
   Yes. These hazardous fumes often contain many chemicals that can cause immediate and long-term respiratory and skin irritation, including, but not limited to, eye, throat and lung irritation, nosebleeds and headaches.

1. What is a fume hood used for in chemistry?
   Fume Hoods, when applied properly, are an extremely efficient engineering control when used in chemistry settings. Fume hoods used in chemistry protect users by the following:
   • Contains fumes, particulate, vapors, and dust generated within the hood, and removes them as air flows through the filtration system
   • Blocking the user from aerosols and prevents injury from splashes, fires, or minor explosions that may occur inside the hood


2. What is the recommended face velocity of a fume hood?
   Generally speaking, the recommended face velocity for a fume hood is between 0.3 m/s (60 fpm) and 0.5 m/s (100 fpm), however, it is crucial to verify with OSHA, NIOSH, and local set regulations before use of your fume hood


3. What is the purpose of a fume hood?
   A fume hood is essentially a piece of laboratory equipment that allows personnel to conduct potentially hazardous work in a partially enclosed space. Fume hoods serve a number of engineering safety controls, including:
   • Removes fumes, particulate, vapors, and dust generated within the hood, and removes respirable toxins away from users breathing zone
   • Protecting the user from splashes, fires, minor explosions, and unintended reactions
   • Ensuring proper ventilation of the entire laboratory area by circulating negative toxins through a filtration system, and returning clean air

1. Is maintenance cleaning required?
   No, maintenance cleaning is not required when operating this product. We recommend replacing the filters a couple of times a year to ensure maximum efficiency depending on the environment in which it is utilized in.


2. Should I use an Industrial Air Cleaner as a secondary control?
   When using a Sentry Air Systems brand fume extractor or hood, we fully stand by our products to meet the required needs of the application at hand. However, we do recommend for large workshops or jobs that require a large surface area to use some type of secondary control that can remove ambient respirable dust and toxins.


3. How much area can an Industrial Air Cleaner cover?
   As it is difficult to gauge the specific area due to the variables of what is in the room, to have specific questions answered we recommend speaking to a specialist to assess what type of Industrial Air Cleaner is necessary.

1. Does a downdraft table require a 3rd party vac or shop vac?
   While many downdraft tables require additional vacuums to function, Sentry Air System brand Downdraft Tables come with an air filtration system built-in and DO NOT require a shop vac.


2. What is a Downdraft Table used for?
   Downdraft Tables are used to collect dust and particulate from specific applications such as grinding, sanding, and welding. A safety engineering control built specifically to pull the respirable materials down away from the user.


3. Are there any material restrictions?
   No liquids, or combustible materials are to be used on or around a downdraft table

1. How durable are the arms?
   Sentry Air Systems’ fume extractor arms are made of heavy-duty PVC that offers structured stability for custom folds and bends. Our PVC built exhaust arms are resistant to weathering, chemical rotting, corrosion, and abrasion.


2. Are the arms self-supportive?
   Yes


3. Can your arms fit 3rd party machines?
   No. Our fume extractor arms are molded to fit Sentry Air Systems air filtration units specifically and we cannot ensure the effectiveness if used on a 3rd party system.

1. Are these units noisy?
   Our engineering department has worked diligently to find solutions that would minimize the “noise” effect of the air filtration system. Although the size of the unit will impact the system, our systems are relatively quieter compared to industry and competitors units, and you will not have a requirement to have hearing protection where our units are running.

1. What is laminar airflow?
   Sentry Air Systems’ fume extractor arms are made of heavy-duty PVC that offers structured stability for custom folds and bends. Our PVC built exhaust arms are resistant to weathering, chemical rotting, corrosion, and abrasion.


2. Does your portable cleanroom use a HEPA filter?
   This system utilizes a dual-stage filtration process which consists of a MERV8 pre-filter and a HEPA filter with an efficiency rating up to 99.97% efficient on particles .3 micrometers and larger. For applications requiring a higher efficiency, an ULPA filter is available with an efficiency rating of up to 99.9995% at .12 micrometers.

1. How do you connect it to the wall?
   Installation is made easy with the included wall-mounting kit and will take up minimal space. When mounted to the wall, the arm features a 62.5” swivel radius. In limited space environments, this unit frees up valuable benchtop and floor space.


2. How long is the fume extractor arm?
   This system utilizes a dual-stage filtration process which consists of a MERV8 pre-filter and a HEPA filter with an efficiency rating up to 99.97% efficient on particles .3 micrometers and larger. For applications requiring a higher efficiency, an ULPA filter is available with an efficiency rating of up to 99.9995% at .12 micrometers.


3. Can you have more than one arm attached?
   Yes, for custom configurations we recommend talking to our fume extraction experts.

1. What is the fume extractor mounted to?
   On most occasions the fume extractors are mounted to tables or stands, however, custom configurations can be made after consulting with a specialist.


2. Does it have to be in a certain position to work?
   No, it does not. Our fume extractors can effectively run from any position on a flat side with high efficiency.

1. What is positive air pressure?
   Positive air pressure is a flow of HEPA filtered air onto a desired object or chamber.


2. What are the positive pressure room guidelines?
   
   • Specific ISO class
   • Size of enclosure or room
   • Activity or process being conducted in this area
   • Other specific guidelines that are needed should be discussed with an application specialist


3. Is ventilation required for your positive pressure systems?
   Depending on the system there may be ventilation required, this will be covered with you by application specialist.

1. How many arms can be added?
   Multi-Operator Fume Extraction Workstation can incorporate up to 20 stations with bench-top fume extraction access.


2. How much cfm per arm?
   The available cfm is determined by the size of the fume extractor and the number of arms attached to the air filtration system.


3. Can you block off any of the arms?
   Yes, with “End Caps”. These caps are available with purchase in order to block the arms and increase the volume of cfm pushed to other arms that are available for use.

Our filters are made in house with specifically for our SAS product line. Failure to utilize original SAS filters will result in the warranty being voided, and we will not be able to guarantee the quality and performance of our equipment with 3rd party filtration media.

For custom filters visit our custom filtration division.

This depends on many factors including, but not limited to, usage, exposure, environment, etc. We recommend consulting with your applications specialist to determine the optimal filtration maintenance schedule for your specific process.

Filters should be discarded in accordance with local, state, Federal, or municipal regulations for hazardous materials. If you are unsure of who to contact, please consult with one of our application specialists.

We have a line of cleable filters that is seperate from the majority of our filters, in which are not cleanable. Our “500 Series” and “RuggedAir” fume extractors come with cleanable filter media, that is easily cleaned with compressed air.

The Micro-Pleat Series 1 Particulate Filters are engineered to be easily cleaned with the use of pressurized air. This form of self-contained cleaning does not require removal of the filters; the operator simply sprays air into the filter media to clean and rejuvenate them while excess dust and waste falls into the internal dustpan, allowing for simple and clean debris removal. The included magnehelic gage is an excellent tool for determining filter saturation. Once the pressure levels begin to increase, the operator can clean the filters and the pressure reduction will be noted on the gage