What Kind Of Oil Should I Use For My Air Compressor?

After doing quite a bit of research (several hours) on different compressor oils, it all became clear and I made notes on topics that I thought would help others out and listed them in this article.

I found that the question "what kind of oil should I use for my compressor" is more than just a question, it's a topic in itself and here's what I found out...

What Kind Of Oil Should I Use In My Air Compressor?

Typically, compressor manufacturers will recommend a 20 weight or 30 weight (non-detergent) compressor oil.

You can use a standard or synthetic blend compressor oil, if the manufacturer states it is possible to do so but stick to the manufacturer's recommendations to avoid voiding the warranty.

Oil Lubricated Compressors vs Oil-Less Models:

Oil lubricated air compressors typically have extended engine life over oil-less models and are generally what this article is talking about. You won't have to change the oil in your air compressor that often (compared to a vehicle) but at the very least you will want to change it once a year.

Oil-less air compressors do not require any type of oil to be added to the engine itself because it is coated and sealed when it leaves the factory, more than likely using a Teflon type coating that will never need to have oil added to the motor.

Oil-less compressors tend to not have the lifespan that oil lubricated compressors have an tend to be a little bit louder as well.

Compressor Oil vs. Motor Oil...

Compressor oils are specifically designed for compressors (obviously) and are really just basically a non-detergent type of oil.

Typically, a motor oil (for your car or truck) is going to have some type of detergent in it, which is beneficial to an internal combustion engine but for a compressor it is not going to be the best choice because it will actually cause a lot more carbon build up in a fairly short amount of time.

Compressor oils tend to be the better choice, especially if you want to adhere to the compressor manufacturers warranty guidelines and if you take it in, and they find out that you have been using a non-specified oil, this could void the warranty and any perks that that warranty might have had.

In a bind, you can use a non-detergent (20 or 30w) motor oil for your compressor, but I assume that most people won't have a non-detergent motor oil on hand for their vehicles, so the "convenience factor" of only having to buy one type of oil is gone because you would have to buy specialty oil anyways.

So why not just go with a compressor oil that is specifically made for the compressor.

Synthetic vs, Standard Air Compressor Oil:

Standard and synthetic air compressor oils can both work but really how often you are using your compressor is going to be the actual question you should be asking yourself when deciding on which type to go with.

A standard compressor oil will work just fine and is recommended more for homeowners and people who don't really use their compressor a whole lot. Standard compressor oil is much cheaper than a sympathetic blend and is the best choice for light to medium duty use, as far as compressor hours are concerned.

A synthetic compressor oil is going to be geared towards professionals or people who use their compressors on a more regular basis, especially for people who use their compressors either at least three times a week.

Synthetics offer better protection from overheating, has a wider temperature range for colder environments and can actually make the compressor run a lot smoother and a little bit quieter, according to a lot of different users that posted in forums and reviews (retail websites) online.

What Viscosity Should I Use?

Most of the time, compressor manufacturers are going to recommend a 20 weight or 30 weight compressor oil. This works the same way motor oil works and if you live in an environment where you have colder winters you may have to switch over from a 30 weight oil to a 20 weight oil, for half of the year.

A 30 weight oil will provide more protection in the summer months because it is more viscous (thicker) and will coat the parts a lot better than a less viscous oil would.

When the temperature drops, a 30 weight oil will be too thick to use in some cases and can cause the compressor not to start up right away so this is where a 20 weight oil would work better and would actually help in these types of "cold start" conditions.

Where Can I Find Compressor Oil?

I was looking around online to see how many places offered compressor oil and if it was hard to find. To my surprise, there were several different places that offered compressor oil, including some auto-parts stores but whether they were in stock are not at my local store was undetermined.

Amazon had a surprising selection of synthetic compressor oil and standard compressor oil (here is a link to Amazon's selection), which is always very convenient for those of us who order things through Amazon because they seem to be priced competitively and if you're an Amazon prime member, you can have it delivered right to your door in a couple of days.

I also look at Home Depot and Lowe's and found that Home Depot did have a couple of different compressor oils in stock at my local store but they didn't have anywhere near the selection Amazon had as far as brands and types of compressor oils.

Lowe's didn't have much either and just doing a quick online search I found Lowe's actually had even a smaller selection than Home Depot did so I would definitely call ahead of time to see if they have that stock before you go run down there.

I did see that a couple of auto-parts stores (O' Reillys, Autozone, Pepboys,etc.) did in fact carry compressor oil but were very limited on selection and quantity. If you do happen to run down to your local auto parts store you can check to see if they have some in stock but I wouldn't expect to find anything special.

FAQ's I Found Regarding Compressor Oil:

There were a few questions (online) that I found floating around regarding air compressor oil that didn't really need a longer explanation but were valid, and I thought I would answer them, to make this post more of a  "complete resource".

• Can I Use Motor Oil In My Compressor? - Typically, the answer will be no but if you are in a bind or set on using motor oil for your compressor, then a non-detergent oil is the best choice.
  
  
• How Often Should I Change My Air Compressor Oil? - Air compressor oil should be changed every 3 months for a reciprocating compressor and once every 7,000 hours for a rotary compressor.
  
  Once a year is ideal at the MINIMUM. Always refer to the owner's manual first though.
  
  
• Do You Have To Add Oil To An Air Compressor? - This is only true if you have an oil-lubricated air compressor.
  
  An oil-less compressor does not require oil, as it is pre-coated right out of the factory and sealed.