Air Compressor Maintenance Checklist
Having a proper maintenance schedule will extend the life of your air compressor by several years. There are several things that you can do to ensure that your air compressor is always operating optimally and efficiently.
The major points in the air compressor maintenance checklist are draining the liquid from the tank regularly, checking all fasteners and electrical connections, maintaining the air filters, and replenishing fluid levels when necessary.
There are many preventative and daily maintenance procedures that you can follow to ensure the longest possible lifespan out of your air compressor. This guide will provide details on the different maintenance procedures that you should get in the habit of.
Air Compressor Preventative Maintenance Checklist
Preventative maintenance involves staying on top of the fluid levels in the tank, maintaining the filters and oil levels, as well as many other procedures that you can execute to stay on top of your air compressor’s routine maintenance schedule.
This section below will provide details on the most important and effective preventative maintenance that you can perform on your air compressor. The maintenance procedures listed here should be carried out regularly to ensure a long lifespan of your air compressor.
Drain Liquid From Compressor Tank
When air is compressed, water vapor will eventually condense into a liquid. This condensation will form pools of water inside the tank of your air compressor. This can cause issues with rust and air contamination.
Because of this, it is important that you regularly drain the water from the air compressor’s tank to avoid this buildup. It is generally recommended that you drain your air compressor’s tank after each use. To drain your air compressor’s tank of water, you should first ensure that the compressor is turned off.
Once you have turned the compressor off, locate your tank’s relief valve and open it until the tank is drained to at least 30 PSI or less. This will help force out any excess liquid that has pooled in the tank of your air compressor.
Check And Tighten All Fasteners
During operation, air compressors typically vibrate heavily and can cause nuts, bolts, and screw to loosen over time. When this happens, your air compressor could be more prone to noisy operation, leaks, and other issues that can affect your air compressor’s pressure ratings.
You should check all of these components regularly to ensure they are tightened all the way and that no air is leaking out of them.
Check And Tighten All Electrical Connections
These same operating vibrations could also cause some electrical connections located in your air compressor to become loose. This will lead to short-circuiting or complete unit failure due to a lack of proper power.
You should regularly check the wiring of your compressor to ensure that everything is secure. The guidelines for checking the electrical components of your air compressor will be detailed in your user manual for your machine.
Generally, unless you are extremely experienced working with air compressors and electrical components, it is best to hire a professional to check out your compressor’s electrical components.
Inspect All Hoses And Connectors
Hoses are the most common component of an air compression system to become damaged and degraded over time. Because the hoses of your compressed air system typically get handled often, they are prone to rips, tears, and kinks.
You should replace any damaged hoses with new ones and check for leaks in the hose connectors during this process as well. This will ensure that your hosing is working as it should.
Clean All External Components
You should ensure that all external components, including the air compressor tank, are free of debris and dust. Any type of debris that comes into contact with your air compressor should be regularly cleared to avoid the buildup that could cause your air compressor to not work properly.
Maintain Air Filters
The air filters in your air compressor are one of the most important components when it comes to ensuring proper functionality. If your air filters are dirty and clogged with debris, you will likely experience airflow and pressure issues while using your compressor.
You can avoid this by regularly cleaning and replacing your air filters when necessary. Generally, you can manually clear the debris from an air filter and use it again for some time. Eventually, the air filter will need to be replaced.
Replenish Oil Levels
Another important part of routine maintenance is checking the oil levels in your air compressor. You should try and check the oil levels before every usage of your air compressor. This will keep you from potentially using your air compressor with too little or too much oil.
Too much oil can cause overflow issues and result in oil being spilled into parts of the air compressor where it does not belong. Too little oil will cause your air compressor to have trouble running. If you are running low on oil, you should add some to avoid these issues.
Change Oil If Necessary
If the oil in your air compressor has not been completely changed in a while, you should consider doing a full oil change to improve your air compressor’s performance. Over time, the oil will become less pure and less efficient at lubricating the internals of your compressor.
To avoid the issues that arise from using old oil, you should regularly change the oil out completely. It is recommended that you do this at least once every three months. You could find that you need to change to oil more often depending on your frequency of use.
Change The Oil Filter And Air/Oil Separator As Needed
Just like the air filters inside your compressor, the oil filter and the air/oil separator will need to be cleaned and changed regularly. Your oil filter will not work efficiently to clean the oil that is being used in your compressor if it is too old or dirty.
By the same token, if your air/oil separator is dirty and clogged, you could experience issues with the air and oil ratio in your compressor.
Test Safety Features
You should test all of your air compressors’ safety features to ensure that they are working properly. These safety features are designed to keep both you and your air compressor safe in the event of an electrical malfunction or serious overheating.
Since there is high pressure involved, it is important that you test these safety features regularly. The method for testing these features will depend on the air compressor you have. Generally, the instructions for these types of tests can be found in the user manual for your air compressor.
Inspect Belts If Necessary
If your compressor uses a belt-drive system, you should inspect the belt regularly to ensure that it is connected and working properly. Belts are one of the most common things to require replacement inside of an air compressor.
How Often Should You Service Your Air Compressor?
You should service your air compressor at least once every three months to ensure that it is healthy and running optimally. That being said, the exact timeframe for servicing your air compressor will depend on how much you use it.
In some cases, annual servicing can be appropriate but for air compressors that see much more usage, you can expect to need to service them much more often.
Air Compressor Maintenance Schedule Checklist
The next section of this guide will focus on the different maintenance checklist items that you should carry out daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. This can help you set up an effective maintenance schedule for your air compressor that will ensure it has a long lifespan.
Daily
You should drain all of the water from your air compressor’s tank daily, especially if you use it frequently. This will help you avoid water buildup that could cause rust and air contamination. You should also check daily for any obvious leaks in oil or air pressure.
Finally, you should make a point to inspect the hoses of your compressed air system daily. This can help you identify and leaks in your hosing that could cause a loss of air pressure.
Weekly
You should check the oil level in your air compressor on a weekly basis. This will ensure that you never attempt to operate the air compressor without the proper amount of oil. When you notice the oil levels starting to diminish, you should top it off or change it entirely.
Monthly
You should tighten all of the fasteners and electrical components on a weekly basis. You should also clean all of the external components and air paths at least once a month. This will help you avoid air leaks and identify any signs of electrical shortages.
Annually
The oil/air separator should be changed at least once every year. This will ensure that the air and oil ratio stays optimal in your compressed air system. You should also consider cleaning the fuel tank at least once annually to clear any debris buildup.
Final Thoughts
This guide has provided you with all of the information you need to start an air compressor maintenance routine that will ensure your compressor has a long and healthy life. Use the information provided for you here help you mark off the different maintenance procedures you shoul
