Troubleshooting Your Baghouse Fabric Filter
Typical issues with baghouses are opacity, high differential pressure, and shorter than expected bag life.
Opacity: Typical Causes
- Bag failure (holes, tears, unsecured bags, new bag issues)
- Bleed-through (blinded bags, insufficient control layer from over-cleaning)
- Improper new bag startup procedure
- Mechanical leakage (breach, hole in tube sheet, bypass damper leakage)
- Improper installation
High DP: Typical Causes
- Undersized baghouse (air-to-cloth ratio)
- Excessive can velocity
- Malfunctioning cleaning controller
- Insufficient cleaning energy (e.g. reverse air an, air compressor off)
- Isolation dampers or pulse valves not operating
- Obstruction in hopper or ductwork
- Bags blinded and need replacing
- Process change/upset (tube leak, SDA, sorbent, temperature
Factors Related to Bag Life
- Particulate grain loading
- Excessive cleaning frequency and energy
- Incorrect bag media choice
- Improper new bag startup
- Incorrect pre-coat material
- Incorrect air-to-cloth ratio
- High can velocity
- Frequency of startup and shut-down
- Changes in process or system
Click to expand.
Click to expand.
Helpful Resources
KnowledgeBase: Operations & Maintenance
KnowledgeBase: Best Practices for Baghouse Inspections & Maintenance
