Dive Compressor Tips

rcontrera · #1 (**permalink**) 03-12-2011

Spring is almost on us and it seems like just about every year about this time, we get a call about an onboard compressor fails due to owner abuse or neglect. So, instead of sending yours off for repairs (expensive), I have a couple of tips (cheap):

Keep it cool! - The biggest enemy of your compressor is heat. If you have yours in the engine compartment, make sure you have cool fresh air directed at the compressor body.
Change the oil! - Oil is your life's blood. It cools, cleans and lubricates the moving parts. An oil change is cheap insurance against compressor failure due to mechanical wear.
Keep it clean! - While there isn't a lot of dust at sea, a light oil film on a compressor will find whatever dust there is and paste it to the machine. That gunk layer can cause localized heating and decrease the life of your machine.
Change your filters! - Your air filter takes the wet, oily stuff that comes out of your compressor and turns it into sweet, clean breathing air. but they don't last forever. change them when the moisture indicator changes color or 6 months ... whichever comes first.
Don't run other stuff on that little genset while the compressor is running! - Small compressors draw a LOT of juice. Don't kick on air conditioning, battery charger, major electronics, etc. while running your compressor. I have a LOT of guys insist that their gen set can handle it even though we suggest a large one. It never fails that we get at least one call from one of those guys that has burned out the electronics on their MarinePak or fused their contacts on the on/off switch.

lickingcardboard · #2 (**permalink**) 03-13-2011

from the list it is just plain old common sense, nice reminder to the Diver out there.

rcontrera · #3 (**permalink**) 03-13-2011

I am always amazed at just how little common sense is used on a $4-10000 piece of equipment. I was prompted to put this up after a day of working on a gunky $3500 compressor that was installed on a million+ dollar boat. The sad part is that the compressor is only two years old and was only used once to pump four tanks!