While industrial filters do a great job in removing contaminants from the flow media, they also need some maintenance to keep them optimally functional for a long time. This is where an automatic self-cleaning device is used to make it much easier to maintain the filter, even without the attention of the plant personnel. There are various styles of cleanable air filter products available. Each of them has its own set of desirable features. You can choose from among the following automatic and semiautomatic control options.
- Semi-automatic - a pushbutton wherein the operator pushes a button to perform the cleaning.
- Semi-automatic - differential pressure switch alarm that tells the operator that it’s time to clean the device.
- Automatic - a timer that initiates the cleaning of your system at preset intervals of time.
- Automatic - differential pressure switch that initiates the cleaning itself without the need for the attention of an operator.
You can also decide to have any combination of the controls above if you prefer. They are usually used on units that clean intermittently. In some instances, these controls are not needed to initiate the cleaning. This is the case with some of the automatic filters that can clean continuously. For a filter element that cleans intermittently, a differential pressure switch control is usually used since it can still perform the cleaning cycle no matter the plugging rate is. On the other hand, a timer control is more preferable if your filter may undergo slow plugging for a long time that it might not clean itself. This is to ensure that the device works without binding.
Generally, an automatic filter is cleaner for much longer than a filter that’s cleaned manually. However, if used in intake systems that source from surface water, a cleanable air filter must be taken extra care and stay protected from heavy concentrations of logs or big fish. And finally, when very fine particles have to be filtered, it’s best to employ two cleanable air filters, one coarse and one fine for a completely efficient solution.