The Hidden Costs of In-House Maintenance for Electrostatic Air Filtration Systems

At first glance, maintaining an electrostatic air filtration system in-house may seem like a good way to save money. If your maintenance team already handles your manufacturing equipment, why not have them clean and service the air cleaners too?

The problem is that electrostatic air cleaners require specialized cleaning, inspection, troubleshooting, and repair. When these tasks are added to an already busy maintenance department, the actual cost of handling them in-house can be much higher than expected. Bee Clean Specialties stocks a large variety of electrostatic air filters so you don’t have to.  We keep several thousand spare filters for use in our filter exchange service. After the first service is complete, we maintain them at no additional cost to you. We have several models of SmogHog, Trion, and about 30 other models or brands. 

Time-Consuming Maintenance

One of the biggest hidden costs of servicing electrostatic air cleaners in-house is the amount of time required.

Electrostatic filtration systems require more than simply removing a dirty filter and installing a new one. Collection cells and ionizers need to be thoroughly cleaned, dried, inspected, and tested before being returned to service.

Maintenance technicians may also need to troubleshoot:

• Electrical problems
• High-voltage power supplies
• Arcing
• Broken ionizer wires
• Damaged insulators
• Dirty contact boards
• Motors and blowers
• Airflow problems

Every hour a maintenance technician spends working on an air cleaner is an hour they are not available to work on production equipment, facility repairs, or other maintenance priorities.

Replacement Parts Can Add Up

Poor maintenance can also increase the cost of replacement parts.

Electrostatic air cleaners contain reusable components that can last for many years when properly maintained. However, dirty cells, damaged insulators, broken ionizer wires, electrical arcing, and other problems can shorten the life of these components.

When a problem is not identified early, a relatively inexpensive repair can turn into the replacement of a collection cell, ionizer, power supply, motor, or other major component.

Finding the correct replacement parts can also be challenging, particularly for older air cleaners. Expedited shipping or extended downtime can add even more cost.

Cleaning Collection Cells Requires More Than a Quick Wash

Electrostatic collection cells are designed to be reusable, but they need to be cleaned correctly.

A thorough cleaning involves removing accumulated oil, smoke, coolant residue, and other contaminants from the collection plates and other components. The cells then need to be properly rinsed, dried, inspected, and tested before they are returned to service.

Improper cleaning can damage:

• Collection plates
• Insulators
• Electrical contacts
• Ionizer wires
• Other components

Damaging a reusable collection cell during cleaning can turn what should have been routine maintenance into an expensive replacement.

Arcing Can Cause Expensive Damage

One of the most common problems with electrostatic air cleaners is electrical arcing.

Arcing can occur when contaminants build up between high-voltage and grounded components or when parts become damaged. If the source of the arcing is not identified and corrected, it can damage collection cells, ionizers, contact boards, and high-voltage power supplies.

Replacing an electrostatic cell without determining why it was arcing can also result in the replacement component experiencing the same problem.

Proper inspection and troubleshooting are essential before replacing expensive components.

Downtime Has a Cost

Another hidden cost of in-house maintenance is production downtime.

When collection cells are removed for cleaning, the air cleaner cannot operate unless you have replacement cells available.

Manufacturers that need continuous filtration may therefore need to purchase and maintain an additional set of collection cells and ionizers. This allows one set to be in service while the other is being cleaned and serviced.

While having spare filters can be an effective strategy, it also represents an additional investment in equipment and inventory.

Maintenance Takes Specialized Knowledge

Electrostatic air cleaners operate differently from many other types of industrial filtration systems.

Technicians need to understand how the ionizers, collection cells, high-voltage power supplies, motors, blowers, and safety interlocks work together.

Troubleshooting an electrical problem can be particularly challenging because simply replacing a failed component may not fix the underlying issue.

For example, a dirty collection cell may cause excessive arcing, which can place additional stress on the power supply. Replacing the power supply without correcting the dirty or damaged cell could result in another failure.

Professional Service Can Reduce the Hidden Costs

Outsourcing electrostatic air cleaner maintenance to an experienced service company can help reduce many of these hidden costs.

A professional service provider can:

• Clean collection cells and ionizers.
• Inspect components for damage.
• Identify problems before they become major repairs.
• Troubleshoot electrical issues.
• Inspect motors and blowers.
• Replace worn components.
• Maintain an appropriate service schedule.
• Reduce the amount of maintenance labor required from your employees.
• Help minimize production downtime.

A professional maintenance program can also provide consistency. Rather than waiting until an air cleaner begins flashing, losing airflow, or performing poorly, scheduled service keeps the equipment maintained before problems become emergencies.

Shipping Programs vs. Onsite Service

There are several ways to outsource electrostatic air cleaner maintenance.

With a shipping-based exchange program, collection cells and ionizers are removed from the air cleaner and shipped to a service company for cleaning and repair. This can be a cost-effective option for some smaller facilities.

An onsite service program allows technicians to come directly to your facility, clean and service the equipment, and handle the maintenance without requiring your employees to remove and reinstall the components.

The best option depends on the number of air cleaners you have, how frequently they need service, the location of your facility, and how important it is to minimize downtime.

Why Choose Bee Clean Specialties?

Bee Clean Specialties has specialized in electrostatic air cleaner service since 1977. We provide preventative maintenance, cleaning, troubleshooting, repairs, replacement parts, and filter exchange programs for industrial air filtration systems throughout the Midwest.

We service many major brands, including SmogHog®, MistBuster®, Tri-Mist®, Trion®, Aerocology®, and other electrostatic air cleaners.

Filtration Systems of Troy, Michigan, and Bee Clean Specialties have both serviced electrostatic air filtration systems in Michigan for many years. Bee Clean Specialties continues to provide onsite service throughout Michigan and the surrounding Midwest, helping manufacturers keep their air filtration systems operating efficiently.

Whether you need scheduled onsite maintenance, replacement parts, troubleshooting, or a complete service program, our goal is to help you reduce downtime and get the most life possible from your existing air filtration equipment.

Conclusion

Maintaining an electrostatic air filtration system in-house may appear to save money, but the true cost can be much higher when you consider maintenance labor, replacement parts, cleaning time, potential equipment damage, spare filters, and production downtime.

Professional preventative maintenance can help identify problems before they become expensive failures while allowing your maintenance team to focus on your most important production equipment.

If you are spending too much time maintaining your electrostatic air cleaners or experiencing frequent equipment problems, Bee Clean Specialties can help.

Contact Bee Clean Specialties at 888-451-0844 or contact@beecleanspecialties.com to learn more about our on-site service and filter exchange programs.