What is "Bypass Leakage"? How It Destroys Your Air Filtration System

In the process of air filtration, when air passes around the filter components rather than through them—leaking through gaps between the components and the housing or through defects and breaks in the media itself—we call this "bypass leakage."

Do not underestimate this tiny leakage path. It can severely impact the efficiency of the filtration system and downstream processes. Through this article, Amorair takes you deeper into the knowledge of bypass leakage and how to prevent it.

Contents

>>> The Impact of Bypass Leakage

>>> Causes of Bypass Leakage

>>> How to Avoid Bypass Leakage?

The Impact of Bypass Leakage

The main function of the filter is to remove particulate matter from the air and maintain indoor air quality at the required level. The bypass leakage causes the entire filtration system to lose control over indoor air quality. Its damages are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

--- Filtration Function Failure: Once bypass leakage occurs, unfiltered contaminants will enter the cleanroom directly. This may lead to mass product contamination, sterility failure, or health risks for personnel in critical applications such as chip manufacturing, sterile pharmaceuticals, or ICU wards.

---  Loss of System Reliability: Since leakage rates can vary over time, cleanroom air quality levels become unstable. The performance of the filtration system becomes unpredictable, making quality control extremely difficult.

---  Blind Spots in Monitoring & Verification: Routine downstream detection or integrity tests (like bubble point tests) may not always detect tiny, intermittent bypass leaks in time, especially when the leak occurs at the installation frame or seal rather than the media itself. This creates a false sense of security that the "system is normal."

---  Massive Cost Waste: Bypass leakage renders the filtration system ineffective. This will not only waste the cost of the filter itself but can also lead to huge losses due to unqualified products, equipment contamination, or process interruptions—losses that far exceed the value of the filter.

--- Shortened Equipment Life: Long-term bypass issues can lead to unstable equipment operation, increasing the risk of equipment failure.

--- Increased Maintenance Costs: Leaks caused by improper installation or sealing require more frequent maintenance and filter replacements, which undoubtedly increases the company's operating costs.

---  Environmental Risks: In some cases, bypass leakage can lead to the direct release of harmful substances into the environment, increasing environmental risks and potentially triggering legal liability.

Causes of Bypass Leakage

The most common reasons for air filter bypass leakage include:

--- Improper Installation: Failure to place the filter cartridge correctly, uneven placement of sealing gaskets, or failure to tighten fastening bolts evenly in a diagonal sequence can all create gaps.

--- Aging or Damaged Seals: Sealing materials (gaskets) can lose elasticity, crack, or deform after long-term compression, exposure to chemical media, or temperature changes, leading to seal failure.

--- Manufacturing Defects: Damage to the filter media itself or insufficient processing precision of the outer frame can also lead to bypass leakage.

--- Unreasonable Filtration System Design: The design of the cleanroom filtration system may fail to consider the specific site environment, such as system pressure or airflow fluctuations.

How to Prevent Bypass Leakage?

Bypass leakage is not inevitable. It is a battle of details and standards. We need to treat every link with caution.

--- Professional Training & Standardized Installation: Ensure that operators undergo strict training and perform the installation correctly, strictly following the installation guidelines provided by the manufacturer.

--- Integrity Testing is Crucial: After every installation or filter replacement, an on-site integrity test must be performed to confirm the overall performance of the filter assembly, not just the media. This is a critical step in discovering installation sealing problems.

--- Regular Inspection & Maintenance: Establish a regular leak detection system to scan and test the filtration system and its peripheral seals (e.g., using an aerosol photometer). Regularly check and replace aging seals.

--- Select Reliable Suppliers & Products: Purchase filters from reputable suppliers to ensure filter quality.

--- System Design & Operation Optimization: Consider actual site conditions during system design. For complex environments, it is best to have professionals conduct an on-site survey and proceed with the procurement and installation of the filtration system based on their design drawings.

Bypass leakage may seem minor, but it can destory the entire filtration system. It is evident that in modern production processes, controlling details is the lifeline for ensuring safe enterprise production. No matter what grade of filter you purchase, please ensure it is correctly sealed within the filtration system.

Amorair focuses on providing high-efficiency air filtration solutions, dedicated to improving air quality in industrial and commercial environments and escorting product safety. Our products effectively reduce the risk of bypass leakage, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of your filtration system. Contact us for a consultation.