Dust Collector Diaphragm Valve

Is your dust collector showing signs of trouble? It could be your diaphragm valve.


As your dust collector goes through it's life cycle, your parts start to wear out. Diaphragms are one of the 5 most commonly replaced dust collector parts. These are the common warning signs of trouble and how you can replace a diaphragm valve.

Common Symptoms of a Worn Out Diaphragm Valve

  • Rubber has crack or holes in it

  • Diaphragm kit is pitted, allowing air to leak through

  • Any holes tears or imperfections indicate it's time to change it out

  • Is your spring broken? It's time to replace your diaphragm valve.


Once you've diagnosed your issue, you'll need to fix it. Below is a short video guide that provides step-by-step instructions on how to replace a diaphragm valve.



Replace a Diaphragm Valve Video Transcript:

Hi, this is Bob with US air filtration. And today I'm going to show you how to change out the diaphragm inside a solenoid pulse valve.

Pulse Valve Types


As you can see here pulse valves come in a lot of different sizes and shapes. Some valves have coils on the top, and some don't. Pulse valves can have two diaphragms or one. Others have couplings, threads, or flange connectors. But the process of changing out the diaphragm is really very similar in all of them.

First Steps to Replacing a Diaphragm Valve


I'm going to show you today, on this particular valve, how to change out the diaphragm.

First thing that we're going to do is remove the bolts that are holding on the top of the belt. I'm using a socket set and I'm going to loosen these up. Once I get all the valves loose I can pull off the top.

I'll tell you, sometimes when these valves have been sitting, especially out in the sun for a while getting this top piece off isn't really easy. You may need to take a screwdriver and a hammer and just tap it lightly there where the rubber is to help get the top off.

But once you get the top off you can remove the spring and you can peel off the diaphragm.

Diaphragm Valve Bleed Hole / Pin


Now in some pulse valves, well in all pulse valves, there's a little bleed hole. And often times, there's a pin this particular one, has a little pin right here that this allows the air pressure to equalize between the two halves of the valve.

It's really important that we don't block this hole or damage this pin when we put the valve back together.

New Diaphragm


Once we pull off the old diaphragm kit, we can grab the new diaphragm. And the first thing we want to do is find out where that bleed hole is in the diaphragm. Here, it's this hole right here. We're gonna place that right over the pin.

The teflon disc or it's a rubber disc on your diaphragm goes down so that it seats up against this part of the valve. It's not a bad idea to look and make sure that there's no damage to the the body of the valve.

Typically though these aluminum bodies; it's really hard to damage them. I don't usually see problems with them. It's usually the diaphragms that go.

We're gonna line up the hole with the bleed hole. And make sure our holes line up and put our diaphragm back then.

Then we need to make sure that we have the spring that comes with the repair kit that goes back on top of the diaphragm and then we're gonna put the top back on.

Now just like I mentioned, with this bleed hole, there's a place where the bleed hole on this top cover goes. We need to make sure we've lined that bleed hole up with the bleed hole here.

If we block it, the valve is not gonna work. Or if you don't put it on correctly, and there's a pin, you'll squash the pin. And then you're gonna have to buy a new valve just to replace this little pin.

We're gonna line this up. And I can kind of feel it set on the right. And then we're just going to tighten down all the bolts.

Tighten Bolts


Now once I get everything finger tightened I want to go ahead and tighten these bolts down.

If I don't tighten the bolts down properly, and you don't get this clamping this diaphragm together, you're gonna get a leak outside of the valve.

The best practice is, with your ratchet, is to tighten the bolt on one side and then go to the opposite side and tighten it down. And then just keep going about 180 degrees so that your getting a nice even pressure.

Upper Smaller Diaphragm


Okay now we need to do the little diaphragm.

I'm gonna pull off this coil, which I could have done before. And actually if you have electrical wires connected to this, it helps to pull off the coil.

I might add too, before you start this you need to turn off the compressed air to your valve. Or as soon as you start releasing this, it'll just start blowing everywhere

Okay. So to change out this upper smaller diaphragm we need to loosen up these four bolts here with an allen wrench.

I'm going to loosen all of these up and then remove these bolts.

Okay once all the bolts are loose, you can lift off the top. Once again, there's a spring and the diaphragm. You'll grab the new diaphragm with the little metal side down.

Again there's a little tiny pin right there for the bleed hole. Every diaphragm is gonna have a bleed hole somewhere that you need to make sure you line up.

There are a few types of valves that the bleed hole is actually in the body of the diaphragm.

In those cases you don't have to worry about it too much. But a lot of valves have these pins.

So, I'm gonna line this bleed hole up and put it on. And take the new spring and put it on. And then I'm going to make sure that my hole right under here, where the bleed hole goes, is gonna go right over that bleed hole.

I can feel it seat down on there. And again I'm gonna tighten the bolts.

Everything's good and tight. Put our coil back on.

And now we're ready to turn the compressed air back on, and test our valve to make sure it all works.

 

Get in Touch

 We understand that every dust collection project is unique and requires a specific approach. For help with your air pollution control needs, reach out to one of our knowledgeable team members below.