Thread: Cleaning pleated filter

Yes they are fragile
If it is well and truly blocked, and you use the DC inside your shed, chances are that cleaning it might induce some fine leaks - ie may not be worth it.
If DC is outside shed then this is no problem.

The number one thing NOT to do is blowing it from the "outside - inwards" with compressed air.

You can take the PF outside, wear a mask and use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush bend to try and suck the packed in dust away.
Using a soft long bristled paintbrush or soft hand broom might also help dislodge packed in sawdust..

Then you need to reduce the likelihood of it happening again.
How much sawdust were you letting build up in the collection bag before you were emptying it?
Recommended is emptying the collection bag somewhere between when its half and 2/3rd full.
Do not let it get past this point.

I got my unit second hand from a Men’s Shed and it was badly blocked (looked like wood filler in some of the creases). Used a paintbrush and vacuum like BobL outlined but there were still hardened sections. Repeatedly tapping the filter on the ground loosen some and probing gently got rid of the rest. A final clean was by GENTLY blowing with compressed air in the reverse flow direction. My filter material is more like heavy woven material with resin than resin paper, so is fairly robust.

I hit mine with a decent lump of wood!

On the metal rims at the top and bottom.... NOT the mesh.

I use a leaf blower. Outdoors of course. Make allowance for wind direction, preferably before you you start.

As long as there is no caked on sawdust left on the inside surface its not really worth cleaning them up any further as the first few minutes of extraction after cleaning will quickly replace the fine surface dust. If you are using the PF inside a shed that "first layer of fine dust" acts as a significant filtering component so its best to leave it there.

Thanks for all the tips, its sounds like these things can get really clogged up. Mine doesn't seem to be anywhere near as blocked as some of you describe. I can see through most of mine. There is a bit of dust built up around the top and the bottom of the filter (around 100mm)
I just assumed that the filter is blocked because of the loss of suction. I removed the filter and turned the dust extractor on and I had HEAPS of suction again. The filter is about 8 years old.
Can you hose down these filters? Are they made from paper or is it some other material. Mine doesn't feel like paper.

Yeah my extractor is still in the shed Bob, it hasn't moved since you were here last. One day I'll build a lean to and move it outside.

Originally Posted by legin

Thanks for all the tips, its sounds like these things can get really clogged up. Mine doesn't seem to be anywhere near as blocked as some of you describe. I can see through most of mine. There is a bit of dust built up around the top and the bottom of the filter (around 100mm)
I just assumed that the filter is blocked because of the loss of suction. I removed the filter and turned the dust extractor on and I had HEAPS of suction again. The filter is about 8 years old.
Can you hose down these filters? Are they made from paper or is it some other material. Mine doesn't feel like paper.

Yeah my extractor is still in the shed Bob, it hasn't moved since you were here last. One day I'll build a lean to and move it outside.

How full do you let the collection bag get?

Originally Posted by BobL

How full do you let the collection bag get?

I have probably let it get full a few times to be honest

I hit one of mine with the water pressure blaster, turned down, worked a treat

Originally Posted by BobL

The number one thing NOT to do is blowing it from the "outside - inwards" with compressed air.

.

Can I ask why you say this Bob?
On Bill Pentz's site he says to use compressed air of not more than 40psi, or whatever that is for metric guys.
Rgds,
Crocy.

Originally Posted by Old Croc

Can I ask why you say this Bob?
On Bill Pentz's site he says to use compressed air of not more than 40psi, or whatever that is for metric guys.
Rgds,
Crocy.

Yeah 40 PSI is probably OK - I was referring to full pressure.

Try low (40psi) air pressure to blow it out backwards while you brush the outer surface to dislodge the crud.
What's your time worth? If you don't own even a little compressor air source, you can buy a lot of NEW filters
for the same price.

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

Try low (40psi) air pressure to blow it out backwards while you brush the outer surface to dislodge the crud.
What's your time worth? If you don't own even a little compressor air source, you can buy a lot of NEW filters
for the same price.

Can't buy multiple pleated filters for cost of a compressor

Thanks to everyone for the replies, my dusty is back online now. I ended up vacuuming the inside first, then the ultra complicated banging with the lump of wood. A little more vacuuming then finally a blow out with compressed air on the back lawn. 60psi seemed to be a good pressure for me.
My dusty is now back to its old self. Its amazing how blocked it was considering it really didn't look blocked up at all.