Breakdown cover we already provide to pharmaceutical plants
In the pharmaceutical plants we cover, compressed air feeds tablet presses, coating pans, packing lines, fluid-bed dryers and instrument air, and where a stopped compressor can stop a batch. That work has shaped how we respond to every breakdown call, pharmaceutical or not.
In practice it means three things. We ask about air quality before we ask about size, because sending an oil-injected machine into an oil-free system can do more damage than the breakdown itself. We plan where the rental connects so the plant’s own dryers and filters, if they are healthy, keep doing their job. And we keep the changeover controlled and recorded, because quality teams will want to know what fed the system and when.
The same approach applies in steel, power, engineering, food, textiles and process plants. We have supplied leading companies across sectors with new and used machines, long-term rental and breakdown cover.
What has actually failed?
A low-pressure alarm does not prove that a compressor has failed. Before choosing a rental, it is worth spending a few minutes on what has really gone wrong, because the answer changes the machine, the tie-in point and the treatment needed.
| What failed | Typical signs | What the temporary supply must do |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor airend, motor or controller | Machine tripped, will not start, high discharge temperature, abnormal noise | Replace the compressor’s output into the existing receiver, dryer and filters if they are healthy |
| Electrical feeder or starter | Several machines down together, panel faults | Diesel rental, or electric rental on a separate supply or DG set |
| Dryer | Water in the lines, wet instruments, dew point alarm | Bring a rental dryer, or a compressor package with its own dryer, downstream of the failed unit |
| Contaminated header | Oil or water carry-over, discoloured filters | Supply to a clean section, with independent treatment, while the header is cleaned |
| Not a compressor problem | Compressors loaded but pressure low; drain stuck open; major leak; closed valve; blocked filter | Often no rental is needed once the restriction or leak is found |
If in doubt, write “dryer condition unconfirmed” rather than “dryer available”. A known unknown can be planned around. An assumed component that turns out to be faulty can make the recovery plan useless on arrival. Our breakdown diagnostics page covers fault triage on the failed machine itself.
First hour: stabilise, then restore
Breakdown recovery has two linked jobs: keep the plant safe and stable now, and set up a temporary supply that lasts until the repair is finished. Diagnosis of the failed machine runs alongside both.
- Record the evidence. Time of failure, alarms, pressure behaviour and what the machine was doing. Save controller logs before anyone resets them.
- Isolate safely. The site’s authorised staff isolate and depressurise the failed equipment under their own permit system.
- Rank the users. List which consumers must have air (instrument air, critical process, safety systems), which can run at reduced rate, and which can stop until full supply returns.
- Shed load. Stop non-essential users so the remaining compressors, if any, can hold pressure for the essential ones.
- Call with the facts. Give us the flow, pressure, quality, site and failed-machine details (see “What to send us” below). This lets us choose and prepare the right rental instead of the nearest one.
- Prepare the tie-in. While the rental is on its way, identify the connection point, the isolation valve, the hose route and the power or diesel position.
Staged recovery is normal. Restore essential users first, confirm pressure and quality are stable, then bring back other areas one at a time. Restoring everything at once can pull pressure down again and trip sensitive equipment.
How do you size a breakdown rental?
Size the rental to the air the plant is actually using, not to the nameplate of the failed machine. A 75 kW compressor that was running half-loaded does not need a full 75 kW replacement. A plant that has been running two machines where one is now down may need only the shortfall.
- Flow. Use the loading hours or trend from the remaining compressors, flow meter data if available, or the failed machine’s typical load. Add a margin for leakage and tools starting together.
- Pressure. Use the plant’s actual working pressure plus the drop through dryer, filters and hoses. Running a rental higher than needed costs fuel or power, typically about 7% more power per extra bar.
- Quality. If the plant is oil-free, the rental must be oil-free or the risk must be formally accepted with proper filtration. If the plant’s dryer is down, the rental must bring drying with it.
- Drive. Diesel is the usual choice when power is uncertain or the feeder is part of the fault. Electric suits a long repair with a spare, adequately sized supply.
| Typical failed duty | Typical rental approach |
|---|---|
| Small plant, up to about 185 cfm at 7–10 bar (101.5–145 psig) | One small diesel or electric compressor feeding the existing receiver |
| Medium plant, 250–600 cfm at 7–10 bar | One diesel portable or electric machine with aftercooler and separator; rental dryer if needed |
| Large station, above 600 cfm | Two or more machines on a manifold with non-return valves, so one unit can be serviced without stopping air |
| Oil-free plant (pharma, food, electronics) | Oil-free rental with dryer and final filtration, connected upstream of the plant’s own sterile filters |
Where should the rental connect?
The tie-in point decides whether the plant gets the air it needs at the quality it needs. The usual choices are:
- Upstream of the existing receiver and dryer. Best when treatment is healthy and rated for the rental’s flow, pressure and inlet temperature. The plant’s own dryer and filters keep doing their job.
- Downstream of the dryer. Used when the dryer has failed or cannot be trusted; the rental then needs its own dryer and filters.
- At a sub-header. Used when only part of the network is affected or the main header is contaminated.
Whichever point is used, fit a non-return valve and a proper isolation valve, and make sure the failed compressor cannot be back-pressurised while technicians work on it. Hot air from a rental package can exceed what an existing refrigerated dryer is designed to accept, especially in summer, so an aftercooler or the package’s own cooler should bring the temperature down first. Our tie-in and changeover guide sets out the steps in detail.
