Spring Clean … Your Air Compressor

Spring has officially sprung which means spring cleaning is upon us! Believe it or not, spring cleaning extends beyond tidying our house and yard in preparation for the summer months ahead. That’s right, our Air Compressors need the attention too.

 

Over the winter months, the dust and residue buildup can impair the functionality of your compressed air system. Specifically, the coolers that become overloaded with debris which can cause production shut down. Here are a few maintenance recommendations to prevent this from occurring:

 

  1. Intake vents, Coolers and Heat Exchangers – If dirty and clogged with debris they can increase the compressors operating temperature and potentially damage the system. It is vital to your system that they are dust free with proper ventilation to avoid over exhaustion and ready to go for the warm upcoming summer months.
  2. Test for fluid and air leaks – Oil leaks are typically easy to detect based on the area of your compressor. Air leaks, however, can be harder to spot. One option is to apply soapy water to leak-prone areas and watch for bubbles to form. Or for greater accuracy and precision you can examine with an ultrasonic leak detection equipment which NCA Ltd. can provide as this requires training for proper use.
  3. Check your differentials in your system – For example, ensuring that the pressure you put into your system should be very similar to the pressure that your compressor puts out. If there is a substantial difference then it is suggested to perform a thorough check on all stages of the dryer and filtration systems.

 

Overheating compressed air systems are at the top of our list for system services and unexpected shutdowns come spring. This is due to faulty maintenance with equipment such as aftercoolers and filters down the line. After reviewing the spring cleaning recommendations above it is recommended to ensure your system is in the proper functioning condition so that these problems will not occur for you in the hot summer ahead.

 

Alyson Taylor

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