2021 Air Leak Study Unveils the Astonishing Cost That Businesses Could Lose Up To £100m Annually

Under extreme circumstances, compressed air leaks can cripple your business financially.

14:17 09 August 2021

It becomes severe if the air leaks have gone a long time without being noticed. Air leaks are commonly known for energy loss. However, they can also upset the operations of the whole system, thereby affecting the business.

 

The bigger problem is that air leaks overwork the compressors to generate an equal amount of compressed air. The overload then triggers extended operation hours of equipment, increases lifecycle cost and decreases machine reliability.

 

Direct Air’s study assesses the cost your business could be experiencing from compressed air leaks, the reasons you must fix the leaks and the steps to identify and fix leaks to save cost.

 

Are Air Leaks Costing Your Business Millions of Pounds Per Year?

 

About 20-40 per cent of produced energy in a production facility is caused by compressor air. A small air system you may overlook could cost you between £2-£7 per day.

 

If you practice compressed air preventive maintenance, you would not believe the amount of money you can save fixing the leaks. Some companies stand a chance of saving £37,000 per year, according to a study. What is next? Would you just sit there thinking there is no leak or get a professional maintenance provider to surprise at how much you could be saving?

 

Nevertheless, money is not the only reason you should be practising preventive maintenance. There are several valid reasons, but saving business costs just happens to be one of the top and dominant reasons.

 

Why Businesses Should Be Preventing Air Leaks

 

Yes, your business is losing money to air leaks if you do not already have a preventing compressor maintenance company managing your tools.

 

• You’re wasting energy and hurting the planet. Yet, the biggest loss arises from the energy your business loses daily. While the energy loss means money loss, it is also a pathway for carbon emissions your business is dispersing across the atmosphere. Preventive compressed air maintenance can solve the problem through professional check-ups and fixes. If you are a fan of the earth remaining green, then you want to fix your leaks and employ scheduled maintenance to sustain them.
  
  
• Workplace safety becomes a priority. If you had to review your company’s priority, you would find that workers' safety also leads the list. Even customers do not want to do business in facilities that pose health or safety risks.Make sure to fix the leaks to prevent unreliable pressure on operating systems, which can cause equipment to malfunction.
  
  
• Save money. Think about the money you could be saving on energy bills. Besides, a single 3mm hole leak could be costing your business nearly £700 each year, so maintenance is totally worth it.
  
  

Things to Consider to Detect Air Leaks Faster

 

It can be tricky to detect air leaks. Nonetheless, some known parts of air leaks include oil gasket or piston, which require regular visual checks and maintenance.

 

1. Hold a Physical Inspection

 

You can solve air leaks manually through physical or visual component inspection. The study shows that a simple technique that identifies air leaks is to mix water and soap or washing up liquid in a bowl and form a lather.

 

Using a cloth, paintbrush or sponge, apply the mixture on the joints, valves, and flanges of the pipework. If there are leaky parts, you will notice that the mixture forms bubbles on the parts.

 

     2. Do You Hear Unusual Sounds?

 

Make it a habit to listen to your machines. First, disable all sources that cause noise around the compressed air equipment. When you are sure that there is no background noise, listen carefully to the machines while walking around inspecting them. You should perform these checks outside the working hours to avoid disrupting your business.

 

    3.Detect the Problem with Technology

 

You can have professional air compressor maintenance providers detect the leaks using ultrasonic leak detectors. You may be able to hire the device and have your staff run the checks. Most of the time, a specialist performs the checks better with professional reports while your employee focuses on the productive aspect of the business.

 

Ultrasonic technology even allows detecting air leaks during business hours, which means you detect leaks at any time.

 

What Are the Ways You Can Fix Air Leaks to Save Cost?

 

It is easier to prevent compressor air leaks than to find them. Moreover, when you manually inspect the equipment, you are far from a guarantee that you will detect leaks accurately.

 

• Changing the components. Ensure to change worn components. Typically, worn components still function, but they contribute to your loss since the leaks continue in their spots.
  
  
• Making repairs. You can regularly check and repair tubes, hoses, and pipes to prevent noiseless compressor air leaks.
  
  
• Tightening loose connections. Tighteningyour loose connections could be all it takes to fix your compressor air leaks to save money. Always check the connections frequently, and ensure to tighten them when necessary.
  
  
• Replacing broken rubber. The rubber on your compressor wears out with time. Your O-rings, valve, etc., wear out gradually, and you want to have them fixed. Unfortunately, broken parts are not always easily visible, so you want to give it time to inspect thoroughly or replace it if it has been a while.
  
  

Prevention is Always Better than Reaction

Yes, prevention beats reaction at any time. Make sure to always inspect the machines visually and train your employee on various leak detection methods.

 

The best favour you can afford for your business is to perform frequent preventive maintenance, typically with professional air compressor maintenance experts, to detect and solve problems earlier, eliminating sudden system breakdown and unexpected/unmeasurable expenses.