Talking About Industrial Pressure Washers

Air compressors are often necessary at many dirty, heavy-duty jobs. Dirt, sand and rocks may be the norm, but you'll need a way to keep the compressor's filter safe in order to keep air pressure coming to your heavy-duty pneumatic tools. Before deploying your air compressor, take a look at a few area inspection, tool placement and maintenance points that can keep your air tools in good condition.

Heavy-Duty And Custom Filters

Construction sites have a lot of debris from the building materials and breaking ground. Dust from rocks and sawdust from lumber may be everywhere, so where can you put your air compressor for safety while still being in reach?

Sometimes you just have to deal with the environment and put your faith in the filter. The air compressor's standard filter may not be built for construction zones or the dirtiest, dustiest or muddiest jobs, so make sure to talk with the manufacturer about heavy-duty filters.

Not every compressor has a filter for environmental conditions with a lot of debris. If you're using a specialty compressor and there's nothing available, the manufacturer can give you instructions on how to modify any other brand of heavy-duty filter. It's not quite as simply as folding an existing filter or cutting off certain parts; if cut or folded incorrectly, debris will get through the makeshift gaps and destroy your compressor.

If you can't perform the filter changes on site, wait for the manufacturer to send a replacement or contact a filter manufacturer. Filter manufacturers can either perform the changes for you or direct you to local contractors who can make safe, professional modifications to the filters.

Proper Attachment Management

Any attachment that joins your compressor could create a problem as well. Especially in difficult jobs where tools and attachments could be dropped by accident or out of carelessness, you could bring a bit of dirt, dust or gritty materials to the air compressor as a worker re-attaches a dirty attachment.

Before planning work, make sure that all common workshops have protected ground. This means putting down tarp or boards near the air compressor and the work area. Although this won't completely keep the tools clean, it's better than dropping an impact wrench into the ground and getting a scoop full of dirt that leaves valves open and leads to air leaks.

For stationary work sites such as vehicle mechanic shops, be sure to have backup workbenches and tool cases near the workers. These don't need to be the permanent storage area; workers simply need somewhere to carefully lay their tools. With shelves and other surfaces at average waist height, workers can put their tools down carefully instead of dropping tools to the ground.

Contact an air compressor professional (like Compressor-Pump & Service, Inc.) to discuss other safety and maintenance needs for specific brands.