Your dust collection filters may look fine. Sure, you’ve been using the same ones for a while. Maybe you take them out and clean them. But would you be able to tell if they were damaged or worn out?
There may be damage to your dust collection filters that you can’t see. These pictures show the results of a real test conducted on filters inside a working dust collector. Fluorescent powder is added to the dirty air entering the collector. The collector filters this powder just like any other airborne dust. The powder goes everywhere your dust normally goes:
What the test really shows, though, is whether the powder is going where it shouldn’t be going: through holes or leaks in your cartridges and into the clean air system. An ultraviolet light will make the powder glow and will reveal leaks you didn’t know were there:
Leaks compromise your dust collector’s efficiency and allow contamination of your clean air. Everywhere you see the test powder inside these filters, a leak has allowed it to get through the filter when it shouldn’t. This colored powder goes through the same holes your dust is going through, back into the clean air stream.
Dust collection filters can develop holes and leaks over time as a result of attempts to manually clean them. You may not be able to see the leaks, but as this test shows, they may still be there. Replacing filters regularly is a way to keep your system running more efficiently and keep your air cleaner. While keeping old or worn-out filters in service may seem like a money-saving measure, you won’t save money in the long run if you’re using damaged, leaking filters. Contact Imperial Systems today at 800-918-3013 to find out more about testing, DeltaMAXXTM replacement filters, and dust collector repair and maintenance services!
