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Six Tips to Properly Maintaining

Your Dust Collector

An underperforming dust collector is often the result of very high dust loading,
ineffective cleaning, or a combination of the two. Left unchecked, these problems can
result in unplanned downtime and increased operating costs.

So, while this is not necessarily an exhaustive rollout of potential issues, listed below
you will find a handy checklist of measures you and your staff can take to avoid costly
shutdowns and frequent filter changes.

1. Compressed air pressure is critical for cleaning: Compressed air pressure is vital for
the performance and longevity of your dust collector. When compressed air pressure is
too low, filter cartridges are not properly cleaned and that usually results in rapid
downgrade and saturation. If air pressure is high, filter cartridges are used up faster and
need to be replaced more frequently, driving up costs and maintenance. The quality of
your compressed air is also critical. Moreover, the compressor must be strong enough
to supply air at constant pressure, even when production is running at maximum speed
and all users are demanding peak compressed air quantities. Shop Contact

There are three main boxes to check:

1. Compressed air pressure must be always within the limits of constructor

recommendations
2. Compressed air should be oil and water free and
3. Quantity of compressed air available should be sufficient for all users that perform
simultaneous tasks.

2. The hopper is not meant to be used for

storage. Evacuation equipment (rotary airlocks,
screw conveyors, etc.) should be sized to unload
the hopper before any accumulation occurs.
Check and empty the dust bin regularly to
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3. Know at any pressure
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drop: Increasing
pressure drop across the collector affects the
ability of the dust collection system to capture
dust. A simple but important safety requirement is to change filters when airflow
reaches a differential pressure (above the specified maximum specifications) or 120 -
150daPa / 4.8 - 6.0 in. wg.

4. Filters look dirty? Good! The rule in dust

collection is that you don’t touch filters even
when they look dirty because this is a proof they
are working well. Dust cake on filter elements
facilitates 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. Specifications vary according to
constructor; for example, maximum pressure
drop for Ultra-Web® cartridges is 150daPa / 6.0
in. wg. At this pressure drop, the cartridges are saturated and the compressed air
pulsing system can no longer run full filter cleanout.
5. All for one and one for all: All cartridges in a
dust collector must be changed at the same Shop Contact

time. Why is that important? In general,

cartridges must be allowed the time to condition
themselves and become efficient. New filter
cartridges have less resistance than old ones
under operating conditions. When mixing old
and new filters, the air flow will automatically
pass through the least resistant path and
circulate around new cartridges. This will force
the fan to pull dust particles so deep into the
new media that they will eventually become impossible to pulse-clean. Soon, these
cartridges will be saturated and will have to be replaced earlier than planned.

6. Pulsing
We matters: Diaphragm
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checked By continuing to use
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cartridges Accept
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and ensure that filters are cleaned properly from
the very beginning. It serves the budget too: the
price of replacing diaphragm valves is much
lower than the price of replacing old filter
cartridges with new due to inadequate pulsing.

Special tip from the field: When testing pulse

valves, make sure to wear the appropriate ear
protection as noise levels can go up.

We can help you get the optimal solution for

your application.

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