5 Tips to Save Energy on Your Compressed Air Installation

Did you know that 70% of the total cost of a compressor installation consists of energy costs? This is something to consider when working out your compressed air budget. Below we have provided tips on how to save on energy costs while taking the environment into account. We are your partners in compressed air and ensure you are provided with all the compressed air knowledge available. 


Tip 1: The Right Pressure!


Tip 2: Use Energy Recovery

A lot of heat is created during the compression of air in your compressed air system. Efficient recycling of the heat produced by your compressor can save you a lot of money. By using a heat exchanger, the residual heat can be used for, for example, heating up steam boilers, process water or even your central heating system. By using energy recovery you can save up to 80% of the installed capacity in energy. 

Tip 3: Provide Central Compressor Control

Your compressed air installation is optimally used by a central compressor control. The control ensures the correct combination of compressors are used and the correct setting of the system pressure. This makes optimal use of the machines at your locating and can prevent unnecessary use of compressed air.


Tip 4: Prevent and Repair Leaks

A compressed air leak of 3mm at a pressure of 7 bar will quickly cost you €1300 per year. The higher the pressure, the higher the air loss and the higher your costs. By replacing old and bad couplings and hoses, or worn seals you can prevent energe losses. A solid and reliable compressed air line network ensures distribution of compressed air to the end user without pressure drop and leaks. In addition, periodically checking your compressed air system by using ultasonic leak detection can ensure rapid detection of leaks and save energy. Have your compressed air installation regularly checked for leaks and prevent unnecessary loss of compressed air.

Tip 5: Maintain Your Compressor Correctly

By properly maintaining your compressed air installation, the system remains in optimal condition and you prevent energy loss. Using genuine parts made for the specific application in your compressor ensures correct operation and maximum energy efficiency. A compressor that works correctly is the most efficient for your wallet.

Investing in Sustainability
If you invest in energy-efficient compressed air, you are eligible for an energy investment allowance (EIA), with an average tax benefit of 13.5%. In addition, energy-efficient investments provide you with significant cost savings due to a lower energy bill. Our advisers are happy to carry out a compressed air measurement at your location to map out your potential energy savings.




Who we are and how we can help!

Ash Air has been around in New Zealand since 1979, and we’ve grown into a nationwide company with international support and a reputation for quality and reliability.

We look after all things compressed air for your business!

Ash Air's range of Chicago Pneumatic, Alup, Pneumatech, and Quincy compressors are used extensively around the world in industries ranging from oil and gas to food, automotive and farming, and we bring you these world class compressors here in the land of the long white cloud.

Our technicians are compressed air equipment experts and are dedicated to addressing customer needs. Supported by a 13 locations nationwide, Ash Air offers one of the widest selections of compressed air equipment and parts available today in New Zealand.

Reliability and Efficiency

With Ash Air compressors, you can count on reliability and high performance for even the most demanding applications. We focus our efforts on the following:

Extensive Product Line

We offer a broad array of products, from world class compressor brands, including a full range of rotary and reciprocating air compressors from ½ to 200 horsepower. We serve the compressed air needs of many industries such as the following:

Solutions

In our effort to prioritise the needs of our customers, we work hard to provide solutions. We continually introduce innovative products here at Ash Air to our Kiwi customers, so our end users can rely on us to meet evolving compressed air needs.

Support

We offer an extensive array of air compressor parts and services through our direct locations throughout New Zealand. Continued growth means our operations continue to operate on a national level.

In our effort to provide the best possible support, we offer the following remote monitoring, preventative maintenance, vacuum pump services and overhaul, compressor and pipework installations, hire fleet and leasing solutions, leak detection's and energy audits, and breakdown recovery and emergency air.

When considering new energy-efficient air compressors or an upgrade to more energy-efficient machinery, Ash Air can help you make the right choices for your business.

Read more from #expert corner!


Air compressors come in many types, rotary screw, piston, scroll, reciprocating, some are oil-free and other air compressors require oil lubrication. Like many businesses, an efficient air compressor is at the heart of their operations. So, which type of compressor should you choose? What makes a compressor, like a rotary screw, unique? Here are some clear cut benefits of equipping your business with a rotary screw compressor.  


In the world of compressors, there are often significant and unutilized energy-saving possibilities including energy recovery, pressure reduction, leakage reduction and optimization of operations through correct choice of a control and regulation system as well as the choice of compressor size.We are going to take a look at some of the opportunities for minimizing the compressor’s operating costs. 


Liquid water in compressed-air systems can lead to rusted equipment and unresponsive controls. Anyone who uses compressed air will, at some point, find liquid water in the air distribution system. This can be anything from a nuisance to a serious problem, depending on the application. If water might corrode equipment or introduce bacteria, removing it is critical. 


