We just purchased this unit at an auction & we have been servicing this unit. The actual screw compressor itself it gives some options of what can be used for oil. It says a synthetic oil is an option (Sullair AWF (1), or SAE 10 SE,SF, SG, CD. Just wondered what others have used in the screw portion? They say the recommended change interval is 250 hrs. for the regular SAE oil & about 1,500 hrs for the synthetic. They also say that if switching from the SAE to the synthetic it would require a complete flush when switching over. I wonder if a complete flush & that waste of oil is necessary?
It depends on the temperature you will be working .If you don't flush clean if you want to switch from synthetic oil to petroleum .You will get milky mess when the oils mix .We have always used the Sullair AWF oil .
Every screw type I've worked on or around was synthetic. Yeah it's spendy but what isn't?
I was amazed at the NOISE ours puts out.. its deafening.. & it NEVER stops running.. With THAT in mind,[always running] synthetic is the way to go.. & "honestly".. who services their air compressor when they're supposed to?? Go w/ the longer intervals.. You can ALWAYS change it sooner.. but w/ conventional, you cant ALWAYS change it later..
BTW> Nice clean shop..
I went to a Sullair seminar many years back and the trainer mentioned that Sullair got in trouble with a airplane company. Seems at that time the synthetic lube they were promoting was a silicon based fluid, not sure about the AWF, well the company had just installed a new Sullair compressor system and was using the air to power the paint bay! Seems there was just enough carry over to cause major problems with the painting of a big jet airline! Guess they had to strip and clean the whole plane and start over after flushing the air system!
we also run the sullair awf oil in ours it looks costly till you price the stuff that ingersoll rand has for there screw type compressors . we change it once a year