Airstream Compressors

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Airstream Compressors With more than 26 years of experience in the industry.

We have been proudly supplying compressed air equipment since 1999, helping businesses across South Africa improve efficiency, reduce costs, and keep operations running smoothly.

💧 What happens when a refrigerated dryer is undersized?Your dryer may cope during quieter periods—but what happens when ...
12/10/2026

💧 What happens when a refrigerated dryer is undersized?

Your dryer may cope during quieter periods—but what happens when production ramps up or the weather gets hotter?

An undersized refrigerated dryer can struggle to cool the compressed air sufficiently, allowing more moisture to pass downstream.

🔹 High flow: When airflow exceeds the dryer’s effective capacity, its cooling system may no longer maintain the required pressure dew point.

🔹 Hot weather: Higher inlet-air temperatures increase the heat and moisture load, while a hotter compressor room makes it harder for the dryer to release heat.

🔹 Moisture carryover: Excess water vapour can condense as air cools further along the pipework. This can lead to wet tools, corrosion, unreliable pneumatic equipment and product-quality problems.

✅ Size for your actual operating conditions. Consider peak airflow, operating pressure, inlet-air temperature and ambient temperature—and apply the manufacturer’s correction factors.

Water appearing downstream also warrants checking condensate drains, dryer servicing and ventilation.

Contact Airstream Compressors SA for help selecting the right dryer for your installation.

📞 Durban: 031 700 6501
📞 Gauteng: 011 392 1965
📞 Cape Town: 021 939 6046
📞 PE – Dean: 069 897 8161

🔍 Five signs your compressed-air filters need attentionYour filters help protect equipment and maintain air quality—but ...
09/10/2026

🔍 Five signs your compressed-air filters need attention

Your filters help protect equipment and maintain air quality—but they need regular attention to keep performing effectively.

1️⃣ Rising differential pressure
An increasing pressure difference across the filter, checked under comparable airflow conditions, can indicate a restricted element.

2️⃣ Reduced pressure at equipment
Tools slowing down or machines struggling during demand peaks? Check pressure losses across the filters, alongside pipework and other system restrictions.

3️⃣ Contamination downstream
Oil, water or dirt at the point of use calls for investigation. Check filter elements, seals, filtration grades, drains and dryer performance.

4️⃣ Blocked or leaking drains
A blocked filter drain can allow condensate to accumulate, while a drain stuck open wastes compressed air.

5️⃣ Service intervals reached—or no replacement record
Follow the manufacturer’s recommended replacement schedule for each element type. A normal pressure reading does not guarantee effective filtration, particularly with activated carbon.

✅ Check your elements, drains and service records before small problems affect production.

Contact Airstream Compressors SA for assistance with filter selection and maintenance.

📞 Durban: 031 700 6501
📞 Gauteng: 011 392 1965
📞 Cape Town: 021 939 6046
📞 PE – Dean: 069 897 8161

💨 Wet receiver or dry receiver: where should it go?An air receiver’s position in relation to the dryer determines what i...
08/10/2026

💨 Wet receiver or dry receiver: where should it go?

An air receiver’s position in relation to the dryer determines what it stores—and how it supports your compressed-air system.

🔵 Wet receiver: BEFORE the dryer
Stores air that has not yet been dried. It allows further cooling, helping moisture condense so it can be collected and drained before reaching the dryer. It provides storage, but the air still needs to pass through the dryer before use.

🔵 Dry receiver: AFTER the dryer
Stores already-dried air, creating a reserve to help stabilise supply pressure and cover short demand peaks without requiring all that peak airflow to pass through the dryer at once.

⚠️ Why does placement matter?
With storage only before the dryer, a sudden demand surge can push airflow beyond the dryer’s capacity, affecting moisture removal. Receiver placement, storage volume and dryer capacity should therefore be planned together.

Need help choosing the right arrangement? Contact Airstream Compressors SA.

