Episode 40: Fixing Pressure Drop Problems

Jason Reed

Alright, welcome back to The Big Dog Podcast. Episode 40! Lisa, before we get started, I can't believe we've recorded this many episodes for our valued listeners. I'm incredibly, incredibly grateful.

Lisa Saunders

Agreed, Jason. I remember when you and I were first talking about a compressed air podcast, we figured a few shows and listeners here and there. But, like you, I never figured we'd be this far. Shout out to you, too, and all our listeners who continue to make this show the best one in the game.

Jason Reed

Aw, thanks, Lisa. I feel the same.

Jason Reed

Now, let's chew through another big pain point in the world of compressed air. Today, we're talkin’ pressure drop—what it is, why it wrecks your energy bill, and, you know, why the guys on the floor blame the compressor but usually it's not the compressor’s fault.

Lisa Saunders

And honestly, Jason, this one pops up all the time. Whether you’re in a plant, a fab shop, or running a bottling line, everyone complains about low tool pressure. But the real villain? Pressure drop. So let’s lay it out—what exactly is pressure drop, and why should anyone care?

Jason Reed

So, picture this: pressure drop is just the decrease in pressure as air travels through your pipes and systems. The longer the run, and the sketchier your piping or components, the more pressure you lose before it ever gets to your tools. That’s not just a headache for the operator. Every PSI you lose in transmission is energy and dollars down the drain.—I've seen too many folks try to crank up the compressor pressure to compensate, but like we’ve said before, that’s just asking for higher utility bills.

Lisa Saunders

And it’s not just energy we’re talking about—it actually messes with system performance, right? Tools don’t work right, quality drops...oof, it affects everything.

Jason Reed

Exactly, and when it comes to causes, there’s six major ones that come up over and over—clogged filters, busted mechanicals like valves or regulators, undersized piping, the wrong pipe material, bad system layout, and using too many fittings, especially sharp turns. It’s kind of amazing how predictable these problems are.

Lisa Saunders

Okay, I have to hear your story. You mentioned one customer who was sure his compressor had finally let him down, right?

Jason Reed

Oh yeah. This was classic. Guy complains, “my air tools are all down on power.” He’s sure something’s busted inside the rotary screw or, who knows, some part deep in there. We dig in, run the line...the compressor was fine—honestly clean as a whistle. Where do we find the problem? The last thirty feet—what everyone calls “the dirty 30.” Somebody had tossed in undersized half-inch line because, well, it was in the shop, and boom—pressure drop city. He could’ve replaced the compressor and been right back in the same mess.

Lisa Saunders

Which is wild, but not surprising. It’s like, we talked leaks and artificial demand last episode—folks reach for the compressor first, but these simple causes get missed all the time. Alright, let's break down how to deal with these main troublemakers, because this “dirty thirty” and all the rest, I know we've both seen our share.

Lisa Saunders

Let’s start with filters—that’s always first on the list. Like, a clogged filter can be such a sneaky drain on the whole system. What’s best practice here? Are we talking swap-out every few months, or is there a smarter way?

Jason Reed

Yeah, so, maintenance is everything here. But it depends. For some shops, maybe you can go a few months, but a better play is using differential pressure sensors. They’re awesome—one side measures before, one side after the filter. When you see a delta—pressure is lower coming out than going in—that’s your sign the filter’s clogging up and it’s time to swap it. But if you’re running in dusty places like cement plants, you might have to change filters even more often—every 4,000 hours is kind of the baseline, or just go with what your manufacturer says or whatever the service indicators are telling you.

Lisa Saunders

So it’s not one-size-fits-all, but ignoring your filters pretty much guarantees you’re gonna lose pressure and waste energy. Alright, what about mechanical issues? I mean, valves, switches, regulators...these turn into silent killers, don’t they?

