5 Common Filtration Mistakes That Cost Companies Time and Money
Western Separations™ Resource Series
In industrial environments, filtration is often treated as a “set it and forget it” system. But that approach leads to some of the most expensive, frustrating, and preventable problems we see in the field.
Here are five of the most common filtration mistakes — and how to avoid them with smarter systems and support.
Western Separations™ Resource Series
In industrial environments, filtration is often treated as a “set it and forget it” system. But that approach leads to some of the most expensive, frustrating, and preventable problems we see in the field.
Here are five of the most common filtration mistakes — and how to avoid them with smarter systems and support.
1. Overlooking Proper System Sizing
A filter that’s too small gets overloaded. One that’s too large creates inefficiencies and added costs.
Solution: Always match your filtration design to flow rate, pressure, contaminant load, and future capacity. It’s not just about today — it’s about five years from now.
2. Choosing the Wrong Filter Media
Not all filters are created equal. Using the wrong material (e.g., paper when you need membrane, or cartridge instead of bag) results in poor performance, reduced life, and unexpected downtime.
Solution: Start with contaminant analysis and choose media designed for your specific challenge — not just what’s in stock.
3. Ignoring Maintenance Intervals
Skipping or delaying filter changes puts pressure on your whole system. It can damage equipment and degrade output quality.
Solution: Implement a preventative maintenance schedule and track pressure differentials to predict changeouts before failures occur.
4. Not Accounting for Chemical Compatibility
If your filter system materials react with the fluids being processed, you risk corrosion, degradation, or contamination.
Solution: Verify material compatibility for all components — housing, seals, and filter media — with the chemicals in your process.
5. No Plan for Scale or Change
Businesses evolve — but filtration systems often don’t.
Solution: Build flexibility into your system design. Whether it’s modular add-ons or adjustable flow capacity, think ahead so your system grows with you.
At Western Separations™, We Design Around Your Reality
We’ve seen these problems. We solve them.
Our team works closely with your engineers and operations staff to design filtration systems that anticipate issues, not just react to them.
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