Immersion Heater for Gas Compressor Crankcase

Your not going to get a heater through a 1" socket! You need a heater with a low output in relation to it's length. A secondary safety thermostat should also be fitted.

It's with bitter experience I found this out. Not a compressor but a coal mill, the heater carbonised the oil and ruined the gearbox.

There may be something to learn from the crankcase heaters used on refrigeration compressors, some which may be as small as 1".

As was mentioned, carburizing oil is a problem, so do not rush into it with a great big heater. Heaters come in varying watts-per-sq. cm. Start small, but be careful. All you need to do is warm the oil up a little.

Also, what is often done is fastening a heater to the bottom of the crankcase on the outside. The heater will warm up the oil by conduction.

Use the 1" plug hole for a thermostat and do as Coldspot suggests and use an external heater. You've got the best of both worlds

Specs on that oil show the viscosity would increase as the temperature lowers. I believe that you have another problem then just oil temperature. Bad pump, bad sensor, maybe low oil level. Not knowing the volume of oil in the sump. If level was taken while hot it may contract enough when cool to set off low oil level sensor.

The thing is, I trust my operators, if they say "Lube oil level was ok", I believe them.

Our auxiliary pump is working fine. It maintains a pressure of 3.9 - 4.0 when the compressor is standby. The problem is when the shaft driven pump starts. The trip limit is at 1.8 bar. During start up (When the compressor ramps up to its working RPM) if the lube oil pressure falls below 1.8 bar, the compressor trips on "low lube oil pressure at start up".

During operation the trip limit is 2.7 bar.

And we have a level switch for the lube oil level low indication.

The suction strainer been checked? What is the operational pressure if it is 3.9 - 4.0 at standby?

This is not an endorsement, but these guys might have what you need. The price sure is reasonable.

http://www.wolverineheater.com/products.shtml

vipy...

Have you considered another grade of the Shell Corena P lubricant for winter use instean of installing an immersion heater ?

The Shell Corena P lubricants family has two lighter (less viscous) grades (P100 and P68) that should be considered.

Where in the world is the compressor located ???

Pakistan

We had sim. problem in northern manitoba... we connected to the sump an external oil cooler shrouded in radiator ... the radiator had a block heater...which in turn warms up the water ...thus warms up the oil without cooking it......works well...james

What is this compressor pumping?

Is there any change of state going on in the compressor crankcase?

If a liquid settles below the oil, and that liquid boils when the compressor starts up, the oil in the crankcase becomes foam. Since gear pumps pump liquids you have what looks like an oil pump problem but was not.

If this is the case, lightly warming the compressor crankcase sufficiently to prevent liquid from settling would solve the problem.

However, I would have to ask why the machine did not come designed to handle this problem.

You use two oil - sintetic 4º stage and mineral for 1,2,3º stages ? what specification for this two oils, i have problemen whith sintetic shc 634 mobil and lubrax ccd430.

Can help me?