Atlas Copco-GA15 Trips on Low Instrument Air Pressure

Then give it a dollop of telephone usage and ring the equipment supplier.

Email is a waste of time. How does one know that the other end has:

• received it?
• understood it?
• cared enough about it to think about it?
• can be bothered to make a response?

(rhetorical question - NNTR).

Phone is duplex/instantaneous. That's why it is so good. So the story is not credible.

What did the Altlas Copco service department say when you called them?

You should at least be reading this.

Thank you for the link. I am still waiting on their response.

Low capacity / not enough pressure

First, check that there isn’t a very high air demand, or air leak somewhere.

If the capacity of the air compressor is really too low, check the following:

• Does the inlet valve fully open
• Check differential pressure over oil separator. Replace separator when necessary.
• Check if inlet filter is clean
• Check and replace compressed air filters (if installed).

http://www.air-compressor-guide.com/troubleshooting/screw-air-compressor-troubleshooting-faq

What supplies the instrument air pressure to this? Or did you mean to say this is the instrument air compressor, and it trips the unit offline?

You got it right, this is the instrument air compressor, and it trips the unit offline

Bummer - you need some type of flow meter (the outlet pressure, size of tubing, and the compressor rating should tell you something).

I bet you have a walloping gigantic leak where a part is missing, or a sediment bowl fell off a separator somewhere, or X number of valve air tubing off actuators.

#4 took the question out of my mouth! When the compressor is running, the air must be going somewhere if the pressure falls. Either leakage or the air demand is higher than compressor output. It can't be that hard to find out where.

But why is it set up to trip on low pressure anyway? That's a sign you need more air, not less. Presumably it starts (or reloads) on falling pressure and trips on further fall. Are you sure the switch is OK? Does the pressure indicator confirm pressure is low?

Apparently, it is the process unit (could be electric power generation, or a textile mill, who knows), that is tripping, as the compressor in question with low output is the instrument air compressor (the one that apparently operates the equipment).

Somebody needs to review their lock-out/tag-out protocols, and get to it before they burn this compressor up while attempting to keep up with open tube.