Why is dental air compressor preventive maintenance so important?
Dental compressors are one of the most heavily used pieces of equipment in a dental office. Compressors often run all day without anyone {including the practice owner} even thinking about how vital they are in keeping their practice running.
Dental Compressor Cleaning
What’s the general rule of thumb? Basically, professionals suggest that you should have your air compressor serviced every 3,000 work hours. Depending on how much you use your compressor, that could see you getting your compressor into the shop every six to nine months.
The Benefits of Maintaining your Air Compressor
Air compressor maintenance has many benefits. Here are five important reasons why you should proactively maintain your air compressors:
Increase the life expectancy of assets
A significant advantage of preventive maintenance is that it can help you extend the life of your equipment. When it comes to care, equipment replacement can provoke potential disruptions to your operations and finances. Replacing your air compressor is sometimes an inevitable reality. All of them will age and eventually need replacing.
Preventive maintenance is one of the very best ways to increase your assets’ life expectancy. Keeping your air compressors well-lubricated, changing their filters, and fixing minor issues as needed can help your systems run smoothly for a long time.
Reduce equipment downtime
A major advantage of tracking your air compressors’ maintenance needs is that you can avoid long periods of downtime. Planned maintenance measures tend to take less time than a major repair or complete equipment replacement. You can also plan these maintenance tasks to take place at a convenient time to avoid interfering with your clinic schedule.
The actual financial cost of unexpected downtime will vary for every clinic. However, even an hour of it can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Avoid this expensive problem by planning preventive maintenance.
Increase the efficiency of your air compressor
Air compressor maintenance will ensure productivity continues at a set pace, which is crucial for any company that manufactures products according to a strict timetable. When the air compressors work at full capacity without fail, all the tools along the assembly can perform at maximum speed and keep productivity flowing day in and day out.
Improve workplace safety
Maintaining your air compressor can enhance workplace safety. An unexpected equipment failure can pose a safety hazard since it may lead to other types of machinery malfunctioning or stopping suddenly. Maintenance routines can avoid problems with your equipment that can put your employees’ health and safety at risk. Carrying out regular upkeep of all your equipment, including your air compressors, can reduce health and safety incidents.
Dental Air Compressor Preventive Maintenance
Read the user manual
This tip seems quite basic, but not everyone does it. Many owners of air compressors need to remember entirely about the manual. However, you should never try to fix anything on your air compressor without going through the user manual, which can help you correct some of the more common problems. If the issue is complex, it is better to call an expert.
Drain compressor tank
Have you noticed your compressor running more frequently? Have you seen water in your air? Chances are that you could have a lot of condensation in your air compressor tank. This will increase the stress on your compressor and shorten its life. We will make sure your compressor is running at full capacity, and the tank is emptied.
Change the air filter
Throughout the course of a daily usage cycle, the filter inside your air compressor will get lots of junk. Dirty air filters obstruct the performance of the system and force the system to exert more energy just to perform essential functions. Dirty air filters can lead to excess energy consumption, costly maintenance, and downtime if the problem persists. Therefore, it is crucial to change the air filter annually.
Change the oil
Not all air compressors use oil, but in those that do need it, this should remain fresh to allow engine parts to move smoothly. In humid working environments, oil can lose its viscosity and fail to lubricate some internal components of an air compressor properly. This lack of lubrication can produce metal friction and stress along diverse metal parts, which could possibly wear down and fail long before their time.
It is critical that the oil levels are kept to the correct level and the oil is changed to ensure your compressor’s longevity. On a planned preventive maintenance visit, we will change the oil and ensure that it is filled to the correct levels with the highest standard of compressor oil.
Clean the intake valves
The air compressor intake valve regulates the capacity of your rotary screw compressor by opening and closing the air intake. When the desired pressure is reached, the compressor will go into ‘unload’ mode, and the unloader valve will almost completely close the air intake of the compressor. This way, no more air could be sucked in and compressed.
An air compressor must have clean intake vents to function at total capacity. As you put the compressor through weeks of ongoing use, dust particles and other air-bound elements are bound to get sucked into the ducts. Therefore, it is crucial to clean the vents regularly.
Belt tension calibration
Often the drive belt is the cause of compressor failure. Ensuring that the drive belt on your compressor is under the proper tension will keep your compressor from excessive wear and tear. We will adjust the pressure to ensure optimal performance.
Inspect the electrical components (pressure switch and wiring)
The electrical components of a dental air compressor are the vitals of your machine. An air compressor generally requires high energy usage; the electrical components are a crucial part of the preventive maintenance service. We will check/calibrate the pressor switch and inspect all wiring and fuses where applicable. This will ensure the integrity of your equipment is maintained at the highest level.
We understand how critical it is to keep your practice running and continue to serve our clients with the highest standard of service in the dental profession.
References:
https://datascope.io/en/blog/why-air-compressor-maintenance-is-so-important/
https://www.duraprohealth.com/blog/dental-news-1/your-compressor-maintenance-guide-398
https://www.compressedairsystems.com/blog/dental-air-compressors-choosing-right-one/
