Industrial Air Compressor Preventive Maintenance

The one thing all business owners agree on is that interruptions and unexpected downtime can cause a lot of stress. In order for operations to run smoothly, it’s vital to ensure your compressor and all attached tools and machinery are regularly maintained.  You need to keep on top of all industrial air compressor maintenance items.

If your business uses high-tech machinery, standard maintenance is not enough to ensure the longevity of your expensive equipment––you need preventative air compressor maintenance on your air compressors and equipment. The reason behind this is to catch potential problems before they turn into costly repairs and, even worse, system downtime. And, this requires regular inspection of consequential system components to ensure everything is running like clockwork.

The Benefits of Preventative Industrial Air Compressor Maintenance

No matter what the size of your air compressor operation, it’s essential to have a member of the team or a professional service provider regularly maintain your system on a consistent schedule. Below we break down, just some of the main benefits of air compressor maintenance:

• Keep it Running

Maintaining your air compressor will help it run efficiently, without issues, which will result in fewer instances of system downtime. Any instances of downtime will stop production, which can become costly to your business operations. You certainly wouldn’t want this to happen while on an urgent deadline, for example.

• Avoid Emergency Repairs

It seems obvious to note that any operational downtime and broken parts will cost you money. So regular preventative air compressor maintenance will undoubtedly save you money. And, with the money you save, you could possibly invest in better equipment down the line or even higher wages for your workers.

• Lower Energy Costs

When a part or a function within the system is struggling to maintain its expected rate of production––due to needing cleaning, lubrication or replacement––this struggle often equates to drawing more energy. Regular maintenance will help you find these issues early on, which means you will lower your energy costs.

• Increased Life and Efficiency

Another benefit of preventative air compressor maintenance is that the compressor’s life and efficiency increases. You definitely want to ensure a return on your investment with years of optimal performance from your compressor. And without routine maintenance, your air compressor and its peripheral components won’t last as long.

Essential Maintenance Checks

Here is a list of the crucial parts to check on your industrial air compressor maintenance:

• Air filter: The ambient air that goes into the compressor must be filtered of impurities for the quality that comes out to be good. The air filters are what do this. These then need to be cleaned regularly to filter out impurities that can corrupt the compressed air and degrade the quality of end-point applications.
• Oil filter: Oil can also degrade the quality of compressed air if it gets taken to the end of an application. You especially wouldn’t want oil to get into pneumatic spray painters, air cleaners, and anything that could corrupt the surface in question. Keep note of the recommended intervals to replace oil filters, and check them weekly.
• Lubricant: One of the most important elements in the function of an air compressor is the lubricant. Why? Well, all internal metal parts and joints need lubricant for smooth and non-corrosive movement. Touching metal surfaces can lead to corrosion of the elements and fittings and, once this happens, rust can spread. You’ll want to check the lubricant level daily! Make a note to check the motor bearings too – it’s crucial that these stay lubricated.
• Belts: Checking the rubber on a belt is a must-do. You don’t want your belt to wear down and crack in places. So replace belts before they lose their tension or snap in the middle of an operation. Inspect belts once a week to ensure they aren’t worn and adjust the tension if needed.
• Intake vents: It’s essential for the air compressor to have clean intake vents for the vents to perform their duty. If the intake vents are caked with dirt and grime, you’re going to have a problem. Inspect these weekly, to ensure the incoming air remains as clean as possible, and to prevent dirt from getting sucked into the system.

What Should be Done by a Professional?

Your staff should be able to perform the most necessary preventative maintenance, but it’s always best to get the experts in – especially if the unit is large or complicated. These tasks are ones that should most definitely be tackled by the professionals:

• System safety-shutdown inspections
• Motor replacement
• Relocation of large, heavy air compressors
• When you don’t have qualified staff to work on your system
• When there is a mechanical breakdown

Hiring the professionals for these and other possibly hazardous or time-consuming duties can save you money, and ensure the job is done well.

Fitz Equipment knows how much downtime can hurt a business, and that’s why it’s our first priority to make sure you’re always up and running. To that end, Fitz offers 24-hour on-call repair and replacement field service, wherever you are, every day of the year. When you’ve got Fitz Equipment on your team, downtime will be a thing of the past.

For all your industrial air compressor maintenance needs, call us at 888-220-3489 or find out more about us on our website.