Dust Doctor: Dealing with dust leaks
They don't do that anymore, the contractor said when the plant engineer asked him to perform air leak tests on the dust collection system he'd just installed in the plant. Because the duct air leak tests were called for in the system's specifications, the plant engineer reminded the contractor that it had to be done. Then the contractor admitted that he didn't know how to do leak tests. The plant engineer pointed out that the test procedure was identified in the specifications. That was the end of the contractor's questions.
This scene plays out again and again in dry bulk solids plants. Why should you be concerned about leak tests for your dust collection system? Time and again it has proven worthwhile. When I consult on a project, I normally specify that industrial dust collection systems be leak-tested during installation for one good reason -- ductwork is guaranteed to leak air. This will cause conveying velocities to drop and dust control at capture hoods to be less effective. Unhealthy working conditions, excessive noise, exhaust system plugging, and production downtime could result.