Air Compressor Preventive Maintenance Tips
If much of your work operates around the use of an air compressor, it's important that you understand how to take care of this equipment. For the most part, keeping your compressor in good condition doesn't take a lot of effort, just a commitment to preventive maintenance. Here are two important preventive maintenance tips that can keep your air compressor functioning correctly.
Drain Moisture From Receiver Tank
As an air compressor operates, it extracts the moisture from the air it is compressing and stores it in a receiver tank. Make it a point to drain the moisture from this tank after each use. If you use your air compressor several times a day, draining the tank at the end of the work day should be sufficient. Failing to do so will promote the development of rust inside the tank.
The scary thing about having rust develop is that it can spread relatively quickly. Rust won't just cause the surface of the tank to deteriorate. As it spreads, it can also clog the air intake line and prevent the compressor from operating correctly. At the base of the tank there should be a valve that you can remove to drain the tank. Prior to removing the valve, make sure that you have released all the air pressure from the tank beforehand in order to prevent an injury.
Keep Intake Vents Clean
It's also important for you to keep the compressor's intake vent clean. It's normal for dirt, dust and other debris to collect inside the intake vent as you operate the compressor. The more debris that accumulates, the more difficult it is for the compressor to take air in. This difficulty forces your air compressor to work harder and it significantly reduces the compression power rate.
Both of these issues can have a negative impact on your production rate. Additionally, when the unit has to work harder to intake air, this puts an excessive amount of wear and tear on the unit. It's important that you clean the intake value regularly. You will know it's time to clean the vent when you can clearly see a collection of debris on it. If you work in an environment with a lot of dirt or dust, you may need to clean the vent more frequently.
The more effort that you put into performing preventive maintenance on your air compressor, the longer it will last. Make sure that you are keeping maintenance a priority. For more information about maintaining or repairing your air compressor, contact a professional like those at Kruman Equipment Co.
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