Air compressors are vital for many businesses, and it’s always worth making sure they work properly. If you don’t, you could run into multiple issues. One of the more common maintenance tasks for these is changing the oil in your air compressor.
When Should You Change Compressor Oil?
In general, you should change your air compressor’s oil after every 100 to 200 hours which equates to every few months. While that seems straightforward, it is quite a large range of time and there are other factors that can impact how specific you need to be.
The actual answer depends on multiple factors such as the kind of air compressor you have and how often you use it. The owner’s manual you received when you bought the air compressor will give you much more specific information.
Risks of Low Compressor Oil
Changing your air compressor’s oil often takes a bit of time and effort as you have to completely drain the oil out before replacing it. Air compressor oil’s primary objective is to protect the moving parts inside your air compressor, so not putting this effort in can pose certain risks. These include:
- Overheating – When your air compressor is being used, it generates heat due to the friction. Without any oil, this leads to overheating in your machine.
- Wear & Tear – Following on from above, low oil and more friction leads to more wear and tear as time goes on. Left undealt with, this then leads to more damage being done.
- Rust & Corrosion – Moisture can often build up in your air compressor when there isn’t enough oil. This can lead to rust and corrosion as time goes on so, by keeping the oil topped up, you create a barrier against this.
Each of these can lead to breakdowns, which nobody wants to deal with. Fixing, or even replacing, your air compressor can be costly, so it’s always best to prevent this by changing the oil in your air compressor on a regular basis.
Air Compressor Servicing from Air Power East
Changing your air compressor oil is just one part of maintaining your machine. There are many other servicing and maintenance practices that must be undertaken to make sure your compressor performs to the best of its ability and lasts longer. At Air Power East, we’re here to look after your air compressors for you.
Our air compressor servicing means we have everything we need to keep your air compressor running smoothly. From an oil change to a complete service, you’re in great hands with us. Contact us today to get your air compressor serviced.
