Today, let's briefly discuss return oil check valves and their cleaning methods.
A return oil check valve consists of a valve body, steel balls, a steel ball seat, a spring, and other components. Why is a return oil check valve installed? First, the oil-air mixture compressed by the screw air compressor undergoes initial separation in the oil-air tank. Because oil is heavier than air, most of the oil falls into the oil tank and returns to the main unit under internal pressure. The compressed air, containing a small amount of oil, is then separated again by the oil-air separator. The separated lubricating oil falls to the bottom of the oil-air separator. This oil cannot be carried away by the compressed air, so an oil pipe is pre-installed at the bottom of the oil-air separator. Through internal pressure, this small amount of oil is led to the main unit for lubrication. Since this process is irreversible, a check valve, called a return oil check valve, is installed on this oil pipe. The function of the return oil check valve is to smoothly return the oil from the oil-gas separator to the main unit, while preventing oil from the main unit from flowing into the oil-gas separator.
Cleaning method for the return oil check valve: There is a connection on the valve body of the return oil check valve. Unscrew it there to remove the spring, steel ball, and steel ball seat. Then clean the valve body, spring, steel ball, and steel ball seat with a cleaning agent. Some valves have an internal filter screen; if so, clean that as well.