When you have important work to do every day, you need your compressed air system to operate properly. A system that’s well taken care of will function better, last longer and save energy.
Fixing leaks
Did you know most compressed air systems have never been checked for leaks?
Even if you can’t hear leaks, your system probably still has them.
Most systems suffer an air loss of 20 to 30 percent because of leaks.
At 100 pounds per square inch (psi), an audible leak will use approximately $500 worth of electricity every year—per leak!
Leaks are most commonly found in shut-off valves, pipe joints, disconnects, couplings, hoses, fittings, gauges and pressure regulators.
An air leak detection analysis and routine maintenance could lead to significant financial savings.
Energy stats
Here are some facts about the energy your compressed air systems use:
- Changing the filter regularly can help reduce electricity use.
- Switching from non-synthetic compressor lubricants to synthetic lubricants can save 3 to 7 percent on energy costs.
- For every 2 psi over the required operation pressure, systems use 1 percent more energy.
- The average electric cost to operate an air compressor is $0.10 per horsepower per hour.
- Systems running pneumatic tools use five times more energy than running that same tool directly from electric power.
Staying safe
It’s important to maintain a safe work environment when using a compressed air system. Here are some tips:
- Never use compressed air to clean your body. At 12 psi, you could lose an eye.
- Use a pressure gauge when inflating tires to get the correct psi.
- Before conducting maintenance on your compressed air system, bleed the pressure to zero psi in the affected area.
- When not in use, isolate the loads with shut-off valves.
Incentives available
When you take into consideration that even the most basic upkeep of your compressed air systems results in energy and money savings,
you can see how essential it is to make these actions part of your routine maintenance practices.
We encourage you to take advantage of incentives offered by Focus on Energy to help manage your compressed air system.
For more information
Contact your energy adviser for more information or visit
www.focusonenergy.com/programs/agriculture-and-farms.
