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Hot weather can be extremely damaging to air compressors, especially when coupled with high humidity. A summer air compressor service will help your equipment cope with high temperatures.
Most air compressors are designed to operate in ambient temperatures, ranging from 5C to 40C. While the highest outside temperature ever measured by the Met Office in the UK remains 38.5C, temperatures inside a plant room can exceed that figure in warm weather.
Air compressors can release up to 80% of the energy they use as heat. If this heat is then released back into a badly ventilated room, which contains other machines also producing heat, your air compressor could soon find itself in an extremely damaging environment.
High temperatures and humidity can lead to several issues, including:
At best, these issues will reduce the energy efficiency of your air compressor, increasing your costs and environmental damage.
At worst, your air compressor will shut down, leading to a costly repair bill and potentially forcing operations to cease.
Booking an air compressor service during warmer weather will ensure that your systems are working at maximum capacity. It will also dramatically reduce the likelihood of failure.
Cooling fans – these prevent the compressor from overheating. Your engineer will ensure they are free of dust and other particles that can clog them up.
Drains – hot weather and humidity increases the amount of condensate released by an air compressor. Your engineer will check this is being correctly discharged by the drains and correct any faults.
Oil and oil filters – heat can affect the efficacy and operating life of the oil, and dirty oil filters can result in increased energy usage. An experienced air compressor engineer will be able to recommend the right oil for the temperature of the air compressor operation and ensure that the oil and filters are clean.
Cooling water systems – warm weather can affect the dew point of compressed air, so air blast systems require regular checking and cleaning.
Refrigeration dryers – again, these require regular servicing as they can be affected by high temperatures in the surrounding area, leading to condensate gathering in the pipework.
Pipework – leaky pipework requires your air compressor to work harder, generating more heat. Pipework can be checked and repaired by a service engineer.
It is generally always an option to increase ventilation in your plant room. You can do so by installing a fan and checking that none of your air vents are blocked by dirt, dust, or outside vegetation.
If you add more heat-generating equipment to your plant room, make sure you increase ventilation accordingly.
Finally, hot air from the air compressor can be released outside through a duct – this is particularly recommended for units located in small spaces.
For more information on a summer air compressor service fill out our online contact form or give us a call on 01422 321 772 (Brighouse) or 0114 244 0764 (Sheffield). We’ll arrange a suitable time to send out one of our qualified service engineers.
We also offer a genuine 24/7 call out service to help you out of a fix.
