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Air compressor oil breather elements allow air to be pumped within an air compressor system cleanly and efficiently. They then keep the compressor and air tools being used to run smoothly and at their peak performance.
I will provide you with some air compressor oil breather replacement products that could be suitable for your air compressor!
Table of Contents
- What Does an Oil Breather Do?
- Oil Breather Buying Considerations
- Oil Breather Available on Amazon
- Oil Breather/Vent Cap FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What Does an Oil Breather Do?
To keep it short and sweet, an oil breather, or otherwise known as a crankcase breather, allows air pressure to be vented out from the crankcase so that a blowout of oil does not occur when the oil is being pressurized in the compression process.
For instance, in a piston compressor, the movement of the pistons and the clearance between the piston rings and cylinders allows some of the pressure created in the cylinders to pass into the crankcase.
Therefore, with the crankcase being a sealed chamber, a breather is needed to relieve the pressure to ensure this oil doesn’t cause a blowout.
Oil Breather Buying Considerations
Oil breathers are vital in the clean and efficient pumping of air within an air compressor. When needing to buy a replacement, always look to your manual first, and if you can’t do that then contact your manufacturer. Please don’t be thrown off by the fact that they go by a few different names:
- Oil breather
- Crankcase breather
- Vent cap
- Breathing rod
You will find these parts readily available online under combinations of all these names listed. It appears you can purchase a generic replacement crankcase oil fill breather vent cap and it will be suitable for your air compressor. However, please check with your compressor manufacturer before doing so as they may provide their own specific products.
Some replacements may be specific to certain makes and models whilst others will act as generic replacements that can be screwed onto almost any compressor with ease – as long as it’s the right size thread!
Oil Breather Available on Amazon
I have picked out a few generic replacements that are readily available on Amazon and may be perfect for your needs.
The first is this air compressor breather rod 15.5mm engineering plastic breathing nozzle valve applicable for most piston-type air compressors. This vent cap boasts a compact structure and is easy to install and use.
- ❉❉❉15.5mm Air Compressor Breathing Rod is made of premium engineering plastic, which is anti-corrosion and durable.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The second is a Colibrox VH901100AV air compressor oil fill breather is an OEM that fits Campbell Hausfeld VT or VH series, Husky, Sears, and other compressors. Easy to screw on by hand in seconds!
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The third, an anti-aging air compressor breather vent cap, provides stable performance and long service life for most piston-type air compressors.
- Applicable for most of piston type air compressors.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Oil Breather/Vent Cap FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Compressor Pump Blowing Oil Out of the Breather Hole
by Johnny
(Cedar Bluff, VA)
I have an older model Speedaire air compressor with a Speedaire 2Z499B compressor pump.
I let a friend borrow it and he somehow lost the breather to it and now it blows oil out of the hole when running. I have looked all over the internet for a replacement breather for it but I have had no luck. Is there a way I can fix this or another brand breather I can use? Thanks for any help or suggestions.
____________________________________
Hello Johnny:
When you talk about the breather hole, I’m understanding that you are talking about the air intake?
If so, I see that you’ve got two problems.
One, your air intake isn’t protected with an air filter (which would normally be in the “breather cap”), and two, what’s with the oil blowing out the hole?
It sounds like you’ve got oil blowing by the piston seals, and then, the reed or check valve that’s inside the intake port isn’t working, allowing that oil to get exhausted out through the intake when the piston is in the compression stroke.
As to parts, please visit the home page, click on the Speedaire link in the navbar, and follow the guidelines to locate your local source for Speedaire parts.
I’m thinking you’ve got quite a bit more to be concerned about than just the intake cap though.
_____________________________
Bill, Ok let me try this again. I am talking about the thing the arrow is pointing to.
Johnny
(Photo is uploaded above – moderator)
______________________________
Hi Johnny:
What a marvel a photo is. Now I can clearly see what it is you are talking about. I thought from your first question that we were talking about the black inlet filter we can see on the top right of the compressor head in your photo.
In terms of the hole (where you used to have a vent plug) beside the arrow in the picture, you can either visit your hardware store and ask for a vent plug (usually made of sintered brass) or visit your local fluid power shop and ask for a brass valve muffler that’s the right NPT size to fit the threaded hole where your vent used to be.
Lubricating holes commonly have a vent plug since the lubricating oil/grease gets consumed in the normal operation of the unit, and if there were not a vent, then in time, the oil that was consumed would leave a vacuum, creating problems.
So the vent plug you need provides both a method for letting air and not crud into the lube area and stops the oil from splashing out when the machine is operating.
The vent shouldn’t cost more than a couple of bucks.
Hope this helps, and thanks for writing back.
Additional oil reading:
- Air Compressor Oil Capacity Guide – Air Compressor Oil Levels
- How to Change Air Compressor Oil – Guide to Replacing Compressor Oil
- Air Compressor Oil Types GUIDE – What Oil to Use in Air Compressor
- Air Compressor Oil Sight Glass – Oil Level Sight Glass Guide, Replacing & Reading
- Air Compressor Oil Related Issues – Oil Damage To Compressors
- Air Tool Oil Substitutes And Alternatives
- Air Compressor Oil Substitute – Alternatives Compared
- Oilless Air Compressors vs Oil Compressors – Differences Between Oil and Oil Free Air Compressors
- 10 Best Air Tool Oils
- 10 Best Oil Free Air Compressors
- How to Quiet An Oilless Air Compressor
- Air Over Oil – Air Over Hydraulic Cylinder Benefits & Uses
- Air Compressor Oil Separator Guide – Air Oil Separators & Oil Water Separators
- What Happens if an Air Compressor Runs Out of Oil?
- Air Comes Out of the Oil Fill Cap
- Compressor Has an Oil Issue
- Oil in compressor tank drain water
- Why air coming from our compressor has bad smell same as burned oil
- Why does oil come out of the oil fill tube?
If you have any questions regarding air compressor oil breathers, please leave a comment below, with a photo if applicable, so that someone can help you!
