Top 5 Tips For Choosing The Right Filter For Your Application

Filters help remove debris, pollutants and contaminants from water and other liquids that might otherwise result in the long-term damage of your equipment. However, before you rush out and buy a filter, you need to know how to select the right-sized filter for your application. Here’s our top 5 tips:

1. Know what particles and contaminants you’re trying to filter out

From honey to paint, almost any viscous product can be filtered, but each material requires a different filter. So, before choosing a filter, it’s important to know the type and size of the particles to be filtered. This will determine the micron size of the filter you need to buy. Should you be filtering water, for example, you would need to filter debris like leaves, sand or algae.

For sand, a smaller screen would be needed than for algae and leaves.

2. Determine the rate of flow

The flow rate is a key factor to consider when deciding on the size of the filter. For instance, a 150 gpm flow rate would require a larger filter than for a 100 gpm flow. The higher the rate of the flow, the larger the size of filter required.

3. Get an accurate measure of the operating pressure

Every filter receives a rating for maximum operating pressure. So, before you choose a filter, you need to have an accurate measure of maximum pressure to ensure you get the right sized filter. If you’re using an automatic, self-cleaning filter, it becomes important to know the minimum operating pressure so that you can maintain the filter’s flushing mechanism.

4. Take pressure drop into account

Pressure drop occurs when the pressure decreases in a piping part like a filter. It can be influenced by the number of contaminants in the liquid, the flow rate, viscosity and type of filtration used. For instance, when the fluid is pushed through the filter to remove contaminants, it can change direction many times. This can cause resistance, which lowers the pressure. This is particularly relevant as the filter starts to fill up with trapped debris, reducing the surface area of the filter. In turn, this causes the pressure drop to increase – and when the pressure to overcome this is too great, it decreases the expected flow rate through the filter. Simply put, the filter clogs up and captures less debris – which can damage the entire system.

5. Compare the expected costs of operation

Several types of filters are priced differently. Automatic and self-cleaning filters, for example, may have a higher initial cost than manual filters, but this cost might be offset by lower operational costs. In order to decide on the filter you need, take into account the substance requiring filtration, the cost of labour and downtime for the filter as well as the time required to manually wash the filter (which you have need to pay for in labour costs!). You must also consider the cost of disposing of any waste and the risk of operational and environmental exposure when dealing with toxic substances.

Choosing the right type of filter clearly isn’t as straightforward as you might think! If you’d like to get advice on the right type of filter for your application, call our toll-free number 1-800-367-4180. We have experts on hand to help you choose, install, and maintain a variety of equipment. And to answer questions about things you’ve previously tried gone wrong.