Filters are an important component for your industrial air compressor system to remove contaminants and purify the air in the system. Choosing the right type of filter depends on the requirements of your system and the maintenance you wish to complete.

Oil flooded screw compressors are highly regarded as a reliable and cost effective system. However, it is imperative to find the proper filter to remove the contaminants, oil and atmospheric dust, that oil flooded compressors introduce into the compressed air. Coalescing filters are appropriate for removing oil mist from compressed air and automatic drain valves can eliminate the liquid condensate. Both filters require replacement when they are filled with dust.

Air compressor systems require aerosol filtration upstream of the compressed air dryer, after the air dryer and downstream at each point-of-use. Dessicant dryers and refrigerated dryers should utilize both a prefilter and an afterfilter to remove liquid and particulate aerosols. The filtration units will also prevent adsorbent fouling in dessicant dryers and the fouling of the heat exchangers in the refrigerated dryer. The downstream filter is responsible for removing the adsorbent fines from the dessicant dryer and water mist from the refrigerated dryer.

Selecting the right compressed air filter depends on the needs of your system. A high particulate filter operates under high temperatures, up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and offers a high level of protection against fire in a heated dessicant dryer. Vapor, or charcoal, filters are suggested for the removal of organics from hydrocarbons and chemical vapors. A particulate filter is used in dessicant dryers to remove scale, metal oxides and dessicant particles.

Compressed air filters are necessary to maintain clean air as they remove harmful materials from the unit. Particulates that need to be filtrated include scale, metal oxides and dirt because they can decrease efficiency, damage finished products and erode system components. Chemical gases, such as chlorine, sulfur, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, need to be filtered as they can pose a threat to the health and safety of workers. Microbes, molds and fungus can grow within a moist air system and may produce an acidic waste which is corrosive and can cause pipes and valves to clog with sludge. Finding the right filter for your industrial air compressor can help increase the efficiency of your unit. It will also lower your energy costs and protect your employees from harmful particles and chemicals.

The basics of compressed air are very simple. Compressed air is just air kept under pressure that is greater than the atmosphere. The technology of compressed air has been around for decades, but as with any technology, it has developed. Not only is it widely used commercially and residentially, but the industrial applications of compressed air technology are immense.

An air compressor works similar to that of your car engine. In your car engine, pistons push down on an air and gasoline mixture. The mixture compresses and it then ignited which produces power. In the simplest form, an air compressor does the same thing. A piston in the compressor pushes air down, pressurizing it, and stores it in the tank underneath. Because of technology, the air compressor used today is able to store large amounts of pressurized air in its tanks.

Industry requires air compressors for many of their uses. For example, air compressors are used for air driven tools like paint sprayers, sanders, drills, etc. This is especially common in automotive shops where compressed air is run throughout, allowing easy access from the different car bays. In the home, air compressors can be found inflating toys, pools, car tires, and even powering some pneumatic tools. Because the technology has developed, the demand has grown, and the price has gone down over the years, many more homes now have air compressors. Typically, home air compressors are smaller than industrial models. The tools for these air compressors are sometimes sold with them, or can be easily bought locally, making the convenience of having a personal air compressor real. Pressure washers are perfect examples for air compressors. A pressure washer consists of an air compressor and a garden hose attached, combining the water and pressurized air to make pressurized water. This is used often for cleaning concrete, cars, siding and decks.

A newer use for compressed air has been with consumer electronics, especially computers. Computers, due to their static nature, attract large amounts of dust which may cause the computer to not work properly or sometimes not even at all. Compressed air can be found in cans with a straw to direct the air, and is easily used to clean the outside and inside of a computer, television, or even the dashboard of a car.

Air compressor technology has been dramatically upgraded over the decades. Because of technology advancements in manufacturing, now air compressors can be made to very specific measurements. Improvements on already existing parts in the air compressor have all but solved any air or oil leakage issues of the past.