In the world of air compressors, units that require oil lubrication are largely favored by many users. Whether it is for their longer lifespan, or their superior performance, an oil air compressor is the way to go if you want a powerful tool at your disposal.
However, with an oil air compressor, you need to put in a lot of hours at maintenance and care. One of the basic things you need to know about this unit is how to change air compressor oil.
In this article, we will give you a quick step-by-step rundown on how to properly change your air compressor oil. Even if you are an expert with this machine, you might learn something new from our handy guidelines.
Why is It Important to Change Oil in an Air Compressor?
Before we get to our steps, let us discuss why it is vital that you change the oil of your air compressor in due time.
As you might know, oil plays a crucial role in keeping your air compressor performing at its peak. It serves as a coolant as well as a lubricant to keep the interior components fresh and moving smoothly. In addition, it also seals up any small openings between the parts inside the compressor effectively sealing it.
Without fresh oil, the compressor can face issues such as overheating or inefficient compression of air. The oil keeps the interior components clean and prevents clogging. Besides, without oil in your compressor, the unit will deteriorate over time until one day it completely breaks down.
To keep your compressor working at its finest, you need to schedule oil changes depending on the type of unit you are using. If you have one of those rotary screw compressors, you should be looking at an oil change after around a thousand hours of usage.
For a reciprocating air compressor, you need to change the oil every three months.
How to Change Air Compressor Oil
Replacing the oil in an air compressor is not the most difficult task, but it can be a bit of a challenge for those who have little to no idea about the machine. However, our handy guidelines should give you all the information you need to help you change the oil yourself without facing any trouble.
- The first step is to remove the old oil. To do that, first, make sure you turn on the compressor and let it get warm as it would allow you to drain the leftover oil easier.
- Then let air pass inside the compressor by locating the fill cap and removing it.
- You can now remove the drain plug and drain out the leftover oil as much as you can.
- Through the fill cap, pour the fresh oil gently, avoiding spilling.
- Now you can simply reseat the fill cap, and you are done.
Final Thoughts
Replacing the oil is a critical part of maintaining the health and performance of your air compressor. We hope now you have a good idea of how to change the air compressor oil yourself.
