MAINTAINING CLEAN DUST FILTERS IS CRITICAL

BlastOne technicians spend a good deal of their day overseeing our rental fleet’s check-ins and check-outs. During this process we perform maintenance checks, repairs, and then clean the equipment before we send it back out again.

A common issue we come across involves our mobile dust collectors. These machines are used to clear interior jobsites of hazardous or nuisance dust that contaminates the air and also reduces visibility for the blasters.

Inside these dust collectors are filters that trap the dust, and these pulse at regular intervals by bursts of air that help blow the dust off the filter.  These bursts help keep the filters relatively clean and unclogged. A clean filter promotes the flow of air.  A clogged filter inhibits the flow of air.

So what do you suppose happens when the very air that is supposed to clean the filters is directly drawn from the jobsite compressor?

Considering compressed air is extremely warm and saturated with moisture, these filters end up getting damp. And dust begins sticking to the moist filter material. The more pulses, the wetter the filter gets, the more the dust sticks, and soon, airflow is compromised, and the machine is no longer cleaning the environment.

There is a simple fix, however.

Instead of connecting your mobile dust collector directly to your compressor, first run it through your airprep, so the air is cool and dry. This in turn keeps the filter dry and prevents dust from coating the filter, inhibiting airflow. This simple solution not only ensures the dust collector does its job properly, but also cleans the jobsite air so your team can do theirs.