Post Lockdown – Guidelines for Restarting Compressed Air System

The primary and popular question from utility operators, after months of lockdown, is “How to restart air compressor after lengthy downtime?

The definition of lengthy downtime in the world of air compressors actually depends on the geographic location of the equipment. Humid climate may take two to three weeks, while a relatively dry climate may take three months or more. When the air compressor is shut down for a long time, the necessary precaution is to manually turn over the air end and the motor during the shutdown to avoid the possibility of rust on the air end and/or the motor bearing.

The first question to customers, who will start the compressed air system after a prolonged stoppage, is that when was the last time preventive maintenance performed on it. The answer to this basic question will help determine the correct process.

It is important to know about the preventive maintenance schedule because if used for a long time or the machine is stopped for a period of time, the filters, controls and oil may become dirty and corroded. These are machine components that provide clean air and have a significant impact on the reliability of the machine.

Starting the machine after a long time, check all electrical connections, air connections, and fluid levels. It is recommended to drain water from the tank/drip tube/filter and the components that need to be cleaned.

Another technique is to turn on the equipment and run it under load to ensure that the operation and safety control functions are working properly. Then check unit for the appropriate temperature to see if there is a leak. If hoses and fittings are not used, they sometimes dry out or break.

Be sure to perform these steps and check before production begins to prevent potential downtime due to compressed air problems:

1. Changing the oil, air filter, oil filter, and separator, and greasing and cleaning the controls on the air compressors is recommended. Likewise, changing pre and after filters on the dryer is a good practice.
2. Turn off the power of the air compressor.
3. Remove the protective cover of the driveshaft and turn the drive coupling to check whether the air compressor can rotate freely. If the air compressor rotates freely, reinstall the protective cover and turn on the power of the air compressor.
4. Turn on the cooling water and blast cooling system (if the air compressor is water-cooled).
5. Close the air compressor exhaust valve, and then start the air compressor.
6. Slowly open the exhaust valve until the air pressure between air compressor and air network is equal. At this time, the air compressor is back online.
7. For consultation with compressed air experts, contact Sakoon Pneumatics

About Sakoon Pneumatics

Sakoon Pneumatics is an expert in Compressed Air for 40 years. Sakoon offers Services Contracts, Compressor Health-Check Visits, and Genuine Replacement Parts for compressors of all brands. It has one of the best Air-End Refurbishment facilities in Pakistan. Moreover, given unexpected situations and peak-season demands, Sakoon offers Rental Fleet of variety of products related to Compressed Air Systems.