Air Compressor Filtration

Basic air compressor maintenance is required to ensure the compressor continues to run at maximum efficiency. Oil changes must be done regularly along with consistent replacement of the oil filter to keep the system running smoothly. The oil filter keeps dirt and other debris from contaminating the compressor oil, which can lead to machine wear over time. This will extend the life of the air compressor and drastically cut down on air compressor service and repairs.

There are four primary types of compressed air inline filters and they include particulate, coalescing, fine coalescing, and carbon filters. You will select the type of filtration based on both the application and the industry in which it will be used. Industries that deal with medical and food processing require highly filtered air and would require a fine coalescing air compressor filtration system. These fine coalescing air filters will filter particles that are as small as .01 micron. A carbon filter may also be used in medical systems to remove odors and other vapors.

Once the end user has selected the type of filtration required, sizing the filters is equally important. Under-sizing the filters creates high delta pressures, and over-sizing filtration can reduce filtration efficiency. It is important to size the filters to closely match the compressed air volume they will be handling.