When Are Fume Guns Not The Best Solution?

Fume guns are a powerful solution for source capture of weld fumes, but they are not best for all situations. For example, fume guns work well with MIG welding, but not for other types of welding. Resistance welding, for example, creates welds that smoke for a long period of time. A welder using a fume gun in that situation would have moved on to a different area, leaving those fumes uncollected. In those situations, a fume hood or an ambient air filtration system would be needed to capture the fumes produced.

Other situations where fume guns are not appropriate include times when a welder must work in an unusual position. For example, welding upside down significantly reduces capture efficiency for fume guns. A fume gun must be positioned correctly to grab weld fumes before they get away. Another case when fume guns don’t work well is when a surface has an oily coating. When these pieces are welded, the hot seam continues to produce smoke long after the welder has moved on.