Sometimes, the obvious choice of compressed air system for your business isn’t the right choice, as a recent project at Barnsley’s Metrodome demonstrates.

Of all the applications for compressed air you might think of, we bet powering a wave machine would come a fair way down your bingo card. The Metrodome has been a firm family favourite in Barnsley since it opened its doors in 1989, and air power has been supporting its success behind the scenes, with one compressor powering the wave pool and another feeding the ventilation system.

If you know your air compressors, you might be surprised by the pictures on this page. First, they’re not especially powerful compressors – on the face of it, you might opt for something with a bit more oomph than the NuAir 2.2 kilowatt systems we’ve replaced.

Second, these are piston compressors and, whilst piston compressors tend to cost less than alternatives and are a good option for high pressure requirements, they tend not to be designed for continuous running. They have higher maintenance requirements too. This was certainly the case here – we service the compressors rather more frequently than your typical compressor in a factory or workshop and replacement happens more often than would be normal for most businesses.

So in the Metrodome, where there’s lots of continuous running, why stick with pistons?

It’s all about the environment.

Handling the heat

You know what it’s like in a wave pool. It’s hot. The air is heavy with moisture. For the air compressors and their associated equipment, the conditions in the Metrodome are like operating in a rain forest. That has a dramatic effect on compressor wear and longevity. An alternative compressor may last longer – that’s why we’re trialling a third model (a hydrovane or rotary compressor) on site right now. But in such demanding conditions there are big decisions to be made in deciding whether the additional cost (in terms of power and compressor type) will deliver payback in terms of lifespan.

It’s not just the compressors. Dryers (the small boxes above and next to the compressors in these images) keep moisture out of the compressors and the air they deliver but they have a more demanding job here than virtually any other site we service. These too needed replacing.

The air conditioning advisers

That’s the beauty of working with compressed air specialists. We can supply the tried and tested compressors the client trusts and which help keep costs low. We can reduce service intervals to keep the waves pounding reliably. But we can also test alternative compressors, enabling the Metrodome to get a definitive answer to that most fundamental of questions: if we pay more for a bigger/different air compressor, will it be worth it?

To explore the right compressed air set up for your business, call us now on 0114 243 2347, or contact us now.