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Water carried with air into tools
or machines where air is being used will wash away
lubricating oil. This means excessive wear to motors
and bearings and, in the end, higher maintenance
expense. Without adequate lubrication,
tools—especially pneumatic hammers, drills, hoists
and sand rammers—will run sluggishly and
inefficiently, because the wearing surfaces are
limited in size and the accelerated wear creates air
leakage.
Where air is used for paint
spraying, enameling, food agitation and related
processes, water and/or oil cannot be tolerated. Nor
can particles of grit or scale. In instrument air
systems, water will tend to cling to small orifices
and collect dirt, leading to erratic operation or
failure of sensitive devices.
When water gathers at low
points in pipelines, it reduces the air-carrying
capacity of the line. Eventually, airflow over the
water will propel the water along the line, touching
off water hammer and potential damage from a
high-speed slug of water entering a tool. In cold
weather, accumulations of water may freeze and burst
lines.
While there are a variety of
options for compressed air system drainage, properly
installed drain traps are the key to removing liquid
continuously and automatically without wasting air
or gas. To learn more about Armstrong compressed air
drain traps, including pneumatically operated traps,
go to the menu on this page.
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