12 Days of Compressed Air Maintenance

On the First Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me:

Replace Your Air Filters

Air filters can become dirty and clogged up fast, as they are one of the first lines of defense to catch contaminants before they enter the system. When these filters become too dirty and clogged with debris, the air will be unable to flow through fully, causing a loss of efficiency, reduced performance, excessive energy consumption, and ultimately a higher operating cost. It is important that air filters are being replaced annually or as recommended by your compressed air professional and the manufacturer. You can maintain filters by regularly cleaning them to clear the debris.

Zorn carries an extensive stock of filters and parts for quick, reliable replacement options. 

On the Second Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me: 

Inspect Your Lubricant

Regularly monitoring your oil level and quality will help keep your system running smoothly. Over time and in extreme temperatures, the quality and viscosity of your oil can degrade and become ineffective for your system. It is important to not only keep your oil topped off to the proper level, but to ensure it has the quality required by your manufacturer for your machine.

Zorn maintains a large stock of high-quality lubricant types for your convenience.

On the Third Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me:

Drain Excess Moisture

Condensation naturally occurs with the temperature changes that come with the compression process. This condensation can add up and collect in various drains and tanks in your system. It is important to frequently drain this excess moisture to prevent it from reentering the airlines or causing rust to build up.

On the Fourth Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me: 

Inspect for Air Leaks

Air leaks are one of the largest causes of inefficiency and pressure loss in a compressed air system. This issue also leads to excess energy consumption that equates to wasted, higher operating costs. Listen and feel for any air escaping any accidental opening throughout your entire system. If you locate one, repair it immediately, as leaks can grow fast and even small leaks lead to major efficiency losses. 

If you suspect a leak but cannot locate it, call Zorn in to perform an ultrasonic leak detection. 

On the Fifth Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me: 

Clean Surrounding Environment

The environment your air compressor is located in has a major impact on the quality of the air your compressor pulls in. It is important to always keep the area around and the surfaces on your compressor clean. Routine cleaning such as sweeping, dusting, and mopping will help ensure a clean environment that has reduced contaminants that could possibly enter your compressed air lines. You will also want to ensure that the area is well ventilated with no blockages or excess debris. 

On the Sixth Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me: 

Test Safety Valves 

Safety valves are crucial parts of your system that protect any facility workers from harm and relieve any excess pressure. If these valves are not operating properly, over-pressurization may occur, causing equipment to fail and potentially causing a major safety risk to your employees. Checking for leaks, replacing internal components, and testing valve response are all tasks necessary to test your safety valves. This should be done annually at a minimum.  

On the Seventh Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me:

Inspect Moving Internal Parts

The inner workings of an air compressor are working hard to maintain system efficiency, which means they receive lots of wear and tear and may need to be repaired or replaced over time.  Maintaining lubrication for these parts is the first step to ensuring their longevity. When inspecting these parts, if anything is not operating the way it should or appears to have signs of excessive wear and tear, it is time to call a professional to either repair the piece or replace it all together.

Zorn has an extensive stock of OEM and after-market parts with quick ship times for all your needs. 

On the Eighth Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me: 

Monitor & Adjust Pressure Settings 

The pressure controls on your air compressor are crucial to regulating the correct output for your intended operations. After time and lots of use, these controls can shift and no longer be set to the proper settings needed for your machine and operations. Contaminants and electrical changes can also cause this shift to happen. This can cause your compressor to either overproduce or underproduce air, directly affecting your production and energy consumption. Regularly monitoring and having a professional recalibrate your pressure settings will optimize your system’s performance and maximize its lifespan while also saving energy! 

On the Ninth Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me:

Maintain Intake Valves & Drains 

Any intake part or exit part, can receive a lot of contaminants in the form of oil, debris, or moisture that can cause excessive wear and tear, ultimately leading to maloperation. Intake valves, vents, and filters can become dirty from collecting and prevent debris from entering the system. If these parts become fully blocked, the air will not be able to flow through at all. Exit parts such as drains, whether automatic or not, need to be monitored for proper functioning and emptied if they become full of moisture or contaminants. Maintaining these parts should happen weekly, as contaminant buildup can happen fast. 

On the Tenth Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me:

Tighten Loosened Bolts & Fasteners

Over time, the vibrations and inner workings of your compressor can cause parts to loosen- especially bolts and fasteners. It is imperative to frequently inspect and tighten bolts and fasteners to ensure they do not become too loose or fall off altogether, causing more serious internal issues that can impact your system’s performance. 

On the Eleventh Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me:

Inspect Cooling Systems

Your cooling systems are crucial to maintaining high air quality and assisting in the proper functioning of your air compressor. These units aim to maintain optimal operating temperatures and prevent overheating, so it is essential that you regularly maintain these pieces of equipment to ensure maximum efficiency of your entire system. 

On the Twelfth Day of Compressed Air Maintenance, Zorn Recommended to Me:

Call Zorn Compressor & Equipment to Schedule Regular Maintenance!

Lastly, and most importantly, have a certified Zorn technician scheduled to regularly inspect your air compressor system and perform routine maintenance to ensure your system is maximizing efficiencies and its longevity. This routine maintenance should happen at least once a year to identify and address any potential issues. Zorn Compressor also offers custom tailored maintenance agreements unique to each customer to keep your compressed air system in tip-top shape while taking the work off of your shoulders. 

ZORN'S PROMISE

Zorn is the Midwest leader of custom, engineered compressed air and vacuum solutions. We provide the best customer experience by understanding your applications and needs and offering an unparalleled commitment to customer satisfaction. 

Our comprehensive product and service solutions keep you running 24/7.

• Reliable equipment
• Trusted brands
• Seamless, easy installation
• Post-sales support
• Local, 24/7 service

Our compressed air experts look forward to meeting you to discuss your equipment and support needs. Please contact us directly at (262) 695-7000 with any questions or to schedule service for your system moving forward.

Related Resources

• Spooky Compressed Air Warning Signs to Pay Attention To
• 10 Common Compressed Air Myths: Busted!
• Spring Cleaning Checklist For Compressed Air
• Air Compressor Dew Point 101
• Zorn Compressor Contractor Brochure
• Heat Recovery 101
• Air Compressor Applications in Toy Manufacturing
• How Industrial Air Compressors Are Different
• Trick or Treat: How Compressed Air Gives Us Halloween Candy!
• Technical Solutions Group

< Return to Resources