Compressors are complex machines. Even in optimal conditions, regular use brings wear and tear that can hurt their efficiency, or in the worst cases, damage internal components shutting them down. The weather warming and spring settling in add further risks to downtown and hurting your business’ bottom line.
Routine maintenance is essential to minimize those risks and ensure your business runs efficiently and without disruption.
“Inspecting your compressed air system daily is important,” said Brittany Smith, director of marketing communications at CompressAir. “We encourage our customers to contact us to get on a regular maintenance schedule that best suits their production needs. This allows them to focus on their production and manufacturing. Compressed air is the fourth utility; without it, it will cause downtime which is a significant loss.”
CompressAir, a locally owned and operated business, employs a team of expert technicians equipped and trained to handle the maintenance needs of any compressor. Based out of two locations, one in La Porte and another in Elkhart, the team serves customers across Northern Indiana and Northeast Illinois.
CompressAir’s technicians note that customers can keep track of a number of symptoms that can indicate maintenance is necessary.
“The main sign would be high temperatures,” Smith said. “You can also look out for reduced air flow and higher differential pressures that cause higher power consumption.”
Louder noise and heavier vibrations are other indicators of needed maintenance, as well as increased moisture and condensation, or even tripped power breakers and blown fuses. These problems can lower efficiency, damage your products, and – in the worst case – totally shut down your business. Losses can quickly mount, and extended downtime cost thousands or even millions of dollars.
Some maintenance is easy enough for customers to handle on their own, especially with cottonwood season on the horizon.
“As we approach spring, we will start seeing issues with cottonwood as well as elevated ambient temperatures and humidity levels,” Smith said. “Cottonwood, along with other debris, will clog up your coolers. In a compressor room, temperature are likely to be higher than the outdoor temperature. That causes your compressor to run at higher temperatures, leading to problems in your whole compressed air system. Simple maintenance items customers can do are to ensure the coolers are blown out regularly and that the moisture drains are checked daily.”
Other maintenance needs require an expert hand and required maintenance parts, and CompressAir is ready to provide customers with both. Smith emphasized that, as a licensed Sullair distributor, CompressAir is in the best position to provide parts from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), helping ensure your compressor has the longest life it can.
“If you use might fit non OEM parts, you’re taking a chance on whether they will work or not,” she said. “For a Sullair machine, that means you are risking higher fluid carryover, higher operating temperatures, shorter machine life, and voiding the manufacturer’s extended warranty – just to name a few things.”
Other benefits of working with CompressAir include:
- Reduced downtime
- Proactive maintenance strategies
- Planned maintenance budgets
- Service coordination priority
- Increase parts availability
- Efficient, organized repair record-keeping
- Flexible billing plans
To learn more about CompressAir, visit compressair.net.