Air Compressor Repair - Troubleshooting Leaks

Making sure your air compressor is always operating at its optimum is the most important thing you can do for your own projects and for the life of your machine. One of the most common things that can go wrong with compressed air systems is the development of leaks. Whether big or small, leaks cause your system to perform less efficiently and this can put unnecessary wear and tear on you unit.

How to Detect a Leak

Since leaking air is invisible, you will need to implement other methods of detecting it. You have two main options: a rather old school method which is dirt cheap but can be very time consuming, or a high tech method which can be costly but very fast and accurate.

The old school method is to simply apply soapy water with a little paintbrush and find it that way. Again, this can be a reliable method but usually is a bit too time consuming. And since time is money, you might as well spend a little in order to detect the leak in a much quicker fashion.

Ultrasonic acoustic detectors are the best and most accurate way to detect any leaks emanating from you air compressor. It is basically done with a portable unit that contains a directional microphone, audio filters, amplifiers and usually some kind of visual indicator which will alert the user that a leak has been found.

Fixing Leaks

Sometimes fixing a leak is as simple as tightening a connection. Other times, it can be difficult and require completely replacing faulty equipment such as hoses, drains and fittings. Often leaks occur by simply forgetting to clean threads or misapplication of thread sealant. A quick fix to this leak problem is to simply clean the threads and reapply the sealant. Often this will do the job and the leaks are gone for good.

A final and rather obvious solution to a leakage problem is to simply lower the pressure on the unit. Lower overall pressure will result in less air lost.

How to Prevent Future Leaks

There are two main things anyone can do to prevent air leakage. The first is to properly maintain the machine at all times. Make sure to keep your unit clean at all times will have a hugely positive impact on the efficiency of it by preventing leakage.

The second thing you should do is to take a baseline reading of your compressor. This will establish where you are as far as your system's efficiency, operational costs and reliability. Having this data will allow you to keep close tabs on any changes that occur as well as determine how to make positive adjustment in your machine's performance.

Do yourself and your air compressor a favor and take very good care of it. If you do it will run smoothly for many years.