Using a dust collector with a floor grinder or shot blaster is essential to ensuring a cleaner, healthier job site. However, just like emptying the machine after each use, you also need to keep the filters clean. To help you, we’re breaking down exactly how to identify and clean your dust collector filters. If you’d rather see it done, be sure to watch the video below in which the Prep/Master 3003 AR dust collector is connected to a floor grinder and then cleaned.

How Does a Dust Collector Work?

A dust collector connects directly to the floor grinder or shot blaster, suctioning away concrete dust before it can go airborne. It saves time when cleaning up as concrete dust is thick and pervasive, but it also maintains a safe work environment as concrete dust has silica in it. Inhaling silica dust can lead to silicosis, a fatal lung disease.

How to Identify a Dirty Dust Collection Filter

As you can see in the video above, the biggest clue that the filter is full is that the machine isn’t picking up the dust. The Prep/Master 3003AR has a suction power of 300 CFM, lifting nearly all concrete dust produced by the floor grinder. However, when the filters are clogged with dust, the suction ability drops significantly, leading to more dust on the floor.

How to Clean Your Dust Collector Filters

To clean the dust collector filters, remove the head from the machine. This will lift all the filter heads out. Then, on the bottom of the filter is a screw holding the filter on. Unscrew it, and the filter will slide off. Lay down a piece of newspaper, tarp, or other material to catch the dust, or have a vacuum nearby to remove the dust.

To remove the excess, simply tap the filter gently on the ground or other solid surface to loosen the dust, allowing it to fall out of the filter. You may need to repeat this several times to remove excess or caked dust, but once it’s empty and clean, you can slide it back onto the vacuum head and re-attach the screw holding it on. Repeat this for any other dust collector filters. Once this is complete, you’ll notice improved suction and a much cleaner work environment.

Order Your Surface Preparation Equipment from Substrate Technology, Inc.

At Substrate Technology we have everything you need for surface preparation tasks, from floor grinders and dust collectors to replacement tooling. To learn more or to get a free quote on the equipment you need, call us today at  +1 (815) 941-4800 or fill out our contact form to get started.