INSTRUCTION MANUALS - SEED BRAKES

SEED BRAKE SUPPORT

DOES THE AIRGUARD SEED BRAKE NEED TO BE INSTALLED IN A CERTAIN POSITION?

Airguard seed brakes are designed to fit into the natural curve of your air seeder hoses. The exit port should be positioned downhill of the inlet port to reduce the chance of plugging. It is not critical that it is installed completely upright.

MY EXHAUST PORT CAPS ARE GETTING LOOSE, HOW DO I STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING?

Once your Airguard Seed brakes are adjusted they must be locked in position using silicone. Due to the vibrations experienced during operation this is the only way to prevent this from happening.

HOW LONG SHOULD MY AIRGUARD SEED BRAKES LAST?

This all depends on the type of product that you are putting through the seed brakes, the size of your air seeder and the number of acres that you plant. Highly abrasive seeds like rice and fertilizer will severely reduce the life of the product. Stainless Steel Seed Brakes are recommended for abasive seeds and fertilizer application. Our goal is an average product lifespan of 3-4 years.

MY AIRGUARD SEED BRAKES ARE PLUGGING WITH FERTILIZER. HOW DO I SOLVE THIS PROBLEM?

Dusty or poor quality fertilizer is generally the cause of this problem, especially when humidity is high. It can also be caused by excessive seed treatment products. Air Seeder Fan Blockage Prevention Systems are a great solution to reduce the humidity in your air system and can significantly reduce plugging issues. Plugging can also be attributed to the volume of product that you are trying to push through the system. If you are using the smaller seed brakes we would suggest switching to the larger model so that there is more room for product to flow freely through the spiral.

CAN I USE AIRGUARD SEED BRAKES WITH MY BLOCKAGE MONITORS?

Yes, Airguard can be used with blockage monitors. It is ideal to mount the sensors below the Airguard Seed Brakes, but they can be used above the Seed Brake as well. When mounting the Blockage monitor above the seed brake, our mesh screen option must be installed (Part #7357). This ensures that product is contained and allows the blockage monitors to work properly.

I NEED A PART FOR MY SEED BRAKE

Here are the detailed parts lists for each Seed Brake:

Seed Brake - 7330

Seed Brake - 7340

Seed Brake - 7350

Seed Brake - 7360

WATCH THE INSTALLATION VIDEO

INSTRUCTION MANUALS - BP SYSTEM - V1

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INSTRUCTION MANUALS - BP SYSTEM - V2

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Upgrade Kit - V1 to V2 Installation video

BLOCKAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM SUPPORT

START UP PROCEDURE:

After you have installed the Airguard Blockage Prevention System it’s critical that you start the Aircart fans very slowly. You’re introducing an air pocket that must be moved slowly to the tractor while you prime the hydraulic lines with oil. This process is a good way to make sure your fittings are sealed and secure.
Get your oil warmed to 80-100 deg F. If your oil is cold, the viscosity is very high and it will not move through the internal components easily. By warming the oil first, everything will operate as it should.
Initiate your fans with 500 Fan RPM at 25% oil flow (or 10% of your max fan speed). If everything looks good, the pressure is just starting to register on the Airguard pressure gauge. If all your fittings are holding their seal, continue to the next step. If your fan is NOT moving, that’s okay. The oil is circulating. Operate this way for 5 minutes.

NOTE: If there is a pressure spike at this low oil flow rate, there is potential for an air lock. Disconnect the end fitting on the Return Line at the SCV and drain off some oil to release the pressure. Reconnect the end fitting and repeat Step 2.

Run 1000 Fan RPM at 45% oil flow (or 35% of your max fan speed). Operate for 5 seconds.
Run 2000 Fan RPM at 65% oil flow (or 75% of your max fan speed). Operate for 5 seconds.
Run 3500 Fan RPM at 85% oil flow (or 100% of your max fan speed). Operate for 3-5 minutes.
Take time to ensure that your conveyor or auger is working properly in conjunction with your Airguard kit. Turn your fan RPM down to 50% oil flow and engage the conveyor/auger. If everything is operating as it should, you have successfully installed your Airguard Blockage Prevention System kit. If there are any questions or concerns about the operations, call your AIRGUARD Sales Representative.

Now you’re ready to operate! Follow the same warm up procedure you do every day and go seed. This is a procedure that we highly recommend at the beginning of each future season, to ensure the continuation of successful operations. It is a critical step in the introduction of new machinery to your farm operation. After the freeze and thaw of seasons we want to eliminate any air pockets or leaks that could slow preparations.

