When maintaining industrial equipment such as compressors and blowers, choosing the right lubricant is crucial. Mixing different types of lubricants can lead to costly and time-consuming repairs, and in some cases, permanent damage to your equipment. Below, we’ll explore why it’s important to avoid mixing lubricants and what you should do if an accidental mix occurs.
Lubricants serve as the lifeblood of industrial equipment like positive displacement blowers and rotary screw compressors, ensuring smooth operation and extending the life of gears, bearings, and seals. Using the wrong lubricant or mixing incompatible oils can starve your machinery of adequate lubrication, leading to premature failure.
A common mistake among technicians is using the same oil for different types of equipment. For example, positive displacement blowers generally require a higher viscosity oil, like ISO 220 (40W SAE), while rotary screw compressors usually need a lower viscosity oil, such as ISO 46 for synthetic lubricants.
Mixing these oils can be disastrous. An ISO 46 lubricant is too thin to properly protect the gears and bearings in a blower, while an ISO 220 oil is too thick for use in a rotary screw compressor. This mismatch results in suboptimal performance and may lead to equipment breakdowns.
The second critical error involves mixing synthetic and mineral-based lubricants. These two types of oils are incompatible due to their different base stocks, which can cause harmful interactions with the polymers in seals and other components of your equipment.
If oils are inadvertently mixed, it is necessary to perform a full flush and fill procedure to remove the contaminated oil. This involves draining all the oil, replacing filters and separators, running the equipment with new oil or flushing fluid until it reaches operating temperature, and then draining and refilling again. This labor-intensive process is costly and can be entirely avoided by sticking to one type of oil.
The best way to protect your compressors and blowers is to adhere to the manufacturer’s lubricant recommendations, which are usually detailed in the operator’s manual. These guidelines are designed to ensure optimal equipment performance, extending the life of your machinery and preventing unnecessary repairs.
Mixing lubricants in industrial compressors and blowers is a recipe for disaster. The differences in viscosity and compatibility between various oils can lead to equipment failure, costly downtime, and extensive repairs. To ensure the longevity of your equipment, always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and avoid mixing synthetic and mineral-based lubricants.
1. Can I mix mineral and synthetic oils in my compressor?
No. Mixing these oils can lead to detrimental interactions with the equipment’s seals and other components. Always stick to one type of oil.
2. What should I do if oils are mixed accidentally?
A complete flush and fill procedure should be followed to remove the contaminated oil and avoid equipment damage.
3. Why does my blower need a different oil than my compressor?
Blowers typically require higher viscosity oils to protect their gears and bearings, whereas compressors need lower viscosity oils for optimal performance.
Protect your equipment and prevent costly repairs—reach out to Pye-Barker Engineered Solutions for expert guidance on lubrication best practices and product recommendations. Our team is here to help you choose the right solutions to maximize your machinery’s lifespan and performance.
