So you suddenly smell something like burning rubber, and you realize it’s your air compressor. You start to wonder what could be the cause and, most importantly- what to do? A series of reasons could be responsible for why your air compressor is smoking. Your air compressor can start smoking if the oil has not been changed for a long time, or if you use an inferior oil product for your air compressor. Many manufacturers specify the brand of synthetic oils that must be used in their air compressor models. The user manual also lets you know the frequency of servicing, during which the oil should be changed.
Air compressor smells like burning rubber, what to do:
Once you notice smoke coming out of your air compressor, the first and most important thing to do is switch it off and quickly troubleshoot it. There are various reasons for the smoking of an air compressor, and it could happen without warning. When this happens, it may sometimes have a burning rubber odor. The air compressor is designed so that oil circulates properly, lubricating the air pump and engine. There is usually a recommended oil level, and when this drops, smoking occurs.
Besides the oil problem, there are also various reasons smoking can occur in your air compressor, as we will find out below.
In this article, we will be writing about some tips to guide you if you observe excessive smoking and the burnt rubber smell of your air compressor.
Contents
- 1 Troubleshooting your Air Compressor
- 1.1 You hear a knock while the compressor is loading
- 1.2 The compressor vibrates
- 1.3 Air is blowing out of the inlet
- 1.4 Too much noise when used
- 1.5 Oil in the released air
- 1.6 Not enough pressure
- 1.7 The receiver cannot keep the pressure when unloaded
- 1.8 More wear of the belt than normally
- 1.9 The air output is much higher than normal
- 1.10 The pressure builds quicker than normal
- 1.11 The reset mechanism cuts our repeatedly
- 1.12 The fuse blows repeatedly
- 1.13 Air leaks when the compressor is pumping
- 1.14 The compressor suddenly stops
- 1.15 The receiver pressure builds slowly
- 2 Tips to Repairing your Air Compressor
- 3 Maintaining an Air Compressor
- 4 Final Remarks
Troubleshooting your Air Compressor
The list below shows the everyday problems of an air compressor. It also gives a few tips on how to fix those issues.
You hear a knock while the compressor is loading
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Rod bearings not connecting | Change rod. |
Wrist pins, wrist pin bearings. | Change entire piston parts. |
Rod nuts are losing. | Make tighter. |
The compressor vibrates
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Lose mounting bolts. | Tighten bolts |
The compressor is not properly mounted. | Before tightening, ensure the feet of the compressor are touching the floor. |
Uneven Pulley and flywheel. | Rearrange. |
Belts loose and bent crankshaft | Tighten belts and replace the crankshaft. |
Air is blowing out of the inlet
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
The Inlet valve may be broken | Change the valve. |
Too much noise when used
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
So many loose accessories. | Ensure to tighten any loose ends. |
Lack of oil in the crankcase. | Check the bearings for possible damage and refill the oil level. |
Piston and valve plate hitting against each other. | The compressor cylinder head should be removed and inspected. Put a new gasket and put the head back together again. |
Loose compressor floor mounting. | Tighten the bolts on the air compressor. Consider replacing the vibration pads as well. |
The defective crankcase and excessive crank end play | Repair or replace. Properly adjust crank end play. |
Scored cylinder. | Replace cylinder. |
Oil in the released air
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
No free flow of compressor air intake. | Clean or replace air filters. |
Too much oil in the compressor. | Drain down to the set gauge mark. |
Use of wrong oil. | Make sure you use the right oil. |
Wrong installation of Piston rings | Crankshaft should be changed. |
Not enough pressure
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Leaks or blockages. | Check for and repair leaks or blockage in the hose or pipes. |
No free flow of air intake. | The air filter should be clean or replaced. |
Sliding belts. | Make tighter. |
Small Service hose | Get a larger hose and replace |
Excessive air. | Using smaller tools to control air usage. |
The receiver cannot keep the pressure when unloaded
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Faulty valve | Change the faulty part and ensure the valve assembly is clean. |
More wear of the belt than normally
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Misalignment of pulley. | Rearrange the pulley |
Belts too tight or too loose | Ease the tension. |
Pulley or flywheel wobbles. | Look out for worn-out/bent crankshafts, keyways, or pulley bores. |
Rough belt groove of pulley or flywheel not | File smooth. |
The air output is much higher than normal
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Dirty surfaces. | Clean all surfaces |
Poor ventilation. | Mend ventilation or change the location of the compressor |
Head gasket blowing up | Change the head gasket. |
No free flow of air intake and worn-out valves | Clean or replace parts. |
The pressure builds quicker than normal
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Too much water in the receiver. | Drain out the water. |
Over speed of receiver | Monitor or regulate speed. |
The reset mechanism cuts our repeatedly
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Motor overload. | To prevent damage, it must be shut down. |
Fault reset switch | Adjust or replace. |
High temperature. | Create airing. |
The fuse blows repeatedly
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Incorrect size of fuse. | Ensure the correct size of fuses is used. |
Air leaks when the compressor is pumping
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
It means the safety relief valve has stopped working well | Change and put a new safety valve |
Gasket starts to leak. | Get a new gasket. |
The compressor suddenly stops
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
Spoilt unloader valve. | Get a new unloader valve |
The receiver pressure builds slowly
Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
The air filter is dirty. | Ensure the air filter is clean or changed. |
the cylinder head gasket is blown | Install a new one. |
Broken or worn intake or discharge valves. | Install new ones. |
Air leaks and loose belts | Change belts or make joints tighter |
Slow speed | Be sure to monitor the speed. |
From the above table, it can be seen that there are various reasons why your air compressor is burning. We have also provided the probable causes for these issues as well as possible solutions to them. Now let’s look at some other essential tips.
