Regular maintenance/cleaning of your dust collector’s filter will keep your system operating at maximum efficiency and peak performance. Follow these simple guidelines to get the most out of your dust collection system and filter.
1. Clean Your Filter Regularly
For most of our systems, we recommend that the filter be cleaned at the end of every work session. This only takes a few minutes and will keep your system’s airflow at peak levels.
Without regular maintenance, the filter may accumulate thick layers of resinous dust that stick to the media and become more difficult to remove over time. Frequent cleanings improve air quality, keep ducts clear, optimize airflow, and extend the filter’s lifespan.
Alternatively, Oneida Air Systems' Supercell and Dust Cobra feature an integrated Pulse Filter Cleaner™ System that makes cleaning the filter quick and easy. After every 30 minutes of use and before turning off the machine at the end of the day, use the Pulse Filter Cleaner to temporarily reverse airflow and blast dust off the filter and safely into the drum below.
2. Follow Proper Cleaning Techniques
While you should follow the specific cleaning instructions in your Owner’s Manual, in general, filters should be cleaned using compressed air (up to 90 PSI) blown from the outside of the filter.
The nozzle should be pointed into the filter's pleating. Keep the air nozzle at least 2" away from the filter to prevent damage to the filter media. Dispose of collected dust by emptying the dust bin at the bottom of the filter.
3. Monitor Your Filter's Performance
Our Filter Efficiency Gauge provides you with a static pressure reading and can be mounted up to 8 ft away from your filter plenum, allowing you to keep your dust collection system running at peak efficiency. We recommend adding a notch mark to the gauge to indicate your system's baseline reading - instructions for reading the gauge can be found here. This gauge is perfect for systems with an external filter, and is mostly recommended for systems 5HP and larger.
For other systems, the filter's performance will be a good indicator of its condition. A major sign that the filter needs maintenance is a consistent drop in suction from when the system was first installed.
4. Know When to Replace Your Filter
With regular maintenance, our cartridge filters can easily last up to 5 years, or more. Your filter should only be replaced if thorough cleanings do not help to restore your suction performance, or if the filter is damaged.
Regularly check to make sure the filter is in good condition with no torn media, cracks, or tears in the seal. A broken filter can leak material into the motor and cause severe damage! To help see filter damage from the outside, shine a flashlight into the interior of the filter and look for light from the outside.