Jason Reed

Totally. And regulators are a weird one. You see plants cranking up header pressure to like 110 or 120 PSI “just in case,” and then chopping it back down with individual regulators. If you’re running 120 at the compressor but dropping to 85 for every tool, you’re basically throwing money away. For every 2 PSI you over-pressurize, you bump electrical energy use by 1%. Multiply that over months—ouch.

Lisa Saunders

So what’s better—just run everything at the lowest pressure that still gets the job done? Is there a telltale sign your regulator is actually costing you more than it’s saving?

Jason Reed

Good question. Keep the header as low as possible. If you’ve got tons of regulators all over, that’s a red flag—maybe your system needs a different setup. And if a regulator’s sticking or leaking air, or you notice wild pressure swings at the point of use, that’s a pretty clear signal something’s wrong—just replace it quick.

Lisa Saunders

Alright, last biggie in this batch: pipe sizing. And you mentioned the “dirty thirty” already, but let’s dig in—what happens when folks undersize their pipes?

Jason Reed

Air gets starved, basically. Everyone thinks, “well, I’ve got enough pressure at the compressor, so I’m set.” But as you shrink pipe sizes moving away from the compressor, the drop just stacks up. Instead of a couple PSI over a hundred feet, you could lose 10 or even 15 PSI just in a short run. Not only are you killing performance, you’re making the compressor work harder and live a shorter life. That last run—again, the “dirty thirty”—is where so many problems hide, especially if someone cut corners with whatever scrap pipe was lying around at install.

Lisa Saunders

And sometimes it’s not even obvious, right? You have to walk the system and look. Honestly, Jason, this is making me wish people would just call in pros from the start—skip the guesswork, avoid the headaches.

Jason Reed

Exactly. But, you know, some lessons stick the hard way. Speaking of lessons, let’s talk about how the right pipe and layout can save even more pressure before it ever becomes a problem.

Jason Reed

So, let’s talk pipe material. Most people default to black iron, right? It’s cheap, it’s everywhere, but it’s not exactly your best friend long-term. Aluminum piping—now that’s a game-changer. Less friction, smoother inside, and you’re looking at maybe 3 PSI drop over a thousand feet versus way more with black iron. Plus, black iron rusts out and gets all gnarly inside, throwing flakes into your system and blocking air. Not fun.

Lisa Saunders

Yeah, and if you’ve ever had to clean out a line full of rusty crap from black iron, you’ll never want to go back. But it’s not just the material, right? System layout makes a big difference, too. What are your thoughts—loop versus branch?

Jason Reed

Honestly, if you can swing it, always go for a loop system. Air comes from both directions, so you get way less drop at the far ends. Branches, on the other hand, kind of starve the outlets at the far end of the run, especially if the demand picks up. I had a bottling plant once with big production headaches—couldn’t feed air to multiple lines at the same time. Swapped to a loop with bigger aluminum piping and suddenly, no more bottlenecks, no more downtime. Simple fix, massive payoff.

Lisa Saunders

And fittings—we can’t let those go unmentioned. Every sharp turn, every extra elbow, that’s another pinch on pressure. Right? So keep the lines straight, minimize connections, and avoid those infamous 90-degree corners whenever possible. Honestly, planning upfront saves a whole lot of pain later.

Jason Reed

Yep. The simple stuff makes the biggest difference, usually. Like we’ve said before, sometimes it’s about getting a good partner in to help—someone who spots those hidden issues before they cost you real money. That’s why having a local pro from the start just makes sense.

Lisa Saunders

Couldn’t have said it better. So, that’s a wrap for today—six big causes of pressure drop, and even more ways to beat them. If you’re struggling with low pressure or high energy costs, you know where to start looking. Jason, thanks as always for keeping it real.

Jason Reed

No problem, Lisa. If you need a hand, get in touch with your local pros or give us a shout at Kaishan. We’ll be back soon with new topics and more real-world answers. See you next time, Lisa.

Lisa Saunders

See ya, Jason. And thanks to everyone out there for tuning in. Take care of your air, and we’ll catch you on the next Big Dog Podcast.