Why do you eat food? To stay alive. Just like that, oil is mandatory for the life of an oil-lubed air compressor.
The life cycle of your air compressor depends on how good you take care of it.
Regularly changing oil is the right way to look after your machine.
Not to mention the simplest way to keep the unit in perfect working condition.
The question is how to change the oil of an air compressor in a fuss-free manner?
Don’t panic, the process isn’t challenging and time-consuming.
We prepared this guide to help you do the job properly and in less time.
A little bit of your time every couple of months will go a long way to improve the efficiency and performance of your compressor.
Give the following steps a read to know how you can replace the oil of the air compressor without professional help.
Contents
How to Change Air Compressor Oil
Here’s a step by step guide that will help you change the oil in your air compressor without causing a mess. What you need to do is;
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Warm the Air Compressor
Place the air compressor under the sun or turn it on for a while to warm the unit.
This will warm the old oil inside the unit as well, reducing its viscosity. As a result, the lubricant will easily flow out of the system.
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Fill Cap
Unscrew the fill cap to let the air enter into the machine to properly ventilate it.
Otherwise, a vacuum will form in the port and the efficiency of the lubrication process will be damaged.
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Drain the Old Oil
Place some kind of sheet under the compressor to avoid staining the floor.
Carefully position a container under the drain valve to collect the waste oil.
Now, unscrew the drain plug to let the oil come out. It will take some time to drain off the last drop of the oil. So, don’t rush.
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Drain Plug
Once the machine is completely void of oil, put the drain plug back in its place.
Wipe oil residue from the floor to know about leakage, if there’s any.
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Pour Fresh Oil
Refill the fill port with fresh air compressor oil. Use some kind of a funnel and keep your hands steady to avoid spillage.
Make sure the pump is filled to the recommended level.
Air compressors usually come with a sight glass or a dipstick to observe the oil level.
Keep a close eye on it to make sure you pour the required amount of lubricant.
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Place the Oil Fill Cap Back
Once the crankcase is filled to the specified level, place the oil fill plug back. Tighten it with your hand.
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Mission Accomplished
Congratulations! You’ve successfully replaced the oil. Properly dispose of the waste oil.
What Type of Oil to Pour in the Air Compressor?
Air compressors differ in type and construction based on the brand and model.
Thus, lubricating oil also differs accordingly. A safe and easy way to choose the right lubricating oil is to take help from the compressor’s manual.
The specified type of lubricant will have accurate viscosity and oxidation stability.
It will also prevent carbon buildup. This will not only expand the unit’s lifespan but also promote better performance.
Note: It’s a myth that air compressor oil is similar to a motor or engine oil.
Although synthetic, pouring the wrong lubricant will give you oil-related issues and badly affect the efficiency and performance of your machine.
How Frequently Should You Change Oil?
You regularly change the oil of your car to keep its engine in tip-top condition to get a lot of mileage.
Similarly, air compressor oil also needs to be changed after a specific period to retain efficiency and increase its service life.
Once again, your compressor’s manual will help you out.
It will tell how soon should you fill the machine with fresh oil.
DIY type small air compressor needs oil change once in a year or after every six months, depending on your usage.
On the other hand, it is ideal to replace oil after 300 hours of operation in the case of an industrial air compressor.
We would still advise you to take a look at the manual to know the manufacturer’s recommended service interval.
Conclusion
Changing the oil of your air compressor isn’t challenging. But, it can get messy if not handled carefully.
However, if done the right way, you can save yourself a lot of trouble in the future.
This guide showed you how you can replenish your compressor with fresh oil in a short time and mess-free manner.
Do it on a routine basis to keep the unit functional for a long long time.
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