Like all electro-mechanical equipment, industrial compressed air systems require periodic maintenance to operate at peak efficiency and minimize unscheduled downtime.

Inadequate maintenance can have a significant impact on energy consumption via lower compression efficiency, air leakage, or pressure variability. It can also lead to high operating temperatures, poor moisture control, and excessive contamination.

Most problems are minor and canbe corrected by simple adjustments, cleaning, part replacement, or the elimination of adverse conditions.

Compressed air system maintenance is similar to that performed on cars; filters and fluids are replaced, cooling water is inspected, belts are adjusted, and leaks are identified and repaired.

All equipment in the compressed air system should be maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications.

Manufacturers provide inspection, maintenance, and service schedules that should be followed strictly.

In many cases, it makes sense from efficiency and economic standpoints to maintain equipment more frequently than the intervals recommended by manufacturers, which are primarily designed to protect equipment.