|
|
Air compressors |
|
|
|
Air compressors |
|
|
Air
compressors
Autoclaves
Dental
chairs
Electrical
safety testing
Suction
|
1. Drain the water from your air compressor daily. This helps to get rid of any condensed water before it becomes a problem. We have automatic drain valves available here 2. Keep your air compressor cool, the amount of moister the air can hold is dependant on temperature. The hotter the temperature the more moisture it can hold, so by keeping your compressor cool minimises the amount of water the air can hold and hence dump more moisture out in the tank reducing the water from condensing out in your lines. 3. As air heats up it expands. Once it is in your tank it then cools down and in turn the air shrinks. By keeping your compressor cool it will run more efficiently, and deliver more air for less work, not to mention the reduced wear and tear on your air compressor. 4. Filters (water traps) vs Dryers. It is a misconception that filters commonly called water traps will dry your air. This is physically impossible. No matter what brand or make, a filter will only remove the water which has physically condensed in your air system, leaving the saturated air to continue down the air line and condense further. There are three kinds of dryers available on the market, desiccant air dryers, refrigerant dryers and membrane. Refrigerant dryers: Most refrigerant dryers work by passing the warm saturated air through a refrigerated cooling system. Typically 3 deg C condenses the moisture out and then reheats the air back up so that it is dry. Water will only condense out if the temperature goes below that of the coldest point i.e. 3 deg C a word of warning When looking at refrigerated dryers at the small end of the market which dentistry fits into, some dryers have no pre and after heat exchangers which make them less efficient and prone to icing up, and the air comes out at 3 deg C. Desiccant dryers: There are many kinds of desiccant dryers on the market. They work on the regenerative principle which uses a portion of the dried air to generate the wet desiccant. Desiccant dryers provide excellent ability to dry the air and typical pressure dew points of -18 deg C to -70 deg C. Desiccant dryers are very susceptible to oil which renders the Desiccant useless after a while. The regenerative cycles can take anywhere from 10% to 25% air continuously to regenerate the wet tower. It is extremely important that these systems are sized correctly other wise you could be in trouble. Membrane dryers: These work on the principle of passing the air through a membrane that is permeable to moisture but not air and with the pressure difference between the inside and out side of the dryer the moisture is pushed out. This type of dryer uses less purge air than a desiccant dryer but again is susceptible to oil. Filters 5. Whilst filters do not dry the air they do however remove the condensed water and remove the impurities from the air. There are typically three types of filters you will come across, impingement, coalescing, activated carbon. Their effectiveness ranges widely, and depends on filter media used, surface area and velocity of the air through the filter. Impingement filters: These work on the principle that any particle bigger than the filter size will be stopped and smaller particles will go through, typical sizes are 50 micron, 20 micron and 5 micron. Coalescing filters: These are typically designed to remove oil and liquid. These are rated on the efficiency of oil removed to inlet oil and efficiency range from 98% percent to 99.999% efficiency makes a big difference to the flow and pressure drop through the filter. Activated carbon: These filters are an absorbent type filter and will adsorb, oil, odors, and water. Typically these are used to remove the final trace residue oil and odors. The bigger the element the longer it will last and the more efficient it will be. 6. If you are in doubt about the quality of your air we can test it for you. 7. Sizing an air compressor is very confusing as equipment manufactures will rate their equipment consumption in free air delivered (F.A.D) whilst most reciprocating air compressors are rated in displacement. What is the difference you ask? F.A.D is the actual air delivered after the air has been compressed and cooled down in the tank. Displacement is the volume of the piston multiplied by the rpm of the pump and does not take into account the inefficiencies of these pumps. Typically a single stage reciprocating compressor is about 60% efficient. Another important fact to remember is that ALL equipment is specified at standard temperatures and pressures (STP)of the country of origin. An identical installation may work perfectly well in Auckland but might perform dismally in Wellington. It is important that your site conditions are taken into account!! 8. Noise..... It is a fact that air compressors are noisy some more, than others. What effects the noisiness of an air compressor is the pump speed, vibration, additional silencing, most of the noise of an air compressor is intake resonance. You can get specifically designed resonators which will quieten down a compressor considerably, slowing down a compressor will also reduce the noise. Most direct drive air compressors run at 2800 rpm whereas belt driven air compressors run much slower around 800 rpm hence they are much quieter. 9. If this all sounds very confusing contact Connections Unlimited and let them sort it all out for you so you can get on with your dentistry. 10. Installation tips, have you considered the pipe losses and restrictions in your piping system? It is pointless having a big compressor if the pipe which feeds your tools is too small to get the air there. Have you made the provision for a loan compressor to be quickly installed without disruption to your surgery incase of breakdowns or maintenance? The number of times we have been called to service / fix an air compressor and find the owner is frustrated with the disruption to their daily routine and their clients appointment, as we work on their air compressors. With some forethought these unnecessary interruptions to business can be avoided.
|
Connections
Unlimited Ltd
PO Box 40669
Upper Hutt
Email service@techtalk.co.nz
Phone 021 541
851 Fax 021 302 851 Upper Hutt (Head office)
Phone 021 541
850 Fax 021 691 850 Palmerston North (Branch)
This website was designed and created by Phill Ruby of Connections Unlimited Palmerston North Branch.
