Did you know that a compressed air system leak might ruin your annual operating budget by consuming a lot of electricity? Leakage can raise the compressor’s overall operating costs by up to 20% in many industrial and processing facilities. Leaks are most frequently found at connection joints, such as those in valves, unions, couplings, fittings, etc. This may also result in a loss of pressure in the compressed air system, which lowers the effectiveness of any pneumatic tools or equipment that uses the compressed air in the system. This is why, for any industrial purpose, it is always necessary to get the right equipment from one of the top air compressor manufacturers in India.
Only the experienced high pressure air compressor manufacturers in India can help you understand the how and where the rejections in the final product may arise. Therefore, you should fix your compressed air system to increase energy efficiency and achieve maximum production.
Finding the air leak
Finding the leak’s source is the first challenge you’ll have while fixing an air leak in your compressed air system. This can be a harder chore than you think it would be, depending on how bad the leak is. Finding the source of a compressed air leak can be accomplished in two main ways: by listening for the leak or by utilizing an ultrasonic acoustic detector.
Listen for the Leak
There are certain compressed air leaks that make noise when the air leaves the system. For a leak to be heard, it needs to be pretty substantial. By carefully going around all of the parts and tubes in your compressed air system, you can try to locate a leak. Pay special attention to any hissing or gurgling sounds you hear, as they could be signs of a leak. Sadly, a lot of leaks are too little to be audible over the noise generated by the compressed air system during operation. It is time to employ an ultrasonic acoustic detector if you are unable to locate your air leak with your hearing alone.
Use an Ultrasonic Acoustic Detector
When air leaks, a high-frequency sound wave is produced. One tool made to detect these sound waves while removing any background noise that can skew the reading of the device is an ultrasonic acoustic detector. Ultrasonic acoustic detectors can either visibly display ultrasonic waves on an attached screen, or they can link to a set of headphones and generate a sound whose level increases when near a leak. An air leak is present when there are changes in the ultrasonic waves’ appearance.
Fixing Air Leaks
As soon as the source of a compressed air leak has been located, you need to act fast to fix it and protect the integrity of your system. The cause of the leak will determine how difficult and expensive the repair is. Some of the cheapest fixes only call for a damaged hose to be replaced or a connector to be tightened. Some fixes may require more work than others. In order to stop air leaks, you might need to turn off your compressed air system and replace a few couplings, install new pipe, fix any damaged joints, or clear out clogged traps and drains.
These repairs can be expensive because you have to pay for the repairs as well as any lost productivity that results from having your compressed air system out of commission. Many industrial facilities rely heavily on compressed air systems to operate. Your company could suffer greatly if you lose compressed air. Although air leaks in compressed air systems happen frequently, if they are not promptly fixed, they could result in catastrophic equipment failure. To keep your compressed air equipment functioning properly, you must constantly search for and repair leaks.
Where can you generally find the leaks?
- Couplings
- Fittings
- Pipe Joints
- Point-Of-Use Devices
- Hoses
- Tubes
- Quick Disconnects
- FRLs (filter, regulator, lubricator)
- Flanges
- Packing
- Condensate Traps
- Valves
- Thread Sealant
