What this checklist is for
This is what you would use for a periodic service record for one shop or portable air compressor. On the screen, you'll enter the information in the fields and then download either a CSV file or a PDF file. The form log all of the services from one visit: hours, electrical care, unloader, hoses, belts, safety valve, tank drain, filters, and oil.
If you are talking about United States shop receivers, then OSHA 29 CFR 1910.169 applies. It states:
"The receiver shall contain an easily visible pressure gauge, spring loaded safety valves, and a drain which can be emptied at frequent intervals to prevent accumulation of liquids."
You may not install a shutoff valve between the safety valves and the tank. Construction follows the 1968 ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, which is the standard OSHA points to. According to the eCFR text of 1910.169, this is the same rule.
These are hours on oil, belt tension, and daily drain for this particular serial number. These are not hours off a federal mile chart. Manuals for portables: DeWalt DWFP55130 (manual), DeWalt D55146 (oil-free portable manual), Porter-Cable C2002 (manual). Shop reciprocating and rotary models includes Quincy QT, Quincy QR-25, and Ingersoll Rand UP6 2,000-hour kits.
In here you put in the compressor identity and hours. Enter date, shop, unit number, make, model, serial, tank gallons, and MAWP from the nameplate. Select Drive Type and Lubrication to avoid having to enter N/A marks later.
What it is not
- It is not a crane, forklift, or vehicle inspection, and it is not a CMV pre-trip or DVIR.
- It is not OSHA 1910.169 as a citation worksheet. That rule covers air receivers used for cleaning, drilling, hoisting, and chipping. It does not apply to compressed-air equipment on transportation vehicles.
- It is not a license to use shop air as breathing air. DeWalt and Porter-Cable manuals say the compressor is not equipped with filters and in-line safety equipment for human consumption.
- It is not a 1910.242(b) cleaning-nozzle setup. Compressed air used for cleaning must be reduced to less than 30 psi, with chip guarding and PPE. Do not use this form as permission to blow clothing or skin.
- It is not one maker's oil-hour chart copied onto every brand. There is no federal oil-hour interval in 1910.169. Label OEM examples as examples.
How to fill each block
The DeWalt D55146 is an oil-free portable compressor that requires no crankcase oil changes. A single-stage Quincy on a belt has a splash oil reservoir but still has an enclosed belt guard. For THIS unit, the manual gives you hours on the hour meter, last service hours, and next due hours. Check the box only if you actualy opened that schedule.
Mark the filters and fluids as Done, Due, or N/A.
On oil-lubricated pumps, check oil condition and level. On single-stage splashes, like Quincy’s QR-25, there is a big reservoir of oil. These model are described on the following pages.
On rotary screws such as Ingersoll Rand’s UP6 5-15 hp oil-flooded kit, you’ll see service intervals of 2,000 run hours or yearly, whichever first. The same parts list includes 8,000-hour kits with Ultra Coolant. Copy the chart for your serial.
Check or change air inlet filter. DeWalt’s D55146 says not to run the tool without the filter, and it lists the filter for weekly inspection.
Dispose of filters and drained oil according to EPA used-oil rules (40 CFR Part 279)
Drain the receiver tank. Drain it daily or after every use, according to the DeWalt and Porter-Cable portable manuals. "Frequently" so no more than excess liquid collects per 169. No highway-mile number is printed. Collect the condensate. Can include rust and oil.
Confirm if the unit has an automatic drain that opens and closes. One OEM pattern is Quincy QT Pro+ and Max electronic drains. A drain stuck open wastes air. DOE Tip Sheet #3 treats this as a leak.
Pull out the safety-valve ring according to how the manufacturer describes. OSHA requires frequent testing. Don't add a shutoff between the safety valve and the tank. Record the maximum working pressure stamped on the tank. If the tank leaks: Replace the compressor or replace the tank. Don't weld it.
Confirmed that the belt, drive, and unloader checks were done with the guard on.
