If you had a hole in your pocket, would you keep putting money in there, knowing there was a pretty good chance it wouldn’t be there the next time you needed it? Probably not. But the same thing is happening with leaks in your compressed air system.
Something as simple and seemingly minor as a single quarter-inch air leak can cost a company more than $2,500 in wasted energy costs a year. And that’s just one leak. What’s the saying about vermin, if you see one there’s likely more? The same holds true with compressed air leaks. If there isn’t proper training, these types of leaks, combined with improper or unauthorized uses, can go unnoticed for years – costing hundreds of thousands of dollars along the way. Piping systems older than five years can likely have leaks of up to 25 percent.
By most assessments, even the most efficient compressed air system ultimately delivers 10 to 15 percent of all energy input as compressed air. When combined with leaks, inefficient design, incorrect uses and poor maintenance, that totals more than $3.2 billion annually in wasted energy use in the United States. Fix leaks and you’ll save money – more than enough money to buy a pair of pants with a decent pocket.
What are some of the most common locations you’ve found leaks in your compressed air system?
5 min
