A compressed air leak cannot be seen and is rarely heard over the noise of a workshop. Yet it makes the compressor run for nothing, day and night, and shows up on every electricity bill. In a poorly monitored network, leaks often account for a large share of the air produced. Our leak survey finds them, marks them one by one and tells you what each one costs you.
Why look for leaks
- Wasted energy: the air that escapes has been compressed, so it has been paid for. A leak costs money all year round, including nights and weekends if the network stays under pressure.
- Falling pressure: leaks lower the pressure at the workstations. To compensate, the compressor setting is raised, which increases consumption and the leak flow even further.
- Compressor wear: it runs longer, starts more often and reaches its services sooner.
- An investment avoided: before adding a compressor because "there isn't enough air", you need to know how much of the air goes into leaks.
For a first estimate, work out your losses with our compressed air leak cost calculator.
How we detect leaks
A compressed air leak gives off ultrasound, inaudible to the ear but picked up by an ultrasonic detector. The detector filters out workshop noise: the technician locates the leak from a distance, even on overhead pipework or behind a machine.
- During production: the survey is carried out with the network under pressure and the machines running. Nothing is stopped.
- Zone by zone: our technicians walk the whole network, from the compressor room to the last workstation, following the pipework, drops and machines.
- Every leak tagged: a numbered tag is placed on every leak found. Your team finds it without searching.
- Every leak photographed and costed: location, component involved, estimated flow in l/min and annual cost, calculated with your electricity price.
- A measurement with production stopped: the network consumption when production is stopped (nights or weekends) gives the total leak flow and lets us check the estimate.
Where leaks hide
- Quick couplers, connected and disconnected all day;
- worn, crushed or badly crimped hoses;
- filters, regulators and lubricators at the workstations;
- condensate drains on timers or stuck open;
- machine cylinders, valves and solenoid valves;
- threaded fittings, flanges and valves on the network;
- air tools and blow guns.
Our article on how to detect and repair compressed air leaks details the weak points of a network, and the guide to a leak-free compressed air network explains how to avoid them.
What you receive
A clear report, with:
- the number of leaks, the total flow lost and the annual cost of the leaks;
- the list of every leak: tag number, zone, component, photo, flow, annual cost and priority;
- a priority ranking: large leaks that are easy to repair first;
- the parts needed for each repair;
- the possible saving once the leaks are repaired.
The report is delivered as a PDF and uploaded to your customer area: log in to My account with the e-mail address used for your request to view and download it at any time. To see what a report looks like, download our sample audit report (PDF).
After the survey: repair
The list of tagged leaks serves as a work order for your maintenance team. We can also quote for the repair. Once the leaks are repaired, a new measurement with production stopped shows the saving achieved.
Leak survey or full audit?
A leak survey is the most profitable action, but it says nothing about the pressure setting, air treatment or choice of compressors. It is included in our compressed air audit, which reviews 45 checkpoints from production to use. If you are not sure which to choose, describe your installation and we will advise you.
Price: on quotation. The price depends on the size of the site and the length of the network: the quote is given to you before any commitment.