MAINTENANCE LUBRICATION
Checking a divider block for proper torque.
Keys to stay running. By Sloan Lubrication Systems
W
hy do so many compressor operators continue to have reliability problems with their lubrication systems? A compressor lubrication system that is properly designed for the application will operate reliably for years, sometimes even decades if maintenance is performed. Lack of preventative maintenance is the most common cause of failure, and those failures can cause a lot of damage. Too often, compressor lubrication systems are ignored. This can be attributed to a lack of knowledge. When an accessory system operates reliably for years without issue, it is easy to forget about it. And with regular turnover, knowledge is lost, maintenance is not performed, and eventually reliability problems manifest.
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Run to fail, or run to damage? Operators may think that the lubrication system can “run to fail,” not knowing that without preventative maintenance the system can no longer “fail safe.” The result? Costly damage to power and compressor cylinders, packings, and unscheduled downtime. The cost of this damage far surpasses the cost of doing regular preventative maintenance.
Training For these reasons, training is a key component of a comprehensive preventative maintenance program. If operators are going down a maintenance check list that includes a task to “test divider blocks,” but they do not know how, they run the risk of unknowingly putting a bad divider block back into service.
To provide an example of the impact of this mistake, in one case an integral compressor received a total overhaul, and no maintenance was performed on the lubrication system. When the compressor was put back into service, the power cylinders failed. The damage was extensive and costly. Repairs were performed, and again the lubrication system was not addressed. When the compressor was put back into service the result was the same. When the compressor operator called in a lubrication system service provider to help, the discovery was made that the divider blocks were bad. The expense and downtime could have been prevented with a couple hundred dollars in parts and several hours of preventative maintenance. A comprehensive preventative NOVEMBER 2025 | COMPRESSORTECH2 | 31
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