HEPA Filters - How to Handle Them

Most people are aware that HEPA filters are extremely delicate and so they must be handled with great care.  The fine pleats, that do all of the hard work in removing the tiny, unwanted particulates, are fragile so great care must be taken when handling a HEPA filter to ensure that nothing can possibly push into the filter media.

HEPA filters are designed to filter out over 99% of the finest of particles from the air that passes through it so, it is vital that the filtration pleats aren't damaged in any way.  Even a tiny pinhole can be a huge compromise to the efficiency of one of our HEPA filters.

To help protect the filter media, our metal framed HEPA are supplied with a metal grille that covers both the inside and outside faces of the filter.  This greatly reduces the chances of accidental damage whilst fitting the filter, which is the time when most damages occur, as a misplaced finger or thumb can easily tear into the fine pleats.

It is also very important that the HEPA filters are stored correctly as allowing boxes to topple or even lean onto your HEPA can, again, cause damage.  Once you have received your filter you should check it, at the earliest opportunity, to ensure that no damage has been caused during transport.  If damage is noticed then you should notify us immediately so that the courier can be informed and so that a replacement HEPA can be despatched.  Once you have checked the filter, it should be returned to its original packaging and stored vertically on a shelf, racking or pallet (ideally not directly on the floor) where it is safe from accidental falls or items falling onto it.  This is the reason why we recommend storing in a vertical position so that the face of the filter is protected and nothing can either fall onto the filter face or items stacked on top of the box.

Another handling issue is the potential of dropping your HEPA filter.  The obvious issue with dropping the filter is that it falls onto something that will directly ruin the filter media.  However, dropping the filter onto its frame can also destroy the filter media as the impact can cause twisting which can result in the filtration pleats splitting.  The filter may not even need to be dropped from a great height, just the sudden shock upon impact from a low height can be enough to cause irrevocable damage.  Once again, the metal framed filters are more sturdy than the wooden so they can take a little more rough handling however they are still delicate so must be handled with care.

So, having given ways that HEPA filters can be damaged, how should you handle one?  A HEPA should always be carried by its frame, ideally between flat hands so that fingers can’t accidentally be pushed into the pleats.  When fitting the HEPA, it should be gently placed into its frame and pushed, again with a flat hand, into position.

Obviously, our metal HEPA filters are more robust that our wooden framed HEPA however both should be handled with care.  Once they have been received, and checked, then store them in a safe place until they are required and, when fitting, be aware of the damage that can be caused by neglectful handling.

At SPCB – Bespoke Filters, we stock a wide range of HEPA filters including laminar and turbulent flow, metal or wood frames, high velocity capacity and ones for special tasks such as asbestos removal.  If you are unsure which of our filters is best suited for your requirements then please just make contact us.

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