Compressor Speed Control Products – Repair Or Replace?

A compressor speed control is also known as a VFD, variable frequency drive, adjustable speed drive,or an inverter. To repair the compressor speed control, unique experience and training are needed. Repairing a compressor speed control should be taken with extreme caution. Alwaysconsult an expert in the field when repairing or troubleshooting industrial electrical equipment. Most compressor speed controls have an internal DC bus that retains a charge after power has been cut to the drive, and as a result, the power being cut doesn’t mean that the equipmentissafe to work with. Technicians working with a compressor speed control and other electrical equipmentmust always take extra precautions to ensure proper safety measures are taken to prevent injury or death.

Compressor Speed Control, Repair Or Replace?

Compressor speed control repair services are an assetfor Sullair service centers and other manufacturers. In most cases, the replacement of a speed control is more expensive and more time consuming than a repair. The extent of damage present in a compressor speed control will determine whether or not the equipment can be repaired. The speed control must be tested, disassembled, and inspected thoroughly by trained technicians to diagnose the cause of failure and determine repair cost.

Most companies who offer repair services for speed control products, outsource the repair to third party repair centers. Then, the service center offering this repair service, will mark up the cost for being the “middle man”. Precision Electric performs these repairs for third parties every day. Sometimes the speed control manufacturer also offers repair services but then once they have the speed control in their possession, they tell the customer that the speed control cannot be repaired and needs to be replaced. Precision Electric repairs compressor speed control products all the time after manufacturers have deemed the equipment “not worth repair” or“needs to be replaced”.

Eaton Cutler Hammer, for example, is a manufacturer of speed control products, that offers VFD repair services for their products. Sending the speed control to Eaton for repair isn’t the most economical solutionbecause Eaton has extensive lead times for repairs, and Eaton almost always ends up recommending replacing the entire speed control.Precision Electric offerscomplete Eatonspeed control repair and all repairs are performed in house, at Precision Electric.

Over the past decadeVFDtechnology has become a cost efficient way to reduce power costs and increase system efficiency. Manufacturers within a wide range of industries are finding more ways to apply VFD’s to their rotating equipment.From past experience, smaller horsepower VFD’s typically fail in eight years and are more often replaced rather than repaired.Larger horsepower VFD’s last longer by virtue of repairs that often require replacement of circuit boards and other electrical components.

To repair or replace your compressor speed control products, contact Precision Electric.