📞 Durban: 031 700 6501
📞 Gauteng: 011 392 1965
📞 Cape Town: 021 939 6046
📞 PE – Dean: 069 897 8161

💨 CHOOSING THE RIGHT AIR RECEIVER SIZEIs your compressed-air system ready for those moments when demand suddenly rises?A...
07/10/2026

💨 CHOOSING THE RIGHT AIR RECEIVER SIZE

Is your compressed-air system ready for those moments when demand suddenly rises?

An air receiver stores compressed air, creating a buffer between compressor output and changing production demand. Choosing the right size helps your system manage:

✅ DEMAND PEAKS
Stored air can support short bursts of high demand when several tools or machines operate together.

✅ PRESSURE STABILITY
Correctly sized and positioned storage helps reduce sudden pressure fluctuations, supporting more consistent equipment performance.

✅ SYSTEM STORAGE
Your receiver should suit your demand pattern. Consider peak airflow, how long each peak lasts, the minimum pressure your equipment needs, and the compressor’s ability to replenish storage between peaks.

📍 Location matters too: a receiver near an intermittent high-demand application can provide useful local support.

Remember: storage buffers temporary demand peaks. It cannot make up for insufficient compressor capacity during sustained demand.

Contact Airstream Compressors SA to discuss the right receiver for your installation.

📞 Durban: 031 700 6501
📞 Gauteng: 011 392 1965
📞 Cape Town: 021 939 6046
📞 PE – Dean: 069 897 8161

🔵 Point-of-use pressure versus compressor discharge pressureYour compressor gauge looks healthy—but is your production e...
06/10/2026

🔵 Point-of-use pressure versus compressor discharge pressure

Your compressor gauge looks healthy—but is your production equipment receiving the pressure it needs?

Compressor discharge pressure is measured where compressed air leaves the compressor. Point-of-use pressure is what reaches the tool or machine after travelling through the air treatment equipment and distribution network.

Along the way, dryers, filters, pipework, valves, couplings and hoses can create pressure losses. Restrictive fittings, undersized pipes or blocked filter elements can make these losses worse, especially during high demand.

✅ Check pressure while equipment is operating. A reading taken when a machine is idle may hide the pressure drop that occurs when air starts flowing.

✅ Compare readings at the compressor and the machine during the same production conditions. This helps identify where pressure is being lost.

✅ Investigate before turning up the pressure. Increasing compressor pressure to compensate for restrictions can raise energy costs while leaving the underlying problem unresolved.

The pressure that matters to production is the pressure available where the work happens.

Contact Airstream Compressors to discuss your compressed-air requirements.

Durban - 031 700 6501
Gauteng - 011 392 1965
Cape Town - 021 939 6046
Pe - Dean - 069 897 8161

🔧 How much pressure does your production process actually need?Setting your compressed-air pressure higher “just in case...
05/10/2026

🔧 How much pressure does your production process actually need?

Setting your compressed-air pressure higher “just in case” could be increasing your electricity bill without improving production.

⚡ Higher pressure requires more energy. Your compressor must do more work to compress air to a higher pressure.

💨 Higher pressure can increase air consumption. Leaks and unregulated applications allow more air to escape or be consumed, adding to the demand your compressor must supply.

Before increasing the pressure, check what your equipment actually needs:

✅ Confirm the manufacturer’s operating-pressure requirements.
✅ Measure pressure at the point of use during peak production.
✅ Investigate losses through filters, pipework, hoses and fittings.
✅ Repair leaks and address restrictions before adjusting settings.

The goal is the lowest system pressure that reliably meets production needs, allowing for pressure losses and demand fluctuations. Any reduction should be gradual, with equipment performance monitored.

Contact Airstream Compressors to discuss your compressed-air requirements.

Durban - 031 700 6501
Gauteng - 011 392 1965
Cape Town - 021 939 6046
PE - Dean - 069 897 8161

⏱️ WHY DO COMPRESSOR RUN HOURS DIFFER FROM PRODUCTION HOURS?Your production shift ends—but your compressor’s hour counte...
02/10/2026

⏱️ WHY DO COMPRESSOR RUN HOURS DIFFER FROM PRODUCTION HOURS?

