Oil vs Oil free air compressors

What are the major differences between oil and oil free air compressors?

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Oil vs Oil free air compressors

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Apr 19, 2012
 Lubricated Compressor
by: AlliedAps

Oil-lubricated compressors typically use special piston rings, made from a material similar to what's used in non-stick frying pans, to lubricate the cylinder. Because there is no oil, oil-free compressors are much smaller and lighter than oil lubricated compressors, making them a popular choice for home and job site applications where portability is important.
Allied Air is a focused provider of Air Compressors and lubricated compressor also has wide range of Air compressors Melbourne.
Apr 04, 2012
 oil free air compressor
by: sanket

sir ,
please give me details of oil-free air compressor.I am working on the project related to it.I want to know why we use oil -free air compressor.
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Oil lubed air compressors have a greater tendency to send oil down the line with compressed air, although the inherent lubrication in a non-lube compressor may do the same, albeit, much less.

If oil on your work is an issue, look at a coalescent filter to resolve the oil issue, and use the compressor you want.

I tend to consider lube free air compressors now as they are more competitively priced than before, and it's one less thing you need to worry about. Though, if it's a production shop using the air compressor, there are some reports that oil-less air compressors (lube free) don't last as long as their comparable oil lubed compressors.

As to what size you need, see the Sizing section please.
Jan 02, 2012
 Sign Making
by: Andy

Dear Bill!

I will start my own sign making business(vinyl sign & sand blasting) and I don't know that I have to use oilfree compressor or with oil ?

Thanks
________________

Oil lubed air compressors have a greater tendency to send oil down the line with compressed air, although the inherent lubrication in a non-lube compressor may do the same, albeit, much less.

If oil on your work is an issue, look at a coalescent filter to resolve the oil issue, and use the compressor you want.

I'd tend to lube free now as they are more competitive than before, and it's one less thing you need to worry about.
Aug 18, 2010
 Air compressor
by: Anonymous

I have air compressor which is 25L capacity. I want to use in electroplating and special kind of paint. My supplier for electroplating says it has to be oil free air. My supplier from paint says it was to be clean air no no water etc. Please advice which is best and where I can get.

Regards,
Dipen Pattni
Dar-Es-Salaam,TZ

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Bill says...

Hello Dipen:

Any compressor, whether oil lubricated or not, can be used in almost any application, as long as the compressed air is being treated sufficiently to render it suitable for the application.

In terms of the size of compressor you need, please see the Sizing page.

Regarding preparing your compressed air for use, start with:

http://www.about-air-compressors.com/compressor-water.html

Then follow all the links to determine how to make your compressed air stream suitable for your application.

Nice to hear from you.

Bill
Aug 12, 2010
 Cleaner air with oil free?
by: Anonymous

if you have an oil-less compressor it does not mean that you will have pure air because it sucks in ambient air at its inlet which is not necissarily pure.

An oil free compressor will not add oil mist or carbon monoxide in a way that a lubed compressor might.

Any contaminants in the air sucked in will be compressed. Most notably this will include water vapour which will condense out when compressed in either type of compressor but may also include other impurities such as chemical vapours.

If you are using a medium pressure compressor for spraying a car, a bit of water or oil blown out of an airline knackers your finish. An oiless compressor won't blow the oil but will still blow out water unless a suitable condenser/separator is used.

If you want to use a compressor for breathing air, an oil free or traditional oiled compressor can be used so long as there is a drain for the water(oil/emulsion), a suitable filter stack that contains a molecualar seive and activated carbon filter and in the case of an oil lubricated compressor, that the lubricant is a suitable synthetic or vegatable based oil that can be metabolised by the body.

If the wrong oil is used it can result in lipoid pneumonia, where the lungs are coated in a film of oil that stops gasseous exchange.

Not all oiled compressors can run on these types of oil but most could.

In addition to this the compressor oil needs to be able to withstand the considerable heat produced through friction and adiabatic heating of the air without oxidising. Oxidised oil= carbon monoxide, which is particularly nasty.

High pressure compressors for diving cylinders and paintball need to have lubricants with very high antioxidant qualities to stop them breaking down the oil and/or contaminating the air with excessive oil vapour and carbon monoxide.

If a combustion engine is used to power the compressor, then the (compressor)intake needs to be kept well clear of the exhaust for obvious reasons.

Rix make an oil free breathing air compressor that it claims requires no filter stack. No oiled compressors make this claim. Dental compressors are mostly oil free these days and oil free compressors would not have oil film or the carbon monoxide issues of a lubed compressor. Hope this helps

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Excellent post. If I needed a compressor for breathing air, I would certainly talk to the manufacturers of compressors for breathing air. Personally, I would not used a lubed compressor for breathing air. As the poster indicates, even if the compressor is not outputting oil, it is still dumping whatever it has ingested in the way of contaminants into the air stream anyway.

B.
Jun 24, 2010
 Oil Vs Oil less compressors
by: Anand Francis (india)

Oil less compressor give pure clean air which may be sometimes even be used for medical purposes(breathing etc). Can anyone answer whether this reason is right or wrong?

__________________
I don't know if the "reason" is right or wrong, but I sure feel that the statement is wrong. Oil-less air compressors are not suited for compressing breatheable air unless the compressor specifically states that it is for that purpose.

Oil-less air compressors do not necessarily supply clean air.

Bill
Nov 03, 2009
 Oil free and oil less compressor
by: Omid

Is difference between oil less and oil free compressor?

_______________

Hi Omid:

No, I don't think there is a difference. Both terms should mean that the compressor runs without the need to add oil for lubrication.

To be sure, though, double check with the vendor.

Bill
Jan 19, 2008
 Oiled Vs Oilless
by: JimG

Major issues are cost and applications.

Oil free is mostly used for hobby use around the house, and Oil lubricated compressors are for most industrial and long running applications.
Nov 28, 2007
 Oiled Vs Oilless
by: Bill - Publisher

Good question.

Here are some of the differences:

The compressed air discharge from an oilless compressor should not contain any compressor oil.

In an oil lubed ompressor, oil is pumped or splashed onto the piston and internal workings of the compressing head to lubricate these moving parts.

Oilless compressors use components that don't require external lubrication or contain their own integral lubricant.

When an oiled compressor works, oil residue on the cylinder wall, and any oil bypassing the piston ring will make it's way into the receiver and ultimately the downstream flow of compressed air.

Compressor oil is negative for most air components, isn't a good thing to spray onto a paint job, and when your dentist is drilling your mouth with an air tool, wouldn't it be nice if the compressed air was oil free?

Aside from that basic difference, here's a few more things that separate the two.

Often oilless compressors cost more for comparable CFM produced.

Oilless compressors tend to run hotter than oiled compressors.

If you run your oiled compressor when it's low on oil, it will eventually seize up, just like a car would. You don't need to add compressor oil to an oilless unit.

By and large oilless compressors are louder than oiled units of the same HP.

There's a few differences that I'm familiar with. Anyone else want to chime in?

Bill

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