How to replace an air compressor

Compressors, just like all machines, have a life cycle beyond which replacement is necessary. But how do you know when it’s time to replace a compressor? And, above all, how to replace a compressed-air compressor? When the compressor is a few years old it needs more maintenance. The question that must be asked in this case is: is it better to put on the classic “patches” or to buy a new machine? In fact, over time, the performance of a compressor can decrease, increasing maintenance costs. Is it really worth it? Let’s see what indicators must be taken into consideration to understand if a compressor has reached the end of its life cycle or not. 

Two conditions to keep in mind when deciding whether to replace a compressor are compressor shutdown and pressure drop. 

If your compressor tends to stop during operation, there could be two reasons: clogging of the air filters that generates overheating or internal failures of main components. In the first case, it will be enough to clean the air filters and carry out periodic and targeted interventions; in the second case, the advice is to think about replacing the compressor. 

Another alarm bell is represented by the pressure drops of the air compressors. As is known, the technicians who work on the machines take the pressure values of the compressor to a higher level to make them work, so they know perfectly well when to start worrying if the pressure starts to drop. If you are experiencing continual dips before moving on to the replacement, there are some circumstances to check.  The first thing to check is the air filters, you have to make sure they are not saturated; we then move on to the pipes, making sure that the dimensions are adequate for the capacity of the compressor. 

In the event that both things turn out to be in order in the face of continuous pressure drops, the problem could lie in an undersized compressor. In this case, rather than a replacement of the air compressor, the advice is to rely on specialized technicians able to carry out an accurate study of the airflow in order to recalibrate the systems according to efficiency and needs. 

TO FIND OUT MORE: Check our maintenance service 

How to replace an old air compressor 

If the air compressor has reached the end of its life cycle and has persistent failures, the solution is obviously to change it. How to ensure that this “practice” does not become stressful and does not overload the operations of companies?

The first step is to identify the type of compressor you have and decide whether to keep the same technology or not. The second step is to identify with absolute certainty the flow rate in volume / pressure of the compressed air in relation to the daily activities that are performed. The third and last is to rely on specialized maintenance workshops.