Scroll down to browse the unsorted overview of articles.
This section is more like a blog where I talk about various specific subjects about compresesed air and air compressors.
Feel free to comment or request a specific topic!
Unload Running Explained
Industrial screw compressor have an operation state called 'unload running'. In this article we'll discover what this is, why it is necessary and some pro's and con's of unload running. Pressure regulation To understand why the compressor is designed with this operating mode 'unload',...
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Motor startup system (Star-Delta)
Industrial grade rotary screw air compressors are typically driven by a 3-phase asynchronous electrical motor. These motors range from 5 kW to 1000 kW or more. Because of the size of these motors, starting them up can result in a huge current surge, that can last for several seconds, or...
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Why Am I Wasting Money On Compressed Air?
Just recently I received a great questions in the Q&A section of my website. "We have a 500 cfm air compressor with loading setpoint of 5.5 bar and unloading setpoint of 7.0 bar. A consultant visited our site and said we are wasting 90k. What is wrong with these...
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Why have an air receiver anyways?
Why do compressed air systems need an air receiver anyway? They are bulky, take up a lot of room, costs money.. and they don't do much, or do they? Air receivers acts as a buffer, it stabilizes the air pressure and they are a backup storage for peak demands. Why would we want this?...
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Winter is coming…
The cold weather bring a particular set of problems to compressed air systems – and these problems start even before temperatures reach negative values (I’m talking degrees Celsius here). Now that temperatures are dropping, it’s time to do some basic checks on your system to prevent...
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'Oil Vomiting' Air Compressors
I’ve received two similar questions this week, about screw compressors with a very specific problem. I call this an ‘oil vomiting’ air compressor. It’s when oil flows back out through the inlet filter, at the time that a screw compressor stops. So, it’s a bit like vomiting. And if...
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Cheap filters vs OEM filters
Your compressed air filters need replacement… what do you choose? Those expensive OEM filters or a cheaper copy of them? Nowadays, for almost any brand and model of compressed air filter, there is a cheaper brand or no-name brand available. Those cheaper filter will fit perfectly in the...
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Water in Compressed Air Calculations
Water in Compressed Air Calculations To continue on the topic of ‘water in your compressed air’ (the other two articles are here and here), let’s examine how we can calculate the amount of water that is generated in a typical compressed air system. I promise, you will be surprised! ##...
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Air Dryers (and hidden costs of drying air)
Last article talked about water in your compressed air – a problem many of us will face in their compressed air system. So, what is the best way to avoid water in your compressed air? What kind of air dryer is the best? What should you pay attention to? How to remove water from...
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Water in your compressed air system
Most of you guys reading this have experienced it at one point: water in your compressed air system. In fact, it’s one of the most common problems with compressed air systems. Back when I was still a compressor mechanic, I once made a visit to a client for routine maintenance. Part of...
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