Within a production building, the compressed air system, including compressors, is used for all machines during the entire production process. Checking how your compressor work is mandatory to increase efficiency. If you aim to reduce the possible costs of the compressor, you should schedule maintenance services and prepare for winter temperatures.
Planning all activities to get ready for cold temperatures is mandatory to avoid possible damage and, thus, to optimise performance and the air compressor’ working status. In this article, we get into some activities to prepare for the winter season.
Why should you prepare your air compressor for cold temperatures?
Getting your air compressor ready to face cold weather provides more advantages in the mid-and long period: you will avoid possible breakdowns and reduce sudden costs. The main benefits are:
· Reduced expenses on power bills: following the right operations to prepare your compressor and the entire compressed air system contributes to reduce your expenses related to energy consumption.
· Working time: as the compressor works correctly during the winter period, stop moments and related costs decrease.
· Minimising the risk of damages: compressor’s general maintenance reduces possible damages caused by frozen moisture and repair costs and stops moments.
How to protect your compressor from cold temperatures in 6 steps
To get ready to winter temperatures, you can take the following actions:
· Be sure that your compressor is working in a place with more than 5°C
· Check the insulations of your compressor’s garnishes and tanks
· Be careful of moisture: it may freeze
· Regulate the heat expulsion system
· Have a look at the oil temperature
· Schedule your compressor’s maintenance strategically
Be sure that your compressor is working in a place with more than 5°C
The air compressor’s room should be isolated or heated in order to grant the minimum temperature of 5°C. Having a look at the manuals to be sure about the ambient temperature for your machine is always a good idea. Heating the room is way safer than a small movable electric heater, which can cause blazes.
Check the insulations of your compressor’s garnishes and tanks
Insulate pipelines and tanks, you keep their temperature higher than 0°C, avoiding ice within pipes. Take your time to inspect the most critical points carefully and avoid damages and huge costs.
Make sure the moisture doesn't freeze
During the winter, humidity and moisture within the compressed air system may freeze. Planning weekly controls and draining moisture in the correct way is fundamental to avoid possible damage not only to the compressor but also to the entire compressed air system.
Applying to condense drainers is a very good idea. You can choose between mechanical, timing or electronic ones, which can drain only water, without wasting air.
Regulate the heat expulsion system
In the winter season, you should always check the heat expulsion system. This system can be regulated to use the heat from the compression to warm the compressor’s room.
Have a look at the oil temperature
Keeping the oil temperature under control is always a good idea. If the external temperature drops, as usual in winter, also the oil temperature can diminish, causing possible damage to the engine.
Schedule your compressor’s maintenance strategically
To protect your compressor, check your compressor components’ status and be sure that they can afford the daily workload. This rule is true for the entire year, regardless of the external temperature. You have to schedule every maintenance service after a certain amount of working hours, according to your compressors set ups.
Get in touch with the expert and optimise your compressor
Ceccato offers several solutions to optimise your compressor and compressed air system’s performance as well as to avoid possible damages. Get in touch with the expert for a free audit.
