Any industrial or commercial process generates some kind of pollutant that is either hazardous for workers’ health or corrosive for the machinery. Filters and dust collectors are therefore a crucial need for any manufacturing facility to maintain the Internal Air Quality (IAQ). Besides this, it must also be made sure that the filter and dust collector maintenance is done properly.

In case the maintenance is ignored due to any reason, the filters and dust collectors may stop working without the knowledge of the staff. This unawareness may cause further damage to health, the environment, and machinery. Moreover, this will also damage the dust cartridge filter itself. As we know that dust is a highly recurring contaminant, maintenance must be uptight at all times.

In this article, we will discuss the five ways you can perform a maintenance check on the dust collectors in your facility.

How to Ensure Dust Collector Maintenance? Some Simple Steps.

If a maintenance check is not conducted with consistency, even the best dust collectors can fail. Therefore, it is quite necessary to ensure preventative maintenance measures for long term performance and durability. You can divide the maintenance procedures according to time frames, i.e., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually.

Here, we will discuss the daily checks that you can conduct for dust collector maintenance without the need to shut the system.

1. Pressure Drop Across Filter Media

It is mandatory to notice the pressure drop daily. If it is checked on a regular basis, any change that occurs will be caught at the right time. If the pressure drops too much, it may mean that there is a fault in the filter. Certain levels of pressure drop may indicate that the filters must be replaced.

You can check with your dust collector services for the exact information about pressure drops, which is the recommended range, and when to look for faults. Higher than approved pressure can cause strain, shredding, or damage to your  xfilter media as well.

2. Dust Removal from Discharge Systems

Dust accumulation and its overabundance can invite multiple dangers. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that the dust is being removed sufficiently from the discharge systems. Monitoring appropriate dust removal means checking on the airlocks, hoppers, rotary gates, and valves.

Checking the central dust collection system along with the discharging routes thoroughly is highly recommended. Sometimes, the dust collection drums may be filled till the highest limit which can cause trouble as the dust may fall back into the hopper causing further damage. Dust level sensors can also be installed to keep a check on this aspect.

3. Total Fan Pressure

The total fan pressure means the pressure across the fan in the dust collection system. This ensures that the dirty pulled along towards the dust collector and then towards the filter. The pulling force of the fan is the strongest near the fan and keeps decreasing as the distance is increased.

However, there are still some measures to make sure that the total fan pressure is normal. The airflow at the farthest point should be checked regularly to notice any drop more than normal levels easily.

4. Visual Check

Monitoring the dust collector maintenance visually revolves around either monitoring the sensors if provided or the systems manually otherwise. Nothing can beat the visual inspection done by oneself for any residue being accumulated in the system. Besides that, the complete system must be checked for any possible holes in it.

Airlocks must be checked if they are still spinning. The bearings must be lubricated well and their temperature should be inspected for overheating. A thorough visual check helps understand when filter cartridge change-outs must be performed.

5. Audible Inspection

The visual inspection must be combined with the audible to ensure a thorough evaluation of the dust collector systems. The audible inspection can start by walking around the filtration system, paying attention to any unusual sounds. This may seem like an overly simplistic technique, however, it works. Usually, when there is a need to install new cartridges or the dust clogs any part of the system, it starts making peculiar sounds.

This may be a great way to inspect the filtration system for defects or issues on a daily basis without having to invest too much time.

Conclusion

The hazards of dust accumulation in work environments can be a life-threatening risk. As we know that dust is combustible in nature, its profusion can cause risks for fires and explosions. Therefore, it is highly critical to be mindful of the facts and keep a check on the dust cartridge filters installed in your facility.

Every good filter manufacturer makes sure their products are safe to use, however, it is the responsibility of the users to keep them in sound condition. Practicing the provided steps in this article, one can make sure that the dust collector maintenance is done thoroughly. These simple steps can help make the work environment, the health of the workers, and equipment safe from any lethal incidents.