Air compressor in attic

[Rodbolt]

So I'm about to start my own garage build and I've gotten the foot print nailed down to a 32x50x12 with 5/12 Howe style storage trusses. I'm thinking about mounting my 60 gallon upright air compressor in the attic at one end of the shop. It seems like a great idea as far as noise and good use of space. However, I'd like to hear if anyone's done it and what problems they've had if any. Any concerns as far as heat in summer, cold in winter and condensation issues? I live in Western Colorado where theses temps in an attic can be extreme.

 

[rsanter]

If you have the space just put it outside with a little cover shed
Keet the temps down and noise out

A friend put his in his attic above the garage but it was a 30 gal and he wan in a house with small garage and little side space

Bob

 

[zkling]

I have a 60gal tank in the attic, with the compressor below in the garage piped up to it. It would depend on the compressor and the attic for me to put it in the attic. Our attic is a real pain to get to so I probably wouldn't put it up there. Plus with all the insulation, I just wouldn't feel safe. In the shop or outside in a shed would be better choices, IMHO.

 

[FoMoCoPower]

We are buying a house and I was just thinking about doing the same exact thing. Garage is same size as the one I am in now,but the one I am in now has an insulated 7x15 addition on the back with a door that I have the compressor in.

 

[Kevin C]

I plumbed my attic with hard lines so I can free up floor space. As long as it's ventilated ( continuous usage), no reason it wont work.

 

[Rodbolt]

I have a 60gal tank in the attic, with the compressor below in the garage piped up to it. It would depend on the compressor and the attic for me to put it in the attic. Our attic is a real pain to get to so I probably wouldn't put it up there. Plus with all the insulation, I just wouldn't feel safe. In the shop or outside in a shed would be better choices, IMHO.

Why do you feel this would be unsafe? I've only considered the issues of cold start in the winter and overheating in the summer. It's in the plans to make the attic easy to access and I would plumb/wire the compressor such that I would not have to go up there except to drain the tank and change the oil periodically.

 

[SteveCh]

Figure a way to drain the tank if you do this. Should be able to plumb it so you can do it from the floor and not have to climb up there and open a valve every day.

 

[pattenp]

The first concern I have is the attic floor strong enough to support the compressor?. Storage truss aren't usually beefy enough to take that kind of weight. A 60 gal compressor is probably 300+ lbs.

 

[kbs2244]

I have seen many compressors in the trusses.
Home and commercial.
But I would go with a split system.
Tank up above because it is big.
(If you spread the weight out over two or three trusses it should not be a problem.
It is just dead weight.)
Keep the compressor on the floor because they vibrate and are noisy.
You can hide it under the workbench.
The tank drain should be plumbed down to where you can put a ball valve and hose out the door on it.

 

[Rodbolt]

Thanks for the input. I like idea of plumbing the drain. Especially since I'm not very good about draining the compressor as it is. I'm probably not up for separating the compressor and tank for this project. As far as weight I'm going to check with my truss guy. He gave me the specs and they were actually quite robust but I can't recall the exact figures.

 

[zkling]

Why do you feel this would be unsafe? I've only considered the issues of cold start in the winter and overheating in the summer. It's in the plans to make the attic easy to access and I would plumb/wire the compressor such that I would not have to go up there except to drain the tank and change the oil periodically.

As I mentioned it would be kinda case dependent. My personal attic is small and full of loose fiberglass insulation. My pump is very "dense" weight per in^2 wise. Very much a point load and would need considerable considerations for proper support. Intermittent low frequency vibrations to rattle fasteners, so on and so forth. Heat, non enclosed electrical motor. Heat in the summer, etc, etc.

Could it be done safely, of course. I just personally think there would have to be quite a few things to take into consideration. Again dependent on the attic and compressor in question.

 

[Fast LT1]

I've done the same thing. Mounted mine in my attic because my garage is 20x22. It works good but it's a PITA to drain and maintain. I'd recommend doing it outside in a small enclosure if funds allow.

I reinforced my attic a lot just to be sure. Plumed it with galvanized pipe frame lowes. I ran 220 myself up there with a switch in my garage so it's easy to start. The getting it up there is the hardest part. My dad got me a come a long and some pulleys they use at his work to mount jet engines on Citation jets.

 

[BellyUpFish]

I've been considering the same thing. I think I'll just build a lean to out back and throw it under there.

 

[nolimits76]

I've never done this or even seen it done but it doesn't seem impossible. I live in Oklahoma and get a mixture of 105+ temps in the summer to 0 or below in the winter.

Here it is rather common to have the ax unit outside next to the house on a slab and the heater (mostly gas fed) in the attic. Heaters sit on plywood platforms nailed to ceiling joists. Drip pans and drain pipes are used as secondary containment/relief measures should something go awry.

I'm thinking if we can do that an air compressor is doable. I might be concerned with vibrations. A good set of rubber isolators may take it away.

 

[Rodbolt]

I talked to my truss guy yesterday and he said the storage area of the trusses will be 50 lb/sf. He said he can build a reinforced truss to go at the end of the shop next to the gable for the compressor. Does 50 lb/sf sound really light for for the storage are as it is?

 

[kbs2244]

Lbs/SF is not the spec you want.
He is just reading off a sheet of paper.

You will be loading two rails bridging two or three trusses.
That is a more concentrated load.
But if you do spread it out across three you should be fine.

I have seen units riding on two 4x4’s bridging three trusses that have been there for over ten years.