There are many things to do in preparation for the truly cold weather — everything from switching over to flannel sheets to digging out the hats and mittens. But most importantly, it's time to take a closer look at the systems in your facility, including your compressed air system.
There are two main steps you should take when it comes to winterproofing your compressed air distribution system: maintenance and weatherizing. Check out a detailed explanation of these processes below:
Maintenance
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Check the Drains. A malfunctioning drain can cause some serious problems when the temperatures drop. Improperly drained condensate can freeze and end up clogging the filter, which also leads to the contamination of the compressed air stream.
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Change the Filters. Filters should be checked regularly, not just when winter is coming. Blocked-up filters don't do a good job of keeping out impurities and could make your whole system work harder.
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Repair Leaks. Any small leak in your air compressor piping could lead to a loss in pressure and productivity, which is bad news. Any air pressure loss greater than 10% can indicate a problem. A compressed air audit can be bought in order to easily locate and fix leaks, which will help your system stay efficient all winter long.
Weatherizing
Your compressed air system is about to experience some serious weather, and the last thing you want to do is figure out a potential problem in the snow, sleet, or rain. Weatherizing will end up saving you a lot of time and money: here are two things you can do.
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Inspect Outdoor Elements. Anything that comes into contact with the outdoors, like drains and air intake valves, need to be inspected, cleaned, and replaced if necessary. They have a big job to do all winter long.
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Replace Weather Stripping. Check out all weather stripping and replace if necessary. This can include outdoor piping or other equipment.
Your compressed air distribution system will thank you for helping it remain functional all winter long — not to mention how happy you will be with a decrease in expensive maintenance tasks necessary come spring.