Process compressed air for your dust collection unit should be clean and dry. Oil/moisture in the compressed line will degrade the life of filter bags on a dust collection unit which cleans with compressed air.

Many filter bag life problems can be traced back to problems with the compressed air system from moisture/oil in the line, the wrong pipe size running to the compressed air tank on the dust collection unit, the wrong compressed air pressure and how often the unit pulses.

The “ON” time setting on the timer board should be set to 1/10 of a second, standard time between pulses should be approximately every 15 seconds. Compressed air pressure should be set between 90 PSI and 110 PSI.

Typically a compressed air line running to the unit should be a minimum of 3/4″, typically larger is better up to 1-1/4″. A good dryer should be installed as part of the air compressor or utilize an in-line dryer with a (-) 40 dew point rating.

A moisture/oil separator with regulator combination is vital to a well operating system. A pressure gauge on the air storage tank on the dust collection unit will advise you if the pressure is correct.