Last issue we discussed the basic components of a reciprocating compressor; motor, pump, and receiver (tank) which you’ll find on every machine in this family of compressor. This time I’ll explain the function of other components which when combined, make up a complete air compressor.
Continue reading “Air Compressors and Compressed Air Systems, Part Two”
COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS and components will be the subject of this series of articles. In drycleaning and laundry, compressed air is mostly used to expand and/or contract cylinders to actuate valves and position parts of machinery (the head on your pants press or the buck on your shirt unit). In addition, compressed air is also used to “blow out” moisture and debris from fabric on your spotting board, and on far too rare occasions, dust and lint from the surface of machinery.
Continue reading “Air Compressors and Compressed Air Systems”
By Bruce Grossman
This issue I’ll be talking about how to locate faulty check valves in your boiler’s condensate return system. The purpose of a check valve is to limit the flow of water to one direction which is usually indicated by an arrow stamped into the body of the valve which indicates the direction of water flow. These types of valves are used between the boiler return pump and the boiler pressure vessel with the direction of flow towards the boiler. When the boiler’s water level drops lower than the pump activation sensor the pump motor turns on and the pump pulls water from the return tank and pushes it through the check valves into the pressure vessel of the boiler.
By Bruce Grossman
Last issue, I concluded the article at the beginning of a discussion on the impurities associated with boilers. This month we’ll delve deeper into what some of these impurities are, allowable limits for proper boiler operations, how to control them, and the type of damage they cause.
By Bruce Grossman
This article pertains to the irriguous and oft misunderstood subject of treating water for use in boiler operations.
By Bruce Grossman
With summer upon us your drycleaning machine’s cooling system will be under greater stress. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a water tower, chiller, or city water for cooling, conditions that weren’t an issue during the cooler months may become problems as the ambient (surrounding) temperature rises. Most cooling problems rear their ugly heads during the drying segment of the drycleaning cycle. Drying, in the drycleaning machine sense, is all about moving heat energy. The media which moves all this heat is called a refrigerant (most machines use R22 Freon. Some of the newer models and K4 machines use R400 Freon as refrigerants) and some form of coolant (generally water or a water and glycol mixture). It doesn’t matter which Freon used, the process itself requires a device called a REFRIGERATION CONDENSER which changes hot, vapor rich, Freon gas back into liquid Freon which is constantly being recycled during the drying segment of the drycleaning cycle. In almost every case this condenser is cooled by a liquid (there are a few air-cooled condensers which are not the topic of this article). Hot, compressed Freon gas if forced by the REFRIGERATION COMPRESSOR into the REFRIGERATION CONDENSER where it is cooled and condensed by water (called a COOLANT) In this case we are transferring the heat from a vapor rich, hot, compressed Freon gas to the coolant flowing through the refrigeration condenser. Continue reading “Hot Weather Cooling Problems”
By Bruce Grossman
In a bygone era of cheap solvent, transfer machinery, and Per Combo filters and cooker stills a drip was generally no big deal. However, the increasing costs of solvent and energy, coupled with environmental regulations, should markedly sharpen our maintenance and housekeeping practices. In the following few articles I’ll highlight some easily-accomplished checks and procedures to identify and rectify common problems.
By Bruce Grossman, EZ Timers Manufacturing
During the air compression process moisture, oil, debris, and other materials (we’ll call them contaminants) are blown into the tank (sometimes called the receiver). To prevent these contaminants from reaching the machinery, several methods are used. The first of these methods, and the subject of this article is the piping itself and components installed in this piping. Continue reading “Understanding Compressed Air Systems”
By Bruce Grossman, EZ Timers Manufacturing
Unlike steam, which once outside the boiler has one basic quality, pressure; compressed air powering your equipment, has many important qualities. Pay attention to these qualities and you’ll be rewarded with smooth trouble-free operation of both the air compressor and the productive machinery being powered by the compressed air. Ignore them and you’ll be open to lost production time, higher utility costs, and more frequent repair costs. Continue reading “Understanding and Maintaining Air Compressors”
