Well, there is no specific answer to this question. The answer depends on several factors. In some applications, the cages can be reused once or even more. However, in other applications, reuse of the baghouse cages won’t be a good choice.

Baghouse Cages Damage Caused by Mishandling and Corrosion

The major cage damages include physical damage by breaking, bending or warping, and corrosion.

• Maintenance people often break or bend the cages by handling them wrongly during regular maintenance and changeouts. Otherwise, cages get damaged if stacked on top of one another for the purpose of storage. Moreover, temperature changes or fires can also wrap the baghouse cages.
• On the other hand, the cages may suffer corrosion owing to chemical attacks like acid flashes. High levels of moisture may cause corrosion quickly to the metal cages in some common applications.
• If the cages are left outside uncovered, they will be exposed to various elements causing damages.

Reuse of Damaged Cages causes Filters to Fail

There are three ways through which the corroded or damaged baghouse filters fail quickly. Let’s have a look at them.

• If pulsed, bent cages cause the bag filters to rub against the sides of the collector or each other. As a result, the bags tear open.
• Broken, bent or twisted cages usually have several edges. These make holes in fabric if pulsed.
• Corroded and/or rusted cages also eat through the fabric causing visible holes very quickly.

While they undergo a corrosive ambiance like high humidity, condensation, or come in contact with alkali/acid compounds, the chances of corrosion or damage increase. If the cages are damaged or corroded owing to facing corrosive environments in the dryers, foundries, or during chemical processing, it would be better to avoid reusing those cages.

Even in the case of milder environments, repeated handling of the cages due to frequent changeouts also damages the cages. Reuse them only they are in good condition. This will extend the active filter life while enhancing the efficacy of the baghouse by avoiding:

• Damages caused by abrasion from other units
• Cutting or tearing filters on the sharp edges
• Corrosion to eat through the bag fabric
• Improper cleaning by guaranteeing that the bags are tightly fitted to the respective cages

This is important to note that investing in epoxy coated, galvanized or stainless-steel cages are wise. They enhance the corrosion resistance capacity.

Adverse Effects of Reusing Damaged Cages

Minor holes, rips, or tears in the bags can lead to surpassing the permitted emission limit. In plants, this issue can result in an emission spike. This is a reportable event that leads to fines penalties and sanctions from the competent authorities as consequences. Moreover, malfunctioning baghouse has the ability to create problems throughout the plant. As a result, the plant may shutdown and face production losses as well as other financial losses.

Why should you take such risks? Even if you reuse baghouse cages that are in good condition, you should keep yourself ready for consequences. Better you avoid using corroded or damaged cages in the baghouse.