Detergent Or Non-Detergent: What Oil Type Is Best For An Air Compressor?

Whether you're a professional buying and maintaining air compressors for your auto shop or related business, or you're a consumer who's bought an air compressor for your air tools, you want to stay on top of upkeep. Prioritizing maintenance is key to guarding your investment and maximizing the air compressor's usefulness and lifespan. Depending on what type of air compressor you have, maintenance could involve regularly checking and replacing the oil, just as you would with a motor vehicle. When choosing oil for your air compressor, you might wonder: Is detergent or non-detergent oil best?

Checking the manufacturer's recommendations is essential when deciding which type of oil is right for your air compressor. Every unit is different, and a given manufacturer may have designed a particular compressor to be compatible with a specific type of oil. There are even air compressors that don't require any oil at all.

The manufacturer's instructions will always take precedence. That said, most of the time, non-detergent oil is best for an air compressor.

Oil plays a critical role in an air compressor's performance and longevity. By lubricating essential components, it guards against wear and tear. This is essentially the same role that oil plays in a vehicle's engine.

While you still need to confirm the recommendations of the specific manufacturer of your specific unit, it's worth noting that a review of information available from major air compressor brands indicates the general guidance is to use a non-detergent oil.

A manufacturer will often specify the exact type of oil to use with their air compressor. For example, the manual for Dewalt's D55153 air compressor explains that owners should use SAE 5W-40 fully synthetic oil. The manual also explains that the presence of a detergent oil could be the cause of a particular troubleshooting problem code, and that owners should actually remove and replace the detergent oil to fix the issue.

Some motor oils contain detergents. Their role is to clean the engine. However, in an air compressor, a detergent would simply consume more oil and could lead to problems like foaming. While the importance of checking the manufacturer's suggestions can't be stated enough, you'll generally find that manufacturers don't recommend using oil that contains detergents. Along with the DeWalt example, air compressor manuals from manufacturers like Speedaire and Campbell Hausfeld also specify owners should avoid detergent oils or motor oils with additives.

Of course, using the right oil is just part of proper maintenance. You also need to check the oil and change it according to the manufacturer's instructions. Remember, doing so can extend your air compressor's lifespan, potentially saving you a lot of money in the long run.