FAQ - your questions, answered.
General questions
What
is a GIEBEL Adsorber®?
A GIEBEL Adsorber® is a filter that removes moisture and contaminants from the supply air to hydraulic power units, gearboxes, storage tanks, drums, and IBCs, as well as transformers. It prevents the formation of condensation inside a system and the associated damage, such as corrosion and oil degradation.
How does
a GIEBEL Adsorber® protect your system?
A GIEBEL
Adsorber® directs the airflow into your system through a desiccant and a 3-micrometer filter, ensuring that moisture and contaminants cannot cause damage inside. It provides reliable protection against corrosion, the degradation of operating oils, and the breakdown of additives.
When air is forced out of the system, the adsorber also filters oil particles and aerosols from exhaust air.
When is the
best time to install a GIEBEL Adsorber®?
A GIEBEL Adsorber® protects your system from day one. By preventing damage, it ensures that a plant remains low-maintenance, durable, and profitable.
Of course, an adsorber can also be retrofitted at any time. Clear indications that you need a breather filter include a measurable decline in the quality of the operating oil, condensation droplets in the tank or on the tank cap, or early signs of corrosion.
What
sets a GIEBEL Adsorber® apart from other
desiccant dryers?
The core of a GIEBEL Adsorber® is the high-performance desiccant GIEBEL Xdry®,
consisting of silicagel orange-green and molecular sieve 13X. It offers a significantly higher drying capacity than traditional silica gel and keeps your system reliably dry even at high temperatures and low
humidity levels.
Valves protect the breather dryer from
unnecessary loading on systems with long downtimes, and our versatile
connections and accessories make installation a breeze—even in tight
spaces.
What
types of systems benefit from using a GIEBEL Adsorber®?
A GIEBEL Adsorber® is ideal for any system that exchanges air with its environment and is therefore exposed to moisture and contamination. Typical applications include hydraulic units, gearboxes, storage tanks, barrels & IBCs, and transformers. By adsorbing moisture and filtering particles before they enter the system, a GIEBEL Adsorber® helps to prevent condensation, improve reliability, and extend equipment service life.
How can I contact GIEBEL for support?
Whether you'd like some advice or have questions about products you've purchased—we're happy to help.
You can reach us via our general email address, info@gf-dry.com, and find all local contacts here.
Product selection
What types of filters does GIEBEL offer?
Breather dryers remove moisture and contaminants from the air entering a system.
Water separators prevent liquid water (splash water) from entering gearboxes.
Oil mist separators prevent oil aerosols and pollutants from escaping from machines.How can I figure out which filter is best suited for my application?
The right adsorber for your system depends on several factors, including tank size, operating environment (e.g. indoor, outdoor, offshore, or ATEX zones), downtime frequency, desired maintenance intervals, and whether you prefer a disposable or reusable version.
Use the configurator in our online store to find the right adsorber for your system.
What adsorber size is best suited for my application?
The right adsorber size depends on the tank volume, operating and downtime periods, and desired maintenance intervals.
As a rule of thumb, the larger the hydraulic tank, the larger the breather dryer or oil mist separator should be. The same applies to maintenance intervals: the longer the interval between maintenance, the larger the adsorber should be.
Do I need an adsorber with valves?
Valves protect the desiccant from unnecessary exposure to ambient air. In systems with long downtimes, they can significantly extend the adsorber’s service life and maintenance intervals. If your system operates continuously, valves are generally not required.
When installing an adsorber on drums or IBCs, we strongly advise against using valves. If the stored medium is drained too quickly, valves can create a vacuum that may damage the container.
Which adsorbers are suitable for harsh environments and ATEX zones?
For applications exposed to heavy dust, vibrations, or stone chips, we recommend metal adsorbers or plastic adsorbers with a protection hood.
For use in explosion-protected (ATEX) zones, only metal adsorbers should be used.
Do I need an adsorber with an EPDM or FKM seal?
Our adsorbers are typically supplied with FKM seals, which are suitable for most applications.
However, some operating fluids require EPDM seals. These include, among others, brake fluid, SKYDROL, HyJet IV & V, acetone, butyl acetate, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and caustic soda.
Installation
Where do I install an adsorber?
For hydraulic power units and gearboxes, they replace the traditional filter cap.
For barrels and storage tanks, they replace the tank vent.
For IBCs, they are screwed directly onto the lid.
For transformers, they are connected to the oil expansion tank.Maintenance
How can I tell if my adsorber needs to be replaced or serviced?
If your adsorber is installed where the desiccant is difficult to inspect visually, our sensors can help. They transmit the desiccant loading level via analog output or Modbus RTU.
How often does an adsorber need to be serviced?
The required maintenance interval depends on several factors, including operating and downtime periods, the volume of air flowing through the adsorber, and the humidity of the ambient air.
Once the adsorber has turned completely green, the desiccant is saturated and can no longer absorb moisture. The system is therefore no longer adequately protected. At this point, disposable adsorbers must be replaced, while reusable adsorbers need to be refilled with fresh desiccant.
What do I need to replace the internal components of my refillable GIEBEL Adsorber®?
To replace the internal components of your adsorber, you need GIEBEL Xdry® and a spare parts kit matching your adsorber series and size.
The spare parts kit contains filters, gaskets, activated carbon, foam filters, and O-rings. These components should be replaced every 3–4 maintenance sessions.
GIEBEL Xdry® and spare parts kits are available in our online store.
Oil
Why is water in oil a problem?
Water in oil is a serious problem because it changes the oil’s properties, including lubricity, viscosity, and shear stability, and causes additives to degrade.
In a system, water-contaminated oil can lead to inadequate lubrication, increased strain on drive units, and reduced system efficiency. In combination with rust and dust particles, water can also cause clogged valves, sludge formation, oil acidification, and seal damage.
