Practice Tips #53: How to Get the Most Life From Your Compressor

The compressor is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the dental office, but how do you get the most life from your compressor? In previous issues, we’ve discussed the importance of routine maintenance to keep your compressor running well. Not only will this help extend the life of your compressor, but it also saves money by saving energy.

Common Compressor Issues

Compressors use electricity. The harder they work, the more electricity they use. In addition to routine maintenance, how else can you reduce the load of your compressor and save electricity?

PROBLEM: Leaks

Air leaks mean your compressor runs more frequently (possibly constantly), which not only leads to a shorter compressor life, but wastes power. A telltale hiss is your first sign of an air leak, but how do you find the leak so you can correct it? Simply coat the suspected joints or fittings with soapy water. Mix a solution of about 25% dish soap and 75% water and brush it onto suspect areas. If there is an air leak, the solution will bubble.

Replace worn or cracked hoses. If the leak is near one end, you may be able to trim the hose and re-attach with a fresh end. Use Teflon tape where possible for threaded fittings, although Loctite (usually the yellow or blue formula) works well too. Seal barb threads with a washer gasket.

Worn o-rings can also result in leaks. Lubricate o-rings regularly with silicone lubricant to keep them supple and well sealed. Sometimes replacements are in order. Keep spares on hand.

PROBLEM: Clogs

Clogged lines put strain on your compressor. A classic symptom of a clog is rapidly dropping pressure. It’s common to have good pressure, but as soon as you use your handpiece the pressure rapidly drops off. You hang your handpiece up and a minute later you have good pressure, but it again drops off quickly. This is classic obstruction behavior.

The obstructed line means minimal air flow due to a clog. While not in use, the “dribble” of air builds up into solid line pressure, but as soon as you begin to use it the pressure drops off. The obstruction prevents maintaining line pressure for a prolonged period.

To find the clog trace the line backwards from the point you’ve noticed a performance drop until you find solid consistent line pressure. The clog will usually be at the next junction, AFTER you’ve found good pressure again.

Make certain to check your filters regularly (we recommend every month) to help prevent clogs. You should have filters in your junction box.

 

PROBLEM: Air Pressure

While you’re in your junction box, double check your pressure. Most units recommend running at 80 psi of air. You should have a regulator with a gauge on it (similar to that pictured above) to indicate what your air pressure is. Excessive pressure causes your compressor to run too frequently. Verify correct pressure on the gauge, hold down the air button on your syringe, and watch the gauge. Does the pressure hold steady? Does it decrease?

If the pressure drops off, check for clogs (as above), but also check your compressor. The regulator in the units can only step the pressure down. It’s very important that you have your regulators set to a pressure less than the output of your compressor; otherwise they may not actually be controlling pressure at all.

To provide a steady 80 psi in the ops, set your compressor to 90-100 psi. Of course, you don’t want your compressor set too high, so keep it within this range (barring special high-pressure equipment). If the compressor has lower than 90-100psi, you will almost certainly fail to achieve proper pressure in your ops. This leads to a host of problems, like cross over.

Many things in the dental unit are air activated (including your water), so it’s important that your air pressure isn’t too low. This is something we see more often than excessive pressure, but it’s good to avoid excess. More doesn't mean better.

As with most things, turn units off when not in use to conserve power. If an op will be out of use for more than an hour, shut the unit off using the master toggle on the front of the unit. This will shut all air & water into the operatory off.

PROBLEM: Moisture

Moisture can have a horrendous effect on your compressor. Moisture leads to the corrosion of components and loss of pressure. It even leads to cross-over affecting other equipment downstream. Make certain you have proper filtration and drying systems in place.

Many filtration and drying systems have moisture indicators to show if it’s time to replace elements. Check these indicators regularly and keep spare filter elements/drying media on hand. After changing filters, check indicators again to verify that the excess moisture is not in the system from some other source.

Many compressors have a tank drain. Make sure this is operating properly and drained every day.

Of course, it’s also important that you get the correct compressor for your needs in the first place. A too small of a compressor will work overtime and likely to fail quite early. When purchasing the correct size compressor, always pay attention to the user ratings.

Dental compressors are rated for a number of “users.” This number equals to the number of dentists that use it all at once. Hygienists are considered 1/2 user for purposes of compressor capacity. So, if you have a compressor rated for 3 users, you can have one dentist and 4 hygienists (1 + (4 x 1/2)), 2 dentists and 2 hygienists, or any of a number of other permutations.

The compressor is the heart of the dental practice, getting the most out of it not only minimizes down time, but saves you electricity, and keeps it beating for the life of the practice.  So be sure to keep up with routine maintenance. Watch your pressure at the compressor and in the ops. Listen for leaks and make sure your air is dry.

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