Baghouse Leak Detection System [Video]

IVI Engineers Explain the Importance of Baghouse Leak Detection Testing

Transcript

Who needs to do a baghouse leak detection test?

Anyone who owns or operates a dry-type dust collector, such as a baghouse or cartridge collector, needs to do a baghouse leak detection test.

How often do you need to do a leak detection test?

Leak detection tests should be done every time you do a filter change. Some regulatory requirements dictate that leak detections need to be done on an annual basis, or a six-month basis, and then also any time you suspect a leak in your system, a leak test is good to help diagnose where that leak is coming from.

What are the risks of not doing a leak detection test?

Filter changes are a fairly expensive operation, so not doing a leak detection test could mean all the money you spent on that filter change is thrown out because of an improper installation.

Additional reasons to conduct these tests, and reasons to mitigate the risk by doing them, is because a hole in your filter could mean a failure to comply with regulatory requirements.

Step by step: The baghouse leak detection system

Before conducting the test, you’re going to want to consult your safety department to ensure that all lockout, tagout and confined space procedures are followed for this procedure.

Step one is we are going to be inserting the dye into the system. In this case, we’re going to insert the dye (or baghouse leak detection powder) into the hopper here. [In your system, dye may need to be inserted into the collection ductwork.]

Now that our dyes have been added, we’ve ensured that our filters are evenly coated, we are going to do an inspection of the clean-air side of our bags to ensure that none of the dye made it through or around the filters and ensure we have a nice, good installation.

Now we’re up on the clean-air section of the baghouse. Because this thing is so small, we can actually lift off the entire roof of it. So first I’m going to do a quick initial inspection to see if I see any dye. Usually, if there’s a major leak, you’ll see it instantaneously. But now that we don’t see any, we’re going to actually do the blacklight portion and turn off the lights and see what we can see.

All right. Since in our test we didn’t see any leaks, we wanted to show you we scattered some dye around here and wanted to show you what it would look like if there was a leak and how vividly that shows up.

Whether you purchased your baghouse from IVI or not, IVI can assist in these leak detection tests and help diagnose problems and come up with long-term solutions.