Cost-effective and lasting automatic drain valves for compressors

18th May 2018

By: Donald Makhafola

Creamer Media Reporter

     

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Air compressor products distributor Tru Compressor Solutions’ automatic drain valve for compressors can last up to 15 years if maintained regularly, and could save companies substantial amounts of money and downtime, says sales director Philip Botha.

“Many companies neglect to open their manual drain valves frequently and, as a result, water in compressed air vessels gets carried over into their compressed air lines. If you do have water in your air line, it can damage air tools and cause rust and corrosion of equipment.”

He explains that the installation of the automatic drain valve prevents water from going down your compressed air line, as it will automatically drain the water out of your compressor, dryer, inline filters and compressed air receivers and this makes maintenance easier.

Botha says that most air receivers come with a manual drain valve as a standard, “The manual valves are solely depending on a person having to open and drain the water out and, most of the time, people forget to drain it and that is why the best solution is to install an automatic drain valve.”

He states that Tru Compressors Solutions’ automatic drain valves are suitable for compressed air application and can be used on air receivers, compressors, inline filters and air dryers for various industries, such as the hospitality, pharmaceuticals, engineering and mining.

Automatic Drain Valve Functionality

Botha explains that a compressor has a lot of condensation caused by the heat which is produced during the compressed air process. By having automatic drain valves, this will remove the condensate (water) from the compressor, inline filters, air receivers and dryers.

He points out that, when automatic drain valves release water, it starts with condensate collection on the bottom of the drain, the float lifts and triggers the drain leaver, draining the water out. Drainage ceases when condensate level falls back to the minimum level.

He states that the company’s automatic drain valves are supplied by Benoni-based Chinese compressor products supplier Baofn, previously known as Bouwa, also supplying electronic drain valves.

Botha explains that the electronic drain valve has a standard operating pressure of up to 1 600 kPa, and it comes with a timer module, which can be set to open the valve for a short period to release the water and it is adjustable between 0.5 and 10 seconds. “This cycle will be repeated continuously. For example you could drain your receiver tank every 20 minutes.”

He says the products come with a six-month warranty but it can last up to 15 years if it is maintained properly and regularly. The company provides minor service after 2 000 hours, while major services take place after 8 000 hours of operations on all makes of compressors.

As part of Tru Compressor Solutions’ aftermarket care, the company provides advice and technical support, which includes minor and major maintenance for all its compressor products to have a longer lifetime.

“With our technical team that has over 30 years of experience in the compressor equipment field, Tru Compressor Solutions delivers reliable, quality and energy efficient products at affordable market-related pricing,” concludes Botha.

Edited by Zandile Mavuso
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Features

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