What's the difference between backup, stand-by and redundant equipment?

Two compressors are two compressors, right? Wrong

When your business depends on compressed air can you really be without? Having a second compressor can come in handy and keep your business always up and running. The configuration of the second unit can be as a backup machine, or as a redundant unit with your other compressor, or as a backup if your main compressor goes down.

Backup Compressor

Think of a backup air compressor as your insurance policy. It is there just in case you need it. Without a backup compressor available for immediate use, your production, time, and of course your money in the short-term can be affected. All of these can be very harmful to the business’ bottom line.

Stand-by Compressor

A standby compressor is readily available in case an unexpected event occurs or if an increase of production occurs, your standby compressor will kick on. Your standby compressor will only come on when needed, bringing standby compressors on-line incrementally during periods of peak demand. Have you heard of the term “lead-lag”? With two compressors in the system, one compressor can be set as the lead machine, and the other as the lag machine. When the pressure drops to a certain point on the lead compressor, the lag compressor will then take over.

Redundant Compressor

‘Redundancy’ is a term often used in the air compressor world. The word redundancy means that a second compressor is operating in parallel with the primary compressor and both are sharing the demand. Should the primary unit fail, the second unit takes the full service. This ensures your operation is never without compressed air.

What are the advantages of having two air compressors?

- Having a second compressed air machine allows for maintenance to be done at any time.

- Never have your business offline with down time due to a compressor.

- You need a replacement part for your compressor? Now you have more downtime waiting for that to come in. Having a second machine won’t make you sweat while waiting.

- Tip: As your business grows and your air demands increase you'll get a new, bigger one, and then use the old one for a backup. Consider investing in a second machine as a strong investment with a great ROI. Even if your air compressor is brand new – you never know when it can fail for any reason, at any time, no matter what brand or size it is. Regrettably, that is the way it is with any piece of man-made machinery.

Now, let us ask you again, “Why does your business need a backup air compressor?” It’s because there’s no situation where your business won’t hurt without one. For more information on having a back-up, standby or redundant compressor, please let us know.

Browse Rotary Screw Compressors here

Browse Oil Free Compressors

Browse Above 50 HP Compressors

Browse Below 50 HP Compressors


ALUP ALLEGRO 110 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

ALUP ALLEGRO 110 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

Product Enquiry Product Enquiry
ALUP ALLEGRO 132 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

ALUP ALLEGRO 132 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

Product Enquiry Product Enquiry
ALUP ALLEGRO 160 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

ALUP ALLEGRO 160 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

Product Enquiry Product Enquiry
ALUP ALLEGRO 200 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

ALUP ALLEGRO 200 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

Product Enquiry Product Enquiry
ALUP ALLEGRO 250 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

ALUP ALLEGRO 250 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

Product Enquiry Product Enquiry
ALUP ALLEGRO 90 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

ALUP ALLEGRO 90 Oil Injected Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive

Product Enquiry Product Enquiry
Show More

Do you have an idea for our #expertcorner? Let us know!

Useful links:

Book Your Compressor Service

Who we are and how Ash Air can help your business!

Ash Air has been around in New Zealand since 1979, and we’ve grown into a nationwide company with international support and a reputation for quality and reliability.We look after all things compressed air for your business!

  • Reciprocating, Screw, air compressors
  • Vacuum pumps
  • Nitrogen
  • An extensive line of air treatment components

Ash Air's range of Chicago Pneumatic, Alup, Pneumatech, and Quincy compressors are used extensively around the world in industries ranging from oil and gas to food, automotive and farming, and we bring you these world class compressors here in the land of the long white cloud.Our technicians are compressed air equipment experts and are dedicated to addressing customer needs. Supported by a 13 locations nationwide, Ash Air offers one of the widest selections of compressed air equipment and parts available today in New Zealand.

Reliability and Efficiency

With Ash Air compressors, you can count on reliability and high performance for even the most demanding applications. We focus our efforts on the following:

  • Increasing uptime
  • Reducing unexpected repairs
  • Reducing energy consumption
  • Improving the cleanliness of compressed air


Talk to the team today:  CONTACT US CONTACT US

Read more from our #expertcorner


Just like any other equipment, a compressed air installation also requires the necessary maintenance work during its entire lifespan. Even though maintenance costs are only about 5 to 10% of a machine's annual operating costs, failure to budget for maintenance can have potentially disastrous consequences. …


The air dyer is one of the most ignored cooler in the system. A dirty condenser will cause water in the lines, or worse it will cause complete dryer failure. …


Using nitrogen is not about fully replacing CO2, but it can reduce their consumption of CO2 by close to 70%. Using nitrogen is about sustainability. Creating your own nitrogen is easy and will reduce the use of a greenhouse gas, which is better for the environment. It will also save you money as early as month one adding that savings to your bottom line. …


A question that is occasionally asked by our customers to Ash Air is 'what is the cost of compressed air?'  This article looks at the product costs involved with compressed air, as well as minimising the energy cost of compressors and cost allocation. When looking at these factors, we need to realise what causes dropped efficiency of your compressor, leading to increased costs of compressed air. …


You may have great fall protection measures in place to keep employees safe when working at height, but what about their co-workers below? Dropped tools and other falling objects are a major hazard – and one that isn’t always fully addressed.  …


Providing a safe working environment for operators is essential, especially when using pneumatic tools and compressed air. If there is a failure in the air network and the hose is not adequately clamped, the resulting whiplash could be devastating. Failure to follow best practice can result in injuries, associated production downtime and decreased productivity. …


A common questions asked is why do I need an air dryer for my compressor? Typically, air compressors produce water, and although the water can be drained, there can still be aerosol and vapour droplets that are present. This is because water cannoet be compressed. Water can damage your compressor by corroding the valves, pipes and machinery controls, which will cost you time and money to resolve. In the long run, the cost of a new compressor is a small price to pay compared to the loss of production that could potentially arise due to water damage in your compressor.





…

Show More