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FRL is an acronym for Filter, Regulator and Lubricator, devices utilized to situation the compressed air from a compressor ahead of it gets to your application be that by means of an air valve to air cylinders, powering air tools and so on.

When named in to troubleshoot a complaint from a client that their compressed air filter, regulator or lubricator wasnt operating, the first response is to ask the signs and symptoms. Prevalent complaints are, the regulator is not working, and its leaking oil, or my air filter fills up too speedily. Have you ever had these issues?

The acronym FRL is placed in this order deliberately.

These air treatment units, regardless of whether they are an assembly (mixture FR + L) or a quantity of single components - Filter + Regulator + Lubricator - installed in a row, should usually be installed with the Filter 1st, the Regulator next, and the lubricator final.

The filter need to 'see' the air coming from the compressed air provide line first, as its the defense against compressed air-borne water and particulates. If you assume about it, you would want the filter to remove contaminants and totally free water from the compressed air ahead of that air gets to far more sensitive down-stream elements, like the regulator and the lubricator.

The regulator is installed following the filter to guarantee that the air obtaining to the regulator is as clean as that type of compressed air filter will let, therefore escalating the life span and indicate-time-between-failures for the regulator.

The regulators objective is to regulate a reduced pressure to the downstream application. Some folks are of the opinion that the regulator can be employed to dial-up the pressure. This is true, as lengthy as it is understood that the pressure thats getting chosen is at a level under the upstream supply pressure. You can't use a regulator to improve the pressure downstream increased than the supply pressure upstream of that regulator.

Compressors are generally cyclic, meaning that the air pressure in the lines from them varies according to exactly where the pressure is in the compressor receiver. When the air pressure in the compressor receiver falls to the low level set point, the compressor will kick in, and bring the pressure in the receiver up to the higher level set point, at which point the compressor will stop. This cycle repeats, occasionally quite quickly, based on the compressed air demand in the shop. A regulator will dampen the pressure swings from the system as the compressor kicks on and off, making certain that your application, if the regulator pressure is set at the right level, will see a continuous, steady pressure.

If the regulator is incorrectly installed, upstream from the filter rather of after it, not only is the regulator not protected from air-borne water and particulates, it will negatively influence the flow of air to the filter, decreasing its effectiveness.

The lubricators goal is to offer a steady, metered stream of the suitable lubricant to the downstream application, be that an air tool, or an air valve / cylinder mixture.

The lubricator is installed final in the FRL series to make certain that the lubricant has ready access to the elements desired to be lubricated although several modern pneumatic circuits may not want a lubricator at all, what with the high cycle type lubricants that are commonly utilized by air actuator manufacturer's.

If the lubricator is incorrectly installed immediately after the filter and just before the regulator, the lubricant flow will negatively impact the operation of the regulator. The regulator may possibly be more than lubricated to the point exactly where it doesnt function appropriately. This could be the trigger of the lubricators all gummed up and not operating correctly complaint. Most compressed air regulators are relieving type, and if the lubricator is "feeding" lubricant to the regulator, lubricant will wick from the relieving port, hence the "regulator's leaking oil" complaint.

If the lubricator is installed upstream from the filter and the regulator, the lubricant stream from the lubricator will merely be intercepted by the filter, and not get downstream to the application at all. As a result the filter is filling up too quickly complaint.

In the absence of the lubricator, the correct installation if filter very first, then regulator.

If the unit you have is a combined filter regulator, its internally plumbed to have the air filtered through the filter half just before the compressed air gets to the regulator.

Remember, its FRL on purpose! www.drakeanddrake.com