Stupid filter install question

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maniago

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I just don't log dives
I'm sure this is a really stupid question, but I just don't know and don't want to waste money.

I'm just putting the LF filter in for the first time. This is the top (the bottom has an obvious plug).

Is this center section that looks like a plug with a tab supposed to come out? It doesn't twist out, or break out. Do I cut it out with a box cutter? Or am I on the wrong track?

I assume the metal handle stays in the tower with the filter and the top cap.

Little help here please?:dork2:

Also - do you wipe down/clean the outside of the filter cartridge when you put it in? Friggin' confused....
 

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Are you sure you wanna be pumping your own air ?:facepalm:
Okay I will bite as you did own up to it being a stupid question, though I am a little worried about the things you may not have questioned.
Yup the white plastic tab in the top should twist or bend back and forth to come out. Air gotta get out of that plastic tube or something will let go !
Grab it with a pliers and give it a twist, if that does not get it, cut gently around it with exacto knife.
L.F. cartridges are getting a little sloppy lately, I have received them with gaps above the M.S. that required beating them with a rubber mallet to force the spring to close them up...(Pretty bad to have loose m.s. blowing around), though it is disposable, l.f. needs to keep a better eye on this kind of thing.
You may be getting caught with a molded part that is 10 or 20 thousands too thick and a bit harder to crack then normal.
The wire is to allow you to pull it out of the chamber.
Good practice is to never touch the tube with you hands, cut open top and bottom of foil, pull any plugs and drop her in.
In practice I handle them all the time and pump OCA, but I do wipe them down before putting them in.
Oh and having taken apart both Bauer and equivalent inserts, the Bauers are a work of art in comparison, I am not saying they do not do the same job, but you can see whay they cost 2 or 3x as much.
 
Thanks - that's what I thought, but it wasn't coming apart as I expected, so rather than break what looks obvious, I'll take the bruised ego instead. With 9mos under my belt on the rebuild of this compressor with no real documentation to speak of, I don't really want to f-it up on the last screw. Know what I mean?
 
I thought you were going to pack your own.

There are instructions somewhere. I believe it's printed somewhere on the plastic. Idk. I don't have one in front of me. But the first time I used one I read the instructions. I can't imagine you need to wipe them down or that a little touching with your hands matters. I do find that top tab doesn't come out well. I usuallly need pliers for it to not fall into the tube.
 
I thought you were going to pack your own.

There are instructions somewhere. I believe it's printed somewhere on the plastic. Idk. I don't have one in front of me. But the first time I used one I read the instructions. I can't imagine you need to wipe them down or that a little touching with your hands matters. I do find that top tab doesn't come out well. I usuallly need pliers for it to not fall into the tube.

I didn't find any instructions anywhere - least of all on the LF website where I'd expect them - and of course, they're closed on the weekend.

You got a good memory though - Yes I have a canister to pack my own; but I'm baselining the compressor with fallback filters that I know I can get. Kinda taking the simple route until I have a confident feel about what this compressor is supposed to produce under typical conditions - one variable at a time as it were.

Good news is that without any filtering, I'm making -34F air. Not good enough for the specs for Grade E, but sure is good wrt what the coalscers can do. At least I'm impressed with it and I'd probably stop there if I had AL tanks to fill. And that's with about 45%RH @68F (basement conditions).

After I added the LF filter in the stack, I got -70F which is in spec if I'm not mistaken.

Bad news is I introduced a leak again - I re-111'ed the orings before I put the cap on, but I lost 500psi (1600->1100) overnight so I'll watch that and see if it continues.

Interestingly though, the LF BPR has a massive hysteresis loop - way more than the cheapy AE unit. 3000 on opening and 1600 on shutting. I couldn't get it to close at 2000 to save my life without really pushing the top end out. I guess ~1500 will be fine for static load on the media.
 
Mani
I just email you the repack instructions
Jim


Thanks. Sent you back a stupid question on the oring vs flat ring placement...
 
Thanks. Sent you back a stupid question on the oring vs flat ring placement...

Not a dumb question as we've all been there. Concave side towards the pressure and main o-ring if you're referring to the one-sided flat back-ups in the filter towers.
 
Not a dumb question as we've all been there. Concave side towards the pressure and main o-ring if you're referring to the one-sided flat back-ups in the filter towers.

Yes, that's the one. But argh..... I'll have to check to see which side I put towards the pressure, since it looked to me more like one smooth side, and the other with mould lines, vs convex and concave....
 
The most common back-up o-rings are contoured on one-side only but I've seen them contoured on both sides. The contour is for the o-ring to sit in. On your filter tower top cap you'd have the contour pointing down and the o-ring facing the pressure.

Back-Up Rings
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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