Your production shift ends—but your compressor’s hour counter may keep ticking. Why?

On many screw compressors, total running hours include both loaded operation and unloaded running, when the motor runs without delivering useful compressed air. Even unloaded, the compressor still consumes electricity.

Extra running hours can reveal:

⚙️ Control settings
Some unloaded running protects the motor from frequent starts. Extended idle periods may indicate that stop delays, operating schedules or multi-compressor sequencing need reviewing.

💨 Leaks or hidden demand
If the compressor repeatedly reloads when production has stopped, air may be escaping through leaks—or supplying equipment that remains active. Check legitimate after-hours demand before drawing conclusions.

📉 Changing production demand
Fewer machines operating, shorter shifts or longer pauses can leave the compressor spending more time unloaded. Its controls and capacity may need reassessing against actual demand.

🔍 Compare more than the hour counter
Review total running hours, loaded hours, pressure trends and power consumption alongside production schedules. Idle time alone does not prove there is a leak.

The question isn’t only “How long did it run?”—it’s “What was it doing during those hours?”

Contact Airstream Compressors to discuss your compressed-air requirements.

Durban - 031 700 6501
Gauteng - 011 392 1965
Cape Town - 021 939 6046
PE - Dean - 069 897 8161

Airstream Newsletter for October, covering topics like Getting your compressed air system ready for warmer days, Spring ...
01/10/2026

Airstream Newsletter for October, covering topics like Getting your compressed air system ready for warmer days, Spring maintenance checks for your compressor room, checking air demand before adding equipment to your plant, keeping air treatment in your maintenance plan, finding air losses before increasing the compressor pressure and planning servicing around your production schedule.

🌿 SPRING MAINTENANCE CHECKS FOR YOUR COMPRESSOR ROOMAs temperatures rise, a few essential checks can help keep your comp...
01/10/2026

🌿 SPRING MAINTENANCE CHECKS FOR YOUR COMPRESSOR ROOM

As temperatures rise, a few essential checks can help keep your compressed-air system running reliably and reduce the risk of overheating and unexpected downtime.

✅ Ventilation
Keep ventilation openings clear, check extraction fans and ensure hot exhaust air can escape without recirculating into the compressor’s cooling-air intake.

✅ Intake filters
Inspect filters for dust and contamination. Clean or replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions—restricted intake airflow can affect performance.

✅ Condensate drains
Check drains on receivers, dryers and filters. Confirm they discharge condensate correctly without blockages or continuous compressed-air leakage.

✅ Cooler condition
Inspect oil coolers and aftercoolers for dust, debris and blocked fins. Arrange suitable cleaning to maintain heat transfer, taking care not to damage the fins.

🔧 Follow the manufacturer’s isolation and depressurisation procedures before maintenance.

Prepare for warmer days before the heat builds. Contact Airstream Compressors for assistance with servicing and compressor-room maintenance.

Durban - 031 700 6501
Gauteng - 011 932 1965
Cape Town - 021 939 6046
PE - Dean - 069 879 8161

Keeping returnable logistics equipment moving starts with reliable workshop air. 📦A leading South African provider of re...
29/09/2026

Keeping returnable logistics equipment moving starts with reliable workshop air. 📦

A leading South African provider of returnable logistics and supply chain equipment solutions recently purchased an Airstream ASC030AR compressor, together with a pressure vessel, dryer and inline filters, for their Gqeberha (PE) branch complete with piping work.

We’re proud to supply a complete compressed air setup for their operation. Thank you for choosing Airstream Compressors!

For compressed air solutions in the Eastern Cape, contact Dean on 069 897 8161.

Address

3 Circuit Road
Pinetown
3610

Opening Hours

Monday 07:45 - 16:45
Tuesday 07:45 - 16:45
Wednesday 07:45 - 16:45
Thursday 07:45 - 16:45
Friday 07:45 - 16:30

Telephone

+27317006501

Website

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