How To Choose The Best Air Dryer For Your Application

Determining how to choose the right air dryer for your application is a crucial step in maintaining a high air quality from your compressor. This is true no matter what industry you are in.

Choosing the right air dryer requires a knowledge of system performance and how compressed air system equipment interacts with each other. Product quality, efficiency, and safety all rely on the right air dryer for your application. Let’s look at some of the considerations that go into that choice.

Understanding Your Requirements

Selecting the right air dryer is critical for long-term cost-savings and energy efficiency. It is critical to know what makes a quality air dryer the right fit for your application. Here are a few major factors to consider:

• Air quality standards: Compressed air quality uses a classification system from Class 0 (100% oil-free) to Class 5 (maximum oil concentration of 25 mg/m3). Determining which class your application requires is critical to equipment performance and lifetime.
• Dew point capability: This determines how dry your air will be. Matching it to your application will determine what type of compressed air dryer you need- refrigerated, desiccant, etc.
• Rated CFM capacity: Dryer performance changes with inlet temperature, ambient temperature, and pressure. Get the capacity traing that matches your real-world conditions, and size for peak demand, not just the average.
• Compressor flow rate: It’s important to know the volume of air your operation requires. Oversized dryers lead to unnecessary energy consumption, while undersized dryers may fail to meet demand.
• Pressure drop: This tells you how much system pressure you’ll lose as air passes through the dryer. Lower is better. Excessive pressure drop forces your compressor to work harder, wasting energy and money.

Matching Your Requirements To Features

Now that you know what you need, you need to know what models meet your needs. There are many air dryer manufacturers on the market, including Mikropor, Champion and Hertz, among others. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to delivering the dry air your system requires to function optimally.

Technical specs like those mentioned above (dew point capability, etc.) are the most important to identity. These will determine what type of compressed air dryer you need- refrigerated, desiccant, membrane, or deliquescent.

Next, narrow down possibilities with a few questions. Will you need a cycling or continuous air dryer? Fixed speed or variable speed drive? Does it need auto start/Stop capability? What size and orientation machine will fit in your space? What voltage is needed? Can it handle your facility’s temperature extremes?

You should also consider noise levels if the dryer will be near work areas, and connection sizes that match existing piping. What monitoring and alarm features will help reduce downtime? How often will you need to switch filters or require maintenance? These factors impact total cost of ownership, which is an important calculation to make before committing to a model.

Mistakes Made When Purchasing An Air Dryer

Working with an experienced compressed air dryer company to match your requirements to the right model can save you a lot of time, money, and headaches. We advise consulting with an expert before investing thousands of dollars into a product that may not achieve your goals, or end up costing more in the long run.

Here are a few common mistakes made when purchasing an air dryer:

• Undersizing based on average vs. peak demand
• Ignoring inlet temperature
• Choosing based on price alone
• Misunderstanding dew point requirements
• Ignoring pressure drop
• Neglecting environmental factors such as ambient temperature, humidity, and contaminants
• Misunderstanding cycling vs. continuous operation
• Not planning for maintenance access

Choosing The Right Air Dryer For Your Application

Determining the proper air dryer for your application requires careful consideration of these various factors. By understanding your needs and exploring the appropriate options for you, you can select an air dryer that meets your needs and improves your operations standards.

If you’re in the market for a new air dryer, our compressed air experts would love to help you choose the right air dryer for your appliaction and needs. Contact us today!