Home Air compressors How often should I drain my air compressor

Proper maintenance of an air compressor is a guarantee of quality and flawless operation over the entire service life. Here are the standard rules that also include the drain of the water and how often this should be held.

The device should work only in a dry and clean, and most importantly – on the even surface. The location of the unit in any position except clearly horizontal will lead to premature wear of the moving parts of the device since the oil, in this case, will not be distributed properly.

Run the compressor for an hour and then tighten the fasteners. The oil change is one of the important components of regular compressor maintenance. The frequency of this process is set by manufacturers in accordance with the needs of each model. You can see these recommendations in the instructions for the device. On average, the oil should be replaced for the first time after 100 working hours, then after every 300 hours of operation. Do not be lazy to check the oil level from time to time.

In the process of using the compressor, water condensate collects with impurities of oil particles and wear products of the device, due to which the air at the outlet is too humid. In order to avoid this, experts recommend draining excess moisture once a week.

To do this, turn off the unit, open the air valve so that the pressure in the receiver drops, then unscrew the plug and drain the water.

In addition to pure water, condensate may also contain harmful impurities. Environmental regulations require the disposal of drained liquids. Therefore, with a large volume of condensate, it is necessary to use special devices – separators for separating condensate into oil and clean water. When using them, it is possible to drain the condensate in the form of purified water directly into the sewer.

The inlet air resistance should be minimal, so be sure to blow out the air filter at least occasionally.

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