Heat exchangers are everywhere and there are many different kinds that affect compressed air and air compressors. They are the brain of heat recovery systems, moving stale air through the piping systems whilst drawing in cold air from outside.

When compressed air is generated, an inevitable by-product produced is heat. In order to enhance efficiency this heat can be used to increase the efficiency of the compressed air system up to about 95%. To do this, heat exchangers are fitting to the compressed air system and within a year this investment can pay for itself.

Heat recovery technology has advanced so far today that you are able to recover over 90 percent of the heat generated by an air compressor. The heat recovery equipment may sometimes exceed your potential savings, or you may not have a way to use the recovered heat.

More realistic percentages of heat recovery are probably around 50-80% for most compressed air systems, and the amount of heat recovered depends fully on the type of compressor itself, and the type of heat exchangers you implement.