Wash Down? Check Your Air Compressors?
After evaluating hundreds of wash down situations, the Service and Support team have found Air Compressors to be a common culprit. To combat extended wash down situations related to an Air Compressor, here is a few quick remedies for the situation that may not require a call to support.
1. Check to see if the air compressor has switched out of run mode.
In panic situations it’s easy to overthink. But sometimes without explanation, the unit is simply turned off. Check to see if your compressor is out of run mode.
G5:
If your site is equipped with the G5 model air compressor, you can verify it’s in run mode if the green LED indicator is illuminated. If not, turn the black toggle switch next to the LED light to the left towards the vertical line.
G7:
If your site is equipped with the G7 model air compressor, you can verify it’s in run mode by looking for the spinning circle in the upper left-hand corner of the LCD display. If the circle is not spinning, the compressor can be started by pressing and holding the line button.
If the compressor has an upside-down triangle like shown below, press and hold the enter button on the far right until the triangle disappears. Once the triangle is gone, press and hold the line button until the compressor starts.
*If your wash functions are currently not operational and you find your air compressors to be out of run mode, after setting your compressor to run mode, allow a few minutes for your compressors to build air pressure before testing wash functions.
2. Check the oil level.
Checking the compressor oil can prevent unforeseen interruptions due to compressor overheating. The air compressor should have enough oil to read between the min and max line (or in the middle) on the site glass when the compressor is off. Too little of oil may cause the unit to turn off as a safety default.
If there is not enough oil, please top off the unit when the unit is off. The oil level should be checked once a day.
3. Check the condensate drain.
If your site is equipped with a Bekomat condensate drain, the drain must be run manually once per day to prevent moisture buildup. These can be run by holding the “Test” button on the unit. Hold this button until all signs of moisture have been expelled from the system. Other condensate drains may be on a timer to automatically drain. However, it’s still important to frequently check moisture levels. Moisture buildup in the air tank eliminates room for increased air volume. While it may appear air pressure is adequate to operate wash functions, volume may not be.
*After running the condensate drain, please allow your compressors to again build pressure before testing functions. Also ensure the pressure is maintained without wash function use to prove the moisture drain is not leaking air.
Inspect and Maintain Your Air Compressors
During your hourly equipment inspections, your team should also be inspecting the air compressors. Verify that the air compressors are not only in run mode but also maintain adequate air pressure. Too little air pressure will prevent your wash functions from operating correctly and can damage the compressor.
Your team should also maintain the air compressors by changing the air compressor oil and filters. The air compressor oil should be changed every 150,000 cars and the oil filter should be changed once every 100,000 cars. Doing this preventative maintenance will help prevent future air compressors issues. You can purchase new oil and filter on the webstore part number P-AIR-2215.