Excessive use of oil
This normally occurs under the following circumstances:

a) Separator not changed at the appropriate time

If the separator has reached the end of its lifespan or has worked in arduous conditions (see 1) and is not replaced, it can suffer structural damage (collapse) or media breakdown causing oil carry over.

b) Blocked or malfunctioning scavenge tube

This situation increases the level of oil inside the separator and the amount of oil carry over. To avoid this problem, the scavenge tube must be checked for correct length at every separator change and kept free from blockage.

c) Incorrect oil level in tank

Overfilling with oil alters pre-separation process and increases the quantity of oil in the air/oil mist thereby reducing the efficiency of the separator

d) Gaskets applied incorrectly or use of unsuitable or used gaskets

When installing a new separator the incorrect application of joints (bad seal) can cause heavy movements of oil thereby by-passing the separating system.

e) Inefficient separation system

In some instances, the design of the compressor separation system is inefficient. In these instances the manufacturers improve the separation efficiency by adding baffles or through modification of separations by adding pre-separation media to the outside of the element.

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