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Air Leak Detection

Are You Blowing Away Your Money?

Air leakage is the largest single waste of energy in most factories and costs you money. Most of the plants have average leakage rates 30% of compressed air system output flow are common and incorrect pressure control combined with leakage can account up to 50% or more of your total energy consumption.

We can provide a leak detection service, quantify the leakage costs and provide a solution to help prevent the re-occurrence of air leaks. All findings and notable highlights from your air leak survey will be effectively communicated and reported to you so that you are fully aware of any necessary repairs and precautionary measures you need to take.

Why Do You Need Compressed Air Leak Surveys?

How do think about air leakage?

  • I do have too much leak in the plant.
  • Leaks don’t really amount too much.
  • The system may be leaking some air but it doesn’t cost much.

Unfortunately, air leaks happen more than you think due to wear and tear over the years. By choosing to undergo a compressed air leak survey, you can improve the efficiency of your business, help save money and energy.

If a leak isn’t repaired of fixed, it will continue to cost you money every day. By investing in our air leak surveys and letting our experts identify and stop your air leakage, we can restore the effectiveness and efficiency of your compressors.

If air leakage isn’t seen too as soon as possible, it may cause your compressors to completely break down which may result in investing in a completely brand new compressor. As you can imagine, this is preventable and to be avoided if possible.

The Negative Impact of Air Leaks

Air leaks not only increase energy costs; they also contribute to operating losses and reduced productivity because the pressure drops they create affect the performance of air-operated equipment. Let’s take a closer look at how leaks can translate to large amounts of energy and money being wasted on a daily basis:

Wasted Electricity

Compressed air leaks are simply demands for air that create no value. Further, they consume flow needed by other productive uses. This often results in significantly decreased pressure at the points of use. To compensate, some users will then turn up the pressure at the compressor, which only makes things worse since a leak will waste more air at higher pressure.


Reduced Productivity

Excessive leaks can also cause system pressure to fluctuate, which can cause air-operated equipment to not perform as intended. High scrap rates and automatic equipment shutdown are common symptoms of this problem. A leaky system is also ill-prepared to take on additional capacity when surges in production and growth occur, since the system is already working harder than necessary to meet existing production demands.


Increased Maintenance Costs

Maintaining pressure in a leaky compressed air system requires the compressor to run more. More run time means more frequent maintenance and possibly reduced equipment life. The more you have to repair a compressor, the more (often unscheduled) downtime that compressor will have, further reducing productivity. Ultimately, you may end up replacing the compressor sooner because it’s continually working harder than necessary, thus reducing the overall service life of the system.

The Cost of Air Leaks

Size of Leak

Leakage @ 7 bar

Losses

mm

l/min

kW

Annual Cost – RM

(4000 h/y)

Annual Cost - RM

(8000 h/y)

1.0

75

0.6

504

1,008

1.5

150

1.3

1,820

3,640

2.0

260

2.0

2,800

5,600

3.0

600

4.4

6,160

12,320

4.0

1100

8.8

12,320

24,640

5.0

1700

13.2

18,480

36,960

A single small leak of 1mm pinhole may only be 75 l/min or 4.5 m3/h, but for a system that operates throughout the year, that leak could cost you close to RM1,008. A single larger leak of 3mm could be 600 l/min or 36 m3/h, this size of leak is costing you RM12,320 per year. Can you imagine that how many 1mm pinhole or larger leaks are locate inside your compressed air facilities and these leaks are keep blowing your profits away every minutes?

How Much Compressed Air Leakage Is Costing You?

For a compressed air system with a 30% loss of output due to leakage, consider the annual cost with a 150 kW (200 HP) system. If the compressor power has a total of 45 kW in leakage, it could result in an energy expenses of RM126,000 per year at RM0.35 per kWh. As energy costs continue to rise, the expense of wasting money on repairable and avoidable air leaks becomes all the more important

Compressor Size

Assumed 30% Loss

kW (HP)

kWh

75 (100)

22.5

150 (200)

45

300 (400)

90

450 (600)

135

600 (800)

180

900 (1200)

270

4000 hr Operation

kW/y

RM/y

90,000

31,500

180,000

63,000

360,000

1260,000

540,000

189,000

720,000

252,000

1,080,000

378,000

8000 hr Operation

kW/y

RM/y

180,000

63,000

360,000

126,000

720,000

252,000

1,080,000

378,000

1,440,000

504,000

2,160,000

756,000

The Process To Eliminates Leaks

Baseline Measurement & Leak Detection

We start by measuring the baseline energy use or air volume of the existing plant air consumption by undertaking a Flow or Energy Demand Survey. We analyse the baseline measurements and if we find your plant has more leaks than recommended under Best Operating Practice, we will suggest an Ultrasonic Leak Survey to identify compressed air leaks.

We do a thorough survey of all parts of your compressed air system. We find the leaks, quantify how big they are, and then tag, photograph, and document them.

Leak Assessment Report

We present you with a report containing a leak loss volume, location and repair option of each leak that we found.

Each leak points is deported by detail information that prioritises the leaks by size and cost and specifies recommended fittings for repair, which will also reduce leak incidence in the future.

Implement The Solution

Your maintenance department or preferred contractor can undertake the repairs, using our Report as guidance, or our team can do this work using an Energy Savings Guarantee with usually less than one year payback.

Verification

We re-measure energy use or air volume after to prove that after implement the solution with leak repairs have resulted in the energy and cost savings and improved compressor capacity that we predicted.

The Objective of Leak Detection & Repair

“Air Leak Audit” is one of the most cost effective ways to do find, repair, keep measure and monitor the leakage. Once you able to manage those leakage in your plant, you are not only stop wasting money, you also improve your plant efficiency:

  • Reduces unnecessary air demand
  • Minimise overall system pressure drops
  • Improve plant equipment efficiency
  • Reduces equipment running hours results in minimise maintenance and cost
  • Optimise the life of compressor and pneumatic equipment due to less frequent cycling
  • Eliminating Leakage = Reduce Air / Energy Usage

Typical Application

Compressed Air Supply System
Vacuum Generation System
Oxygen Supply System
Nitrogen Supply System

Yet many compressed air, gas and vacuum systems are compromised by wear and poor maintenance practices, which contribute to the greatest waste of all—the ever-present leaks. These leaks can be hidden behind machines, at connection points, overhead in fixed pipes, or in cracked pipes or worn hoses. The most common leak example as below:

  • Quick couplings
  • Air hoses / Air guns
  • Thread pipe joints
  • Pipe flange joints
  • Condensate drain valve
  • Point of use pressure regulator
  • Pneumatic tubing
  • Pneumatic fittings
  • Pneumatic cylinders
  • FRLs (filters, pressure regulator and lubricator combinations)
  • Damaged seals, O-ring or gasket