How to tell if the airbrush compressor is leaking or aging?

In the long-term operation of the airbrush compressor, it is inevitable that performance degradation, unstable air pressure, insufficient output and other phenomena will occur, and these problems are likely to be related to leakage or aging of components. Timely judgment of whether the airbrush compressor has leaked or aged is an important part of ensuring the quality of spraying operations and extending the service life of the equipment. Through careful observation and regular inspection of the operating status of the compressor, potential hidden dangers can be effectively discovered to avoid minor faults from evolving into more serious problems.
The situation where the air pressure drops but the motor works normally is often one of the intuitive manifestations of judging leakage. When the airbrush is not working, the compressor should be able to quickly fill the air tank and maintain a relatively stable pressure state. If it is found that the compressor is frequently started and the inflation time is longer than usual, or the pressure gauge pointer always fails to reach the set value, it may indicate that the compressed gas has partially escaped during the transportation process. This phenomenon may be caused by damaged air pipes, loose joints, aging of sealing rings, etc.
In addition to abnormal air pressure, it can also be judged by hearing. When the compressor stops running, if the surrounding environment is relatively quiet, you can get close to key parts such as air pipes, joints, and air tanks, and listen carefully for a faint "hissing" sound. This slight sound of airflow is usually a manifestation of gas escaping through a tiny gap, which is an important signal of air leakage. In addition, if you can feel a small airflow blowing out when your hand is close to the pipe or interface, you can further confirm the location of the air leak.
Changes in odor are also one of the ways to judge the aging of equipment. If the compressor produces odors when working, especially rubber, burnt or greasy odors, it may be due to aging of the sealing gasket, rubber hose or internal lubrication system. After long-term use at high temperature and high pressure, these materials are prone to become brittle, crack or melt, which will affect the sealing effect or cause increased wear of internal components.
Visual observation is also very important. Regularly check whether there are cracks, bulges, and peeling on the surface of the air pipe, observe whether there are signs of looseness on the joints, and check whether there are oil stains, dust accumulation or corrosion spots on the compressor housing. These may be indirect evidence of equipment aging, leakage of the lubrication system or gas leakage. If there is a lubricating oil leak, it may cause a decrease in compression efficiency, which in turn causes problems such as unstable air pressure.
Changes in the feel of the operation can also provide some reference. During the use of the airbrush, if the operator feels that the airflow is strong and weak, the spraying effect is inconsistent, or the airbrush makes abnormal noises or even freezes, it is likely that the compressor output is unstable. This situation is mostly related to aging or air leakage in the compression system, and further inspection of the compressor output interface, pressure regulating valve and air supply channel is required.
Compressors that have been running for too long or are used frequently may also experience performance degradation due to motor fatigue, piston wear, increased cylinder clearance, etc. Although there is no abnormality in appearance, internal aging has begun. At this time, it can be determined whether maintenance or replacement of parts is required by detecting the operating current, motor temperature and exhaust efficiency.