Proper maintenance is very pivotal to the longevity of anything. It ensures that a tool can be used many more times after it’s first usage. The wrong culture of maintenance of any tool, leads to a depletion in quality of that tool, no matter how durable such a tool may be. It is important to cultivate a good maintenance culture to ensure that tools are in operation efficiently and so that money that should be used for other commitments won’t be spent on equipment that one has failed to maintain properly.
Different equipment have their various ways of maintenance based on the materials that make them up. If an equipment is made of metal, surely, such an equipment shouldn’t be exposed to water for long periods, because if this happens, rusting is inevitable. Also, if an equipment is made of rubber, exposure to heat of high intensity should be avoided because most times, this leads to melting.
Apart from things not to do to equipments, there are also things that need to be done like cleaning, properly tightening loose points, lubrication, aeration, among others, as the case may be. Possessing a good maintenance culture, surely cannot be overemphasized.
This article is going to be narrowed to a particular equipment and a particular maintenance method. It focuses on air compressors for home use and how to effectively drain them. This might sound so basic, but it’s important that for the ultimate and efficient use of equipment, the slightest detail should be paid attention to. Before I go further, it is important to describe what an air compressor is and what it does, coupled with the ways of maintaining it.
Basically, an air compressor changes power into energy (potential) stored in pressurized air. In simpler terms, an air compressor is a device that contains pressurized air which is applied to surfaces or objects with the use of a regulator. An air compressor could work on either electricity, gasoline, diesel and so on. It is efficient in painting and some other activities.
There are various types of air compressors based on need. Some may be cordless, while others may be with cords. Some may be industry based while some could be air compressors for home. Again, the maintenance method of draining would be limited to the air compressor for home. Without a doubt, such an air compressor is that which is majorly used at home to meet needs and get things done.
Maintaining your air compressor at home is not something that’s totally demanding or impossible. It actually saves you a lot of cost on the long run, as the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure.”
To start with, you cannot successfully know the how-to of something if you do not use the manual for direction. It is important that you are familiar with the manual of your air compressor, because therein lies everything you may need to know about your air compressor.
Tightening all loose ends cannot be left aside too because the more you spend time using the air compressor, the more the nuts and screws tend to get loose. So it is important to tighten them from time to time to prevent damage or even accidents.
Cleaning of the vents that take in air: Â Particles in the air could find their way into the vents of the air compressor. It is therefore important to clean it regularly so as to avoid the accumulation of particles which could block the free flow of air thereby affecting the operations of the compressor.
Cleaning of the fuel tank is also essential because certain particles could accumulate as time goes on and if not attended to, could lead to malfunction.
It is also important to pay attention to the hose regularly, that’s if you use a compressor with one. You should check for any tear or hole because when it happens that there’s one, air escapes and this in turn leads to a low level of effectiveness of the air compressor.
The filter of the air compressor should also be changed from time to time ad there could be a build up of dirt in it, and if it is not paid attention to, this could lead to poor performance of the air compressor.
Just like other mechanical devices, the compressor uses oil for lubrication and smooth running. Therefore, changing of the oil or topping it as the case may be is essential. Shortage of oil could be dangerous to the running of the air compressor.
Draining moisture from the tanks which leads me to the core of this article, is also very important. Moisture could accumulate over time and it is important that such moisture is released.
Draining an air compressor is nothing overly difficult, and not doing this as at when due could prove to be costly. As easy as it may seem, draining your air compressor is one of the most pivotal aspects in the maintenance of an air compressor. If you refuse to drain your air compressor, rusting is bound to occur on the inside. Draining it is as easy as turning off your compressor and tilting it in a way that it can be easily drained, opening the valve for draining it, and so on. However, I am going to take the steps one by one and talk about each of them.
The first step involved is to switch off the compressor totally as at this state, it is not risky to work on it, unlike when it is still powered.
Furthermore, the internal pressure of the tank should be reduced. Then the release valve is also pulled until the tank is emptied. It is expedient that protection of the eyes be put in consideration as particles could get inside the eyes through the release of pressure.
Finally, the drain valve of the tank should be opened so as to make sure that moisture content is allowed to escape. When all these things are done, you can close up the valve and keep using your compressor normally.
It is highly imperative to maintain your air compressor well if you want to get the best results out of it. The way you treat it would reflect on how your work turns out. Therefore make the right choice and make sure your compressor for your home is at its best.
