You have made the big step, and invested into air tools, or possibly a paint gun, so you can start doing more work for yourself, or to try and make some side cash working on cars and trucks yourself. To power those amazing air tools, you will need an air compressor. You need this air compressor to be reliable, and function at its best. Until it breaks. This problem often occurs because it is an easy oversight to never check, maintain, clean or perform general maintenance on your air compressors. With the proper care, a typical air compressor with a small compression engine can last decades and decades.
Tip Number One: Always Read Your Owners Manual
You can’t find any information about the brand of your air compressor, than from the manufacturer. They are the ones who innovated, designed, assembled, and distributed the air compressors in the first place. Taking that valuable information that already comes in the box with your air compressor is vital to the proper care and instructions on certain procedures in the event of a failure or breakdown. However, just in case you decide you want to take our words for it, I took both research, and real life events to write this article for you.
Tip Number Two: Check Your Air Compressor Hoses
When the air pressure in your tank(s) drop below a certain PSI, a switch engages that turns the air compressor motor on, to refill the air in the tanks. Meaning a constant running of the air compressor motor if there is air leaking out somewhere. The first place you need to check is your air hoses, and do this frequently. Every month, you need to dedicate a day, that will be used for checking all of your tools, including your air compressor and air compressor hoses. Constant exposure to heat, cold, weather, elements can break the air compressor hose material down, making the material weak. Anything could possibly be a cause for a air hole or tear in the air compressor hose.
Tip Number Three: Drain Condensation Water
If you live in a very humid climate, and use your air compressor frequently, water can condense, filling up the internal part of your air tank. Its very important to check these tanks weekly. Before you move forward with removing the air compressor tank condensation or water, use the air release valve, so no pressure is built up in the process.
Tip Number Four: Check Air Filter/Intake Vents In Air Compressor Motor
Imagine only breathing through your mouth, and then all of a sudden, take a straw, and try breathing through that only. Feel how restricted the air flow is? That is exactly how an engine feels when there are blockages, dirt or grime in the air filter or intake vents, which allows the air compressor motor to breathe clean, fresh air. Failing to properly check, clean, or replace your air filter, or a clearing out any possible blockages in the air compressor intake vents, will make your air compressor engine work harder. When your air compressor engine works harder, the efficiency, reliability, and over all life duration drops dramatically.
Tip Number Five: Tighten All Nuts, Bolts, and Screws
Over time, when your air compressor motor is running, this causes vibrations, movement, and wear. This can cause a number of your nuts, bolts, or screws to vibrate themselves loose. This runs the risk of a vital parts failing, breaking, or becoming damaged over time. Do a periodic check of everything to see if anything has came loose. What could it hurt right?
Tip Number Six: Always Use Clean Fuel and Clean Fuel Tank
Sometimes we have no control over the quality of gas we pump up into our fuel cans. If your air compressor uses a fuel to run the air compressor motor, every 1000 hours of use, allow the fuel tank to run dry, and simply do a quick wipe down with a clean cloth. This will insure any type of debris, dirt, or dust inside the air compressors fuel tank will be removed. If you do not intend to use your air compressor for a long period of time, you can empty the fuel tank on your air compressor motor, or place an additive in the fuel tank, with the fuel, to keep it good and stable until you desire to use it next. Seafoam is a consumer additive, that can be added to oil or fuel, to clean and protect. It is also used on a number of applications such as: cars, trucks, boats, trimmers, motorcycles, or anything with a motor.
Tip Number Seven: Check and Change Your Air Compressor Oil
Constant running of your air compressor, causes friction inside the air compressor’s motor. Periodically check the air compressor oil level, to insure it has enough inside to properly lubricate. Over time, the air compressor oil that is inside, keeping all moving parts lubricated properly, will slowly break down. Just like the engine oil inside of your car or truck. Every 1000 or so hours, you need to properly change the air compressor oil. If you took our advice from tip number one, your owners manual will give you the exact type of air compressor oil that will work perfectly with your air compressor motor.
Tip Number Eight: Change Separator Element:
Your air compressor’s separator element’s primary function is to prevent your air compressor motor to use to much oil. Over lubrication, can cause to much internal pressure, and quicker breakdowns of the air compressor’s oil. Prolonging this symptom, causes the quality of the air compressors motor to decrease, and shorten its running life. If you ever need to replace the separator element, look up the serial number of your air compressor to make sure you get the proper part.
Tip Number Nine: Properly Clean Every Part Of Your Air Compressor:
Periodically check your heat exchange on the air compressor. Your air compressor will not work properly if the heat exchanger’s are covered in dirt, grease, grime, or foreign materials. Reduction in your air compressor’s operating temperature insures it will not burn up, over work itself, and not last long at all. Keeping other parts of your air compressor clean and free of dust, and other things insures the protection of all valves, performance, durability and power. People in general hardly ever think they need to do any of these simple things, and we often see quality, and great running air compressor’s die to quickly due to negligence of proper care. It can save you hundreds of dollars simply taking 5 minutes a month to perform these tips and tricks we described in this article.
Where Can I Purchase Quality Air Compressors?
There are many different types of air compressors out on the market today. Depending on the level of use, and requirements you demand from an air compressor determines the type you will need.
Portable Air Compressors
These portable air compressors can be purchased on amazon for cheap prices, and they work very well for emergency situations. They utilize an electric motor, that compresses air directly into the hose. Which is a great function if the time duration of use is short. You can use portable air compressors to air up bicycle tires, soccer balls, swimming pool inflatables, or your car tire up to a certain number of PSI.
Compact Air Compressors
The typical compact air compressor is a smaller in size air compressor. An electric motor, that is large in size, mounted on a tank, that uses only air compressor oil. These plug right into a standard wall plug in socket. These are perfect for small jobs, and tools that do not require a large amount of PSI to use. Typical air inflation tools such as paint guns, grinders, or sanders will utilize and work perfectly on these air compressors.
Large Engine Powered Air Compressors
These air compressors have very large, gas powered engines, that compresses large tanks and these types of air compressors are used in commercial settings, such as tire replacement garages, where they are constantly running multiple air tools, impacts, and ratchets. Also inflating automobile tires quickly, allowing jobs to be finished quickly, so they can help the next customer who is in need. Because of how much shipping costs would be, we still think you will get amazing deals purchasing one of these air compressors on Amazon.
Conclusion
Air compressors can play a very large role in the success for your small garage, or major auto shop, body shop, or agricultural applications. However, proper care of these tools and the tools they power, will insure that everything will run properly, help you get jobs done quicker, and the outcome will be better than the alternative. It is very important to remember to plan ahead, and know up front how much storage or power you will need of an air compressor you will be needing. If you only intend to use air tools periodically, doing simple work around your home or garage, then that would justify getting a compact, smaller air compressor compared to the very large storage style air compressor. Every application is different, and not all air compressors are the same. Please take our tips and tricks and use them to help keep a well maintained air compressor, because they are beautiful machines after all.