How much do air leaks really cost?

08 February, 2024

The urgency for leak detection As energy prices rose up to historical peaks, compressed air leaks have also become more expensive than ever. In these times, finding and repairing those wasteful leaks must be a priority for any maintenance team looking to cut down on energy waste.

Knowing that, on average, approximately 10% of all energy supplied to an industrial facility will be used for compressed air; and that the average leak rate across a site in industry is 30%, you can quickly realise that compressed air leaks will be one of the greatest sources of waste in industry.

How to conduct effective air leak surveys

The efficacy of detecting leaks is widely acknowledged through the use of ultrasound inspection instruments. In addition to their adept leak identification capabilities, digital instruments offer the added advantage of recording decibel levels at the leak point. This recorded data serves as the foundation for calculating the associated leak costs and generating comprehensive reports.

Normally these are handheld and listen-only instruments – still very effective in detecting leaks, but more recently, with the deployment of ultrasound cameras, you can also see the leaks, in real time, turning leak surveys into a much more effortless and quicker task.

Considering the following factors:

1. Air leaks now incur a substantial cost, with each individual leak averaging £1200 per year.

2. The identification of air leaks has been significantly simplified, presenting a quicker and more efficient process.

As a result, the acquisition of an ultrasound camera becomes an indisputable necessity for most industrial facilities. These state-of-the-art cameras seamlessly display leaks on the screen, allowing for the detection of dozens of leaks within minutes.

Leak survey examples & the cost of leaks

The examples of leak surveys below were provided by UE Systems who conducted them using its UltraView camera - an advanced leak detection device. The company demonstrated how in a matter of hours (sometimes even minutes), the UltraView was able to detect and quantify leaks worth thousands.

Commercial Printing Facility – one single leak costing £1650 per year

The printing industry uses a lot of compressed air (especially when printing newspapers and magazines, like this facility), making these facilities ideal candidates for an efficient leak detection device. With a proper leak detection programme in place, cost avoidance can be huge. One single leak was estimated to cost £1650 per year. A 30-minute survey at this facility carried out with UE Systems’ UltraView detected six leaks amounting to a cost of £7000 per year. This is only a small part of the total amount of leaks estimated at this site, since almost all printing machines will need compressed air.