10 Things To Check On Your Air Lines Every Quarter

Maintaining your compressed air system shouldn’t be a “fix it when it breaks” kinda thing. Your air lines are the veins of your operation—when they fail, production stops, energy bills spike, and equipment lifespan plummets.

At Air Piping Solutions, we recommend a deep-dive inspection every 90 days. Here is your quarterly preventative maintenance checklist to keep your system running efficiently.

1. Conduct an Ultrasonic Leak Audit

Leaks are the silent killers of efficiency. A single 1/4-inch leak can cost your facility upwards of thousands a year in wasted energy. While a simple “ear test” during a quiet shift can catch large hissing sounds, it misses 90% of the problem. Use an ultrasonic leak detector to find high-frequency sounds from small cracks.

2. Inspect and Clean In-Line Filters

Quarterly is the “sweet spot” for checking your air filters. Clogged filters create a pressure drop, forcing your compressor to work harder to deliver the same PSI at the point of use.

• Action: If you notice a pressure drop across the filter exceeding 3-5 PSI, it’s time for a replacement.

3. Test Automatic Condensate Drains

Moisture is the enemy of air piping. If your automatic drains are stuck closed, water will back up into your lines, causing rust in steel pipes or damage to pneumatic tools. If they are stuck open, they are a constant air leak.

• The Check: Manually trigger each drain to ensure it clears the moisture and seals tightly afterward.

4. Evaluate Pipe Support and Vibration

Over time, the vibration from machinery and the weight of the air within the pipes can loosen hangers and supports.

• Look For: Sagging lines (which create “traps” for water) and loose wall brackets. Ensure your AIRnet aluminum piping or stainless steel lines are still securely anchored to prevent fatigue.

5. Check “Quick Drop” and Point-of-Use Fittings

The connections where your tools plug in are the most abused parts of the system. Check all quick-disconnect couplings for worn seals. If a fitting feels “loose” or makes a slight hissing sound when a tool is connected, the O-ring is likely failing.

6. Inspect Pressure Regulators

A malfunctioning regulator can lead to “pressure creep,” where the downstream pressure slowly rises to the system header pressure. This can damage sensitive equipment.

• Action: Verify that the output pressure matches the gauge setting under both flow and no-flow conditions.

7. Monitor System Pressure Drops

Compare the pressure at the compressor discharge to the pressure at the furthest point in the facility.

• The Rule of Thumb: A well-designed system (like our AIRnet Stainless Steel range) should have a pressure drop of less than 10%. If your drop has increased since the last quarter, you likely have a new obstruction or a massive leak.

8. Check for Visible Corrosion or Scaling

If you are still running older galvanized or black iron pipe, look for signs of external rust. More importantly, check the quality of the air at the end of the line. If you see “tea-colored” water or flakes, the interior of your pipes is corroding, which will soon lead to clogged tools and failures.

9. Verify Safety Relief Valve Operation

Safety first. Every receiver tank should have a safety relief valve.

• The Test: Briefly pull the ring on the relief valve to ensure it isn’t “frozen”. It should pop and then reset immediately.

10. Review Your Air Quality (Dew Point)

Is your air dryer doing its job? Check the dew point monitor on your refrigerated or desiccant dryer. If the dew point is rising, moisture is entering your distribution lines. This quarterly check prevents seasonal temperature changes from causing unexpected condensation in your pipes.