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’, we must first know how an air compressor regulates pressure. There …
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 more. For small air compressors …
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 setpoints?” So what did the consultant …
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? First, let’s …
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 problems. Cold weather can affect the air compressor itself, …
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 you’ve every seen it happen, it …
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 original filter housing. So, is it a …
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! What influences the amount of water …
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 compressed …
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 the job is …
In my last article, I quickly mentioned some of the energy wastes in compressed air systems. One of those was “inefficient compressed air production”? What do I mean by that? It all comes down to the following: Compressors are dumb. Yes, even those brand new compressors with LCD displays and 100s of settings. They are …
In my last article I talked about the cost of compressed air. And that you must ask yourself: do I REALLY need to use compressed air for my application? http://www.air-compressor-guide.com/blog/using-com… You see, compressed air is about 7 to 8 times more expensive than electricity. And this is something that you should remember any time you …
I know this might sound strange from a guy who’s all about compressed air… … but did you ever wonder WHY and IF you really need to use compressed air? It might have been a very bad decision to make use of compressed air for your tools, machines, actuators, etc. Sure, some applications DEMAND compressed …
Hi guys, Just a quick update. I just got back from a week long holiday in Hong Kong. Which was really awesome by the way. Very, very busy and I even spotted some big air compressors 🙂 (but no time to take a picture). So the emails have been piling up last weeks, since …
As amazing as this might sound to you.. I don’t have an air compressor! Yes, ‘Mr. Compressor’, who helps so many people with their compressor problems and questions everyday doesn’t even own an air compressor himself. I mean, I had a little air compressor in my car.. but that car got stolen! But seriously… I …
Hi, I’m working on creating several training courses about air compressors and compressed air. The just finished Air Compressor Troubleshooting Guide is very popular and besides making some money on that, I’m really happy to be able to help so many people with their compressor problems. Just the other day I received a message from …
I’ve been very busy the last few weeks with the hard copy version of my Air Compressor Troubleshooting Guide. Here’s a little update. Of course, I tried to make it the best possible, high quality book that I could, while still keeping the price low. Over the past few weeks I’ve been in contact with …
I have received a lot of requests for a hard-copy version of my troubleshooting guide. Right now, my popular air compressor troubleshooting guide (for rotary screw compressors) is only available in digital form (PDF download). People love it, but many would like to have a physical hard-copy version. For all of you.. I have good …
Yes! I did it. I just finished my latest and greatest guide: the Rotary Screw Air Compressor Troubleshooting Guide. It has taken some time longer than expected, but I wanted to be sure I covered all common air compressor problems in detail. Plus I have added many (many!) troubleshooting flowchart, which I think will be …
When we talk about air compressors and compressed air, we always talk about cooling. Compression of air generates a lot of heat. Therefore a compressor needs to be cooled. The produced compressed air is always hot. So, why do we need a compressed air heater? This has everything to do with preventing condensation of water …
Use a compressed air heater to protect your equipmentRead More »