What Is A Spark Arrestor?

A spark arrestor is a device that kills sparks before they can cause problems in a dust collector or other piece of equipment. Sparks are a common cause of fires in ductwork and dust collectors—providing one of the three necessary components of a fire: a fuel source, oxygen and an ignition source. If sparks are not stopped, they can ignite dusty filters or dust that is present in ductwork.

Sparks are a common feature of welding, grinding and metal cutting, so it is imperative that an active approach is taken to stopping them. A spark arrestor, such as RoboVent’s Delta3™ Spark Arrestor, catches and kills sparks before they can hit a filter. The Delta3™ does this by using centrifugal force to fling sparks and embers against the outer wall of the device, pulling of their thermal envelop so that they are rapidly cooled and extinguished. Testing has shown that this device kills 99.9% of sparks.

Using a spark arrestor can prevent catastrophic fires that might start in your dust collector and spread throughout your facility, as well as smaller fires that might put your dust collector out of commission for a day or two. These fires could shut down production lines that depend on the dust collectors. Cleaning up after fires is also a major burden for maintenance staff. A spark arrestor can avoid these problems, ensuring worker safety and saving money.