Top Tips to Maintain your Dust Collection System

1. Top Tips to Maintain your Dust Collection System If you have installed an industrial dust collection system then you must be aware that very high dust loading, ineffective cleaning, or a combination of the two can result in an underperforming dust collector. If left unchecked, these problems result in unplanned downtime and increased operating costs. Here is a practical checklist of the measures that should be taken to avoid costly shutdowns and recurrent filter changes. 1. Compressed air pressure is important for cleaning: Compressed air pressure is absolutely critical for the performance and longevity of your dust collector. A low compressed air pressure results in uncleaned filter cartridges which further transpires in rapid downgrade and saturation. However, high air pressure uses up filter cartridges much faster and they need to be replaced more frequently. Proper attention must also be paid to the quality of your compressed air.

2. 2. The hopper should not be used for storage. Evacuation equipment (rotary airlocks, screw conveyors, etc.) need to be sized to unload the hopper before any accumulation can occur. The dust bin must be checked and emptied regularly in order to prevent dust from the hopper from coming into contact with the filter element. 3. Be aware of the pressure drop: If the pressure drop across the collector increases, it will affect the dust collection system’s ability to capture dust. However, this problem can be tackled in a simple yet effective way by changing filters when airflow reaches a differential pressure (above the specified maximum specifications) or 120 – 150daPa / 4.8 – 6.0 in. wg. 4. Don’t worry if the filters look dirty: It is important to understand the rule in dust collection which says that you shouldn’t touch filters even when they look dirty. This is primarily because this is a proof they are working well. The dust cake on filter elements aids in proper filtration. The only way to tell if filter elements are saturated and should be replaced is to look at the pressure drop of either the differential pressure gauge on the collector or the controller. 5. All for one and one for all: You must change all the cartridges in a dust collector at the same time. This is important because cartridges must be allowed the time to condition themselves and become efficient. Under operating conditions, new filter cartridges have less resistance than old ones and thus when you mix old and new filters, the air flow automatically passes through the least resistant path and circulate around new cartridges. As a result, the fan is forced to pull dust particles to such a depth into the new media that they eventually become impossible to pulse-clean. 6. Pulsing is important: It is required to checkthe diaphragm valves on a yearly basis. Specifically when new cartridges are installed, you must check the valves and ensure that filters are cleaned properly from the very beginning. It also helps you in controlling the budget as replacing the diaphragm valves costs much less than replacing old filter cartridges with new due to inadequate pulsing. If you buy an Industrial Dust Collection System from a reliable Axial Flow Fan manufacturer and follow these tips, you will surely maintain it in the best of shape for years to come.