Wynn Filter Cleaning

[Brad Shipton]

I have a Clearvue Cyclone. After overfilling my dust barrel last night I decided to check the filter clean out to make sure I didnt end up backfeeding after filling the barrel too much. Didnt happen, but I looked at my filters and they look quite dirty. I have filled the 45gal barrel about 15times since installing these filters. How often do others clean their filters and what is the best way to do it?

Thanks

[Eric Gustafson]

I have a Clearvue Cyclone. After overfilling my dust barrel last night I decided to check the filter clean out to make sure I didnt end up backfeeding after filling the barrel too much. Didnt happen, but I looked at my filters and they look quite dirty. I have filled the 45gal barrel about 15times since installing these filters. How often do others clean their filters and what is the best way to do it?

Thanks

I just finished installing my cleavue, but haven't used it much since the shop is not comlplete. When I did my cleanout, I got inspired by Pennstate industry's re-circulating cleanout system. So I did that to mine. The only change I made was to put the gate at the top near the wye. When it is time to cleanout, close all gates to the system and open the cleanout gate.

[Robert Payne]

Sounds to me like you need to know when your bin is too full! Alan Schaffter, a member here, designed a photoelectric Bin Sensor for his shop-built cyclone that I've adapted for use on my new ClearVue. Alan recommends that you extend a short length of 6" duct into the top of the bin so it doesn't overfull and then install his sensor system. Here is the schematic circuit I've used that expands on standard ClearVue components (110V remote outlet and 230V Contactor). The photoeye is a $13 "dusk-to-dawn" photocell unit for an outdoor yard light from Lowe's and the A-B relay with 8-pin base is under $25 at an electric supply house. Contactor and A-B relay fit in 6"x6"x4" PVC utility box. The On/Off Service switch is a SPDT with three positions (do not use a "winch" reversing switch DAMHIKT). Mount outside a starter collar above bin top with clear plastic sealing 3/4" ports -- 7W candelabra lamp is sufficient illumination to keep photoeye on opposite side of collar in "daylight", but avoid room lights onto sensor. If you don't understand the diagram, send me an email at rrpayne at bellsouth.net. Kudos to Alan for his idea!

[Brad Shipton]

Rob, I will have to think about this. No I dont understand the diagram at all, but have a buddy that is a whiz with this. It was my own fault. I can see it filling as mine is clear, but I was trying to finish the stack before shutting down.

Eirc, how well does the re-circ work to clean the filters? Mine collects a very small quantity of fines in the cleanout now that I tracked down all the small leaks with the Dylos testor.

Brad

[Brad Shipton]

I called Wynn. I leanred that I should be cleaning the filters regularily with compressed air. 90psi to the filters is apparently fine.

Ciao

[Eric Gustafson]

Eirc, how well does the re-circ work to clean the filters? Mine collects a very small quantity of fines in the cleanout now that I tracked down all the small leaks with the Dylos testor.
Brad

Most dust will not make it to the cleanout in normal operation since airflow exits through the filter media and is absent in the cleanout. If you bump the filters when the cyclone is shutoff, you should get more dust at the bottom. Or if you run the cyclone with the bottom cleanout open you should get great billows of dust! When the recirculating system cleaning is run, excess dust trapped on the filter media would merely get re-cycloned and deposited in the waste can. Easy enough. I am not sure how well it works , yet since I just installed it and haven't used it enough to test.

You could blast the filter media with compressed air while running the cyclone and recirculating and that could work pretty good. Although I think just having the air rushing through the filter and re-cireculating would work well enough. From what I have read, the filters work better once they are "conditioned" with a layer of dust. The compressed air might be hard on the media, but I am only guessing.

[Brad Shipton]

Thanks for the tips. Most of the seasoned discussions usually refer to lower grade bag style filters. With the Wynn style they are good quality 0.5micron, so I believe if plugged too much you will be robbing from your system efficiency. I spoke with Dick Wynn and he seem a little surprised I was not blowing my system out regularily.

When you put together your Clearvue did you make sure to seal ALL gaps. If not, you will have leaks. I am very pleased I purchased the Dylos. I was getting some very disturbing results until I tracked down the few leaks I had.

Brad

[Adam Grills]

Most dust will not make it to the cleanout in normal operation since airflow exits through the filter media and is absent in the cleanout. If you bump the filters when the cyclone is shutoff, you should get more dust at the bottom. Or if you run the cyclone with the bottom cleanout open you should get great billows of dust! When the recirculating system cleaning is run, excess dust trapped on the filter media would merely get re-cycloned and deposited in the waste can. Easy enough. I am not sure how well it works , yet since I just installed it and haven't used it enough to test.

