OK, as an ex trucking company owner I have to ask, How long does the Wynn dust collection filter last before replacement.
$120 for a filter is a significant chunk of change for most hobbyists, if, like my trucks it needed to be changed every 3-6 months, the cost would be more than the benefit.
I can buy surplus truck air filters at .5 micron at surplus for less than 1/4th the cost of the Wynn.
Someone recently pointed out a particular truck filter that would substitute for the Wynn.
I can't think of any reason they would not be just as good.
Even if you stack filters or make a manifold to adapt multiple cartridges there are lots of ways to work around this.
Generally speaking, the more surface area you provide, the slower the air travels going through it and the longer the filters will last. This is true of all filters, even bags and flat HVAC types.
Properly maintained, they should last many, many years. They only need the occasional blast of compressed air from the outside to dislodge any caked on dust that might be clogging the pleats. I occasionally vacuum mine from the inside to give it a really good cleaning, but I only do that about once a year. I think they're worth every penny, but if a truck filter works too and costs that much less then by all means I'd use one of them instead.
Good one Mike, ..... Except, Truck filters are designed to filter from the outside in, giving more filtration to begin with and most, if not all are designed with a coating that helps collect the dust giving more square footage of filtration.
I would be redesigning my little system to take advantage of that if it comes about that it's cost effective to run truck filters.
The filters I can get are Donaldson built for off road machinery, but I haven't looked up the specs on them, then again, Wynn isn't real forthcoming with information about how long their filters last or what the air flow results are in real life situations.
On trucks we used a gauge called a filterminder that you could buy at and truck parts place, when it read in the red, it was creating too much suction to be efficient. Why don't the filtration places offer these?
Dallas, I don't know how you figure the filter gives more filtration if the air flows from the outside to the inside. It has to have area on the inside to flow through so it should be equal. It has more area for dirt to cling on the outside because of the deep pleats in the filter paper. If it has the same rating it should work the same as the Wynn system.
I asked the same question of Wynn, as I'd bought the paper filter version (the cheapest), and was getting paranoid that it wasn't going to last, as it was of the type that couldn't be washed. But I got a reply from them saying what MattinCincy said: just hit them from the outside with compressed air every so often, and vacuum then from the inside one a year if you're fussy. I've been doing that with mine, and its held up great. Unless I tear it or damage it, it should last a long time.
I apologize Grandpa, I should have said that there is more free flow area for filtration before the filter starts to plug. With the inner side forcing air outward, the filter has the pleats closer together so that they can be plugged more quickly.
With the air being forced inward from the outside there is more space between the pleats so they cannot clog as quickly.
dczward, In my intimate relationship with air filtration trying to get every mile out of a diesel engine, drawing a lot more intake are than the Wynn filter, It was brought to my attention by Wynn, Donaldson and other mfg's that using pressurized air destroys paper air filters.
Now, if Wynn has a way to make it magically possible, I'm all for it, but if the filter is tough enough for a homeowner to blow air from a compressor through without damage, why don't they use the technology on commercial filters?
I've had my Wynn for about 8 years now and it's still going great. Also I did not get the paper one, just blow it out with a leaf blower every few months.
I would think if you have the same rating they should be equal. Am I wrong there? Tougher? I don't know.
Yeah the filter has an area where dust can cling on the outside that isn't so big on the inside. The grooves are smaller. I decided if I could afford a good collector I should just bite the bullet and go all the way with good filters and maintenance.
Filters are designed for air flow in cfm. The design is also improved with coatings on the collection side.
If a Wynn filter is "vibrated" when air flow is not present, it will shed a partial amount of the accumlated debris.
Must be a huge truck to need 1000cfm. Stacking them together will reduce air flow and coating is probably on wrong side of filter material.
Call Wynn, they have several sharp folks in the design department.
A modern 12L diesel engine will draw at least 100X 1000cu'/min.
My 6-71 Detroit Diesel (6 cylinders at 71 cubic inches EACH) draws 200,000 cubic feet per minute at 2100 rpm, if I remember right. I would have to pull out my manuals to make sure, which I won't do tonight.
Truck filters work every bit as well as Wynn's do. Many have the same rating. Mine work perfectly. I have Donaldson truck filters in one of my shops and a Wynn in the other and if I had to choose, I'd say there is less escapement from my Donaldsons. Check this blog and this one.
This may or may not be pertinent to your question, but I just replaced the filter on my DC…this was a stock Oneida filter. It has reached the point where I couldn't get it clean enough for air flow…and it's 6 years old. It has seen fairly heavy use, and a lot of drum sanding dust (very fine particles). I think those truck filters will work fine…Wood magazine had a shop built cyclone 12 years ago or so, and they used a truck filter in their design.
I know one fellow who built a cyclone based on the wood design and used truck filters pretty much the same as like the blog linked to from kizerpea above. He doesn't do much woodworking anymore but had pretty much rebuilt his house and the filters stood up to pretty heavy use for that for ~4? 5? years with only occasionally being knocked clean. I think I'd want the air to be more indirect at the filter than kizerpea's build (i.e. build the box a bit bigger and have it come in alongside the filter or blow at the wall past the filter) otherwise I'd be worried about the directed air stream blowing a hole in the thing.
If nothing else it makes cleaning the filter slightly easier (especially with smaller filters) as you clean the outside and not the inside of the pleats so they're a whole lot easier to get to.
shipwright,
I looked at your older post about replacing the bag with filters (nicely done by the way). That was quite the dust ring on the ceiling from the bag, have you had a similar (or better) experience with the filters?
No sign of any so far. Most of that was likely from when the bag was new and didn't filter well but sucked well. Later when it filtered better but didn't suck well there was not much escapement…. The problem with filter bags in a nutshell. (IMHO)
shipwright has it nailed, IMO. What everyone fails to admit is that the worst filtering system in the world will reach sub-micron filtering just before it fails and clogs. Argue all you want, but this is what it is all about. You CANNOT have a clogged system and a failure of a 5-micron bag at the same time. A 5-micron bag, over time, becomes a sub-micron filter at some point. A sub-micron filter becomes clogged and in-effective just as easily.
Thanks shipwright for the response. I was amazed at the dust ring it left on your ceiling, but your right, that was likely when it was new and not filtering as well, but letting alot of air pass. Might have to look into this when I redesign my thein setup
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