Air Compressor Service and Lubricant

[RCW]

Inspired by @William1 and his quest for a compressor.

Years ago I bought an Ingersoll Rand P1.5IU Model 20-gallon 2-cylinder reciprocating compressor with the help and suggestions of folks on OTT.

I use compressor maybe 50 +/- hours/year. (winter/half the year is just tire inflations).

Owner's Manual recommends Oil and Air Filter changes at 12 months/2,000 hours whichever comes first.

In 6-8 years I've changed oil two or three times. Oil and Filters are clean and I check them occasionally. I drain it each spring and get very little moisture out of the bottom drain.

Next issue is oil-related .

Per Manual: SYNTHETIC LUBRICANT. We recommend All Season Select synthetic compressor lubricant from start-up. See the WARRANTY section for extended warranty information.

I've used their All Season Synthetic since new and have enough for another change. I would probably stick with a synthetic oil, but curious if there are alternatives. The IR All Season Select is now almost $50/liter.....

I have no problem with the IR All Season Select if that's the recommended oil. Just looking to see if there are legit alternatives.....

My questions:

• How often do you change oil?
• How often to you change air filters?
• How often do you drain it?
• What do you use for synthetic oil?

 

[Flintknapper]

Let me know what you decide. I have the same compressor (for about 6 yrs. now), estimate maybe 500 hrs. of run time. I have changed the air filters but never changed the compressor oil.

 

[RCW]

Let me know what you decide. I have the same compressor (for about 6 yrs. now), estimate maybe 500 hrs. or run time. I have changed the air filters but never changed the compressor oil.

@Flintknapper - - many thanks.

I searched back here on OTT and found I bought mine in 2017, so 8 years old now.
I did change oil quite early because I was concerned with "break-in." Not sure that was a real issue, but was with me....

Changed it once or twice since. Real easy to do.

Air filters I have never changed at a guesstimate of 400 hours, but they look clean enough I didn't think was needed.

 

[Sidekick]

I have a 5hp Ingersol T20 pump compressor and when I purchased it about 25 years ago they claimed pump life with their synthetic oil was a minimum of 10,000 hours. I change it about every 5 years with fairly heavy use when it gets low. The only problem with synthetic oil, you can't filter it all out for painting and rubber hoses degrade from the bypass mist. Quincy full pressure lube are better but expensive. They don't require synthetic and are better when painting.

 

[William1]

My old Sears oiless has just a lame foam disk air filter. Replaced it once because it crumbled when I took it out to clean. Same one is in it for the last 20 (???) years. I figure the compressor is run for a few hours a week, maybe 150 hours a year. I drain the tank every use, a table spoon of water. It did suffer one catastrophic failure (connecting rod snapped) but it happened when parts and Sears existed.
In so far as oil, I honestly do not see compressor lube failing for a long time. There is noting to 'chew up' the oil (breakdown of oil from the long chain molecules being snipped up) and nothing to contaminate the oil (combustion product bypass). So unless it is submerged, I have to think the oil would last a very long time. However, if oil does get consumed, I'd be inclined to change it (and wonder why it was being consumed) though I'd imagine you should get a 1,000 or more hours between changes/usage at a minimum.
When I do the compressor, I'll be putting one of these on:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WZYKAE/

 

[Daren Todd]

Be glad it's not the Quincy Quinsyp oil for their compressors.

I serviced a large screw drive compressor at the shop. It was $14,000 for the oil and filters for it Under warranty, so we were stuck having to use Quincy oil and filters.

I had our bulk oil supplier look up the spec sheet for Quincy's oil and give me their equivelant which was 1/2 the cost (chevron). I use that on my shops Quincy compressor which is similar to your IR compressor and any others out of warranty.

I have a harbor freight 20 gallon air compressor for the house. It works great off the harbor freight compressor oil

Realistically with a little research, you should be able to find another synthetic compressor oil with the same specs. That company who makes Ingersolls oil, makes compressor oil for others. More than likely the only difference is the packaging.

 

[GeoHorn]

I have a Campbell-Hausfeld 60 gal shop compressor with a similar elet-motor and tank as the OP has.

I’ve disregarded the OEM recommendations to use a particular oil entirely…and used ordinary not-det, non-addittive SAE 30 wt motor oil* for going on 50 yrs now without a single hiccup. It cost me about $2 or so for the gal I bought in 1973. So far…no probs at all other than draining a little water from the tank-drain once a month.

Go ahead and spend alot of money on magic oil if yhou like….. but I’m willing to bet that within your and your grandkids lifetimes it is completely unimportant.

* I think Walmart Supertech non-detergent SAE 30 wt oil is stil sold for less than $4/qt.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I used this for my little Quincy 24 gallon.

Two of the primary scientific/engineering reasons I decided to use it was ........because I found it, and it was free.

I have no idea where, or when its from.

As you can see from the dust, it's from a while ago.

The owners manual was pretty ambiguous, so other than 40 Vs. 30 weight, it should be good nuff. This little compressor motor ain't nothing special, so I am betting it will be fine.

EDIT: Embarrassingly enough, my " strict service interval" for my compressors has always been "Now and Then".