Upkeep of your air blower

Regular maintenance of your air blower is critical to ensuring the effective operation of your sewage treatment system and extending the life of your air blower. Frequent examination of consumable parts can detect wear and tear or faults early, allowing them to be changed before the blower overheats and perhaps fails.

Check for the following:

Unscrew the top lid of your air blower and inspect the gauze filter within. This should ideally be clean and free of any blocked dirt or debris. It is advised that you inspect and clean your filter every 6 months, and that you replace it once a year.

If your filter is black and blocked, it means that dirty air is being drawn in from the treatment system. This is frequently caused by a lack of ventilation in the area where the air blower is located, therefore ensure that it receives a clean, fresh supply of air, since filthy air may eventually clog and burn out the blower.

Diaphragms - Check the condition of the diaphragms within the air blower every 6 months and replace them bi-annually (unless they are damaged before this and require repair).

If the diaphragms appear worn or cracked

This is generally due to excessive back pressure (caused by a clogged air filter or an obstruction in the air line, producing a build-up of pressure inside the air blower). If this is the case, replacing the diaphragms will be essential, but it is also preferable to address the underlying source of the problem to prevent having to pay for replacement diaphragms on a frequent basis.

Linear Shuttle Pistons - For linear shuttle piston-driven air blowers, a whistling sound is generally a warning sign that the pistons will need to be replaced soon. This is due to the pistons' Teflon coating becoming thin and creating loud vibration.

There is also a groove on each Teflon seal of the piston that indicates the degree of wear; verify this on a regular basis (avoid touching the Teflon covering).

Air Hose - On a regular basis, inspect the air hose that feeds the air from your blower into the sewage treatment system. A translucent plastic air hose will immediately reveal any obstructions or trash buildup. If in doubt, detach the air hose and flush it to remove any obstructions. Make sure the air hose is free of kinks and damage so that the air flow is maximized. Clamps should be used to attach air hoses to the blower output.

High pressure may be the cause of needing to replace either your complete air blower or consumable components on a frequent basis. In general, air blowers should not operate at pressures greater than 200MBAR; adding a pressure gauge to your air blower to test this will reveal whether the pressure is too high. If the pressure is excessive, it usually indicates that the system is very full and needs to be de-sludging (emptied), that there is a clog in the air line, or that there is inadequate fresh air circulation to the blower.

If you are still having problems with your air blower, despite checking the above (or asking your Servicing Engineer to check on your behalf), give us a call (or the company you purchased the air blower from) and we will do our best to advise!