You could blast the filter media with compressed air while running the cyclone and recirculating and that could work pretty good. Although I think just having the air rushing through the filter and re-cireculating would work well enough. From what I have read, the filters work better once they are "conditioned" with a layer of dust. The compressed air might be hard on the media, but I am only guessing.

Eric,
I don't think you fully understand the way a cyclone and filter system works. The cyclone gets the big stuff and the filters get the fine stuff that the cyclone can not separate.

Recirculating does not remove dust from the filters and put it into the dust bin. The particles of dust that land in the filter are so small that the cyclone will not spin them out into the dust bin. By recirculating the fine dust again the cyclone won't pick it up the second or third time around but the filter will. You must blow out the filters to get them clean- but not back into the system- that only fills the filters back up with the same dust. Recirculating does just that it recirculates the fine dust around and around in the system.

I clean mine with a shop vac- blower side. Outside with a proper dust mask.

Adam

[Eric Haycraft]

The cyclone gets the big stuff and the filters get the fine stuff that the cyclone can not separate.

Actually, this would work. Say for instance that a particular cyclone gets rid of 50% of all 1 micron dust and the rest passes to the filter. Before cleaning with the bypass system, that 50 percent was in the filters.. open the bypass and 50 percent of what passed through the first time will end up in the bin and 50 percent will pass through..leaving 25 percent of the original..as it keeps circulating, the percentage not in the bin keeps decreasing. You will never end up at 0, but it would work.

[Alan Schaffter]

I want to thank Rob Payne for posting my high dust alarm and his circuit (which is similar to mine). I have two other things to offer.

First, whether you use a high dust alarm or not, and if you feel a full bin is a pain because it is difficult to dump, insert a small section of duct into the bin so it appears full to the sensor or when looking at the flex, but leaves a few inches at the top of the bin:

Here is a sketch of the basic high dust alarm and how to give yourself some space at the top of the bin.



The second thing is, if you have a spare filter or a way to discharge air outside you can use your DC to help clean the filter. I have two filters connected in parallel so I remove one and close off the hole. Then I put the other on this base that is connected to the DC. I run the DC which is now pulling air the opposite direction through the filter. I tap on the outside of the filter to help knock dust out of the pleats.

[Eric Gustafson]

Actually, this would work. Say for instance that a particular cyclone gets rid of 50% of all 1 micron dust and the rest passes to the filter. Before cleaning with the bypass system, that 50 percent was in the filters.. open the bypass and 50 percent of what passed through the first time will end up in the bin and 50 percent will pass through..leaving 25 percent of the original..as it keeps circulating, the percentage not in the bin keeps decreasing. You will never end up at 0, but it would work.

That is what I figure, too. Even it it only extracts a few percent each time the particle cloud makes a circuit, at its high cfm rate it will circulate hundreds of times in a few minutes. If one starts out with a really dirty filter and a really clean can, I suspect you will be able to see it work.

[Eric Gustafson]

Eric,
I don't think you fully understand the way a cyclone and filter system works. The cyclone gets the big stuff and the filters get the fine stuff that the cyclone can not separate.

Recirculating does not remove dust from the filters and put it into the dust bin. The particles of dust that land in the filter are so small that the cyclone will not spin them out into the dust bin. By recirculating the fine dust again the cyclone won't pick it up the second or third time around but the filter will. You must blow out the filters to get them clean- but not back into the system- that only fills the filters back up with the same dust. Recirculating does just that it recirculates the fine dust around and around in the system.

I clean mine with a shop vac- blower side. Outside with a proper dust mask.

Adam

That would put cyclones in the same catagory as women for me. Since I don't fully understand them, either! However, the filters cannot not fill back up during this process because there will be no air flow through the filters. All of the air entering the filter at one end has to leave the filter at the cleanout end. I think cyclones work by forcing the particles against the outside of the cyclone, down and away from the blower's intake, plus close to the dust biin's opening where air currents are moving at a mininum. Some percentage of fine dust just has to get extracted. Enough cycles and most of the dust must end up in the can.

Anyway, I won't know until I actually get to test it. So its all just theory for now.

[Larry Fox]

I use an enclosure and have my filters filtering from the outside-in as opposed to insude-out so I plan on just blowing them out with the leaf blower when they need it - low pressure, lots of volume.

filter_2_small.jpg

I like that drum-full sensor gizmo alot though - might build that.