Defining Redundancy

Redundancy is a term in the compressed air world that defines a second air compressor that operates in parallel with the primary air compressor. Both compressors share the demand so that if the primary compressor fails, the second compressor can handle the full load, mitigating the risk of downtime.

Benefits of Redundancy

Minimize Downtime During Primary Compressor Failure

Unplanned downtime can lead to loss of production and lost employee wages, causing costly consequences. Having a second compressor that can jump in and go to work as soon as the primary compressor fails, helps protect your operation’s efficiency and decrease downtime- thus saving you money.

Increased ROI & Production

Once the initial investment of a second compressor is made, you will start to see a quick ROI in the form of saved money and production in the event of an emergency shutdown or failure on your primary compressor or during scheduled maintenance on the primary compressor that requires it to be shut off. Obtaining the ability to immediately switch power sources, whether it be for an unplanned event or planned event, increases your production capabilities and thus your ROI.

Allows for Maintenance

To maintain your compressors’ quality, it is important to perform regular maintenance on them. If you have two compressors, this allows more options for maintenance to be performed on your primary compressor, without losing production time or having to perform services on off hours/days. This is especially important for those businesses that run a 24/7 operation, requiring compressed air all the time. The load can be switched to the backup compressor, allowing for continued production while performing maintenance on the primary machine.

Added Redundancy Allows Workload Sharing

Your second compressor system doesn’t have to sit by collecting dust and waiting for your primary to shut down. Instead, your backup compressor can share some of the load between both the machines, meaning both machines can be working and thus receive plenty of rest time by sharing the load. This helps extend both machines’ life spans and provides monetary savings in the long run.

“Better Safe Than Sorry”

At the end of the day, the upfront investment is nothing compared to the risk of an unplanned shutdown. Even new machines can be presented with surprise circumstances that may call for emergency service with an unknown timeline of being shut off. It is because of this small, unknown risk that makes the statement, “better safe than sorry,” so applicable in obtaining a second compressor. Those adding redundancy to their system never have regrets about it, but those who avoid redundancy to save a few dollars up front, generally end up regretting that decision in the long run. 

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.

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