Tips to Repairing your Air Compressor
Once you notice or perceive a burning smell from your air compressor, it is best to contact a service professional immediately for most people. The longer you wait, the further the problem will spread throughout your compressor and lead to costly repairs.
- Find a useful Service Provider: Get the best from your air compressor by finding the right service provider.
- Replace word and older parts: Your air compressor could quickly work far better and more efficiently when replacing some of the worn or older parts for new ones.
- Know what to repair and maintain yourself: When you own the machine, you might be tempted to do all the maintenance yourself. But an air compressor is a complicated machine, and depending on your knowledge, it can be wise to go to a specialist for some of the maintenance and repairs. That way, you are sure that your device is in good health.
Maintaining an Air Compressor
Like any other mechanical device, it is essential to perform routine maintenance:
● Pump oil level
If your compressor is oil-free, this part of the maintenance is not needed. But you must check the air compressor pump oil level for all other air compressors. When the level is low, it can destroy the pump.
- Step 1: Turn the machine off. Remove the mains cable if applicable.
- Step 2: Put the machine on a flat surface, and leave it there for 5 minutes.
- Step 3: Remove the oil fill cap
- Step 4: Check the oil level, and see how the oil looks. If it seems dirty, you should change the pump oil.
- Step 5: If needed, fill with oil. Make sure you do not overfill.
You can find Air Compressor Pump Oil here.
● Change the pump oil
If the oil in your pump is looking nasty or dirty, it needs to be replaced.
- Step 1: Turn the machine off. Remove the mains cable if applicable.
- Step 2: Make sure the oil is cooled. If you just used your machine, you have to give the oil some time to cool down.
- Step 3: Put the machine on a flat surface.
- Step 4: Remove the oil fill cap.
- Step 5: Put an oil container underneath the drain cap. You can also use an old bucket.
- Step 6: Remove the drain plug and let the oil fully drain.
- Step 7: Put the drain plug back. Make sure it is tightened sufficiently.
- Step 8: Fill with new oil. Wait a few minutes and recheck the level. If needed, add a little bit again.
You can find Air Compressor Pump Oil here.
● Clean or change the air filter
The air filter cleans the air that the engine uses. Over time it can get dirty or even clog.
- Step 1: Turn the machine off. Remove the mains cable if applicable.
- Step 2: Make sure the air compressor is cooled down.
- Step 3: Remove the filter cover. Normally there are a few screws that need to be unscrewed.
- Step 4: Get the air filter out.
- Step 5: Clean the air filter. You can use a vacuum if needed.
- Step 6: If the air filter looks bad, you should replace it.
- Step 7: Put the air filter back and reattach the cover.
You can find Air Compressor Air filter here.
● Other maintenance
To further prolong the air compressor’s lifespan, you should also check:
- Fuel tank: Ensure the compressor fuel tank is clean
- Shutoff system: Check the correct working of the air compressor shutoff system
- Nuts: Check the different nuts and bolts and make sure that they are all tight. The shaking of the air compressor may loosen some of them.
- Vibration: Check for more than usual vibrations or strange noises.
- Leaks: Check for oil and air leaks
- Safety release value: Check that the safety release valve is working correctly.
- Belts: Check the belts for wear and tear
- Pressure: Check the differential pressure in the compressed air filter
- Hose: Inspect the hose for damage and wear and tear.
- Temperature: Check and ensure that the operating temperature does not exceed a safe level
- Condensation: Drain the condensation from the air compressor tank
● How often should you check and maintain your Air Compressor
How often you should do maintenance on your air compressor differs significantly from your usage. If you use it daily, you have to check things more often than if you only use your machine sparsly.
– Before using your Air compressor:
- Drain the water from the air compressor tank
- Check for oil and air leaks
- Check for more than usual vibrations or strange noises
- Check the level of the Pump oil
– Monthly
- Check for loose bolts and nuts
- Check the safety release valve
- Check the air filter
- Belt check
- Check for air and oil leaks
– Yearly
- Change the oil in the pump
- If you have a gas air compressor, give the engine its yearly maintenance
Final Remarks
When there are performance issues with an air compressor, the problem can often be traced to a significant number of issues. A burning air compressor results from internal factors, external conditions, or sometimes both (as explained above). While in use, at different points, the air becomes hot due to the processes involved, but it swiftly cools down before it gets to the endpoint. Note that something becomes wrong with the machine if the air gets too hot for the compressor to take.
It is vital to carry out regular maintenance of your air compressor, like checking for leaks, cleaning the fuel tank, etc. We believe that you are now well aware of the different ways your air compressor could burn out, having gone through this article. More importantly, you have been equipped with possible solutions to carry out when such a situation occurs. We hope you had a lovely read.