With fewer and fewer technical schools and apprentice programs effectively covering pneumatic controls, today's commercial landscape does not contain a tremendous number of people who know how to deal with pneumatic controls. Pneumatic controls have been losing favor at an increasing rate over the past 15 years, giving way to electric and electronic controls. Some of the newer systems are designed to operate effectively and efficiently, at the same time providing energy usage information allowing building operators to make informed energy decisions. Still, many electric and electronic systems have proven to be more combersome than originally billed, installed by "low-bid" providers who don't deliver what they promise and seem to disappear into the night after they'v tunred the systems over to their owners.
If you still have a pneumatic control system in your building take heart. A properly designed, well-maintained pneumatic system can provide a high level of equipment control. Short sighted operators have cut back on pneumatic maintenance budgets in an attempt to increase their NOI (net operating income). In reality, what they've done is increase energy expenditures and cause a need for more intense maintenance spending in the long run, aimed at bringing their systems back to a controlled status.
You may have a hybrid system, with an electronic front-end and pneumatic actuation on your valves and controlled devices. Though requiring less labor to maintain, there is still a minimum level of maintenance that must be carried out on these devices to insure their proper operation.
Whether you've got a full blown pneumatic system or some combination of electronic and pneumatic controls, the heart of the pneumatic system is the air station. Providing proper maintenance at the air station on a daily basis is an absolute must. If the air station is well-maintained, this daily routine may be accomplished in a matter of a few minutes. If you've ignored the air station it will make you pay somewhere down the line. Spend the time to get it back into shape and it will reward not exact revenge upon you by clogging up the air lines, control orafices, etc.
Pneumatics will take care of you, if you take care of them. Develop a good maintenance plan for the system. break it down into a daily, weekly and monthly task schedule. Create a log sheet that documents everyones participation.
Give me a shout. Who is struggling to deal with their pneumatic system? Who is comfortable knowing that they've got the 'tiger by the tail' and can deal effectively with their controls. if you need help developing a pneumatic maintenance schedule, I would like to hear from you.