FFP3 with valve or with out valve

How are you preparing
mforge
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 2:18 pm

FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by mforge »

Hi everyone, hope everyone is prepping well, with the recent influx of different variants of the coronavirus I have decided to do myself a Jerry can full of essentials. I am now getting down to my masks.

I have recently ditched the FFP1 and FF2 thought to myself time to upgrade..I have FFP3 with valve and FFP3 three without valve. I am wondering which is the most effective at keeping away the virus. I'm not sure if virus particles could get through the valve or not? What does everyone think?
Britcit
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Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:33 am
Location: Shetland

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by Britcit »

Hi there.
I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the valve opens when you exhale, and stays closed when you inhale. Therefore, no virus would go through the closed valve.
On the other hand, when it comes to wearing a mask to help protect others if you have the virus, the non-valve mask may be better as the valve opens when you breath out.

Hope that helps at least a little
"There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know."
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8735
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Britcit wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:49 pm Hi there.
I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the valve opens when you exhale, and stays closed when you inhale. Therefore, no virus would go through the closed valve.
On the other hand, when it comes to wearing a mask to help protect others if you have the virus, the non-valve mask may be better as the valve opens when you breath out.

Hope that helps at least a little

I can't find the video now but there was some tests in Germany valved ffp3 masks leaked less vapor than the surgeon masks and cloth as they fit tighter to the face the valve only really opens under hard exhaling most air exhausts via the filter material (with the exception of half mask rubber respirators)
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Nurseandy
Posts: 690
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by Nurseandy »

With my professional "working with ventilated patients" head on - an ffp3 mask is an ffp3 mask, as long as it is properly fitted there is no difference in efficacy between valved and unvalved.
Getting a correct fit is the crucial factor in their effectiveness.
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by jennyjj01 »

mforge wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:55 pm I have recently ditched the FFP1 and FF2 thought to myself time to upgrade..I have FFP3 with valve and FFP3 three without valve. I am wondering which is the most effective at keeping away the virus.
FFP3, of any sort, obviously superior at stopping the virus passing in either direction through the filter material. So, FFP3 to keep it from entering your lungs and infecting YOU.
Valve type will give your outgoing breath the easiest possible access into the lungs of others (projects mostly forward). Because of that, medics and carers will prefer you to use their mask which will be valveless. At two vaccine centres, I've been asked to replace my own valved FFP3 with a shoddy valveless surgical mask, to enhance the medic's safety. With valveless surgical masks, the massive leakage is out to the side. I don't rate surgical masks very much at all, personally. Barely better than nothing unless maybe the wearer is coughing.
Britcit wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:49 pm I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the valve opens when you exhale, and stays closed when you inhale. Therefore, no virus would go through the closed valve.
On the other hand, when it comes to wearing a mask to help protect others if you have the virus, the non-valve mask may be better as the valve opens when you breath out.
Agree totally with what Britcit said.
As I see it, The only benefit of having a valve is that it's easier for the wearer to breath out and so less stressful on her. Downside of the valve is that it reduces the safety of the non-wearer.
Valve type slightly selfish, I guess. But then, if we successfully stop the virus infecting ourselves, then that ultimately protects everyone, anyway.
Yorkshire Andy wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 2:25 pm ... the valve only really opens under hard exhaling most air exhausts via the filter material
I disagree a bit with that. My valve type, the valve opens very easily when I exhale even lightly. I had one stick open which rendered it useless.

I have some early screwfix masks which are beautifully padded and comfy. Everything bought later has been pretty rough, spot inducing and a bu66er to get sealed properly.

I also have one proper industrial rubber respirator with replaceable FFP3 cartridges. Expensive, superb fit and comfortable, but jeez it makes me sweaty. My zombie apocalypse, Mall Raiding mask :D

Stay safe,
JJ
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
mforge
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 2:18 pm

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by mforge »

Hi thanks for this I was just wondering practically if the coronavirus could get through the valve. It seems like it can't so valved in the jerrycan
mforge
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2020 2:18 pm

