For your air compressors to function properly, a great army of good and reliable air compressor accessories must be regularly maintained. These air compressor parts are very delicated, easy to break, or can get dirty and in need of serviced. If you use air compressor regularly, knowing about these accessories is very important, as you may want to describe your problem with the repairman.
Below is a very quick overview of the common Air Compressor accessories you might come across. Notice that not everything mentioned would be available on every compressor tools. Also, be sure to check out my air compressor maintenance tips, where we details common things you should take note dealing with these air compressor accessories.
Air Compressor Pressure Switch
A pressure switch exists in any air compressor, in one form or another. Its role is to determine when the air compressor runs or stops.
On a new model, the air compressor pressure swich works on sensor, so it automatically reads and display the pressures on an LCD screen, accompanied by a separate controller. For older or small and portable compressor, the air compressor pressure switch is purely manual. You have to set the set the lower and upper pressure volume by using two sets screws.
Air Compressor Oil
The oil is very essential for your air compressor, and it is of utmost importance to understand fully about air compressor oil. The oil could get very hot, but it is made to put up with such degree. So please please don’t use car oil for air compressor.
In sum, air compressor oil has these following use:
- Lubrication (make your machine runs smoothly)
- Take away heat from the compression process
- It blocks air leakage, which helps to maintain the efficiency of your air compressor.
Air Compressor Hose
The hose are most often accompanied when you get your air compressor. Anyway, sometimes, you wanna get a new hose as your current air compressor hose is wear and tear. Get a hose with better material and capabilities, so your compressor could run better.
For non-industrial tools, look for a hose from 1/4″ to 1″. For size, take a look at your compressor brands instruction booklet. As a rule of thumb, the higher air volume your tool need, a larger hose it will requires.
Air Compressor Tank (compressed air tank)
For tank, what you consider about is its size. A larger tank will help you store more compressed air, and thus helps your machine to run less regularly, leading to higher efficiency, help to increase the product life. The tank size is less of a concern if you just use your compressor for small air tools tasks.
A large tank will means more weight and more cost for you. Therefore, you should have a balance between a larger tank size and the lower cost and higher conveinece.
Air Compressor Check Valve
There are a wide range of valves in a compressor, each has its own purpose. Particularly, the air compressor check valve can be found in various locations, and each compressor has at least 2 of them, situated between the tank and the reciprocating compressor. Its role is to prevent any air to get back into the air compressor when the machine stops.
Air Compressor Filter
Very handy in preventing dust from entering your air compressors. Definitely worth an investment for a high quality filter, as a filled-with-dust air compressor will have lesser output capacity. As a result, you’ll have a higher energy bill – which could be much higher than your pay for a good air compressor filter in the first place.
So do remember to keep an eye on your compressor filter.
Air compressor water separator
As the name suggests, this piece helps to filter out water from your air compressor. They could also be able to remove oil and dirt from your system, but its main objective is still the water. The water is carefully trapped at the filter bottom.
The water, if trapped in your air compressor, will greatly reduce the machine’s efficiency. So make sure to perform the maintenance schedule to remove water out of your air compressor regularly.
Air compressor motors
Motors are used to power your air compressor. Each type of air compressor has different engine source. For example, small portable air compressors or stationary one runs on electric motor. Bigger compressors depends on gas and diesel engines for power. Industrial air compressors run in factories gets its source from the steam, as it could be considerably cheaper than electricity.
Always check for compatibility of kW and HorsePower (HP) when you intend to purchase an air compressor motor to replace. Also, take a look if the mechanic connections are fit with your current compressors.
Conclusion
So the above is the list of air compressor accessories that you should know about, and keep track on to get your air compressor smooth and running. Perform a monthly schedule maintenance would be enough to keep everything in good shape.
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