A strong air pressure is necessary for a powerful machine. When air leaks from your tank or hosepipes, you’ll notice decreased pressure, which results in increased energy expenses, that can put your firm at a loss.
A number of different sources could cause an air leak. When your compressed air system is unable to provide enough pressure for a particular machine, the machine suffers. A compressor that is not properly maintained or has insufficient ventilation may not hold air due to overheating.
Air leakage can occur as a result of any barrier to airflow that takes place between the various components of a compressed air system. With these numerous reasons, let’s dive a little more into the topic.
Why is My Air Compressor Not Holding air?
As we have already talked about some of the prominent causes of air leakage, well before starting with the reasons in detail, the most ignored causes of an air leakage involve old filters that usually get neglected and don’t get cleaned after a certain time period. With that lubricators, regulators, and leaky drainages are some more to name. In such cases, it is advisable to repair or replace the worn-out components as soon as possible. Even minor maintenance, such as changing the air compressor filter, can make a significant difference in ensuring that your air compressor operates as efficiently as possible.
Here are some common reasons for air leakage that are discussed in detail:
1. Leakage from the dirty filters
At first, the most common reason that takes place is the dirty filters in the applications. You should examine the air intake filter first, as it is the main source of an air compressor. The majority of people do not check the filter completely and think that the air compressor has suffered big damage and rush to get the new one.
To examine the filter, you should remove the housing cover to examine it thoroughly. If the airflow is blocked by dirt in one of the tubes, a minor loss of air pressure may occur between the unit and the end-point application. If that is the case, one must manage time-to-time maintenance to ensure that your air compressor’s filters are clean. Filters should be replaced as often as recommended or necessary, depending on your climate.
2. Leakage from the air supply
Leaks are a frequent source of concern. It is the most convenient and simple step to check the air supply to make a sure step that your air demand limitations are set appropriately and to check the prominent leakages.
Moreover, with air supply, the fittings of the tube play the same role in holding the air, so that should be checked too whether they are tightly closed or loosened.
3. Leakage from the valves
In many machines, a compressed air system that is unable to generate sufficient pressure should inspect the valves on your equipment. You can determine oil passthrough by opening your drain valve and inspecting it for oily residue.
While every compressed air system that uses oil or lubricant will experience some oil carryover, the amount of oil that accumulates in the air tank should be small. Excessive oil carryover impairs the ability of a compressor to build pressure and leads to air leakage.
After inspecting the intake and drain valves, you should check the safety valve, as it is a critical valve that opens to alleviate excess air pressure.
4. Leakage from overheating
In this case, it is noticed when you turn off the air compressor while it is fully charged, the gauge drops, which means that you almost surely have an air leak, which is the most common type of air leak. In some cases, the compressor may even restart on its own in response to the situation.
5. Leakage from wear and tear
Factories are well-known for being physically demanding and punishing workplaces. The use of carts and other heavy equipment can cause damage to the compressed gas system during the course of a typical workday.
Punctures damaged seals, and cracked pipes can cause air leakage if you’re not careful with your vehicle.
Air leakage from unintended gaps in the building envelope results in a transfer of air between the outside and the inside of the building envelope.
6. Slow Leakage
You can discover certain leaks simply by listening to them as you pass past your air compressor system. To do so, walk around the compressor and any connections connected to it and listen for noise.
However, this is not always the greatest solution if you work in a noisy factory, plant, or body shop. If you are unable to locate the leak physically or audibly, consider soaping the compressor’s connections.
To begin, remove the pipe from the compressor coupler. Then, using a brush, apply a solution of dish soap and room temperature water to each compressor and coupler end. You may recognize a leak by the formation of bubbles at the point of leakage.
Conclusion:
Fortunately, leaks are simple to repair. To locate the leak’s source, listen for a hissing sound or run your fingertips over the component to feeling the air escape. If you are unable to detect the leak using the abovementioned ways, you can use liquid soap to flap the connections, including the couplers and power switch, to discover it. The presence of bubbling will identify the location of the leak.
Additionally, you can inspect the tank’s check valve. Typically, air leaks occur when the valve does not completely close. If the pressure gauge continues to drop after the tank is disconnected, evaluate the condition of the valve and clean or replace it as necessary. I hope now you have a better idea of why the air compressor fails to hold air.
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