[johnyj]

I have had my Hydrovane compressor air end seize up. I have the 10 Year Advanced Hydrovane warranty with 2 years still remaining but they are refusing to fix this through warranty stating that the compressor has not been reaching optimal operating temperature.

This is the report from the service engineer

Please find below report following inspection to the Hydrovane compressor - air end.
Engineer's Report
Due to low usage run total of 475 hours of which 107 were on load.and periods where the compressor does not reach sufficient operating temperature the air end
has filled with water which is not being vaporised and dispelled.
Due to the lack of lubrication and corrosion the rotor and blades have picked up on the end covers and the stator is worn. Please find attached photos.
This unit is not economical to repair as it would need both the drive end cover, oil chamber and stator and while the rest of the rotor etc could be cleaned and reworked the labour in addition to the 3 main parts that make up the air end, a top up kit and service kit, will make it uneconomical to repair.
We regret to inform you that due to the nature of this air end failure, going down the warranty route is not possible. We have had similar issues in the past with low running compressors and manufacturer (Hydrovane) will not approve warranty claims for this nature of breakdown.

This compressor has had very little use so most of the other parts are in very good condition.

Full service history by Hydrovane qualified engineers and only Hydrovane parts were used.

Can anyone advise on this and where I stand?

Thanks
Nay

[Jim Dawson]

Read your warranty carefully. They may specifically disclaim this type of failure, or it may not be addressed at all. You may have to go the legal route to enforce the warranty.

[johnyj]

Read your warranty carefully. They may specifically disclaim this type of failure, or it may not be addressed at all. You may have to go the legal route to enforce the warranty.

I have checked the warranty and nothing stands out to want it void. They did try to use the part under warranty exclusions that says negligent use.

[Jim Dawson]

I have checked the warranty and nothing stands out to want it void. They did try to use the part under warranty exclusions that says negligent use.

In that case, does the operators manual address bringing the unit up to operating temperature to prevent this type of failure?

[johnyj]

In that case, does the operators manual address bringing the unit up to operating temperature to prevent this type of failure?

It does say in the operators manual about getting compressor up to the recommended temperature but it is only advisory and does not say anywhere they must be followed as to not void the warranty.

[Jim Dawson]

It does say in the operators manual about getting compressor up to the recommended temperature but it is only advisory and does not say anywhere they must be followed as to not void the warranty.

It may be time to talk to a lawyer.

It does seem that your compressor was misapplied, 470 hours in 8 years is only about 60 hours/year. Not much for a really expensive compressor that is pretty much designed to run 24/7. I assume you have a need for a lot of compressed air for short periods of time. For instance, I have a 5hp compressor that serves my daily shop needs, but if I need more air, maybe for sandblasting, I go rent a diesel powered one for the day. Much more cost effective than spending 20 to 30K on a large compressor.