--- title: What are the consequences of undetected leaks in a pressurized system? description: What consequences can you face with undetected leaks in a pressurized system? image: http://www.setra.com/hubfs/Sajni/Test_and_Measurement/general_industrial_-_leak_costs.jpg --- ** ** ** - Website Pages - Products [![Setra Systems Logo](https://www.setra.com/hubfs/setra-logo.svg "Setra Systems Logo")](https://www.setra.com/) ![drop-down-pressure](https://www.setra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/angle-arrow-pointing-to-right.png?width=15&name=angle-arrow-pointing-to-right.png) **[Pressure Sensors](https://www.setra.com/product/pressure)** [Differential Pressure Sensors](https://www.setra.com/product/pressure/differential) [Absolute Pressure Sensors](https://www.setra.com/product/pressure/absolute) [Barometric Pressure Sensors](https://www.setra.com/product/pressure/barometric) [Compound Pressure Sensors](https://www.setra.com/product/pressure/compound) [Gauge Pressure 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Many users are blindsided by this issue. Air leaks are a significant source of wasted energy, often wasting 20-30% of a compressor’s output. Did you know that unmaintained plants waste at least 20% of air production capacity? In addition to wasting energy, undetected leaks can contribute to financial and operational losses. **Financial** - Costs depend on the size and time duration![leak_size_graphic.jpg](https://www.setra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sajni/Industrial/leak_size_graphic.jpg?width=320&name=leak_size_graphic.jpg) of the leak (See Figure 1) - Cost = # of leaks * leakage rate (CFM) * kW/CFM x operational hours * $/kWh - Example: - We have 10 leaks of ¼” at 100 PSI which occurred during 5,000 operating hours at $0.05 kWh with a 10 kW/100 CFM requirement of compressed air - Assume leak rate for ¼” at 100 PSI = 104 CFM - Assume a sharp edged orifice, reducing leak rate by .67 - Cost for ¼” leaks = 10 * 104 * .61 * .10 * 5000 * 0.05= $158,600 - Note that by preventing the leak we would have been able to save **$158,600** - The best way to avoid the financial repercussions of air leaks is by proactive leak detection and system maintenance to prevent the leaks from occurring **Operational** - Lower production levels - Air leaks can cause a drop in the ![general_industrial_-_leak_costs.jpg](http://www.setra.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sajni/Test_and_Measurement/general_industrial_-_leak_costs.jpg?width=288&name=general_industrial_-_leak_costs.jpg)system pressure, leading to air tools functioning less efficiently, which can directly impact production - Short Equipment Life Span - To make up for the drop in the system pressure, tools and equipment are forced to cycle more frequently which decreases the life of all system equipment including the compressor     **[CLICK HERE ](https://www.setra.com/blog/how-to-conduct-a-pressure-decay-leak-detection-test)to learn how to conduct a pressure leak decay test. ** Topics: [Test and Measurement](https://www.setra.com/blog/topic/test-and-measurement), [General Industrial](https://www.setra.com/blog/topic/general-industrial) ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [Critical Environments (184)](https://www.setra.com/blog/topic/critical-environments) - [HVAC/R (180)](https://www.setra.com/blog/topic/hvac-r) - 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