Compressed Air is not Free!
Posted by IAP on 01/10/2025
From Maintenance Technology Online
Are You Wasting Money Fixing Compressed Air Leaks?
If you think finding and repairing leaks is the first step in controlling your compressed air costs, think again. Much has been written about the significant cost of supplying air leaks—an inevitable part of any compressed air system. Most owners and operators are usually unaware that without a carefully designed and well-maintained compressor control strategy, a leak-repair program may not maximize their savings.
MYTH: Compressed air is free.
FACT: Compressed air is usually your most expensive utility. It takes 8 hp of electricity to produce 1 hp worth of work with compressed air.
MYTH: Leaks don’t really amount to much.
FACT: In many plants, compressed air leaks may represent the single largest consumption. Plants with no effective compressed air leak management program lose, on average, 30% to 50% of their compressed air production to leaks.