Getting Oil Downstream? Have you changed your Compressed Air Filter Elements?

Maintaining your compressed air equipment is the key to keeping it operating efficiently. Just like the gas in your truck keeps it running, your compressed air equipment needs to be maintained.

A customer recently called in complaining that they were getting oil downstream of their compressed air system.

Why may one be experiencing oil downstream of their compressed air system? The answer is simple they did not change out their filter elements.

If you do not change out your filter, element oil can make its way to the dryer, eventually making its way downstream. Now not only do you have oil downstream in your compressed airline, but it has also entered the dryer and desiccant bed. The desiccant will need to be changed out, which is another additional cost that could have been avoided.

Changing the filter elements is very inexpensive but not doing so causes costly repairs for the customer and loss of production. Everything in line will need to be changed entirely, including the filter elements, desiccant bed, - mufflers, etc. The system will need to be completely purged of oil and cleaned out of the dryer before installing the new desiccant. These are now very costly repairs. It's a lesson learned to the customer to maintain the equipment properly, which would have eliminated all of this from happening to their compressed air system.

Changing the elements every 6 months or when the indicator goes from green to red is essential to keeping any compressed air system clean, dry, and operating efficiently.