Apr 09 2012
How To Choose An Air Compressor – A Quick Guide
People often get bewildered regarding selecting the right air compressor to operate their equipment. Quite simply, there are various aspects you will want to look at when selecting an air compressor for your garage or shop.
Let’s look at these elements:
1. Horse power rating
Most people are of the view that the greater the horse power, the more effective is the air compressor. But, all horse power ratings are not equal and may even be misrepresented. For instance, when you go to a hardware store to get a 6 hp air compressor, you discover one that is priced really cheap. So, why is 6 horse power commercial unit so expensive? Well, 6 horse power is 6 hp, right? Not necessarily, because when choosing an air compressor, you need to see the power that the air compressor draws. If if needs 15 amps from a 110 volts circuit, then you are actually getting about 2 horse power. So, the 6 hp rating on the compressor is inflated.
In order to generate 6 hp, you’d require a minimum of 24 amps from a 220 volts circuit. For that reason, if you are interested in a 6 horse power electric compressor, you should purchase a commercial compressor, instead of getting a cheaper unit from a hardware store.
2. How much PSI will you need?
For all newbies, PSI means “pounds per square inch” and a lot of the compressors in the United States are rated this way. In the European Union, they’re measured in bar. When picking an air compressor, you may want to settle for 90 PSI for correct operation. However, still you would need an air compressor that has higher shut-off pressure. Air compressors in hardware stores are “single-stage” and have a shut off at around 126-135 PSI. Almost all light duty air compressors shut off at around 100 PSI and so are fine for light duty garage use. However, if you’re going to use power tools, then more is definitely better. Most of the industrial air compressors are “two-stage”, which is they build up the shut-off pressure in two separate stages. The first stage builds up at around 90 PSI and the second state builds it to 175 PSI.
3. CFM
CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute), is a measurement of volume, which is the amount of air which is being moved. Air tools need specific volume of air to run efficiently. Though every manufacturer attempts to impress that his product gives higher CRM ratings at different pressures, your true concern when selecting an air compressor needs to be on how much you would get at 90 PSI because this is what many of the air tools require for efficient operation.
4. Tank size
The tank size of air compressor is expressed in US gallons. Many people get confused about the best tank size when selecting an air compressor. Firstly, you should not confuse a large tank with more run time for your air tools. If tools are used occasionally, then a large tank is good. However, should you want to use your tools constantly, you would do better with a small tank and large enough motor and pump. This would make sure that you won’t run out of air.
Now you can effectively choose an air compressor armed with this useful information. Lastly, you need to decide on what you’re going to use your air compressor for and select the right model.
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