Can I Use Motor Oil in My Air Compressor?
Air compressors are an important part of daily industrial operations; they are more consistent, provide an efficient source of energy, and have an immediate effect on your industrial activities. A well maintains equipment gives you the best performance and taking care of an air compressor should be an essential part of your industrial activity thus, it is very necessary to run proper maintenance regularly to increase its lifespan.
Maintaining an air compressor could be challenging, for example, cleaning air ducts, providing proper ventilation and the most important factor in its maintenance is using a suitable oil to keep it well and running. Some air compressor needs a specific type of oil depending on its weight and whether to use synthetic or standard blend oil. It is highly recommended never randomly choose an oil for your compressor check the details in the given manual which oil would be suitable for it.
Motor oil in for air compressor
This is considered as the most asked question that whether it is suitable to use motor oil in your air compressor. You can use motor oil if only it supports it, you can confirm it through its manual or ask the at the company’s help center but using a regular motor oil might be the worst idea. It might not instantly stop working be eventually this will have a great impact on its performance. To ease your curiosity we are here to tell you the reason behind why we are not recommending using motor oil for your air compressor.
What happens if I use motor oil in my air compressor?
An air compressor oil and a motor oil consist of different properties and vary on numerous things. However, using motor oil for an air compressor could lead to a disaster and here is why:
- The components in a motor oil may cause the carbon elements to arise at high temperatures.
- The amount of detergent would create foam and reduce its greasiness.
- Some elements of the motor would not go along with the compressor and can damage it.
- Both oil functions properly in completely different temperatures and environments.
What should I use then?
- We recommend you to use the oil your compressor is engineered to use.
- Non-detergent and inorganic oil is more preferable because the dampness will settle down and there would be easy access for lubrication.
- Ask your manufacturer what level of viscosity is suitable to use in an air compressor, either they would recommend 20 weight or 30 weight ISO oil
- You can use either synthetic or standard blend oil if your air compressor manufacturer recommends it. Synthetic oil is mainly used for household purposes while a standard blend gears more towards industrial and professional use.
We have mentioned some of the basic measures to take in terms of choosing oil for your air compressor and it would be nice and convenient for you to consider these recommendations to avoid any sort of failure.