Your air compressor requires a significant amount of energy to run. This is why it can be beneficial to evaluate your system on a regular basis, in an effort to reduce compressed air system costs. It’s an ideal way to consume less energy, make your equipment last longer, and save money in the process.
If you follow the strategies below, you can realize the benefits of a more efficient compressed air system.
7 Strategies to Reduce Compressed Air System Costs
1. Purchase the Right Compressor for Your Facility – Your organization has specific compressed air needs. There are several different types of compressors, and all have their strong suits. What fits best for a manufacturing application for example, may not be the best fit in healthcare or food, where air quality would remain of concern.
Some of the different types of compressors that are available include:
- Rotary Screw
- Reciprocating
- Centrifugal
- Vacuum pump
- Oil free
You can talk with the experts at Compressor Services to find out which is right for you.
2. Keep up with Routine Care – Like any other investment, your air compressor will last longer if you take good care of it. This means regularly inspecting your compressed air system, changing filters, checking for leaks, and emptying drains. It means monitoring:
- Power consumption
- Pressure
- Air flow
- Temperature
When anything appears not to be normal, you can always have a qualified technician come and take a look at your equipment. Another way to make sure that you stay on top of the condition of your equipment is to schedule your regular preventative maintenance appointments.
3. Schedule Your Preventative Maintenance Appointments – Your air compressor is a significant investment in your business. When you make an investment, the best thing you can do is to make sure that you are taking good care of it, so that it can last longer.
Over time, air compressors break down. But when you have a qualified technician inspecting your machine and performing routine maintenance on a regular basis, you’ll save money in the long run. The small amount of money spent on this, dwarfs what happens when a major repair is needed out of the blue. A proactive approach to preventative maintenance can keep your equipment running for less.
When you schedule a preventative maintenance appointment, you’re taking the first step in saving energy.
4. Optimize Compressor Usage to Fit Your Needs – Whether it’s the layout of your facility or the industry that you are in, your business operates with specific, unique needs. It’s important at the onset to purchase a compressor suited to meet those needs. If you don’t know what that might entail, it can certainly help to talk with an experienced professional. Having the right compressor in place at the onset will help make sure that you’re not overworking your system, and spending money that you don’t need to be spending.
There are likely times you can power the system down to save energy, as well as modifications to the layout, so that it’s better suited to your facility.
5. Find Cooler Intake Air – Cool air requires less energy to be fully compressed than warm air. Moving your intake to a cooler area can improve the system performance. In fact, a 20-degree drop can reduce costs by as much as 3.8 percent.
6. Reconsider the Layout of Your System – A few simple changes to the layout of your compressed air system can make considerable differences in energy costs. For example, making sure there are no bends or kinks in the airflow system can help to reduce costs and ensure that parts don’t break down. When you can reduce the distance that air has to travel the air doesn’t have to work as hard. Take a look at any dryers, filters, or separators that might involve pressure drops. Make sure these areas are operating as efficiently as possible.
7. Advanced Monitoring – When you are optimizing your system it’s important to utilize data. Advanced monitoring gives you an accurate insight into whether or not the changes you’re making are saving you energy, and how much.
A monitoring system that takes advantage of today’s mobile technology gives you a complete picture of your energy usage, accessible 24/7. This gives you the capability to make decisions about your business and your energy usage within seconds.
Find Out More on How You Can Save Energy
Your compressed air system can be overwhelmingly complex. If you’ve tried some of the suggestions above, or you are lost with how to make modifications, it can help to speak with an experienced technician. At Compressor Services, we are always willing to help you optimize your compressor set up, and make it as efficient as possible. Contact us today!
