In cleanrooms or critical process environments, you’ve invested heavily in the most efficient HEPA/ULPA filters, but why do cleanliness tests still fail? Why is energy consumption so high? Trenntech, through analyzing thousands of field service cases, has found that up to 90% of leaks are not due to defects in the filters themselves, but rather to several common yet fatal mistakes during installation. These leak points are like anthills on a dam, making your air purification system less effective. This article will reveal these three most common mistakes and, combined with Trenntech’s field experience, provide standard operating procedures to ensure your investment yields a 100% return.
Common Mistake 1: Rough Handling and Pre-Installation Damage—The Invisible “Internal Injury”
Scenario Description: Handling filter media with bare hands, squeezing the filter frame, and subjecting it to undue stress can cause internal filter media pleats to break, sealant layers to peel slightly from the frame, or partition deformation. This type of damage is often difficult to detect from the outside, but once activated, it creates a leakage path.
Trenntech’s recommended operating procedures:
- 1. Wear gloves at all times: This not only prevents sweat contamination but also avoids scratching the filter media or sealing surface with your fingernails.
- 2. Support the frame with both hands: For V-Bank filters, support the back support; for flat-plate filters, support the longest side of the frame with both hands. Never touch or squeeze the filter media with your hands.
- 3. Handle with care: Avoid any form of impact or drop during movement and installation.
Common Mistake Two: Improper Sealing – A Failed “Lifeline”
Scenario Description:
Gasket Issues: Dust or particulate matter in the mounting groove or liquid tank prevents the gasket from being fully compressed; improper lubricants (such as petroleum jelly) corrode the gasket; or the gasket is aged, damaged, or not replaced.
Liquid Tank Sealing Issues: Insufficient sealant, uneven distribution, or dried-out sealant in the liquid tank.
Trenntech’s recommended standard operating procedure:
- 1. Thorough cleaning before installation: Use a non-woven cloth and isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly wipe the sealing area of the mounting frame and the filter gasket, ensuring there is no grease or particulate matter.
- 2. Check gasket elasticity: Before installation, gently press the gasket by hand to check its resilience. Aged, hardened, or damaged gaskets must be replaced immediately.
- 3. Proper lubrication and installation: If lubrication is required, always use the filter manufacturer’s recommended lubricant (usually silicone-based) and apply only a thin layer. Align the filter with the mounting frame and push it in evenly, ensuring even pressure on the gasket.
- 4. Liquid tank seal check: For liquid tank systems, ensure the sealant filling level in the tank is between 2/3 and 3/4, free of air bubbles and impurities. During installation, gently immerse the filter frame into the liquid tank.
Common Mistake Three: Failure to perform on-site leak testing after installation – Unverified “trust”
Scenario description: Believing that installation is complete and skipping the crucial on-site leak testing step. This makes it impossible to detect all the potential installation leaks in a timely manner, creating long-term hidden dangers for product quality and system energy consumption.
Trenntech’s recommended standard operating procedures:
- 1. Mandatory on-site leak testing: After each filter is installed, an on-site integrity test must be performed using a particle counter or aerosol photometer.
- 2. Standardized scanning path: Focus scanning on the sealing interface between the filter and the mounting bracket, the entire filter frame, and the surface of the filter media. Scanning should be close to the surface, at a speed not exceeding 5cm/s, with overlapping and overlapping paths.
- 3. Immediate rectification: Once a leak is found, it should be recorded and addressed immediately. If it is a sealing problem, the gasket should be reinstalled or replaced; if the filter itself is damaged, the supplier should be contacted immediately for replacement.
At Trenntech, we firmly believe that a perfect HEPA/ULPA air filtration solution consists of “50% excellent products + 50% professional installation.” Rigorously tested to German precision industrial standards, Trenntech not only provides rigorously tested, high-performance filters but also provides customers with professional installation guidance and training. Because our shared goal is to ensure that every breath of air reaching your clean space can withstand the most rigorous tests.