Spring cleaning your compressed air system

As the unprecedented wet weather of the winter finally starts to dissipate, the daylight hours increase week by week, spring must be in the air. So it's time to spring clean your compressed air system to keep it running efficiently throughout the warmer months

A Quick Guide to Air Compressor Spring Maintenance

Whilst you may enjoy the warmer weather, your compressed air system does not. If left unchecked, warmer weather can cause a number of problems for your compressed air system and this could lead to reduced efficiency right through to costly downtime. Making sure your air compressor is running at optimum condition requires proper and consistent maintenance. Failing to maintain your air compressor can have very costly implications and can lead to irreversible damages.

1 - Temperature and Ventilation

As the temperature starts to warm up it is even more important to keep an eye on the temperature of your compressor as well as check that there is sufficient ventilation around it. If a unit overheats, it leads to reduced efficiency, increased maintenance costs and may cause you to replace the system earlier than its expected life. Temperature should be logged consistently to make sure the equipment is not overheating.

2 - Coolers and Filters

Warm weather, high humidity and springtime mean more water and more airborne particles – such as pollen – are present in the air. Springtime is also a good time to check that the coolers – and especially your pre-filters – on your compressors are clean. Making sure your system’s filters are free from dirt, dust and debris will keep it running at its optimum condition. Replacing the pre-filter elements would also be a relatively low cost precautionary step to take as part of your spring clean.

3 - Check your compressed air treatment equipment

The warm air of the spring and summer months will generally have higher humidity than the colder air of the winter months. This creates extra water in the air that your compressed air system will need to work harder to remove.

• Check the settings on your compressed air dryers
• Make sure your filters are clean
• Check your drains are clean and functioning properly so they can also get the extra water out
• Check the condition of your oil/water separators as they will be dealing with increased condensation through the warmer months.

Regular inspections are the key to minimising issues

An air compressor is a well-oiled machine that is relatively low maintenance but just because it is low maintenance, should not mean that it does not deserve a good hard look from time to time. Above are just a few areas to consider. In order to give your compressed air system a thorough once over, spring is the ideal time to get your compressed air system serviced to ensure it is in tip top condition and ready for the challenges that the warmer months will bring.

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