KAESER Know How blog post
KAESER Know How Blog

In this blog post we get back to basics and look at how implementing the 3 r’s of; reveal, repair, repeat - could assist every compressed air user in generating significant and sustained energy savings through regular compressed air leak detection.

The 3 Rs of compressed air leak detection
KAESER Know How Blog

In this blog post we get back to basics and look at how implementing the 3 r’s of; reveal, repair, repeat - could assist every compressed air user in generating significant and sustained energy savings through regular compressed air leak detection.

The 3 Rs of compressed air leak detection

The 3 Rs of compressed air leak detection - reveal, repair, repeat

Back to basics - do you know your 3 Rs?

Compressed air leak detection with KAESER Compressors

August 2018

Reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic are probably the most well-known 3 Rs that we all remember growing up as making the basic foundation of our young school lives. When it comes to generating energy savings within a compressed air system - beginning with the basics may also be a great place to start in building a strong foundation for sustained and long term energy efficiency. In this blog post we get back to basics and look at how implementing the 3 r’s of; reveal, repair, repeat - could assist every compressed air user in generating significant and sustained energy savings through regular compressed air leak detection.

In New Zealand we have seen the industrial electricity price (c/kWh) rise significantly in the past ten years. The question therefore is - how do we reduce the impact of rising energy costs on our businesses? It is well cited that energy costs account for almost three quarters of the lifetime cost of a compressor. Your compressed air system is therefore a great place to start. Did you realise however that 20% of this cost is attributed to leaks? As the second largest energy cost of a compressed air system, compressed air leaks consequently warrant some attention. 

So, what does this energy cost look like in actual dollars? Let’s take the example of a compressor which runs 24/7 and has a power cost of 15 cents/kW/hr. Just one single 2 mm diameter leak could be costing $2,364 per annum! Now imagine the accumulative cost for multiple leaks of similar or even larger sizes….. 

But here’s the good news - leak reduction has an overall energy savings potential of 6-10%

The 3 Rs of compressed air leak detection - reveal, repair, repeat 

Reveal
The first step in reducing energy costs created by compressed air leaks is to ‘reveal’ or detect them. 

To get started, this may be done in-house by simply listening for hissing sounds or brushing suspected leaks with soapy water. A hissing sound would generally suggest a leak and where a leak has been brushed with soapy water, bubbles would result. However both methods are time consuming and largely inconclusive. In addition, neither method will allow you to identify the volume of these leaks. This is critical in assessing the severity of the leak and therefore the order in which leaks should be repaired. 

In contrast, using an ultrasonic leak detector (USLD) would allow you to precisely pinpoint leaks and - depending on the sophistication of the USLD - it can also measure their volume. This hand held non-invasive device, can be effectively used when the plant is in operation, creating no downtime. 

Repair
Following leak detection, compressed air leaks can then be tagged, prioritised and fixed. 

Repeat
It is important to remember that however advanced or new your compressed air piping may be - leaks will occur. To keep leaks and their associated energy cost to a minimum, leak detection and repair should be continuously on ‘repeat’ i.e. an on-going task. The easiest way to ensure this remains an on-going task may well be to speak to your compressed air service provider about making it a regular part of your compressed air maintenance programme.

Need some advice?

Would you like to discuss compressed air leak detection with KAESER AIR SERVICE? Just phone 0800 447 820 or fill in the form below and we will contact you.

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