Does Your Facility Have A Bunch Of Little Issues? Condensation May Be The Reason
Posted on: 7 April 2021
Does it seem like your facility is having a wave of little, annoying issues, like paint that seems to peel off, excessive vibration in some machinery, air quality issues, circuitry problems, and so on? If your facility has a lot of equipment that relies on compressed air, you may have a condensation problem. Condensation is a normal byproduct that air compressors produce, but improper handling of the condensation can lead to problems. Note that if you don't see water leaking out anywhere, that doesn't mean you don't have a condensation problem.
Compressing Air Removes Moisture, but the Moisture Has to Go Somewhere
Industrial air compressors remove moisture from the air, similar to how an air conditioning compressor removes moisture from the air it cools. That moisture condenses out of the air, but the moisture needs to go somewhere. If moisture is never removed from the system, it can overflow any containment and start to affect the rest of the machinery. It can also affect how well the compressor removes additional moisture as it continues to compress air.
Excess Moisture, Corrosion, and Deterioration
That excess moisture can affect paint quality, mess with circuitry, cause oil and other lubrication materials to be unevenly distributed (or even washed away), and more. Mold and mildew may become a problem, too. The air quality in the equipment can take a dive as well, and pipes and connectors can deteriorate with the constant exposure to moisture. In other words, this isn't a harmless puddle of water.
Maintenance Should Always Include Emptying and Proper Disposal of Water
Any maintenance you have done on the air compressor should always include draining the water out of the condensation tank and drying out the compressor system. There are special air dryers you can get, or you can have the maintenance crew working on the compressor bring a dryer with them. The water has to be disposed of properly, too, as it may be contaminated with lubricant or other materials it picked up inside the compressor.
Even if you don't have any maintenance scheduled, you should check the condensation tank regularly. This is something that can both be easily forgotten when there's a rush project on, and that can fill up faster than you'd realized.
If you're not sure what to look for or if you'd like to know more about air drying, the maintenance team you hire to care for the air compressor can give you more information about air compressor maintenance. This simple task of cleaning out the condensation will help preserve the equipment in your facility.
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