I am always very careful with the building process.....I always wear gloves, I only use water based paints and an spray booth. I wear my respirator for painting, wood dust, sealing, and epoxy (i have sensitive lungs). I have a 3M 6000 series respirator, and I use the organic solvent filters (6001) i think as well as the P95 inserts. I store my respirator in a ziplock when not in use. I never now when to change my filters. Am I safe in assuming that if I can't smell the substances I'm working with, that I am protected and the filters are good?
I ask because after a couple of hours with the respirator on, my lungs ache a little, but I never smell any of the fumes I'm working with and the spray booth does a good job as when my wife comes down to the finishing area she can never smell anything (Alcohol, windex, or simple green from the painting process)

just wondering what others experiences are.

MS

if you can't smell the solvent, then the charcoal filters are still working

if your lungs ache, it could be a simple matter of the filters are clogged with dust, is there a prefilter for large particles. It seems like your lungs would need to work the muscles harder to inhale. Be sure to use and change your prefilter.

I spray a lot of paint and lacquer for work and have to change out the filter often because of overspray, they still work but look clogged.