Worth over $35 per analysis, Industrial Air Power’s Free Oil Analysis Program can help you save money on unnecessary air compressor repairs and downtime.

What Does Each Oil Analysis Include?

Each analysis is performed by an independent, outside laboratory and includes data on viscosity, TAN (Total Acid Number), additives, wear metals and water content. These vital characteristics are key indicators for contamination, degradation, oil oxidation and emulsification.

More importantly, with each analysis you perform, you’ll gather valuable trending data that will help you understand the long-and short-term health of your air compressor and lubricants. These are the keys you need to predict and prevent unscheduled maintenance and downtime. What does that mean to you? Simply put, money saved.

To learn how you can take advantage of this valuable program, visit IndustrialAirPower.com.

Air compressor dealers would like you to believe that all replacement oil is low-quality “pirate” lubricant that will damage your machinery. That’s simply not true, and they know it.

Just like any other product, high-quality doesn’t necessarily need to mean high-priced, and good lubricant is good lubricant, regardless of the name on the barrel.

Myths About Non-OEM Lubricants

You can’t afford to believe everything air compressor dealers tell you, so let’s set the record straight on three lubricant myths.

Myth: OEM lubricant is better.
Truth: Non-OEM lubricant can be just as good–if not better–than the oil it’s designed to replace.

Lubricants are manufactured products, and just like any other product they can be properly or improperly engineered. A good, compatible replacement lubricant can save you money by protecting and lubricating your compressor just as well as the original oil it is intended to replace. In fact, some non-OEM lubricants have been specially engineered to be even BETTER than some OEM lubricants on the market. Why? Because high-quality non-OEM lubricant providers know that they have a lot to prove to get and keep your business, and they’re willing to do it.

Myth: Using any non-OEM lubricant, even a fully compatible one, will void your air compressor warranty.
Truth: Compressor dealers can’t make you buy their parts and lubricants to keep your warranty.

According to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act, it’s illegal for any dealer to require you to buy parts from them to retain your warranty. Period. And did you know that compressor manufacturers don’t actually manufacture their own lubricants? It’s true. So while some air compressor dealers would like you to think you have to go to them for your lubricants, or that their oils have special properties that make them better suited for their brand of compressors, that’s simply not the case. As long as you choose a compressor lubricant that is truly fully compatible with the oil it is intended to replace (and used properly), you’ll get comparable lubrication and performance for a much lower price.

Myth: You pay more for big-name oil because it’s made with better base stock and additives.
Truth: Replacement lubricants are often made with the same high-quality base stock and additives
as their high-priced competitors.

The truth is, some compressor dealers bank on being able to scare you into buying their lubricants by pretending that they can hold your warranty hostage. Not only is it illegal for them to do so, they also charge you more for their lubricants by letting you think you’ll damage your air compressor parts if you don’t. Don’t let yourself be taken in by their scare tactics and lies. The truth is, you will save money and protect your equipment with high-quality, fully-compatible lubricants.

Choosing the Right Oil

When it comes choosing replacement lubricants, full chemical compatibility is key. So, not only do you want to make sure that the replacement oil you’re considering has the same performance characteristics as the manufacturer’s recommended lubricant (like flash point, viscosity index, oxidative stability and pour point), you also want to make sure that it is made with fully-compatible base stocks and additives. Mix marginally-compatible products and you run the risk of premature lubricant breakdown or compressor parts damage.

If you’re not sure if the air compressor lubricant you’re using is truly fully compatible with your manufacturer’s suggested product–or if you’ve noticed degraded compressor performance and you’ve recently changed lubricants–contact us at shop@industrialairpower.com or 877-422-1717. We’ll help you determine what lubricants are right for you and whether you need to switch.

Or, to see Industrial Air Power’s full line petroleum, semi- and full-synthetic lubricants and replacement air compressor parts, visit the Industrial Air Power online store.

To help you maintain a regular maintenance schedule, we’ve created an air compressor maintenance log that you can download and print for free.

Click here to download your Free Air Compressor Maintenance Log.

• To save a copy of the log to your computer, select File > Save as.
• To print the log, select File >Print.

