11/02/2020
A Maintenance Moment from Oil River
The air filters on a vac truck are the last line of defence against dust or debris getting into your blower. These blowers scream along, sometimes over 3,000 RPM, and with only thousands of an inch in lobe clearances bad things can happen very quickly if they get the chance to suck in more than just clean air.
The filters should be inspected and cleaned at least daily and if your working in sand or fine dust every 4 hours. The filter is found in the filter housing on the driver side of the truck and should be removed from the housing for inspection. If the filter is dirty it should be washed out with low pressure water (think garden hose pressure). While the path of least resistance is certainly to fire up the CAT pump and blast away these filters are fairly delicate so if you are using the truck pump keep it a pressure that you could comfortably put you hand in front of. If there gets to be some oil in the filter a simple sq**rt of diluted dish soap will cut the grease and a gentle scrub with a soft brush should knock it out. Rinse well, then set aside to drain. Do not wash the filter in the housing as it will rust and could get water in your blower.
Once rinsed out leave the filter to dry overnight. It’s best practice to have at least 2 sets of filters so you can rotate and ensure things can dry out in between cleanings. Give us a call for a quote on your filter needs.
An installed rebuilt blower often costs at least $ 20,000.00 so these simple steps can save some huge bills down the line.
