Air compressors are crucial for diverse industries, as they are used for powering almost everything, starting from pneumatic tools to providing pressurised air for industrial processes. However, one of the common problems that mostly arises with industrial air compressors is overheating.
An overheating air compressor might perform with reduced efficiency and lead to expensive repairs. In worst cases, you can expect overheating to trigger a catastrophic failure of the air compressors. Thus, it is important to understand the repercussions of air compressor overheating and implement effective strategies to mitigate the associated risks.
A] What are Air Compressors?
industrial air compressors follow the working principle of using compressed air for powering various equipment or tools. In the process, these machines take in ambient air and then compress the same with the use of their internal compressor mechanism. Following that, the pressurised air will be stored within the tank for being used later.
Beyond the working principle, it is also important for the air compressors to be able to maintain an optimal temperature. Upon executing that, you can expect longevity in the life of the air compressor and provide consistent functionality. Frequent changes to the optimal temperature of operation might result in malfunctions.
B] Understanding The Air Compressor Overheating Problem
The air compressor overheating problem is considered a common problem that affects the optimal performance of an air compressor. The risky heat generated due to lack of ventilation, clogged vents, use of poor oil lubrication, clogged inlet filter, overflowing condensate separators and other such reasons might adversely affect the operational efficiency of an air compressor. You shall learn more about the causes in the following section.
Both internal as well as external factors can adversely affect the air compressor. Overheating signifies that the air will continue to become hot right before it can cool down or reach the endpoint.
C] Causes of Air Compressor Overheating
Here are some of the air compressor overheating causes that are commonly encountered during the dedicated applications:
Mechanical Causes
When you have low compressor oil levels in the machine, or you have been using a poor-quality lubricant for quite a while, the friction rate increases and excessive heat gets generated. Following this, mechanical issues also get triggered, such as worn-out parts or inefficient operation of thermal valves, which leads to excessive build-up of heat. Thus, the air compressor will experience damage.
All the components of the air compressors will naturally wear down over time, and the entire system will then be forced to put in more effort to complete the commanded operations. For instance, in case the interior components get clogged in some vital areas, your air compressor will exert more energy to acquire air from compression chambers and move onto the hoses that are then connected to the pneumatic tools.
Environmental Causes
Due to the lack of ventilation or cooling of the air compressor, adequate airflow is restricted from reaching the machine. As a result, the system fails to cool itself down and leads to the air compressor electric motor overheating problem. Moreover, the enhanced room temperatures during the summer season also play a role in leading the compressor to overheat if no additional cooling equipment is installed in the operational space.
Ambient room temperature is considered something very important when you tend to use an air compressor. The varying temperatures across diverse regions and the associated conditions will play a major role in deciding the air compressor operation at optimal temperature. Due to the summer heat, the local area will turn out to be hotter than usual, for which the machine will find it difficult to adjust to the incoming air at the desired coolness levels.
Operational Causes
There are different types of air compressors that are being used for diverse applications. For some of the demanding tasks or heavy-duty applications, people tend to use high-end air compressors. So, if you care to run some heavy-duty pneumatic tools for an extended period of time over a small compressor, you will most likely be triggering performance issues, which will result in the air compressor tank getting hot.
On the other hand, if the air compressor is now older than 2 decades, it might simply be a call for replacement as the machine won’t be able to keep up with the demand. If you continue to operate with it, you will experience overheating and performance deterioration issues more often. Beyond that, the usage frequency of the compressor will also contribute towards the wear & tear of the machine, which will later lead to the air compressor getting hot.
D] Specific Components Contributing to Air Compressor Getting Hot
Some of the air compressor components that contribute the most towards triggering the overheating issues in the system are:
Malfunctioned Heat Exchanger
If the heat exchanger is malfunctioned, the refrigerant within the system won’t be able to circulate efficiently. Due to this process, the internal heat won’t be able to exit the system, which is one of the common causes of compressor overheating.
Compressor Valve Problems
Due to the compressor valve issues, the thermal balance will distort, and will lead to heating problems within the system. The heat will be able to mount within the compressor chamber easily and result in a compressor overheating problem. Therefore, it is advised to always have backup thermal or compressor valves in hand to be able to change them at any point when there is an urgent need for them.
Cooling System Failures
If the cooling system of your air compressor fails, it will be difficult for the system to eject the excessive heat generated during operations. Without proper cooling of the discharged air at an optimal temperature, there is a possibility that serious damage would occur.
E] Solutions to Prevent Air Compressor Overheating
Air compressor overheating is an avoidable hassle. So, you definitely have to pay attention to some of the preventative measures as follows:
1. Maintenance and Inspection
Take important consideration into ensuring proper airflow to the compressor in order to keep the system cool from within. Clear out any possible obstruction or debris from the clogged vents, to support smoother circulation of air. Beyond that, you can also consider using fans or additional cooling equipment within the hot environments to prevent overheating. Prefer adding a heat exchanger or cooler to lower the air compressor operating temperatures.
2. Improving Ventilation
Train your team and instruct the employees to inspect the air compressor at frequent intervals to identify any potential signs of wear & tear and damage. Following that, you must clean & replace the air filters regularly to ensure optimal airflow. Do check out the leaks within your system to ensure your lubricant levels are not lowering down, which might lead to overheating.
3. Monitoring Operation and Rest Intervals
You need to maintain the ambient temperature and keep it under the recommended levels at all times. Following that, you must also utilise temperature sensors and thermal valves for tracking or controlling the temperature of compressed air. Adjust the settings of the air compressor to ensure an optimal temperature is obtained for the machine’s operation.
4. Professional Assistance
In case you have tried all the possible measures but still the air compressor gets hot and isn’t coming under control, you can seek help from professionals.
Conclusion
An air compressor is one of the most integral systems being used across diverse industries, as it powers most of the pneumatic tools for streamlined all-round operations. Overheating is one of the major issues that might deteriorate operational efficiency and lead to expensive repairs in the long run.
Therefore, it is important for all industries using air compressors to implement some preventative measures to repel overheating issues. Bimpex Machines Pvt Ltd. brings you the best quality air compressors and will suggest the right maintenance efforts to ensure excessively hot air compressor issues don’t persist. Contact us to know more!