Understanding the differences between petroleum, semi-synthetic and full synthetic lubricants can help you make the best, most cost-efficient choices for your business. While petroleum-base mineral oils may seem less expensive on the front end, in the long run their use can cost you much more in downtime and labor associated with excessive lubricant changes and air compressor maintenance.

The Problem with Petroleum Compressor Lubricants

The biggest issue with petroleum lubricants is their natural instability due to the organic compounds that make them up. This instability leads to premature breakdown and the presence of waxes, sludge and acids that can end up damaging machinery if frequent lubricant changes aren’t made. So, while the initial low cost of petroleum air compressor oil may be enticing, what you save on the front end you usually end up spending on the back end.

The Benefits of Semi- and Full-Synthetic Lubricants

In contrast, while partial and full synthetic lubricants may cost more, they’re engineered for high stability and usability, even in extreme conditions. That’s why they’re so resistant to breakdown and acid build up. In general, the change interval for synthetic lubricants is several times longer than petroleum lubricants operating at identical temperatures, and switching to even a semi-synthetic blend can result in considerable savings in the long run.

When choosing between lubricants, consider that under normal operating conditions you can expect:

• A petroleum-based oil to last roughly 2,000 hours.
• A semi-synthetic lubricant to last at least 4,000 hours.
• A full synthetic lubricant to last at least 8,000 hours.

Some full synthetic lubricants can actually last even longer than 8,000 hours, and will continue to perform well upwards of 10,000 hours under normal operating conditions. Obviously, the extended life of semi- and full-synthetic lubricants can mean considerable savings in costs associated with oil purchase, labor and disposal. And, if you’re operating in challenging conditions, you may need the superior engineering of a partial or full synthetic to handle the heat.

If you’re in the market for air compressor lubricant, visit IndustrialAirPower.com today to see our full line of petroleum, partial and full synthetic lubricants and cleaners.

Too few businesses take advantage of oil analysis to prevent unnecessary repairs and lubricant changes. Learn how a good oil analysis program can help save you from costly air compressor repairs, system and bearing failures, and unnecessary lubricant changes.

Finding Early Warning Signs With Lubricant Analysis

You may not know it but a good oil analysis program is a comprehensive diagnostic tool that can help you uncover hidden conditions that signal poor compressor performance, premature breakdown and system degradation. By measuring key characteristics of your oil, lubricant analysis can tell you what parts are degrading, how severe acid build up is, and whether your air compressor is headed for failure.

That’s why a good oil analysis program is key to maintaining the health of your air compressor. When choosing a lubricant analysis program, be sure it includes information on:

Viscosity: A key indicator for oil replacement, substantial changes in viscosity can indicate contamination or degradation.

TAN (Total Acid Number): Dangerous TAN levels can indicate oil oxidation, corrosive acid contamination or potential mechanical problems.

Additives: The emergence of elements not present in an original sample can indicate the addition of make-up oil with additives that substantially differ from the original product.

Wear metals: Wear metal analysis is key for scheduling routine maintenance that prevents costly repairs and downtime.

 Water content: Moisture content can dramatically affect lubricant 
 performance.

In addition, a good lubricant analysis program should help you understand how to interpret your lubricant data so that you know what to do next.

 When Was The Last Time You Checked Your Compressor Oil?

If you don’t already have your lubricant regularly checked, consider joining Industrial Air Power’s Free Lubricant Analysis Program. Free with the purchase of any lubricant, this program covers 30 key lubricant characteristics and gives you valuable trending data that can help you track and predict machine health and air compressor parts degradation. To learn more about Industrial Air Power or this program, visit IndustrialAirPower.com.

Are you familiar with air compressor lubricant TAN, or Total Acid Number? TAN is a measure of the acids in your air compressor lubricants. When a lubricant’s TAN reaches 2.0, it’s time to change it, otherwise the sulfuric acid in your oil can do serious damage to your compressor. Acid corrosion can lead to premature air/oil separator and filter blockages, bearing failure and other major maintenance headaches.

