How Do I Maintain My Piston Air Compressor?

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.

You may find that your piston compressor has low performance and higher energy result by lack of maintenance, as well as a limited operation range; all due to the piston compressor oil oxidising over time! We have carefully selected the best compressor oil air air filter for the job.


We recommend that you service your compressor every six months!

It's easy and you can do it yourself.

Check out this intuitive video below on how to service your piston air compressor:


We have put together a number of kits to help you service your piston compressor. Our compressor maintenance kits contain filter(s) and reputable AltAir Piston Oil, specifically paired to work seamlessly together.

The combined result of this kit is formulated to keep your compressor running efficiently, reducing operating temperatures, maintenance costs, and assuring clean air for optimum compressor performance. The piston compressor oil provides an anti-rust and anti-corrosion protection. The AltAir piston compressor oil provides superior resistance of the oil film minimises losses caused by friction. This improves sealing and enhances your compressorโ€™s performance. The high demulsion level of AltAir oil allows for an efficient separation of oil from the condensate water. The high antioxidant capacity of the compressor oil ensurers that your compressor performs to its capacity consistently.

Check out our service maintenance kits in our online shop


Do you have an idea for our #expertcorner?ย Let us know!

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

Ash Air has been around in New Zealand since 1979, and weโ€™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!

  • Reciprocating, Screw, air compressors
  • Vacuum pumps
  • Nitrogen
  • An extensive line of air treatment components

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:

  • Increasing uptime
  • Reducing unexpected repairs
  • Reducing energy consumption
  • Improving the cleanliness of compressed air


Talk to the team today:  CONTACT US CONTACT US

Read more from our #expertcorner


Your company purchased an air dryer for your compressor, now where should you install it? One of the most common things we see in the industry are air dryers being stored on top of the compressors. Seems like a wasted space not being used on top of the compressor, right? Wrong.


When using air compressors, there are many variables that are integral to the quality and effectiveness of your compressed air. When dryer air is necessary, being able to constantly and accurately monitor dew points can be a critical factor to your operation.


Compressed air plays an integral role in breweries both large and small around the world. From start to finish, all details in the brewing process are managed in fine detail and having the right air compressor is no exception.


We Kiwi's love our Coffee! Coffee, like all other food & beverage products, must go through a preservation process to keep the beans fresh during storage and packaging before they reach the consumer. Coffee that is not properly stored after it is roasted will lose a large amount of carbon dioxide, which lessens its' flavor and speeds up the staling process. One of the most common ways to preserve the freshness of coffee is the use of nitrogen gas. Learn more here:


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 โ€‹inefficiency... 


We get it, buying an air compressor is a big financial decision. And now we are suggesting that you need two air compressors, not just one. Ask yourself one question- Can your business still run if your air compressor goes down?


Itโ€™s no secret โ€“ air compressors are excellent sources of energy. Not only do they power essential manufacturing elements and applications, but the heat generated as a result of the compressed air processes can be used as a byproduct that offsets other energy costs. However, thereโ€™s another form of energy that is also a consequence of the air compression process โ€“ sound.

Show More