How Do I Know When to Changeout a Baghouse?

For Nuisance Dust Baghouses, there are two main reasons for changing out filter bags:

• The dust being collected has blinded the bags by plugging the air passages in the fabric. This makes it difficult – if not impossible – for the dust to be collected and conveyed from the pickup points, as compared to use of clean, properly functioning filter media.
• The bags have developed holes or the dust has penetrated the fabric and is being discharged to the atmosphere.

For Baghouses Collecting Finished Products, in addition to bag blinding and/or holes having developed or dust penetrating the fabric, filter bags may be changed:

• To avoid cross contamination between lots of the same products
• When the production line is switched to a different product
• For sanitary reasons (e.g. to reduce the chance of contamination from bacteria, mold or mildew).

Here are just some of the many factors that dictate the recommended frequency of bag changeouts:

• Ensuring compliance with local, state and federal air quality and regulatory requirements.
• The size, shape and nature of the particulate being collected.
• Is there moisture in the gas stream?
• Is the temperature low enough to allow the gas stream to drop below acid or water dew point?
• The original sizing of the dust collector. Was it a borderline design or was it more conservatively sized?
• Is the dust collector still being operated per the design parameters or has there been a change in airflow, grain loading or in the particulate being collected?