The Three Best Ways to Avoid High TAN

Fortunately, avoiding damaging high TAN levels in your air compressor isn’t hard. In fact, there are three easy, cost-effective ways you can avoid high TAN:

1. Keep your compressor operating at normal temperatures.
For every 10° above 190°F that an air compressor operates, the life of the lubricant inside it is cut in HALF, along with its ability to resist acid formation. So, if a compressor is operating at 210° F (or 20° above 190°), the oil life is cut in half TWICE. That means that under those circumstances, even an 8,000 hour lubricant would reach dangerous TAN levels after just 2,000 hours. So, if your compressor is running hot and you’re not monitoring your TAN, you could be doing a lot of damage to your machinery. (Have a hot compressor and not sure why? Evaluate potential overheating causes, at Industrial Air Power’s Troubleshooting Guide.)

2. Perform regular oil analysis.
Not only is regular lubricant analysis the only way to be 100% sure that your compressor lubricants are at safe TAN levels, it’s a vital diagnostic tool that can help you anticipate and avoid high-cost maintenance and unnecessary lubricant changes. In fact, oil analysis that gives you information about additives, wear metals and TAN levels can save you big money in the long run. (Haven’t had your lubricant tested in awhile? Learn about Industrial Air Power’s Free Oil Analysis Program.)

3. Use a heat-activated cleaner to flush your system.
To maintain peak air compressor performance and prevent premature failure, high-TAN lubricants must be completely flushed from air compressors (not just drained and refilled). And, because oil can pool in the sump when drained, the best way to do this is to bathe the interior of the unit with a heat-activated cleaner that dissolves sludge and varnish contaminants while the compressor operates. Heat-activated compressor cleaners suspend and flush away harmful deposits so that no high-TAN lubricants are left in hard-to-reach areas. (Never used a cleaning additive before? Learn about Industrial Air Power’s high-performance, heat-activated cleaner, POWERSOLV.)

Monitor TAN for Fewer Air Compressor Maintenance Hassles

You might think that regularly changing your lubricant keeps your equipment safe from the damaging effects of high TAN but that’s not always the case. Even if you change your lubricant regularly and “on time,” your air compressor oil can still reach high TAN levels due to leftover oil from the lines, cooler and the bottom of the sump. Remember these three easy ways to keep your TAN manageable!

Because a comprehensive oil analysis program is key to avoiding unnecessary air compressor oil changes and mechanical repairs, Industrial Air Power offers a Free Lubricant Analysis Program that covers over 30 lubricant characteristics. It’s an invaluable free tool for saving money and preventing catastrophic mechanical failure.

Performed by an independent laboratory, each Industrial Air Power free lubricant analysis includes data on:

• Viscosity: To detect contamination or degradation in your
  compressor oils.
• TAN (Total Acid Number): To monitor oil oxidation, corrosive
  acid contamination or potential mechanical problems.
• Additives: To detect the addition of incompatible make-up oil.
• Wear metals: To monitor machinery health and schedule routine maintenance before failure occurs.
• Water content: To detect high moisture content and emulsification issues.

Using Industrial Air Power’s FREE Lubricant Analysis Program

Our oil analysis program is extremely easy to use.  Each lubricant analysis comes with:

• Oil sample forms and sample bottle for
  easy labeling and documentation of
  compressor and lubricant information.
• An individualized report that includes
  data on viscosity, TAN levels, water content
  and over 21 different additives and wear
  metal, including iron, lead, copper,
  chromium and more.
• A short oil analysis guide to help you understand your test results.
• Maintenance recommendations and expert advice based on your individualized report.
• Valuable trending data that can help you detect hidden symptoms of future system failure. Our data
  helps you find long- and short-term trends that indicate equipment degradation or breakage long before they result in unexpected downtime.

Simply ship your oil sample to us and in about a week you’ll receive an easy-to-understand e-mailed report and analysis guide explaining your results. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your report results, simply call one of our experts toll-free at 877-422-1717 and we’ll be happy to discuss your results with you and help you determine what to do next.

If you don’t have a sampling kit and need one, simply email us at parts@industrialairpower.com or call us at 877-422-1717 to have one delivered, no charge.