Jet Air Filters

[Craig D Peltier]

I have the Jet Air Filter sytem AFS 1000b I have been using disposable hardware store filters in mine for about 2 years now. What I notice is they clog very fast. Say one day only. Im tired of them clogging so quick I was thinking of buying a jet one.
I forget if the jet filters are all that much better since they cost 6 times more. Im aware there's a washable one as well for about $$45

So any opinions? I buy cheapie ones like $3-4 12x24s

[Mike Reinholtz]

If they are plugging up then they are doing their job. What you need to look at is a filter with more surface area, like a 4" thick filter. If you can get to a grainger, they have 4" filters is just about every size and are substantially cheaper than a big box store. The next option is to use bag filters, they have the largest surface area and while the most expensive option they are also the longest lasting.

I have a small sheet metal brake, so I made a small rack to hold an additional prefilter (4" thick). I would keep your filter system and just look at adding another filter.

[Steven Hsieh]

How big and how dirty is the shop?

[John Thompson]

I ran the expensive ones from Jet for about two years before going to the 12 x 24 from HD. Jets clog also.. just not as fast. Have not tried the washable's. I am in the shop 5 days a week and vacuum the surface on my cheapies every other day on both sides. I change it about every week to week and a half depending on observation of how nasty it's getting.

Good luck...

[Craig D Peltier]

I guess I dont change mine enough or clean them enough. Im usually too loazy and leave them a month. I usually only run when palm sanding , sometimes other machines.
My shop is a 3 car garage. Theres a layer of dust over entire thing from years of work. I keep up on the floor and sometimes blow off benches and such.
I guess I willbe more diligent.


Thanks

[John Gregory]

I have a Jet filter too. I got some clear plastic L-shaped brackets that velcro onto the unit that allows me to use a 12 x 24 pleated furnace filter as a pre-filter. I bought them at Rockler (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=6575&filter=pre%20filter)years ago

[David Hostetler]

If you are clogging up an ambient air filter in a day or so, you have a serious dust collection problem because you are obviously not catching the dust at its source, or if you are, it is just being spewed back out into the air, neither situation is exactly good for your lungs...

FWIW, I have a little bit of dust here and there in my shop, but most of the stuff that gets in the air is when I forget to start up the DC (stupid operator tricks), or I kick a hose off a fitting (there is a nice pile behind my TS right now because of that!). But overall my shop is pretty dust free compared to a LOT of shops I have been in. And it honestly has cost me a pretty fair sum. I have gone with a full out DC / separator, upgraded dust hoods etc... to make sure I am getting as much dust out of my air as possible...

As far as your Jet is concerned, I am not sure if that is set up like the Grizzly, but the outer filter on the Grizz is a 5 micron or so, and the inner is a 1 micron. The inner is washable, the outer isn't. Looking up at what MERV ratings compare to microns, it looks like MERV 10 or so is what you want. If you can find one in your size, get a washable filter so you don't have to spend the constant bucks, and hassle of changing out filters.

[Jeff Duncan]

I also buy the cheap ones and as a previous poster mentioned....if they're clogging faster it's because they're working. The faster they clog the more dust they're catching. If your clogging within a day you have a lot of dust in the air. You may want to think about some sort of dust collection for your shop.

Also because of the excessive dust you definitely should be wearing a dust mask. There's as much dust going into your lungs as your catching in the filter while your in your shop:eek:


good luck,
JeffD