Why is my Electrostatic Air Cleaner Snapping?

The arcing or snapping noise you hear is caused by the cell voltage or ionizer voltage arcing or jumping to ground. Let’s take a look.

One of the most common problems is the cell plates being too close together and causing it to arc from the high voltage plate directly to ground. Obviously that is a lot harder to find if the top of your unit isn’t made out of plexiglass.

If it’s not a bent plate there are several other problems that it could be. One of those problems is a broken or loose ionizer wire. This problem is a lot harder to find and might only be there momentarily until ionizer wire goes completely to ground causing a dead short.

Other problems that it might be are a bent contact spring. That isn’t a problem with the cell so that can be hard to find as well, because when you pullout the cell the cell will look fine.

Another problem is carbon tracking or a broken ionizer insulator. An the last problem an electrostatic may have causing it to snap or arc is dirty filters. These filters need to be cleaned periodically and if you don’t clean them regularly the grease build up will cause them to snap.

If you are experiencing any of these problems with your electrostatics give us a call. Or if you need regular maintenance we will be glad to help out.

Need help improving your air quality? Bee Clean Specialties has 40-plus years of experience servicing industrial air cleaners. We have multiple brands and types of air cleaners available and service of any existing electrostatic air cleaners or mist collectors. Give us a call today to resolve your air problems. 888-451-0444.