Compressed Air Leak Cost Calculator
- Sullair dealer since 1984
- Serving industry since 1978
- No form fill, nothing gated
What this calculator tells you
List the leaks in your system by size and count, and see what they cost you in electricity every year.
Your Leaks
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0.18 kW/CFM is typical for a lubricated rotary screw compressor at 100 PSI. Check your compressor data sheet for the exact figure.
Results
Total leakage: 0 CFM at 100 PSI
Annual electricity wasted:
$0 per year
Equivalent wasted compressor power: 0 HP
A leak audit typically pays for itself in under 90 days. We find problems before they find you.
How this is calculated
- Leak flow at 100 PSI: 1/64" = 0.45 CFM, 1/32" = 1.6 CFM, 1/16" = 6.5 CFM, 1/8" = 26 CFM, 1/4" = 104 CFM.
- Flow scales linearly with system pressure: leak CFM x (your PSI / 100).
- Annual cost = total leak CFM x specific power (kW per CFM) x operating hours x electric rate ($/kWh).
- Wasted HP = total leak CFM x specific power / 0.746 kW per HP.
Estimates only. Actual results depend on your equipment and operating conditions. Call 800.825.3222 for exact sizing.
Common questions
How much does a compressed air leak cost per year?
A single 1/8 inch leak at 100 PSI wastes about 26 CFM. At 6,000 operating hours per year, a typical compressor specific power of 0.18 kW per CFM, and 12 cents per kWh, that one leak costs roughly 3,400 dollars per year. Most industrial plants have many leaks, and 20 to 30 percent of total compressed air output is commonly lost to leakage.
How do I estimate the CFM lost through an air leak?
Leak flow depends on the hole size and system pressure. Typical flow rates at 100 PSI are about 0.45 CFM for a 1/64 inch hole, 1.6 CFM for 1/32 inch, 6.5 CFM for 1/16 inch, 26 CFM for 1/8 inch, and 104 CFM for 1/4 inch. Flow scales roughly in proportion to absolute pressure, so higher system pressure means more air lost through the same hole.
Is a compressed air leak audit worth it?
Usually yes. Leak audits with ultrasonic detection routinely find 10 to 30 percent of compressor output going to leaks. Because the savings recur every operating hour, a professional leak audit typically pays for itself in under 90 days through reduced electricity cost and deferred compressor capacity.
Want a tech to verify these numbers at your facility?
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These are estimates. An air audit gives you measurements.
A week of logged data on your actual system beats any rule of thumb. Our engineers run no-obligation compressed air audits across 14 Midwest locations.