What Happens When You Skip Compressor Maintenance?
Compressed air keeps your plant running. But when maintenance slips, it doesn’t just put your equipment at risk. It puts production, safety, and budgets on the line too.
If you’ve ever pushed off an oil change or ignored a clogged filter “just for a few more shifts,” here’s a look at what that really costs you and how easy it is to stay ahead of it.
1. Rising Temperatures and Performance Loss
Dirty filters and worn separators can cause your compressor to run hotter than normal. Higher temps increase oil breakdown, decrease efficiency, and lead to unexpected shutdowns.
Translation: You burn more energy while getting less air and you’re inching closer to a breakdown with every cycle.
2. Excessive Oil Carryover
Skipping service on your separator or not changing the oil on time can result in oil entering your air lines. That contaminates downstream equipment, tools, and even your end product - especially risky in food, medical, or electronics environments.
3. Shortened Equipment Life
Regular maintenance isn’t just about performance - it’s about protecting your investment. Running dirty or overdue machines leads to wear on bearings, rotors, valves, and seals, all of which are expensive to replace when they finally give out.
4. Emergency Repairs (and Rush Shipping)
The moment a compressor fails mid-shift, your team scrambles. Emergency calls get made. Overnight shipping gets requested. That one part you could’ve changed last month now costs you triple and production grinds to a halt while you wait.
Prevent Problems with a Plan
Smart plants don’t play catch-up. They schedule service, stock the right kits, and use tools like oil analysis to spot problems before they escalate.
Outside of providing quality parts, oil and service, here are a few more ways ACS can help:
- Oil analysis kits to detect early warning signs
- ACS Go mobile app (also on Google Play) to manage it all
- DIY troubleshooting blogs to guide your team