Liquid water in compressed-air systems can lead to rusted equipment and unresponsive controls. Anyone who uses compressed air will, at some point, find liquid water in the air distribution system. This can be anything from a nuisance to a serious problem, depending on the application. If water might corrode equipment or introduce bacteria, removing it is critical. 


Whenever most people think about a compressor, they probably have a piston compressor in mind. You might already know there are two basic principles of air compression. One of those is the principle of displacement compression. There are a lot of compressor types that classify as a displacement compressor. The piston compressor is one of them, oil-lubricated or oil-free. 


Once you have the size and type of compressor figured out, one last question remains, should I go with an oil lubricated or oil-free air compressor. To not overcomplicate the answer, your choice should be based on the application and process that the compressed air will be utilized in.


Like all compressor types, rotary screw models do require periodic maintenance. Thanks to the simplicity of the internal components, maintenance is relatively easy on most rotary air compressors. As long as you stick to a rotary screw compressor maintenance schedule, you will likely be rewarded with many, many years of optimal productivity from your machine. 


Did you know, the biggest part of the air we breathe is nitrogen? Everyone needs oxygen to survive, however air is made up of 78% nitrogen, only 21% oxygen and tiny amounts of other gases. Although, the human body does not use this nitrogen, it is very helpful in various industrial applications. There is an unlimited source of nitrogen readily available, allowing you to achieve needed purity at a fraction of your current annual nitrogen cost. 


If you notice that your compressor is getting hot and bothered, there may be heating issues affecting your air compressors performance. Did you know that an overheating compressor is top of the pops for being the most common cause of compressor failure. 


A rotary-screw compressor is an air compressor that uses a rotary-type positive-displacement mechanism, typically used replace piston compressors where large volumes of high-pressure air are needed, either for large industrial applications or to operate high-power air tools. 


Have a look around and what do you see? What are you thinking about? Your next holiday to Queenstown maybe? You might go snowboarding with the kids or have some alone time at the Day Spa. Whatever holiday you choose, compressed air is involved in some way, without you even realising it!  


There are crucial reasons why you should service and maintain your compressor regularly, with the most common issues being piston failure caused by wear of components, increased friction, corrosion, reduced cooling, overheating bearings and components, clogging of air filters. 


Compressed air is all around us, from the air in a balloon to pumping up tires on your bicycle. In this article we will explain what compressed air is and how it is created. Whether you know it or not, compressed air is involved in every aspect of our lives, from the balloons at your birthday party to the air in the tires of our cars and bicycles. It was probably even used when making the phone, tablet or computer you’re viewing this on. 


One of the biggest challenges is to correctly size your new air compressor. Similarly to everything else, new compressors available on the market are more efficient and employ better technology, therefore you have to understand the application and usage to size the machine correctly. Choosing the wrong air compressor for your facility can lead to problems with production and or increased costs due to wasted energy. 


Once you have the size of the air compressor figured out, the next thing to do is to decide on the type of compresor you will need for your application - piston, rotary screw compressor etc. Let us take a look at two of the most popular options available. When choosing the right type of compressor, you should ask yourself the following questions:


​Which vacuum pump do I need? - this is one of the most frequent questions we receive and this is understandable, because there are number of technologies which can provide the same vacuum level and pumping speed. Here is quick advice on how to choose the best vacuum pump for your needs. 


You may be asking, why does my air compressor start, then stop? Allow us to take the guessing out of it. We understand your pain. We know that a compressor problem can quickly result in hours (if not days) of production downtime and loss of revenue. When your compressor continuously shuts off from on, we refer that as a short cycle. There are a few reasons that a short cycle may be happening with your compressor. 


Air compressor leaks are very common in all applications, but can be very costly and difficult to find. On average, 20-30% of the compressed air used in a manufacturing plant is wasted as leaked air. Finding and fixing these leaks can save your business thousands of wasted dollars a year. 


When installing a compressed air system into a business, people often look to PVC piping as an option to build a piping system because it is cheap, versatile and easy to install. However, using PVC pipe in any compressed air application is extremely dangerous and NOT recommended by multiple associations and manufacturers. 


Changing the oil and oil filters on your compressor is one of the most common routine maintenance tasks to perform to keep your compressor running efficiently. After you remove your old oil and oil filter, you may find yourself wondering, “Where do I dispose of these?”, or “Can I just throw them in the trash?”. Because oil is toxic and a pollutant, disposing of your old oil and filters is not as simple as just tossing them in the trash.Â