Put a Plug in your Compressed Air System Leaks

 

Almost every manufacturing business or company that deals with the machinery of one kind or another has a compressed air system. In fact, almost three-quarters of manufacturers have a compressed air system design that services their facility. To find the best compressed air distribution system for your company’s needs will depend in large part on what those needs should happen to be.

Industrial use of piped compressed air for power transmission goes back about one hundred and fifty years. Prior to compressed air, it was steam that was being used, but steam could not be piped for long distances without losing pressure due to the condensation that would develop. Compressed air managed all of those issues and has become the standard means by which air is distributed for power.

Compressed air has been used to change the drilling industry as well as applied at mines in the United States dating back to the 1870s. In 1869, George Westinghouse invented the air braking system for trains and dramatically improved the safety of rail operations.

An air compressor has become a true necessity in the manufacturing business and having air compressor pipes that are sound and free of leaks is essential to getting the most out of the machine.

A compressed air system design that is highly functional can do a number of different things for you, not the least of which is converting the electrical energy produced by compressed air into heat. As much as 90% of the energy used by an air compressor can be turned into heat. If you have a properly designed heat recovery unit, you can use this recovered heat to heat the air or heat a water supply.

What is most important when considering your compressed air system design is how to keep that air compressor from leaking. Compressed air system leaks can be extremely costly, sometimes costing a company more than $1,200 every year in wasted energy. When you add that up, you can easily see how the money can almost literally be escaping into the thin air, leaving you wondering if an air compressor is even worth it.

But, as with most companies, you already know that your air compression system is essential in many ways to what you do. The good news is that leaks can be dramatically reduced when the piping is fitted properly and regular maintenance is carried out on the entire compressed air system design.