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by Lock
(Singapore)
I just bought this Ingersoll-Rand T30 air compressor Model 2475 7.5HP about a month ago. I use it inside my auto workshop. After a week used, I checked the oil and it become milky and have water mix with the oil.
I have call for help and they come to check and clean the crankcase and refill with new oil, since it still in warranty. They checked the piston ring and its good. Since the compressor is still new they said it wasn’t caused by the worn piston ring or cylinders. So, they said to wait for another week for result. But after 2 days the oil have change back just like previously which was milky and mixing with water.
The oil they used is specially for that air compressor brand. So there is no issue about not suitable oil. After a month, they already change the oil about 4 times. But the problem is still there.
Bill, any suggestion/solution/explanation for this problem? I don’t want to call the repair guys every week. Thanks.
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Hi Lock…
As a comment here, tell me about where you have the compressor installed, the air around it (lots of room or not), the ambient temperature that the compressor is in, how many hours a day it’s running, and what the temperature is outside, where I presume the air is coming from that the compressor compresses?
Provide as much info as you can about the conditions around the compressor.
I ask this, as I suspect what you are experiencing is condensation in the sump from temperature fluctuation… maybe!
If the rings are good, then air is not bypassing them into the sump, so the only other place water can be coming from is through the oil vent cap… maybe.
Lets talk about it, and maybe some other T-30 users can comment?
Same T-30 issue
I had the same issue with my T-30. After some digging i found the compressor wasn’t running long enough to stay warm/hot and would cool down before it started again. This hot/cold is creating condensation in the oil, thus the white milky stuff in the oil. I was using the IR recommended oil.
I called a lubrication company, Lubrication Engineering, and they have a oil that will handle the temp change and has eliminated the milky stuff.
Hope this helps.
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We have same sort of problem, not just T-30’s
We are an OEM equipment supplier and have supplied air compressors to clients for decades.
We have recently started receiving similar complaints of the T-30, but they are about complaints of water condensing in the oil of brand new 3hp Saylor-Beall air compressors.
Nothing makes sense. Comps located 20 miles apart and one condenses water and the other is fine.
Some indoors, some outdoors, some climate controlled conditions, some not.
This is happening at random locations scattered across several states.
Oil will turn to milk within a few hours of run time, and others just miles away are totally fine.
All components have been checked and rechecked by mfgr tech.
Mfgr recommended smaller comps(1-1/2hp and smaller pumps)so cycle times would be longer and make the compressor run hotter but has not made any difference.
Mfgr says we must ensure the compressors run longer during each cycle (i.e. expensive wide range pressure switches). Trying this now but not holding breath it will work.
Most everything today is designed to conserve energy (run less, etc.). If the solution is to run the compressors as much as possible and install heat traces on them to increase the heat to eliminate the condensation, that is so completely opposite of any energy conservation goal!
Kind of glad to see we are not the only ones experiencing this problem, and it is apparently not compressor brand specific.
From a business stand-point, we have got to get this figured out. Any assistance to finding a solution to this is very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
