There are several ways of reducing the annual running costs of your cartridge filter system.
This is true whether you are filtering water (either process, municipal, spring or mineral), wine, beer, soft drinks, chemicals or any other fluids used in the process industries.
Minimise the initial clean differential pressure of your filters
The first method is to ensure that your initial filtration system is sized with a reasonably low initial clean pressure drop, roughly 100 mbar or 1 ½ psi.
This provides the best balance between initial capital and annual running costs.
You can size at higher clean differential pressures, and you will make a saving in initial capital cost, but this saving is typically spent within the first year on excess running costs due to rapid cartridge change out. Bear in mind this saving is spent within the first year on excess running costs, due to rapid cartridge change out.
Fit pressure gauges to your system
Secondly, fit pressure gauges either side of your filter housings so that you can accurately measure the differential pressure of the filter system itself.
The recommended change out differential pressure of cartridge filters is 2,500 mbar or 35 psi.
Make sure you get as close as possible to this figure to ensure you achieve the maximum life of the cartridge filter.
Do not estimate. Have absolute certainty.
Consider the use of prefilters
Next, ensure you fit the best prefiltration system possible.
In optimum operation you should be using 2 to 3 times the number of prefilters to final filters. If the ratio in your filter system is anything less, then your prefiltration is not providing adequate protection of the final filters and requires further optimisation.
Beware of unique filtration formats
Be wary of tying yourself to an exclusive type of product that only a single supplier offers. This may initially seem like an excellent idea, if only because it reduces your initial capital expense. The reality is somewhat different. A lack of competition is often telling.
Speak with more than one supplier
Finally work with a supplier you can single source all your filtration requirements from
Ordinarily the more you spend with one supplier, the better pricing you achieve. However, we urge caution because this might not necessarily be your existing partner.
Be open to speaking to alternate suppliers. They can indirectly make your existing ones that bit more competitive.
Summary
Follow these simple rules and we guarantee you will notice a significant cost benefit to your business. Try and take a broader life-time cost view of filtration system expense. You’ll save more in the long-run.
