What do I need to know about ICONS?

Intelligent Connectivity System (ICONS)

Intelligent Connectivity System (ICONS) is the eyes into your compressed air system. Ditch the logbooks, the regular visits to the compressor room and dealing with surprises with your compressor. • Most maintenance organizations operate between 10% to 40% efficiency • Most spend more than 50% of time on emergency work • Reactive maintenance costs 3-5 times more than preventive maintenance.

Proactive planning

Profitability starts with insight. By always knowing the performance of your compressor allows you to make smart use of resources. With ICONS, you can plan to proactively perform maintenance, repairs, and replacements so that you can prevent failures before they ever have the chance to occur.

Fast response times

With ICONS, you can review the compressor status online, at any time. Better yet, it also gives you a direct link to your equipment distributor, Chicago Pneumatic. We can advise you better than ever, and help to prevent interruptions by fixing problems at an early stage. Your organizational efficiency will improve as well, as service visits will be planned better.

Righttime: online logging and a monthly service email giving you an overview of your machine.

Always knowing the right time for service, you can plan your resources and costs while making sure your compressor keeps running efficiently.

UPTIME: warnings forwarded as emails and/or text messages

Notifications will come to you to allow you to take corrective action and avoid a breakdown. UPTIME is all about maximum equipment uptime, with a clear list of events and availability performance dashboard. 

Learn more about ICONS here



Who we are and how Ash Air can help your business!

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:


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Other Blogs


Air compressors are used in many different applications and provide essential compressed air to many businesses and individuals with different air needs. No matter what your CFM, PSI and HP requirements are, the electronic controller on your air compressor is the motherboard for keeping your unit running as efficiently as possible. It is your eyes into your machine.


Air compressors are helpful for an enormous range of applications such as air filling, packaging, tools, HVAC control, and more! One possible drawback is the amount of electricity they use; air compressors can be a huge drain on energy if used ​inefficiently​. If you are running them too long, allowing leaks to exist, or using the wrong type of compressor, you are wasting ​energy and money​. This article will go over some of the biggest power-wasters and how to
stop/prevent them!



In the following guide, we want to try to answer some of the questions you may have been asking yourself in regards to screw air compressors. If you do not find the answer you are looking for, please get in touch with us.


Compressed air is a key utility supporting the food packaging and food processing industries. It is used in machines that fill products such as cakes, pies, and liquid products, as well as during the packaging and transportation of snacks, vegetables, beer, soda and other items.. Compressed air must be moisture and contaminant-free to ensure the protection of the food products processed in each facility. 


Minimizing the risk of accidents in the workplace is a top priority in industry, and it is especially important when working with pneumatic power tools. Ensuring that all safety precautions have been taken to protect the health and wellbeing of operators is vital. With this in mind, here are seven simple steps to reduce the risk of accidents and improve operator safety


Regardless of the type of compressor you have, vibration issues can be troubling for any business. The root of the vibration can stem from multiple sources, some internally and others externally. Understanding the cause of the vibration and how to resolve them will be critical in keeping your compressor in proper working order.


Air compressors are essential to your business, but they can also become a safety hazard when used improperly. Reading your owner’s manual and following all proper safety precautions before use is vital in keeping your compressor in great, working condition.


Corrosion in the pipeline is due to insufficient condensation drainage that occurs during compression. The resulting condensate, together with the compressed air, flow further into the compressed air line network and has a negative effect on the pipes. Find out more about how you can prevent corrosion here.


FRLs – Filters, Regulators and Lubricators – guarantee the efficiency and durability of pneumatic tools. Including an FRL in your air system is vital to running an efficient air line set-up and key to achieving a good return on investment. Read more here!


Check out this blog and video included to help you know what you should be looking for when you're thinking about purchasing a Chicago Pneumatic Rotary Screw Compressor for your shop or application. If you want to learn about what a screw compressor actually is, check out this article  


There are 3 simple steps to make sure your air line installation is providing the right pressure and that your accessories selection is correct, so you can ultimately work productively. It does not take long and it is something you can easily do yourself using our self-diagnostic checklist. 


Okay, okay, we're a bit excited. With the recent launch of our air tools in our online shop. Here's a 101 for you about what air tools you might need in your air compressor tool kit. Air tools are prevalent in automotive industries, woodworking, construction, metalwork and more. Did you know that there's pretty much an air-powered version nearly any power tool on the market? We want to share with you our 'Must have Air Tools'.


When you are thinking about an air compressor, you might be have the image of the super popular piston or reciprocating compressor in your mind. The compressor that you see in home workshops, automotive garages pumping up tyres and assisting in spray painting cars.


As a follow on to our Why You Should Not Use PVC Piping for Your Compressed Air System blog, we share with you what piping you shouldbe using to get the most out of your compressed air system. Here at Ash Air we have the perfect solution if you're wanting to match your great compressor with a fast, easy and reliable piping solution that supports the operational excellence of your whole compressed air system. 


An air compressor is a big purchase for any business. It is visibly important to properly maintain the air compressor and filter elements to protect that investment. Air intake filters are installed in an air compressor to remove any dust or debris the compress may suck in. Dust will cause wear to the compressor element, valves, filters, compressor oil and any moving parts.


So you have a vacuum pump installed and you rely on it for your business operations and performance? Here are some reasons why you should consider overhauling your vacuum pump! s with all machinery and compressed air equipment, regular maintenance can help ensure optimised safer performance of your vacuum pump. Learn more about benefits of restoring, rebuilding and repairing your vacuum pump.


Air compressors are used every day, by many industries around the world. They are often considered the heart of a business, in that most companies will rely on their performance and efficiency to run their operations, to get work done effectively and safely. In your day to day, you've probably seen air compressors in use - whether at a build site powering construction equipment or in a mechanics workshop inflating tyres.


A scroll air compressor, or spiral compressor, compresses air by drawing it it, trapping it, reducing the volume and discharging it at the outlet port. The scroll compressor that you see today, such as SpiralAIR, have been the result of modernised advancements in manufacturing technology, even thought the concept of a scroll compressor has been around for over 100 years.The scroll compressor is oil-free orbiting, or positive displacement compressor. The compressor has a stator spiral fixed in a housing, and a motor driven eccentric orbiting spiral. 


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.