When people consider air compressors, all they think of are big, loud, unreliable and dirty machines. But, they are necessary to consider. However, there are several businesses around that are entirely dependent on air compression. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t depend on unreliable air compressors as they can cause external damage.
One of the main reasons why you should depend on air compressors is to ensure proper cleaning and saving time. However, if not cleaned properly, these air compressors can cause severe damages due to lack of varnish. Application of varnish on the air compressors can help to ensure safety, thereby protecting against different damages. Moreover, it would help if you implemented the plan accordingly to save money.
What is varnish?
Not particularly a compound, but varnish is a wide-group of lubricants that are meant for offering protection against different degradation issues. People consider varnish as thick, black and sticky in nature that provides protection against damages across the control valves and prevents the compressors from running hoy.
The sticky material, however, needs to be considered thoroughly because if they are left unchecked. Varnish, however, can hold various damaging particles like various materials that can eventually cause damage. Excessive heat can, however, be extremely damaging.
The common factors affecting varnish formation include the following
- Static discharge
- Fluid cavitation
- Hydrolysis
- Grease contamination
- Chloride contamination
- Coolant contamination
Can varnish damage your compressor?
If there’s an excessive varnish on your air compressor, it can be extremely damaging. You should consider a good quality air compressor oil to prevent varnish.
While oil can help clean the varnish, the by-products can however be harmful. Varnish doesn’t gather up one time but is instead a gradual process that builds up gradually. You will eventually begin to notice the symptoms of varnish buildup with small damages to your system.
The general symptoms of varnish accumulation on your machine include the following
- Decreased oil life
- Increased energy consumption
- The regulating temperature of equipment
The film has a sticky nature and comes with an internal surface coating which can eventually cause several damage and decreased equipment reliability.
The varnish buildup can, however, cause severe damages to your system. Few of the common problems because of varnish the following
- Deterioration of sealed items.
- Low heat transfer
- Plugging of strainers as well as the oil ports
- Catalytic degradation of lubricants
- Sticking of moving components
Can you reduce/prevent and control varnish?
If you consider preventing and controlling varnish as a tough task, it is. There are several high-quality lubricants available in the market. The fluid-based varnish is resistant to oxidation, but the buildup can be damaging. While you may consider that you can easily prevent varnish, you can’t.
Controlling and preventing varnish is a long process, in fact, it is a process that requires various steps. You can only control and prevent varnish if you understand what your equipment is. It would help if you kept a loop with the oil to understand how the lubricant is to be used. You might want to reach out for oil analysis as it is extremely beneficial for understanding how your equipment functions. Moreover, if you are new, you can reach out to an experienced professional who can conduct the oil analysis.
An oil analyst can easily identify the varnish and eventually help you determine the impact. Nonetheless, every test is different and can have its own benefits and disadvantages. It is advisable to reach out to experts to determine the use of oil. The professionals can offer you great advantages of low cost and understand the quantification and precision.
People who are new may not understand. Hence, it is advisable to reach out to experts for the same. Some of the common tests that these professionals can conduct for understanding the oil levels include the following
- Blotter spot test
- Sediment and oil colour observation
- Microscopic particle counting
- Ultra-centrifuge test
- Colourimetric test
The side effects of varnish will eventually be visible in your system. Hence, it is advisable to choose one test accordingly to determine the exact impact.
Can you clean varnish?
Since there are so many steps involved in cleaning varnish, you might have a tough time determining the impact. If you are to clean varnish, you need to choose high-quality materials.
There are varnish cleaners available in the market that can help to ensure easily removing varnish without being involved in techniques for off-line filtration. The fully developed cleaners can help to replace varnish as per the requirement. If you are using the air compressors, you need to ensure you choose high-quality varnish cleaners.
The cleaners can play an essential role in ensuring the easy functioning of the device. Moreover, if you use these high-quality varnish cleaners, you can be saved from maintaining the machine regularly. However, one negative impact of these varnish cleaners is that they can turn out to be expensive.
The concentrated cleaners are however, a great option for getting rid of varnish. But these can only last for a brief time. The high-quality cleansers can dissolve the varnish and eventually remove the coatings due to heavy varnish. Hence, make sure to choose a cleaner that can suit your requirements.
