4'x8' compressor room OK?

[Chris 50]

So I've been reading through a bunch of posts on air compressor location and noise. I still need a few things cleared up, so rather than highjack another thread on the subject, I figured I start my own. I'm putting a 4'x8' room in the corner of my new shop. I have a solid wood door for it and plan on insulating the walls to deaden the sound of the compressor. I figure this room would be multi-purpose being a bathroom and a clean environment for the compressor and stereo reciever.

1. Do you think the compressor would be alright to operate in that space? (sufficient cooling and intake volume)

2. Should I run the intake up to the attic, or will the summer heat up there kill it?

Any thoughts on this setup?

 

[Chris 50]

Oh, forgot, the ceiling height is about 11'6".

 

[twostall]

I'm planning something similar with a small lean-to addition. I'll put a disconnect in the compressor room, and it seems to me the electrical code (which I don't have with me here at work) requires space between the equipment and the wall with room enough to get in there to work on it. I was thinking I might need more than 4' to fit my 100 gallon horizontal tank, with room left over to maneuver.

 

[383astro]

you could always rig a fan of some kind to come on with the compressor and provide a crossflow draft.

 

[e-tek]

I'd say that's more than enough room. While it's not going to do it any favours to overheat it - and the room will get warm with a compressor running in it for any length of time- the air going into the tank gets heated way higher than any ambient air temps and many compressors work in very hot clim's for many years. If you're concerned with air intake volume, you could build some kind of air intake vent with a semi-insulated seal, but I doubt the room would be airtight to that extent would it?

 

[hutch4472]

Here are some pictures of my 4X8 (outside dimensions) Compressor House. Maybe they will help you in some way with your build? The compressor is a IR 2340. Its just a 60 gallon unit and its a little tighter in there than I would like. I just recently completed this project (havent even installed the copper air lines yet) and I am not sure how the heat will be in the summer. I may have to install some more vents, we'll see. I originally planned to install the compressor in the middle of the building. But that would have basically wasted all the space to the sides since it would have been hard to squeeze around it.
Anyway.....hope it helps
Hutch

 

[mikeyr]

I had planned on making my compressor room quite tall, 4x6 because its the space I have but its going by the peak of the garage with tall walls so I can make it 10ft. or even 12ft. tall, I figured that would help with the heat, put the vents up that high and also a fan.

My theory is that most of the heat will rise and be away from the compressor, although YES I know it will heat up the entire room eventually.

 

[Blk88GT]

Great idea on the hourmeter!

 

[Chris 50]

hutch4472, that's a very nice setup. It seems to me that my 4'x8' will work alright, I'll just need to keep tabs on the temp in there while it's running and maybe add a fan like 383astro said. e-tek, I don't imagine the room would be air tight, but running my intake up to the attic could provide plenty of clean air and further quiet things down in the shop. I just don't know how hot the attic space will get in summer and what is an acceptable air temp. to draw into the compressor with out doing damage.

 

[bgott]

What is with the long blue extention on the filter?

 

[mikeyr]

noise suppression is the reason for extending the air filter, supposed to work VERY well,not tried it yet

 

[MacBaxter]

I was thinking of doing something similar with my garage, but actually removing the compressor to the other, separate garage. My biggest concern is condensation in the airline where it goes between the buildings, (mine are about 12 feet apart at the closest) Does anybody know if this even a factor? Or with proper insulation and water/air separators, is it even something to worry about?

 

[e-tek]

I started a similar thread a while back - but the temps here get to minus 50 and it stays cold for a,ong time, so I still have mine in the shop. Sure would be niceto have it outside!

 

[hutch4472]

What is with the long blue extention on the filter?

noise suppression is the reason for extending the air filter, supposed to work VERY well,not tried it yet

Yep....works well but not quite as well as I had hoped, so then I went ahead with insulating, that helped allot too of course but I still need to insulate the ceiling. Its currently plenty quite for me in the shop, but I dont want any of the neighbors to hear it as I occationally work late into the darkness after I get the little munchkins and wife to bed. I think allot of my noise problem is the compressor house is built on 6X6 aluminum I-beams with 2X12's connecting them and a sheet of 5/8's plywood on top of that. So I suppose that vibration (even through the hockey puck mounting pads, which is a great idea I got from this forum) makes much more noise than if I bolted the compressor to concrete?