The Importance of Servicing Your Regenerative Compressed Air Dryer

The ultimate guide to servicing your compressed air dryer

Posted on May 14th, 2020

Skipping a dryer service interval may seem harmless and a quick way to save money but, like skipping a
service interval on your car, it can have a negative long-term impact and will end up costing you more.

As with any other critical resource, desiccant dryers require proactive preventative maintenance to ensure peak operational efficiency. Left un-serviced, a reduction in efficiency can lead to water being present downstream. This can impact the quality of compressed air and the health of the entire system, causing damage to equipment, product spoilage, costly repairs, system downtime or even a danger to employees themselves.

So, what are the potential risks of not carrying out regular dryer servicing and maintenance?

Blocked silencers can lead to internal valve failures

Desiccant dust in the purge airstream can gradually block the silencers creating higher back pressures. A higher back pressure can impact on the movement of internal valves, which can lead to them not sealing. If the internal valves stop working, your dryer won’t function.

Desiccant doesn’t last forever

Even though the desiccant is regenerated, over time it will lose its effectiveness and wear, forming desiccant dust. This will result in the dryer becoming less effective at removing moisture and can potentially lead to a higher differential pressure, causing a significant reduction in efficiency. Desiccant dust in the airstream can also have a significant impact on the operation of internal components such as valves, seals and silencers.

For example, when using dewpoint management control at a -40˚C (-40˚F) dewpoint, the dryer will have to run for a longer period before reaching the set dewpoint. Only when it hits dewpoint will the dryer isolate the purge. The harder and longer your dryer works to regenerate the desiccant and maintain dewpoint, the more energy it uses and the more your operating costs will increase.

As well as following desiccant cartridge servicing intervals, a dust or particulate filter should be used downstream of the dryer to ensure that any dust introduced to the compressed air as a result of
the drying process, is removed and downstream equipment is protected.

The importance of solenoid valves, shuttles, shuttle seats and O-rings

Parts such as solenoid valves, shuttles and O-rings do wear and degrade. While they have a longer service life than dryer silencers and desiccant, failure to replace these at the recommended intervals runs the risk of seals failing, which can cause product failure. This can impact your whole system, the end application and leave you with substantial costs.

Warranty

Failing to service your desiccant dryer at the indicated intervals can also void your warranty.

Click here to download this information as a PDF: ‘The Importance of Servicing Your Regenerative Compressed Air Dryer’

 

Previous Story Next Story