How can I tell if my oil is contaminated with water and / or dirt?
Visible signs of contamination include a milky appearance caused by emulsified water, darkened oil, or foaming.
However, water is not always visible to the naked eye. Water can remain dissolved in oil up to its saturation limit. Once this limit is exceeded, the excess water forms a finely dispersed water-in-oil emulsion, giving the oil a cloudy or milky appearance. In oils with a high water-separation capacity, the water instead forms a separate phase below or above the oil.
An oil analysis provides reliable, measurable information about the water content.
Why is my oil deteriorating during storage?
Moisture, particles, and oxygen entering the tank can reduce product quality by accelerating chemical reactions, oxidation, and contamination. This is particularly relevant during long-term storage or frequent dispensing.
Installing a GIEBEL Adsorber® filters moisture and particles from the incoming air, helping to maintain consistent product quality.
My oil is already heavily contaminated - what can I do?
Contaminated oil can cause wear, blockages, reduced performance, and even system failures. If your oil is contaminated, you should act quickly.
Depending on the extent of the contamination, replace the oil or clean it using a bypass filtration system. To prevent further contamination, replace the conventional breather cap with a GIEBEL Adsorber®. It filters moisture, dust, and dirt particles from the incoming air, helping to extend the service life of your oil.
My stored product shows microbial contamination – how can I prevent this?
Bacteria and fungi, such as diesel bugs, can thrive in tanks when moisture accumulates. Even small amounts of water can create favorable conditions for microbial growth, particularly in fuels and lubricants.
Prevent moisture ingress by fitting your container with a GIEBEL Adsorber®. It helps keep storage conditions dry and reduces the risk of microbial growth.
How can I ensure the longevity of my operating fluids?
To maximize the service life of your operating fluids, protect them from dirt, dust, and moisture and maintain the specified operating temperature.
A simple and effective measure is to replace the conventional breather cap with a GIEBEL Adsorber®. It filters moisture and dirt particles from the incoming air, helping to maintain fluid quality, extend service life, and reduce maintenance requirements.
Why is oil separating in the tank and how can I prevent it?
Phase separation can occur when moisture enters the tank and affects the chemical stability of the product, particularly in oils, biodiesel, and chemicals. Water ingress can promote emulsion formation and sedimentation.
Installing a GIEBEL Adsorber® on your tank helps prevent moisture from entering and maintain product homogeneity.
Why is my oil losing dielectric strength and what can I do about it?
Moisture entering the tank during venting cycles can reduce the oil’s dielectric strength. This impairs its insulating properties, can damage solid insulation, and increases the risk of partial discharges and malfunctions. Maintaining dielectric strength is particularly important in transformers.
Replacing conventional breather valves with a GIEBEL Adsorber® helps prevent moisture ingress and maintain the oil’s dielectric strength.
System
Why
is my oil tank rusting on the inside and what can I do about it?
Internal corrosion is usually caused by moisture entering your system, whether it is a hydraulic or gear oil reservoir, storage tank, drum, or transformer expansion tank. As the system “breathes,” moist ambient air is drawn in. When temperatures drop, the moisture can condense on the tank walls and cause rust.
Rust particles contaminate the oil, accelerate component wear, clog valves and filters, and shorten the oil’s service life.
Installing an adsorber helps keep the interior of your system dry and free from contaminants, preventing the conditions that cause corrosion.
Oil mist is coming out of my machine. How can I stop this?
An oily smell during operation can indicate that oil aerosols are escaping from your system. Oil mist is harmful to both the environment and employee health.
Oil mist typically escapes through ventilation caps when the oil level rises and air is expelled from the system to equalize pressure.
Replacing the conventional ventilation cap with a GIEBEL Adsorber® can help prevent oil mist from escaping. Our breather dryers and oil mist separators use activated carbon to adsorb oil aerosols from the exhaust air.
For particularly heavy oil mist, an upstream oil demister can separate larger oil particles before they reach the adsorber, extending its service life. If the system is exposed to oil splashes or surging, a flange with slosh protection can prevent liquid oil from entering the adsorber.
How can I improve the energy efficiency of my system?
Direct measures to improve the energy efficiency of your system include demand-based control, as well as correctly sizing the oil cooler and optimizing system pressure.
Indirectly, energy efficiency can be improved by reducing damage and maintenance requirements, helping to conserve energy and resources.
Installing a GIEBEL Adsorber® is an effective way to prevent moisture, dust, and dirt particles from entering hydraulic systems, gearboxes, drums and IBCs, storage tanks, or transformers. This helps reduce oil contamination and the resulting wear caused by solid particles, contributing to longer service life and lower maintenance requirements.
How can I reduce the operating costs of my system?
Contaminated process fluids can lead to costly disposal and replacement, as well as time-consuming reprocessing. Preventing moisture from entering the system helps maintain product quality, avoid contamination, and reduce unnecessary product losses.
Installing a GIEBEL Adsorber® helps create clean, dry conditions, maximizing product reliability and reducing operating costs.
Desiccant
What is GIEBEL Xdry® ?
What sets a GIEBEL Xdry® apart from other desiccants?
GIEBEL Xdry® combines the high-contrast color indicator of orange-green silica gel with the strong binding capacity of molecular sieve 13X for polar substances.
Compared with pure silica gel, GIEBEL Xdry® provides higher drying performance, particularly at high temperatures and low humidity levels.
Is GIEBEL Xdry® environmentally friendly?
How can I dispose of a loaded GIEBEL Xdry®?
If the desiccant has only absorbed water, it can be disposed of with household waste.
If the desiccant has come into contact with other substances from your process, dispose of it in accordance with the applicable local regulations.