Air Compressor Maintenance: Be prepared for every season

With different seasons comes different challenges and conditions that need adapting to. When it comes to air compressors, maximum efficiency and minimal setback are the goals no matter what times of year it may be. These goals are achievable if certain steps are taken to ensure that the operation of your air compressor remains smooth, a few of which we cover in this article.

From the issues that come with overheating during the summer followed by the inconvenience brought on by frozen condensate during winter, we break it down season by season and have tips on how to prepare your air compressor for it all.

Spring into Summer

With compressor maintenance being at the top of the priority list during winter, its importance is likely to dwindle as the Spring months approach. However, ongoing maintenance during these months is still important for the following reasons:

Problem: Increased humidity

An increase in temperature means an increase in humidity, which results in more water vapour being retained. During the compression process, this air is cooled and the air vapour turns back into water, which can cause problems if it gets into your air compressor system.

Solution: Condensate Management

Ensure that all condensate draining equipment and dryers are fully functional in order to avoid the build-up of moisture in the approach to warmer months.

Problem: Air compressor overheating

As warmer days approach, ambient temperatures also increase, which means that air compressors can get extra hot as they already generate a large amount of heat. Excessive temperatures can lead to decreased efficiency of your air compressor, a reduction in air output, and can accelerate wear and tear.

Solution: Proper ventilation and functional cooler

Whilst an overheating air compressor is quite the problem, there are a lot of preventative methods that can be taken. For starters, ensure that your air compressor is in a well-ventilated room and that the cooler is working properly so that hot air can be cooled before it interferes with your air compressor system.

Problem: Build-up of particulates

With Spring comes pollen. The pollen gets collected from the ambient air by air compressors, and as a result, the filters have to work harder to remove the contaminants, leading to an increased risk of wear and tear as well as overheating.

Solution: Scheduled maintenance

By keeping a regular eye on your air compressor filters, you can be sure to change them when they appear clogged. Unusual pressure drops could also be an indicator of clogged filters, so it is important to remain vigilant of these as well.

Now Summer is here

If all the above steps are followed during the Spring months, it leads us smoothly into summer with a functional and well-maintained air compressor. However, there are some additional things to consider as the months get even warmer.

• Check and clean drains – Higher humidity levels  will mean that more condensate is created
• Clean or replace filters – air compressors will overheat and use more energy if filters are unclean
• Ventilation – during the hot summer months a properly ventilated room for your air compressor is even more important for intake and exhaust air
• Adjust the temperature of water flowing in to make sure it is cool enough in water cooled systems
• Keeping air compressor aftercoolers clean and free of debris in air cooled systems
• Adjusting air treatment for warmer weather running is needed for effective condensate removal