Yes, a sometimes favorite phrase at my house. Generally in reference to some task I have been assigned. Like mowing the grass; the blade has not been sharpened all year, I have run over numerous rocks, sticks and wiffle balls. The blade pretty much rips the grass in half rather than cutting it, but it works…good enough. It’s only a momentary feeling of remorse when the top of the grass turns all yellow in a day or two.

Have I sharpened the blade before, yes; is it hard, no. Consider an open compressed air tube or pipe like a dull mower blade, its shear brute force gets the job done. Who needs a fancy air nozzle for this application when you have all the brute force you need. When in fact an engineered air nozzle would be like a sharp mower blade, getting the job done better by using less energy to cut the grass instead of rip it, with better results. And you also benefit from providing a safer and quieter work environment. Is it hard to replace an open pipe or tube with an air nozzle, no.

Or how about this example; that flapper valve on the toilet. It only leaks a tiny bit, and again nevermind that sinking feeling every time I hear the tank fill back up. If all the flapper valves in the house were leaking, I would fix them, but its only the one. Yes the toilet leaks but it works…good enough.

Have I replaced a flapper valve before, yes; is it hard, no. You know you have leaks in your compressed air lines, but it is one of those things that is easy to overlook. Nevermind that you could save 20% of your compressor’s output by identifying and fixing leaks. Like the leaking flapper valve, if you knew every joint in the place was leaking, you would begin fixing them. A simple Ultrasonic Leak Detector is all you need to begin fixing those leaks and make a difference. Is it hard to begin a leak prevention program, no.

Then there is the old remodeling job I have recently completed. I must have cut 20 pieces of cement board with the same utility blade. Only to find at the end of the cutting I had to repeat the cutting motion four or five more times to get the sheet cut. Much more work than necessary if I would have simply changed the blade, but it worked…good enough.

This would be like using a long pipe with holes drilled along its length for a blow off application. The amount of air needed to feed a setup like this is LARGE, and the compressor has to work overtime and extra hard to produce the air. Outfitting an application like this with a Super Air Knife will reduce the air required and the load on your compressor. It is like changing the blade on the utility knife. You will also produce a quieter and safer work environment. Is it hard to install a Super Air Knife in the place of a drilled pipe, no.

Thanks for the time, I’ll be fixing a flapper valve and sharpening the mower blade if you need me. I can improve on good enough, and so can you.

Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
kirkedwards@exair.com