Identifying Short Filter Bag Life in a Fabric Filter Baghouse System
Short filter bag life in a baghouse dust collector system can be a difficult problem to identify. Most of the time, short filter bag/cartridge life is caused by one, or a combination of, (8) possible causes including:
- Abrasion
- Chemical Attack
- Thermal Heat Excess
- Lack of Proper Cleaning Air / Inadequate Pulse Controls
- Improper Filter Installation
- Changes to the Process
- Failure to Adequately Discharge Collected Dust from Baghouse
- Too High of an Air to Cloth Ratio due to High Airflow Volume
One of the first questions to ask when addressing the issue is “has this been a sudden change, or a steady decline in filter bag life over the years”? If the change has been sudden, what changed in the process or operation of the dust collector? Process changes could be due to finer material, more agglomerating, increased moisture, or dew point concerns. Operation changes within the baghouse could be caused by high differential pressure, abrasive material, air pressure, or temperature changes.
If the change has been a steady decline in filter bag life over the years, how old is the dust collector? An inspection of the system’s pulse valves is crucial because they tend to lose around 50% of cleaning energy after 10 years and should be replaced. It is a common misconception that changing only the valve’s diaphragm kit is sufficient, but it is important to replace the entire valve with a new one to avoid disruptions in the cleaning system and to avoid high differential pressure and more air consumption.
A thorough inspection of the baghouse filter design to look for concerns such as caked up or plugged filters, holes, torn filters, and abrasion is key to find the main mode of failure whether the issue was a sudden change or a slow decline.
We at IAC live these causes and solutions every day – call us and let us help you! Short filter bag life can be an easy problem to solve if you can find the root of the issue and the IAC team is here to provide solutions. To insure your baghouse is always operating at peak efficiency, contact our nationwide field service team, The Blue Crew, at 800.334.7431 to set up an inspection today.
