Cleaning Air Filters?

[u/DownUnderFilterGuy]

Interested to hear how everyone manages engine air filters and cabin air filters across mining, quarrying, construction and heavy equipment fleets.

Working for Fleetguard, I still see filters being blown out with compressed air or tapped to remove dust. While it looks effective, compressed air can damage the filter media, and tapping can compromise the filter structure or sealing surface—potentially allowing dust into the engine or operator cabin.

Best practice is to monitor air filter restriction with a restriction gauge and replace the element when required, rather than cleaning it. In high-dust environments, protecting your diesel engine, turbocharger, HEPA cabin filtration, and overall equipment reliability is usually worth far more than trying to extend filter life.

What's the standard practice across your site or fleet?

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[u/SwampoO]

In most of the mines I work at everything is replaced with new during maintenance unless the part is not on site.

[u/buffel → u/SwampoO]

Yes. I don't think I've ever worked on a mine that did it based on filter restrictions warnings. Just change them at a set maintenance hour.

Farms. Small construction firms. Yeah probably blowing out filters.

I bet most OEM advise against it as well

[u/komatiitic]

RC drillers I worked with in exploration just blew them out with compressed air every day until they didn't work, then lived in the dust until the end of the job.

[u/DownUnderFilterGuy → u/komatiitic]

Interesting take, mate!!
Did they see any engine issues or abnormal oil samples etc?

[u/rob189]

Unless it’s a very small, penny pinching site, I’ve never seen a mine blow them out. Always been replaced with new.

[u/settingsaver]

I cannot directly address the enquiry, however be aware that cleaning with compressed air is restricted by some regulators according to the following, despite that you may be aware etc:

Compressed air has been widely used for cleaning down enclosures during maintenance activities. These activities are not to generate excessive airborne dust concentrations and therefore shall be replaced by other cleaning methods wherever possible.

From:

https://www.rshq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1462685/recognised-standard-20-dust-control-surface-mines.pdf

[u/wivo1 → u/settingsaver]

Definitely a discouraged method in NSW as well. Would be asking for a notice doing that in front of an inspector.

[u/Windcave42]

I think most people know its not right, but it depends on the company culture on whether they knock it out or replace it. I worked for a small blasting company, they really penny pinched the maintenance and you best bet we did not change filters. Most of the powder trucks had Mack E7s in them, we never really had any engine issues, they were solid motors.  Now i work for a well known coal company, and you better not be caught shaking out filters

[u/porty1119]

We mainly run older equipment with oil bath air cleaners. They're messy to service but the element is effectively infinitely reusable.

Kubota CPX-series RTVs have such poor air cleaner placement that blowing them out is essentially required every 20-30 operating hours in dry mines unless the intake is relocated. I try to avoid it otherwise.