Running the rental until the repair is done
Breakdowns rarely end on the expected day. A part may need to come from the manufacturer, a motor may need rewinding, or an airend may need an overhaul. Plan the rental for a realistic period with room to extend.
- We service hire machines every 300 running hours, including the oil change, and attend faults on them.
- Our operators can run the machine on shifts if your team is stretched by the breakdown itself.
- For diesel units, agree who refuels, where, and how fuel is stored and spills are controlled. See fuel supply and refuelling.
- Place the rental where hot air and exhaust can escape and will not be drawn into plant intakes. Summer ambient heat of 40–45 °C in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and above 45 °C on open sites, can push a badly placed machine to high-temperature shutdown.
- Watch pressure and dew point at critical users, not just at the rental’s gauge.
When the plant cannot accept any interruption at all, the right answer is two machines instead of one. Read redundancy and failure management for how standby rentals are arranged.
Releasing the rental: proving the repaired compressor
Do not send the rental back the moment the repaired compressor starts. Run both, with the repaired machine taking the load, and check:
- Discharge temperature is stable in its normal range, typically about 75–95 °C for an oil-injected screw.
- Loading and unloading behaviour is normal and the controller shows no repeat alarms.
- Pressure holds at the critical users through normal demand swings.
- Dew point and filter condition are normal downstream.
- The plant team is satisfied the root cause, not only the symptom, has been fixed.
Then change over in the reverse of the tie-in sequence and isolate the rental before disconnection. See demobilisation and return.
Prevent the next emergency
The cheapest breakdown hire is the one that is planned before it is needed. Plants with a single critical compressor can agree a breakdown plan in advance: the rental size, the tie-in point fitted with a valve and a coupling ready, the cable or diesel position, and contact details. Then a breakdown call becomes a delivery and connection, not an engineering exercise under pressure.
Regular servicing reduces the chance of the failure in the first place. Our AMC and preventive maintenance work covers that side.
How Reddy Compressors helps
We run our own rental fleet, so we prepare and check the machine ourselves before it leaves our Tarnaka, Secunderabad workshop. Our team of over 20 service engineers and technicians covers the whole of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and we supply rental compressors across India.
On a breakdown we can do two jobs at once. The rental keeps your plant running, and our service engineers diagnose and repair the failed compressor. We work on ELGi, Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand, KAESER, Chicago Pneumatic and other brands as an independent multi-brand business, not an authorised dealer. We have tie-ups with all major and reputed brands. We identify spare parts from the machine’s make, model, serial number and nameplate, and confirm fit before quoting. If the failed machine is beyond economic repair, we can supply a new or used replacement.
For electric rentals where power is short, Reddy Generators, our sister business under the same management, can supply a DG set.
Call +91 99590 60718 or +91 92468 88812, WhatsApp +91 99590 60718, or email reddycompressors@gmail.com. Office: Srinilayam, 12-13-200, First Floor, Street No. 1, Tarnaka, Secunderabad 500017.
What to send us
- Make, model and a nameplate photo of the failed compressor, plus the alarm or fault shown.
- How much air the plant is using now, in cfm or m³/min, and the working pressure in bar or psig.
- Whether the plant needs oil-free air, and whether the existing dryer and filters are working.
- Diesel or electric; if electric, the available supply.
- Site address, access for a truck or trailer, and distance to the tie-in point.
- Expected repair period and whether you want our operators.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent an air compressor when my plant compressor breaks down?
Yes. A breakdown rental replaces the air your failed compressor was supplying while it is repaired. We supply diesel and electric machines from 50 to 2,000 cfm and 2 to 30 bar from our own fleet, with hoses, aftercoolers and dryers where needed. Send the failed machine’s details and your actual air demand so we prepare the right unit.
Do you supply breakdown compressors to pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. We have supplied compressors on breakdown to leading pharmaceutical manufacturers in Hyderabad and Telangana. For pharmaceutical duty we confirm air quality first, offer oil-free rental where the plant is oil-free, and connect the rental so that the plant’s own dryers and sterile filters remain in service where they are healthy. Changeovers are planned with the plant’s engineering and quality teams.
What size rental compressor do I need for a breakdown?
Size it to the air the plant is actually using, not to the failed machine’s nameplate. Check the loading of the remaining compressors, any flow meter data and the working pressure, then add a margin for leaks and simultaneous demand. If the failed unit was running part-loaded, a smaller rental may be enough. Several smaller machines on a manifold suit large stations.
Can I connect a rental compressor to my existing dryer?
Often, yes, if the dryer is healthy and rated for the rental’s flow, pressure and inlet temperature. Rental packages can deliver warmer air than a plant dryer is designed for, especially in Indian summers, so an aftercooler may be needed first. If the dryer has failed or cannot be trusted, the rental should bring its own dryer and filters and connect downstream.
Can you repair my compressor while the rental is running?
Yes. Our service engineers work on ELGi, Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand, KAESER, Chicago Pneumatic and other brands as an independent multi-brand business. While the rental keeps your plant running, we diagnose the failure, identify spare parts from the nameplate and confirm fit before quoting. If repair is not economic, we can supply a new or used replacement compressor.
Should I hire a diesel or electric compressor for breakdown cover?
Diesel is usually the safer choice for breakdowns because it does not depend on the plant’s electrical supply, which may be part of the fault. Electric rental suits longer repairs where a spare, suitably rated supply and cable route are available, and it is quieter with no exhaust. If power is short, a DG set can be arranged through our sister business.
Related pages
Technical content reviewed by D. Srinivas Reddy, Managing Partner and service engineer, Reddy Compressors. Last updated 17 October 2026. How our engineering content is reviewed.