Air Compressor Oil and Lubricants

Lubricants are a key component of any oil lubricated rotary compressor

A Critical Component of Your Air Compressor

 

Too often this vital element of the compressor package is misunderstood and under valued by the machine owner. The temptation to look for cheaper alternatives often replaces prudence and common sense, leading to poor performance and costly repairs.

Air compressor oil has 4 primary functions:

  • For cooling - to maintain proper operating temperatures in the compressor
  • For cleaning -  to migrate the particles and impurities from the airend (where the air is compressed) into the filter for removal
  • For sealing - to create a barrier between the open gaps to maintain compression
  • For lubricating -  to lubricate all moving parts to limit wear and high temperatures caused by friction

What are the different types of air compressor oils?

  • Mineral Oil – solvent refined oil from crude
  • Semi-Synthetic – super refined, chemically altered oil
  • Synthetic – man made oil, does not come from crude oil
  • Synthetic Blend – blend of synthetic and semi-synthetic oil

How to choose the best type of air compressor oil? 

The different types of oil have been specifically designed to cover a range of operating conditions, for example CompAir Fluid Force would be used where the compressor had regular cycling conditions (variable network demand) as you find in a speed regulated compressor. AEON S is ideal for applications which require extended operating intervals, The AEON SCFG 8000 lubricants are non-toxic and suitable for use in food processing facilities where NSF H1 certified products are required. 

It's vital to select the correct oil for your compressor installation so please speak to us directly for advice on this important topic, you can download the PDF guide under the downloads tab or see below to read more about the different types of CompAir oils available.

How much oil does an air compressor need?

A 55kW medium sized compressor has an oil capacity of around 40 litres, a small 7kW lubricated screw compressor  would be around 5 litres and a large 250kW compressor would be around 120 litres. The PDF under downloads shows the different quantities which can be ordered (5 litre, 20 litre, 208 litre) and the part numbers to order them, please contact us to order your air compressor oil.

Oil Sampling and analysis can be used to detect any issues within the air compressor, in the earliest stages which can keep downtime to a minimum, reduce repair cost and ensure optimum energy efficiency.

Detailed analysis reports will give information regarding external contamination, which will give an insight to the ambient conditions that affect the lubricant and running of the compressor, or internal contamination that would give an early warning regarding malfunctioning of components. We will provide an easy to read report that includes: when to sample again, what parameters are abnormal and possible steps you need to amend any abnormality with your lubrication.

Under the tabs below you can find more information about the different air compressor oils which we supply, the video demonstrates how critical it is to use CompAir genuine parts like oil and oil filters and how using cheaper imitation parts and oils can lead to premature breakdown of your compressor installation.


genuine lubricants for rotary screw air compressors

Air Compressor Oil filter video

FluidForce Screw Warranty Lubricant

AEON S Screw Synthetic

AEON SCFG8000 Foodgrade

Downloads