What a Compressed Air System Audit can do for your Business

Compressed air is a very versatile tool used in a broad range of industries to power machinery, valves and actuators and hand tools. Compressed air generation accounts for 10% of all energy consumed in UK. The Carbon Trust has reported that the UK uses over 10TWh of electricity annually in air compressor systems which is the equivalent of about 1.5 power stations emitting 5 million tonnes of CO₂ to the atmosphere or powering 120 million 60w (equivalent) LED lightbulbs for a year.

Why are compressed air system audits important?

The process of compressing air can be very wasteful. As little as 8% of the total energy supplied to a compressor is actually converted into useful energy at the point of use. Effective minimisation of waste can save over 30% of the energy required. Small leaks in a compressed air system can waste huge amounts of energy; a leak as small as 3mm could cost more than £700 a year in wasted energy.

Conducting a compressed air system audit is vital as it is the easiest and most thorough method to ensure that your compressed air system is performing to its utmost efficiency. One of the several legal requirements of using compressed air is having the system checked regularly by a competent engineer.

How can a compressed air maintenance team help?

Using a reliable air compressor maintenance team that will come to your plant and examine your compressed air system can be really beneficial. The compressor engineer will produce a checklist of suggested improvements to your compressed air system. The most common issues that a compressed air system audit will flag up are leaks, unfit piping, inefficient compressors and the need for an air compressor controller.

Is a compressed air system audit worth the money?

A compressed air system audit generally more than pays for itself in the energy savings made within a relatively short time. However optimising individual components in a compressed air system does not necessarily result in the optimisation of the entire system. For a more effective result it is better to take a systematic approach by analysing each component of the compressed air system.

A compressed air system audit looks to maximise uptime and reduce total operating costs. The audit will measure the actual compressed air demand at various times to produce an Air Demand Analysis (ADA).

What happens next?

Once the information has been collected and analysed the audit will produce a personalised action plan with the best solution for the minimisation of energy consumption and maximising uptime for the recommended machine configuration.

Book your compressed air system maintenance with Glaston.

Glaston has been operating for nearly 40 years and offers the full package in compressed air maintenance, compressed air treatment and other compressed air services. Glaston also supplies nitrogen generators, air compressor hire and used air compressors.

Glaston has secured its status as a leading compressed air service provider in the UK due to its strong customer service based approach and its expertise. Glaston has saved many businesses across the North West thousands of pounds by designing, installing and maintaining efficient air compressor systems.

For more information about Glaston or any air compressor related issues or to book in for a compressed air system audit contact us here or call on 01695 51010.