Only sets tension to figure in THIS manual; inspects belt condition and sets tension.
Ingersoll Rand publishes an OEM belt for listed recip models. Belts for rows marked by direct-drive pancakes are not applicable.
Vibration and noise were checked. Unloaders are documented in Quincy QR-25. Unloaders is not applicable on simple start/stop portables.
Leaks/fittings/hoses: Replace cut or bulged hose. Use at least a 3/8 in hose rated for 300 psi, like this DeWalt D55146 example. That's an OEM rating; no universal law.
What varies
Quick connects get seated and pull-tested. Hose gets soapy water around joints during pump load and post-cut-out. Grasp hose end when connecting to prevent hose whipping. Bleed tank and hose prior to breaking fitting. A portable unit never ties in, so shop piping drop legs are not needed.
For motor, switch and electrical: Covers removed; pressure bled; switch locked out/unplugged; switch to Off position; motor checked.
DeWalt D55146 prohibits 16 and 18 AWG extensions and permits 14 AWG or larger.
Prefer larger gauge extension cords. Check pressure switch, voltage and grounding.
Don't mess with factory cut-in/cut-out. For shop reciprocating packages, Quincy QT posts the amps, voltage, and motor bearing information.
According to DeWalt DWFP55130 warnings, maintain a 20 ft minimum distance from flammable spray areas and 12 in of ventilation clearance.
In the sign-off and work performed, you list what was done: Hours, belts, filters, oil. You don't let go of the compressor if the tank leaks or the safety valve fails. The next due hours are copied from this manufacturer, NOT from a kit on another brand.
Portable pumps: Skip the crankcase oil and often skip belts. Splash recip (oil lubricated): Belt drive requires a belt and oil level; some are not belt driven. Some have a spin-on oil filter. Quincy QR-25 series pressure lube adds unloaders and an oil filter. For rotary screw (oil flooded) models, you must also change the coolant and check the separator according to the maker's hour chart.
Portable OEM charts usually say daily for tank drain. OSHA 1910.169 still says to do it frequently, but provides no specific schedule. Verifying actual outflow from the tank doesn't go away with automatic drains. Guidance for Quincy drain valve mentions three types: float, timer and zero-loss.
Used oil collection, condensate discharge and state/local pressure-vessel inspection may go beyond the federal floor. The in-service interval is a jurisdiction question; it is not a number invented by this template. (ASME Section VIII Division 1 is the construction code for vessels over 15 psig.)
After you finish
The DOE compressed-air sourcebook and DOE Tip Sheet #6 say to follow the manufacturers’ schedule. It says put somebody in charge of documenting it. It says consider slack belts and dirty filters as a loss of reliability and energy.
The DOE’s documents don’t supersede the serial-specific manual. Hard-wired shop motors mark portable cord rows N/A. Rows of engine-driven portables marked with electric-motor are not applicable. Still: Test the safety valve; drain the tank.
If you want a copy to take away from this tab, you download it as a filled-in PDF or CSV. If someone else is going to fill out the sheet by hand, you download a blank PDF.
Answers are never stored anywhere except in this browser. Next time someone visits, they see a blank form. There's nothing stored on the server.
Keep it in the shop log or on the unit itself. When the compressor is tagged out, indicate why in the open-items box. Oily condensate, used oil and filters require a legal way to be disposed of. The federal minimum requirement is EPA Part 279. Add your state’s possible rules.
Above the article is the form. At the bottom of the page are the downloads including the blank printable PDF preview.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
It’s not a replacement for a licensed electrician working to the electrical code; it’s not a replacement for a licensed pressure-vessel inspection; it’s not a replacement for the OEM procedure on the compressor; it’s not a OSHA citation form; it’s not legal advice; nor is it a substitute for following 1910.169.
Do not make up information that is not required by the nameplate or 1910.169, such as drain miles, belt deflection, or oil hours.