Cost of Air Compressor Failures & Importance of 24/7 Support

What Does an Air Compressor Failure Really Cost?

There is no universal cost per hour for compressor downtime. The financial impact depends on how heavily the site relies on compressed air and what stops when pressure is lost.

Calculate Your Own Downtime Exposure

Instead of relying on generic industry statistics, estimate the cost using your own operation.

Which Regulations Apply to Industrial Compressed-Air Systems?

The Work in Compressed Air Regulations 1996 concern people working in compressed-air environments, particularly tunnelling and other construction work under compressed air. They are not a general maintenance law for ordinary workshop or factory air compressors.

The Work in Compressed Air Regulations 1996 concern people working in compressed-air environments, particularly tunnelling and other construction work in compressed air. They are not a general maintenance law for industrial air compressors.

PSSR and Routine Servicing Are Not the Same Thing

The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 are concerned with the risk from stored pressure energy. Certain compressed-air systems require a Written Scheme of Examination and periodic examination by a competent person.

HSE guidance identifies a compressed-air receiver and associated pipework as a typical system likely to require a Written Scheme where the receiver's pressure in bar multiplied by its internal capacity in litres is 250 bar-litres or more.

• Routine compressor servicing does not replace a Written Scheme examination.
• A service contract does not automatically make a pressure system PSSR-compliant.
• The competent person determines the Written Scheme scope and examination frequency.
• The compressor itself does not necessarily form part of the Written Scheme simply because it feeds the receiver.

Do All Compressors Need Servicing Every 2,000 Hours?

No. Some compressors use service intervals around 2,000 hours for particular components, but schedules vary by manufacturer, model, lubricant, duty and environment. Follow the exact manufacturer's maintenance schedule.

Some components may have shorter or longer intervals, while major service items can sit on completely different schedules.

What Planned Servicing Can Actually Do

Why a Service Contract Can Be Useful

A service agreement can make maintenance easier to plan by defining scheduled visits, agreed rates, parts arrangements and the level of support included.

24/7 Support Means Emergency Breakdown Assistance

Compressed Air Systems UK provides 24/7 emergency compressor breakdown assistance. The emergency line is intended for urgent compressor failures and faults where site operations are at risk.

That does not mean every service visit, routine maintenance request, quotation, trade-counter collection or parts order operates 24 hours a day.

What Happens During a Breakdown?

Build Resilience Before the Compressor Fails

If compressed air is production-critical, emergency support should be one layer of the contingency plan rather than the entire plan.

• Know the site's minimum airflow required to keep critical production running.
• Identify whether another compressor can carry essential demand.
• Provide safe isolation and connection points for temporary equipment where appropriate.
• Record compressor models, serial numbers and service parts.
• Keep the correct electrical and pipework information available.
• Know which processes should be shut down first if pressure starts to fall.
• Consider temporary hire arrangements for critical sites.

Service the Whole Compressed-Air System

A compressor failure is not the only cause of production problems. A dryer fault, blocked filter, failed drain, severe leak or restrictive pipework can also reduce pressure or air quality.