Imagine your plant as a big ship travelling toward a destination. Waves splash across the bow, rain falls in, and the corroding salt water eats holes in the hull. Leaks start, a trickle at first and then a torrent. What do you do? Some options:
• Turn on more pumps
• Buy a really big pump
• Fix the leaks
When it comes to compressed air leaks, it is surprising how many people choose the first two options to solve their problems, at a huge financial penalty in terms of ongoing operating costs and the equipment budgets.
Participants of the Compressed Air Challenge Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems seminar, also available as a webinar, learn about the high cost of producing compressed air and the inherent inefficiencies in the compressor room. Understanding the supply side of the system is important, but more important is first looking at compressed air demand, including leaks.
Leaks can be a significant source of wasted energy in an industrial compressed air system, sometimes wasting 20-30% of a compressor’s output. A typical plant that has not been well maintained will likely have a leak rate equal to 30% of total compressed air production capacity or higher. On the other hand, proactive leak detection and repair can reduce leaks to less than 10%.
In addition to wasting energy, leaks can also contribute to other operating losses. Leaks cause a drop in system pressure, which can make air tools function less efficiently, adversely affecting production. In addition, by forcing the equipment to cycle more frequently, leaks shorten the life of almost all system equipment (including the compressor package itself). Increased running time can also lead to additional maintenance requirements and increased unscheduled downtime. Finally, leaks can lead to adding unnecessary compressor capacity.
How to fix leaks
Leaks occur most often at joints and connections at end-use applications. Stopping leaks can be as simple as tightening a connection or as complex as replacing faulty equipment such as couplings, fittings, pipe sections, hoses, joints, drains, and traps. In many cases leaks are caused by bad or improperly applied thread sealant. Select high quality fittings, disconnects, hose, tubing, and install them properly with appropriate thread sealant.
Non-operating equipment can be an additional source of leaks. Equipment no longer in use should be isolated with a valve in the distribution system.
Establishing a leak prevention program
A good leak prevention program will include the following components: identification (including tagging), tracking, repair, verification, and employee involvement. All facilities with compressed air systems should establish an aggressive leak reduction program. A cross-cutting team involving decision-making representatives from production should be formed.
A good compressed air system leak repair program is very important in maintaining the efficiency, reliability, stability and cost effectiveness of any compressed air system.
Compressed Air Challenge has a wealth of information on leaks and other related issues available for download at our website library. Also available at our bookstore.is our “Best Practices for Compressed Air Systems”.
By Ron Marshall, for the Compressed Air Challenge
