Clean, Dry Air Matched to What Your Process Actually Needs
Dryers, filters, and condensate management designed around your actual air quality requirements. Not oversized. Not underspecified. Matched to your application and maintained as part of one service contract.
Wrong Treatment Costs You Twice
Oversized dryers waste energy. Undersized dryers let moisture through. Filters that are never changed create pressure drops that cost more in wasted energy than the filters themselves. Condensate drains that stick open blow compressed air straight to waste.
Most air treatment problems start the same way. Someone specifies a dryer or filter based on the compressor catalogue without considering the actual operating conditions, ambient temperature, or downstream air quality requirement. The system works on paper but fails in practice.
We size and specify air treatment based on what your process actually needs, not what the compressor manufacturer bundles in. And because we maintain what we install, problems get caught during servicing rather than after product rejects.
Treatment Matched to Your Application
We supply, install, and maintain the full range of compressed air treatment equipment: refrigerant dryers, desiccant dryers (heatless and heated purge), coalescing filters, particulate filters, activated carbon adsorbers, automatic and timed condensate drains, and oil water separators. We carry stock and spares from Parker Hiross, Beko, Donaldson, and SMC alongside OEM parts for CompAir, Hydrovane, Atlas Copco, and Boge dryers. Our engineers hold F Gas certification for handling R134a and R407C refrigerants used in most refrigerant dryers. Every system is specified against your actual air quality requirement, whether that is general workshop use, paint spraying, food packaging, pharmaceutical production, or breathing air.
Treatment maintenance matters more than most people realise. A blocked coalescing filter creates a pressure drop across the element. Every 1 bar of unnecessary pressure drop forces the compressor to work approximately 7% harder, which on a 22 kW compressor running 6,000 hours per year at 12p per kWh adds roughly £800 per year in wasted electricity. That is just one filter. Multiply it across a system with pre-filters, coalescing filters, and activated carbon, and neglected treatment can easily add £2,000 or more per year to your energy bill while simultaneously delivering poor air quality.
Air treatment is included in our Uptime Protection service plans. Filter elements are changed every 2,000 hours or annually (whichever comes first). Desiccant beds are inspected annually and replaced every 3 to 5 years depending on operating conditions. Pressure dewpoint is checked at every service visit using a portable hygrometer. Condensate drains are function tested, and oil water separator cartridges are checked for saturation. No separate contract, no forgotten filters, no surprise pressure drops.
Application Assessment
We review your compressed air demand, point of use quality requirements, ambient conditions, and existing treatment. Every application gets the right specification, from general workshop air to ISO 8573 Class 1.
System Design and Specification
Treatment equipment sized for your actual flow, pressure, and temperature conditions. We specify dryers, filters, and condensate management as a complete system, not individual components.
Supply and Installation
Equipment supplied, installed, and commissioned by our own engineers. Pipework connections, electrical integration, and condensate routing all included in the scope.
Commissioning and Verification
Dewpoint, pressure drop, and air quality verified against specification before handover. You get documented proof that the system meets your required air quality standard.
Ongoing Maintenance
Treatment equipment included in your Uptime Protection service plan. Filter changes, drain function checks, dewpoint monitoring, and dryer performance all covered in scheduled visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of dryer do I need?
It depends on your application and where the air is used. Refrigerant dryers deliver a pressure dewpoint of around +3 degrees Celsius, which prevents condensation in most indoor environments and suits the majority of general industrial applications including pneumatic tools, actuators, and general manufacturing. They are the most energy efficient option, typically drawing 1 to 3% of the compressor's rated power. Desiccant dryers are needed where lower dewpoints are required: minus 20 degrees Celsius for outdoor pipework exposed to freezing temperatures, or minus 40 to minus 70 degrees Celsius for critical processes like pharmaceutical production, food packaging, or instrument air. Heatless desiccant dryers use a portion of the dried compressed air to regenerate the desiccant bed, with a purge loss of 10 to 18% of the compressor's output. Heated purge and blower purge variants reduce this loss significantly but cost more to buy. We assess your specific conditions, including ambient temperature range, flow rate, and point of use requirements, and recommend the most cost effective type.
How do I know if my current treatment is adequate?
We can test your existing air quality against ISO 8573-1 and compare the results to what your process actually requires. Common signs of inadequate treatment include water in airlines, oil contamination on products, corrosion in pipework, and frequent pneumatic equipment failures.
Do you maintain treatment equipment from other suppliers?
Yes. We service dryers, filters, and condensate equipment from all manufacturers. As part of your Uptime Protection plan, treatment maintenance is included alongside compressor servicing. One contract covers everything.
What about condensate disposal?
Compressed air condensate contains oil and is classified as trade effluent. Under the Water Industry Act 1991, you cannot discharge it to the public sewer without treatment and a trade effluent consent from your water company. Most consents require oil content below 20 parts per million. We supply and maintain oil water separators that use oleophilic and adsorption media to reduce oil content to below consent levels. Clean water goes to drain, and the concentrated oil waste cartridge is replaced periodically and collected for licensed disposal. You receive waste transfer notes for your environmental records. For sites generating large volumes of condensate, we can advise on the consent application process and specify the right separator capacity.
Can you help with breathing air compliance?
Yes. We supply and maintain breathing air treatment systems and provide air quality testing against BS EN 12021. A typical breathing air treatment train consists of a coalescing filter to remove oil aerosol and water, an activated carbon adsorber to remove oil vapour and odour, and a final particulate filter. The activated carbon element should be changed every 500 to 1,000 hours depending on inlet oil loading, as carbon becomes saturated and stops adsorbing. We test at the point of use, not just at the compressor outlet, because contamination can enter the system through old pipework, fittings, and storage vessels. Test certificates cover oxygen content (19.5 to 23.5%), carbon monoxide (below 5 mg per cubic metre), carbon dioxide (below 500 mg per cubic metre), oil mist (below 0.5 mg per cubic metre), water vapour, and odour. Certificates are valid for 3 months under BS EN 12021 and must be renewed regularly for ongoing compliance.
Get Your Air Treatment Right
One call. We will assess your air quality requirements and recommend the right treatment for your application. No obligation.