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by mforge »

jennyjj01 wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:49 pm
mforge wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:55 pm I have recently ditched the FFP1 and FF2 thought to myself time to upgrade..I have FFP3 with valve and FFP3 three without valve. I am wondering which is the most effective at keeping away the virus.
FFP3, of any sort, obviously superior at stopping the virus passing in either direction through the filter material. So, FFP3 to keep it from entering your lungs and infecting YOU.
Valve type will give your outgoing breath the easiest possible access into the lungs of others (projects mostly forward). Because of that, medics and carers will prefer you to use their mask which will be valveless. At two vaccine centres, I've been asked to replace my own valved FFP3 with a shoddy valveless surgical mask, to enhance the medic's safety. With valveless surgical masks, the massive leakage is out to the side. I don't rate surgical masks very much at all, personally. Barely better than nothing unless maybe the wearer is coughing.
Britcit wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:49 pm I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the valve opens when you exhale, and stays closed when you inhale. Therefore, no virus would go through the closed valve.
On the other hand, when it comes to wearing a mask to help protect others if you have the virus, the non-valve mask may be better as the valve opens when you breath out.
Agree totally with what Britcit said.
As I see it, The only benefit of having a valve is that it's easier for the wearer to breath out and so less stressful on her. Downside of the valve is that it reduces the safety of the non-wearer.
Valve type slightly selfish, I guess. But then, if we successfully stop the virus infecting ourselves, then that ultimately protects everyone, anyway.
Yorkshire Andy wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 2:25 pm ... the valve only really opens under hard exhaling most air exhausts via the filter material
I disagree a bit with that. My valve type, the valve opens very easily when I exhale even lightly. I had one stick open which rendered it useless.

I have some early screwfix masks which are beautifully padded and comfy. Everything bought later has been pretty rough, spot inducing and a bu66er to get sealed properly.

I also have one proper industrial rubber respirator with replaceable FFP3 cartridges. Expensive, superb fit and comfortable, but jeez it makes me sweaty. My zombie apocalypse, Mall Raiding mask :D

Stay safe,
JJ
Yeah I was worried about the ones that stay open maybe they are a little bit useless them ones but I have 3M which seem a steady bit of kit with a solid valve
Lemne
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:44 pm

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by Lemne »

Some countries have banned masks with valves because a valved mask protects you but not others.
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8735
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

jennyjj01 wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:49 pm [
I disagree a bit with that. My valve type, the valve opens very easily when I exhale even lightly. I had one stick open which rendered it useless.

I have some early screwfix masks which are beautifully padded and comfy. Everything bought later has been pretty rough, spot inducing and a bu66er to get sealed properly.

I also have one proper industrial rubber respirator with replaceable FFP3 cartridges. Expensive, superb fit and comfortable, but jeez it makes me sweaty. My zombie apocalypse, Mall Raiding mask :D

Stay safe,
JJ
These are what I've being using sort of half disposable half rubber mask

https://www.screwfix.com/p/trend-stealt ... lsrc=aw.ds

Under normal none strenuous activity the valve does not open you can see / feel the air escaping back via the filter medium...

I've gone for these as Wearing glasses normal masks be it builder type dust masks or surgeon or cloth ones = me walking round blindly through steamed up glasses :lol:

And the added protection for ME .....

The amount that "can't wear a mask" seems to be getting bigger... Bet of there was a repeat of the WW2 style gas threat they'd be first at the gas mask fitting centre :? ..

Had a woman at Lidl so close up my backside last night at the till she banged the next customer bar down behind me before I'd even emptied my basket... As I stepped back one step to get a carrier from under the conveyor there was a scream as my little size 8 backed up by 14stone doc Martin steel toe boot crushed her toes.. she tried to have a go at me...

In the typical dad voice (and it's about all I say to the 4 year old little shadow at home at the moment :lol: ) "well if you hadn't being up my backside I wouldn't have stood on your bloody foot" she was about to go again when I pointed out the 2 meter floor markers loud enough for all to hear which the few behind here you could see the smirks in their eyes ... And yes she had no mask on ....
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: FFP3 with valve or with out valve

Post by jennyjj01 »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:46 pm These are what I've being using sort of half disposable half rubber mask
Interesting. Is the valve sort of permanent and the filter paper bit disposable? That would be handy for make your own out of vac cleaner bags. Mine is an old obsolete Drager one. The filters were about £6 each from german amazon, but it's proper industrial.
As I stepped back one step to get a carrier from under the conveyor there was a scream as my little size 8 backed up by 14stone doc Martin steel toe boot crushed her toes.. she tried to have a go at me...
Well done. She deserved a slap. Blame it on your nervous twitch.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong