How Can You Reduce the Cost of Compressed Air?
13 September 2022, Tuesday
Energy costs are responsible for up to 70% of the life cycle cost of a compressed air system. Efficiency and reliability of the system play a critical role in reducing the operational costs of a business. You can lower the cost of compressed air by paying attention to several points. In this article, we are going to mention how you can lower the cost of compressed air and the mistakes you make to reduce the costs.
What Should You Do to Reduce the Cost of Compressed Air?
It is possible to reduce compressed air costs. Strictly following the instructions we provide will allow you to significantly reduce the costs of compressed air and increase efficiency. Let’s take a look at the steps you can take to make savings.
First of all, you should regularly check the filter, which is a vital component of a compressed air system. The filter prevents dirty air from entering the machine and allows clean air free of dust and dirt in. Dust and dirt stick the outside of the filter, which clogs the filter in time. You cannot reduce the compressed air costs with a clogged filter. For this reason, the first element you should pay attention to is the filter without a doubt.
To save energy on a compressor, you should avoid turning the machine on and off constantly. Properly planning your work in advance and then running the compressors will provide huge energy savings. A compressor consumes the highest amount of energy during the first start.
To save energy on a compressor, make sure that you adjust the pressure according to your task. Let’s see what this means. Compressors are equipped with a pressure indicator and a valve that allows you to adjust the pressure. The purpose is to allow you to work with a pressure level that is suitable for your task and get energy efficiency. For this reason, you should make sure that you adjust the pressure to ensure energy efficiency when working with a compressor.
If there is more than one compressed air system at your business, you should use a central management system to control these compressed air systems. When there is more than one compressed air system at a business, a central system runs these systems in a planned manner. This plan ensures maximum efficiency. You should definitely try this method.
If you are using an air compressor and care about energy efficiency, you should ensure a complete and timely maintenance procedure for your compressor. An air compressor that is not maintained consumes 3 to 4 times more energy than a maintained one.
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is to leave the compressor on when not in use. Once you are done with the compressor, you should turn it off and make sure that it remains off. An air compressor that is not turned off will constantly consume energy.
You should constantly check the compressor system with your eyes and ears. If there is a leak in the system, it will not work efficiently. To prevent the leak from getting worse, you should stop using the compressor and eliminate the leak.
Another element that you need to check regularly on the compressor is the oil. Correct oil will ensure that the compressor runs properly. However, if the oil is old and needs replacing, it will not function. A system that runs on such old oil will consume more energy. Oil is an important element that you should not ignore. Because the damage it causes to the air compressor will not be visible and you will face significantly high costs suddenly.
Getting a compressor with the right capacity will provide energy savings as it will be a perfect fit for your work.
What Are the Steps You Take to Reduce Compressed Air Costs But Are Actually Mistakes?
One who thinks that they are not using the air compressor much or that it does not need maintenance will ignore maintenance. The maintenance that is not performed looks like money that is not spend but is actually a very big mistake. Because an unmaintained compressor tends to malfunction constantly. Plus, an unmaintained compressor will consume 3 to 4 times more energy.
Another mistake that we make thinking that we are reducing the costs is to constantly turn the air compressor on and off. The compressor consumes the highest amount of energy during the first start. So, constantly turning the compressor on and off will lead to significantly high amounts of energy. Moreover, a compressor that is turned on and off too many times tend to malfunction more.
Another mistake is to wipe the air filter with a cloth instead of replacing it. Usually, a user who sees that the filter of the compressor is dirty considers washing or wiping the filter. But neither of these options will clean the filter thoroughly. An air compressor working on a dirty filter will consume more energy.
It is a mistake if we check the oil and see that it is in a bad condition but keep using it anyway, thinking it will do our job for some more time. This mistake renders the compressor inefficient and causes the parts inside compressor to rub against each other and wear.
What Are the Signs That Your Compressed Air Costs Are High?
If you observe dust and dirt in the compressed air produced by your compressor this means that the air filter is full and your air compressor is not running efficiently.
If the compressed air system is running with a higher noise level than normal, this means that there is a problem with the oil. Oil problems will cause your compressed air system to consume too much energy.
If you think there is something weird in the way that your air compressor runs; i.e. if it is running with more vibration or shaking, this also indicates a problem. You should contact an authorized service provider immediately. If you missed the time for maintenance, your compressed air costs will be quite high.
If you are working with a compressor whose capacity is not suitable for your work, your energy consumption will be very high. Because you will have to run the compressor with more power and for longer hours so that it completes your task.
We’ve mentioned the points you should consider to save energy on a compressor. If you are able to strictly follow all of these rules, you will provide very high levels of energy efficiency. We’ve also talked in detail about the things that we think reduce compressed air costs but that actually increase them. Another point to consider here is to make sure that all of the maintenance procedures for the air compressor are completed.