A blower refers to installation equipment that uses fans to suck air or gas, before emitting it at high pressure. All blowers are designed with equipped impellers. Air is sucked from the surrounding and into the equipment by way of centrifugal force. As that happens, these impellers rotate the air before letting it out at very high pressure.
Most blowers are used in industrial settings. You’re probably already familiar with a leaf blower, which is the most popular home appliance that works by the mechanism of centrifugal force. A leaf blower, as the name suggests, is used to blow leaves from the ground, so that it can settle on a designated place for ease of collecting.
However, the focus of this post shall be on industrial blowers and what you can do to improve their performance. Industrial blowers are also known as centrifugal fans.
How to Improve the Performance of Industrial Blowers
- Choose the Correct Blower
There are numerous applications of industrial blowers, and you should ensure that your blowers match for the functions. For instance, fans designed for refrigeration differ considerably from those intended for cooling applications.
Similarly, you may wrongly believe that your ventilation blowers were working below par when that equipment was designed for dust collection. So, defining the role that your blowers were manufactured for is the first step in ensuring the performance of the equipment.
- Monitor Rust Build-up
Regardless of the material that your blower is made of, it’s bound to get dirty and dusty over time. And without proper cleaning and maintenance plans, the blower might also develop rust, especially if its components are not finished with polymer coatings. Rust affects the performance of the system in various ways. Most notably, rust prevents the fans from rotating, which essentially means that the equipment will not function.
Blowers that are used in industries that handle high quantities of saline chemicals should be checked more regularly. That’s because when these chemicals are released into the atmosphere as gaseous fumes, they are readily oxidized into rust. The rust gets deposited on the various internal components of the blower, thereby inhibiting its functions.
- Always Insist on High-efficiency Motors
A motor is like the engine of industrial blowers. Therefore, the performance of the blowers is directly proportional to that of its motor. You may never understand how powerful your fan is until you get it an equally efficient motor. Initially, you may be discouraged by the cost-inhibitive nature of high-efficiency motors. But as you shall find, investing in powerful motors is a wise financial decision in the long run.
The motors deliver higher performance while requiring minimal maintenance. And after investing in powerful blower motors, ensure you properly care for and maintain them. Inspect the motors regularly for faulty fuses and wiring, as that can significantly help to reduce the unit’s energy consumption.
- Turn Off the Equipment When Not In Use
This is a no-brainer. You should always turn off the blower when it’s not in use. Not only does that increase the equipment’s length of run, but it also saves you significantly on monthly energy bills.
Also, take advantage of favorable changes in the weather to minimize your blower’s runtime. For instance, you might consider keeping the factory windows open to allow cooler air in during summer, to prevent your blower from working overtime.
- Take Care of the Noise Levels
Noise is a common concern among most industrial blowers, and it’s almost impossible to find whisper-quiet equipment. But when shopping for an industrial blower, you should always insist on equipment that comes with the least decibel ratings.
And if you realize that the blower is emitting higher noise levels than it should, then it’s time to check it out. First, check if the blower is oversized, as oversized fans tend to emit high noise levels. Another thing that might cause your blower to give off too much noise is if it’s used for the wrong application.
- Reduce the Temperature
Much like noise, blowers are designed to give off a substantial amount of warmth. But the heat shouldn’t exceed certain limits. If it does, it could reduce the operating speed of the fans, thereby affecting the overall efficiency of the system.
Unusually high temperature also means that the equipment may be working harder than it should, which is a recipe for frequent breakdowns. You can restore normal blower temperature by cleaning or replacing dirty air filters.
- Check the Impellers
Blower impellers should be checked even more frequently than the other components of the equipment. Being the most active part of the system, impellers are more susceptible to damage and malfunction.
But unlike the other components of an industrial blower, you would need to enlist the services of a blower expert to examine your impellers. The technician will check the impellers for problems and determine if they are worth repairing or replacing.
Evidently, there are numerous actionable steps that you can take to enhance the performance of industrial blowers. Just remember the unwritten rule – if ever you’re in doubt how to proceed, call a technician to avoid causing further damage to the already malfunctioning system.