HOW DOES THE AIRGUARD BLOCKAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM WORK?

The Airguard BPS circulates the hydraulic oil through a radiator that’s mounted to the fan housing intake of the air seeder cart. We tap into the Return side of the fan motor, therefore we do not take hydraulic power from running the air seeder unit. We extract the heat before the oil gets returned back to the tractor, increasing the life of the oil. By heating up the air the BPS prevents condensation and reduces buildup on all internal components, and at the same time cools the oil.

WHAT EFFECT DOES THE AIRGUARD BLOCKAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM HAVE ON MY AIR SEEDER?

Here is a full test report on the effectiveness of the Blockage Prevention System:

FULL REPORT - PAMI

CAN I DRY OUT THE FERTILIZER INSIDE THE CART?

No. There is not enough time to dry out the product if it’s already damp. It will, however, eliminate any future moisture to be drawn into the system. The warmer air allows the meters to operate more efficiently. And the hoses, manifolds and openers are warming from the inside. After putting on the BPS, you can immediately feel the difference in the temperature of the hoses under the cart. Since all the parts are physically warmer, dusty fertilizer, mixed with humidity that’s constantly being drawn in, will not have a cold surface to build up on. Everything flows better through to the discharge at the opener.

HOW IS THE RADIATOR PROTECTED FROM OVER PRESSURIZATION?

The Airguard Blockage Prevention System has a series of valves that help regulate the pressure in the fan circuit when the return line pressure gets too high. If the return pressure goes above 750psi the fan pressure will be reduced until the return pressure goes below 750psi. There is also another pressure relief that is set to 850psi and will relieve to the case drain if the pressure goes above 850psi. All of this is done automatically and no setting of the system is required.

Our aluminum radiator cores are pressure rated to 2400psi to ensure that your investment is protected.

WHY DO I NEED A SNORKEL KIT FOR MY AIRGUARD BLOCKAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM?

We designed our snorkel kits to help reduce maintenance on the BP System. Using a snorkel kit moves the air intake to the top of the cart thereby allowing the fan to suck in clean air. This reduces the amount of dust and debris that the fan sucks in, which helps to keep the radiator fins clean. It also helps to keep the internal parts of the air system clean and reduces plugging issues.

The single snorkel is designed for smaller fans, mainly the Crary 6" Fan. The dual snorkel is designed for higher flow fans which is most of the fans on air seeders. The dual snorkel ensures that fan air flow is not restricted by using 2 - 8" hoses for the air intake.

CAN YOU PURCHASE SNORKEL KITS ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT THE OIL COOLER?

Yes you can. If customers are not having issues with oil that is overheating, or with humidity problems, but the air intake on the fan is often plugging up with straw and chaff, the snorkel is a great alternative. Various air seeders have the air intakes low to the ground and close to the tires. The snorkel alone can eliminate some of the problems that come with that. The cost is very economical. If you choose to add the BPS radiator at a later time, you can.

I HAVE A TWIN FAN, SHOULD I DO BOTH, OR 1?

It depends on where the issues with the operation are:

Fertilizer dust buildup issues due to humidity: Recommend installing BPS on the fertilizer fan.
Seed treatment coming off the seed: Recommend installing BPS on the seed fan.
Need to cool hydraulic oil: Recommend installing BPS on the fan that is easiest to access.
Issues on both the seed and fertilizer lines: Recommend installing BPS on both fans.
If the fans both supply the same plenum then you will need to install BPS on both in order to heat up the air stream sufficiently to make a difference.

WHAT SETS THE AIRGUARD BPS APART, WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT IT?

It’s compact in size and simple to install. It has a superior performance pressure rating. Is equipped with a dual pass aluminum core which takes 10-15% more heat out of the oil, compared to a single core unit. We successfully regulate the hydraulic oil pressure when spikes or blocks occur. Competitors’ systems may discharge oil to the ground during operations or burst.

WHAT MAINTENANCE DOES THE BPS REQUIRE?

V1 - The relief valve MUST be set at the beginning of each seeding season. See STEP 12 in the V1 manual.

V2 - Other than cleaning there is no maintenance required.

I NEED A PART FOR MY BLOCKAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM

Here are the detailed parts lists for each Blockage Prevention System Kit: