Compressor Oil Change Intervals

[Bigblue&Goldie]

As I was looking around my garage, I found a couple of air filters and bottles of compressor oil. It dawned on me that I've never changed the oil in my compressor (Ingersoll Rand SS3R2-GM). Granted, I used full factory synthetic when new and it sees very little use. After 6 years, the oil looked damned good! I went ahead and changed the oil and air filter for kicks, as I figure the original oil was "break in" oil. I'm probably set for another decade with my level of use.

How often do you guys change your comoressor oil, if at all?

 

[countryroad82]

I change mine every 3 months. But mine runs lots of air hogs.

 

[C96]

I went ahead and changed the oil and air filter for kicks
I'm probably set for another decade with my level of use.

 

[arvidj]

The documentation that came with mine said it should be changed every 300 hours. Of course it does not have an hour meter so "the next time I remember after skipping it for a couple of years" seems to have worked just fine.

 

[BBChevro]

Hmmm, change compressor oil - that's an interesting concept.

 

[Outlawmws]

Every 3000 miles like clockwork

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I was joking, but there is no way I even have 300 hours on my compressor. It's for home use and I hardly use air tools; probably closer to 30hrs. The oil looked so good I considered keeping it for lubing random stuff.

The point of my thread is to bring some attention to the topic so others can reflect on the last time they changed their oil. I can see how this is one of those things that gets neglected. I would think this is especially important for people with imported compressors that have god knows what kind of sludge for oil in them.

 

[marinusdees]

When it's dirty???

 

[dlcwent]

Tinker rick will cringe when he reads this thread

 

[sberry]

Mine just got its 10 yr synthetic change and it would be in the hundreds of hours, in a home garage once I did it probably wouldn't bother again.

I'm probably set for another decade with my level of use.

Yes, it takes many a moon to put an hour or 2 pm on a diy shop in most cases.

 

[countryroad82]

Lord have mercy!! I wish I could go back to never worrying about my compressor like you guys!! My old one I never checked it for 6 years, ran it dry (my fault), locked up tighter than a virgin. Replaced the pump. 2 years later it happened again, have no idea why. But it locked up while I was painting a truck..... bad times. Luckily I had my old backup to get me by to finish up that job...... But it locked up on the last coat of clear. That was a real bad day! Can't run a bodyshop without a compressor so I bought my Eaton, rebuilt the 2 old compressors and traded around for another spare. That's right, 4 compressors. That shi$ ain't gonna happen to this cat again!!!!

 

[turdferguson13]

This is a good question. Anybody know how often a compressor should be serviced at an automotive shop? The compressor is used daily.

 

[themiller]

This is a good question. Anybody know how often a compressor should be serviced at an automotive shop? The compressor is used daily.

Read the owners manual? Or post up model # and someone here will tell you.

Many suggest 300 hours, so if it runs solid for 2 hours a business day, every year would be a start.

 

[ron in sc]

Do any of you whose oil looked good have an inspection plate that can be removed to see if there is any sludge on the bottom.

 

[22george]

My Eaton compressor came with instructions to change the oil every 30 days. I don't use it every day so l called them and asked. They said change the break in oil at 30 hours and then every 300 hours after that. I did install an hour meter

 

[Durka]

I figure the original oil was "break in" oil. I'm probably set for another decade with my level of use.

How often do you guys change your comoressor oil, if at all?

Right. There's no time limit with that oil or any other other crank case oil that's in a sealed environment. It doesn't breakdown from age. It would take MANY decades lol. Oil resellers would have you believe you should change every 3 or 6 months. They want to sell you more..

With vehicles, it mileage; compressors its hours.

No break-in oil in the Ingersolls. Break in is 15 minutes of run time with the valve open at start up.

 

[shooting4life]

What oil do you guys use? I have a 20 year rebranded IR I picked up a year or so ago and have never changed the oil, can I just use synthetic motor oil or does it use some super special extra expensive compressor oil?

 

[Durka]

I believe (not positive w/comp age) IR gauges that on horse power.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

What oil do you guys use? I have a 20 year rebranded IR I picked up a year or so ago and have never changed the oil, can I just use synthetic motor oil or does it use some super special extra expensive compressor oil?

I used something similar to this as it was specified in the manual that this oil was required to maintain the warranty:
http://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-Rand-Air-Compressor-Start-Up/dp/B000LB4EYQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1397260333&sr=8-3&keywords=ingersoll+rand+compressor+oil
Now that it's out of warranty, I would use any quality oil. I just didn't want to have an initial catastrophic failure and not have it covered.

 

[firebox40dash5]

Change the one at the shop about every 6 months... but it probably runs maaaaaaybe 2 hours a day, so figure 50 hours a month?

I just use plain old SAE30 from Napa. I don't care if it's propaganda, at $15 a year it's cheap insurance.

 

[Durka]

I had a bottle of it out in the garage, I was looking to find a good price, -that IR All Season Select can be difficult to find a good price on.

Anyways, I ended up finding it the cheapest at that Zoro site at the time.

I thought it was cheap anyway. From the bill, -

Compressor Oil, Synthetic, Size 1qt. For Use
With Single and Two Stage Reciprocating Air
Compressors 30hp and below. Not
recommended for discontinued T 10 and T 21
or any Rotary Screw AC.

11.99.

Doesn't sound cheap, but that's best price per qt I could find.

 

[rcjoy]

You can also get the Ingersoll Rand All Season Select synthetic oil in pint (not quart) sized bottles at Lowe's online for a good price.

I finally changed the oil in my compressor after about 10 years, and it was still clean. It only runs a less than half an hour per week, though.

 

[theknurl]

You ready?

I bought my 2 stage compressor used, from a Honda shop with air 3 hoists, tank dated 1946.... in ~'78......oil still looks clear in the sight glass

a leak started around the drain fitting about 15 years ago, knocked it loose cleaned it up and welded back in

its been switched on since '78......maybe I'll drain the tank again this summer

its been chugging along for 68 years, what am I going to do start worrying about it now??????

never changed the oil

 

[PT Doc]

I have heard many stories of compressors with the same oil in them for decades. With 300 hour oil change intervals, and oil that does not break down when sitting idle, I can see how people can a compressor that is decades old and still have clear oil.

Just because the oil is clear, does that mean the oil is still effectively providing lubrication? I think that this might be an assumption that is not accurate. Why would the oil be dirty in a typical compressor? Very different design from your car for sure. The only way to know would be to take oil sample and send to Blackstone for analysis. In the end, compressor oil is cheap, but 300 hour change intervals for the home machinist/hobbyist is almost a lifetime.

 

[sberry]

I finally changed the oil in my compressor after about 10 years, and it was still clean. It only runs a less than half an hour per week, though

In the end, compressor oil is cheap, but 300 hour change intervals for the home machinist/hobbyist is almost a lifetime.

Yes, its not a big deal. a quart for most people. Only impression I want to leave is that its not something to panic over. Oil has gotten better over a decade even if for small improvements in additives and I am with the idea that cause it looks good doesn't mean it is but it aint all rusted up etc either.

I agree the duty cycle is so low in a home garage the oil will last a lifetime on average.
I would be real interested in those with hour meters and type of work as to what the actual hrs really are. Mine runs some every day, I had it out for other reasons, belt tension or something, cant remember but changed it out, had a lot of hrs on it.

 

[PT Doc]

An hour meter is super easy to add on and should be standard in my opinion. There is no way to guess hours on a unit and that solves the guesswork.

 

[sberry]

An hour meter is super easy to add on and should be standard in my opinion. There is no way to guess hours on a unit and that solves the guesswork.

It does but maintenance is almost irrelevant for all but a few and those operators should know and an estimate would be sufficient.

 

[mechan]

It does but maintenance is almost irrelevant for all but a few and those operators should know and an estimate would be sufficient.

Maintenance is irrelevant unless something is under hard use, wonderful idea!

 

[sberry]

There is a point. It does require a little logic though but it generally says that you run the living snot out of something at capacity is vastly different than blowing up a tire on the weekend. Environment has a share to do with it. I live 2 miles from pavement with rocky, clay applied sand and gravel with some salt tossed in for good measure. My cars require 2x the maint someone lives on paved roads and change the climate or don't drive in the winter and the mechanicals last a long time.
Change drivers, low milage last longer, run your comp 20 minutes a week and it would last for a lifetime,, oil change or not.