Don't forget the filters

The role of the filter is often under-appreciated; they don’t just filter out dust, oil and mist particulates, but they also provide a first line of defence against larger objects being pulled through the fan itself where they could cause much more serious damage.

What are the effects of a dirty air filter?
The fan will gradually use less current as the inlet gets blocked.

The build-up of dust inside the fan and/or inside the customer’s equipment can result in an increased risk of ignition and/or explosion.

A fan’s filter is designed to remove large contaminants from entering the inside of your enclosure. If this filter gets dirty, the volume of air is reduced and this could lead to the discharge air pressure reducing, and possibly adversely effecting the customer’s equipment.

Larger objects passing through any fan will present a danger either to the equipment or personnel, especially when exiting the discharge at high speed.

When to change your filter?
The execution of a few basic maintenance functions will extend the life of all mechanical components and ensure continued efficiency and longevity.

There is no exact rule to when a fan filter should be cleaned or changed, but typically, ACI recommends that users carry out an inspection at least once a month and replace it every 6 months. However, this recommendation depends very much on the working/operating environment of the fan – for instance a very dusty environment would need to be inspecting the state of the filters every couple of weeks.

You can regularly clean most filter mediums but you will need to ensure non-foaming washing liquid is used, and that it is thoroughly dried before the fan is operated. 

If the moisture isn’t totally removed it will be drawn through the fan and could lead to other problems.