Air Compressor Location

[BamaRocker]

I am trying to get an idea on where most of you have installed your Air Compressor, outdoors or indoors, let me know how you came about this location...

If indoors, is there a certain types of compressors that general run quieter...Thanks..

also feel free to share pictures...

 

[Rag Roc]

I'm sure there will be good points for both locations with initial cash outlay the primary factor.

Mine is outside in a separate shed built on to the back of the shop. The main reason is I didn't want to put up with the noise of a running 7.5hp two stage unit inside, and it saves interior floorspace.

Let your wallet or your skills decide.

 

[Garage Dog]

Installed indoors

Lower RPM units tend to be quieter (all else equal) or at least the sound isn't as annoying

 

[zmotorsports]

Mine is inside but I built a closet style room, approx. 4'x4'x8' with a standard door on it. It is a 60 gallon 5HP dual stage Quincy compressor. I insulated the hell out of the room and put fresh air inlets for air ciculation. It is still noticeable when it kicks on but nowhere near as loud as my last shop with the compressor merely standing in the corner and no enclosure.

It also works well because I can store some rarely used items and supplies on top of it.

Mike.

 

[Grounded Ken]

Location depends on how you are going to use it. Will it be a tool or a show piece?
Tool-- behind the shop on a pad with a lean-to. Show--you'll get lots of advise here.
Interior shop space is expensive to store a compressor.

Noise is a byproduct of RPM, look for a machine with a 1700 rpm motor or has been geared down under 900 (800 even better) rpm. The industrial machinery will only have to be bought once in your life.

 

[BFBOB]

Mine is in a steel shed right next to the garage. I like it out there for noise abatement, and since it's horizontal tank, it would take up a lot of room the the garage. In the shed, it still leaves room for my motorcycle.
Re" noise - I determined that most of the noise was coming from the intake. The air filter canister is cylindrical, so took a 3 gallon pail, put a 2" layer of foam rubber around the inside, making a snug fit over the canister. Cut the noise in half, increased the filtration, and didn't decrease the air delivery as far as I can see.
And for you history buffs, the pump used to ride up and down the Mississippi River on a towboat airing up the air starters! It was taken out when they converted to electric start. I've had it 30 years - no idea how old it is.

 

[dbonne]

Just set this one in dedicated equipment room in my shop. Room is 6 x 8. Air dryer is above it, water heater will be above it. Haven't got the wiring finished, have to build a control panel as it is VFD driven. Ultra quiet compressor(s), designed for pneumatic HVAC controls, repurposed for shop use.

View media item 31263
Have an exhaust fan (not pictured) and a filtered air intake in the door going into the shop.

 

[NOZZLEMAN]

Inside... period. If it has to go outside enclose it.

Good Luck

 

[tonym]

I bought a low RPM(635) devair(can talk next to it running no problem)

I have it in a shipping container inside a warehouse at work.

 

[DirtRoad]

Mines in the corner, seemed like the most logical place at the moment.

For now, until i finish the walls, i just ran a 25' HF rubber hose over to a HF air regulator then a HF rubber leader hose to the air hose reel. Works amazingly well.

 

[shooting4life]

I have a very small yard, so mine is kept in my also small garage. 60 gallon up right, going to build a box around it in the nect couple of months

 

[Jagmandave]

Indoors, in the garage. An oil type compressor will run quieter than an oiless, and last much longer too. Mine wound up under a staircase, which makes it fairly quiet in the shop, but does put a little more noise into the house - but not enough to be a problem. If it was, I'd simply insulate the area under the stairs and that would do it.

 

[CNGsaves]

Just set this one in dedicated equipment room in my shop. Room is 6 x 8. Air dryer is above it, water heater will be above it. Haven't got the wiring finished, have to build a control panel as it is VFD driven. Ultra quiet compressor(s), designed for pneumatic HVAC controls, repurposed for shop use.

View media item 31263
Have an exhaust fan (not pictured) and a filtered air intake in the door going into the shop.

That's a Beast of a compressor . . . . dual compressor 3-phase!!

Gotta start a thread on this with more details, pictures, specs, etc.

Want to see what all you do with that one, including your airlines, filters, drops, etc.

You may have highest garage CFM compressor on all of GJ ??

 

[NUTTSGT]

Mine is inside but in the back room. The noise level depends where you are in the garage.

 

[dbonne]

That's a Beast of a compressor . . . . dual compressor 3-phase!!

Gotta start a thread on this with more details, pictures, specs, etc.

Want to see what all you do with that one, including your airlines, filters, drops, etc.

You may have highest garage CFM compressor on all of GJ ??

As far as having the highest CFM, not by a long shot. This unit only sports 2 3 Hp motors. This might put out some of the cleanest air around, though. Both compressor(s) crankshaft(s) go straight through the crankcase, one end is standard fan / flywheel, the other end sports another fan to keep the jugs and heads ultra cool. The pistons have dual oil rings for ultra low oil carryover. VFD controlled for very steady air pressure output at a wide range of CFM levels.

I am putting together pic's of this shop build thread, found GJ a year into the shop. Never thought of starting a thread for this compressor. Will have to put some stuff together and get 'r rolling!

Happy Friday

 

[trbomax]

Mine are inside. I have to be able to hear them run.This way ,if something bad starts to happen,I can get it shut down before it becomes a catastrophic failure.If they are inside,routine maintenence like belts and oil get checked because its looking at me.If they were outside I'd never check anything.Its not like they are running constantly and if you are useing a lot of air,the air tool will be makeing way more noise than the compressor.I just dont understand the desire to have all the neat industrial quality equipment but not want to see or hear it.Its a damn shop! Not a rec room!

 

[D rock]

I have 3 bay doors in my shop. My compressor is bolted on a platform between the 2nd and 3rd door. It has about a 2 foot wall built around it. The wall was to mount my air tools and hose reel. I also built the wall to keep the compressor from tipping over on my son (overly protective parent syndrome).

 

[Winmon]

I had a enclosure built for mine w/ a concrete pad. It is 5' deep x 5' wide x 8' tall. It is larger then it needs to be but I wanted it to be oversize so I could have accesss all the way around the compressor in case any work needed to be performed on it. I also put in ventilation system in which consists of a basic wall vent (with a low restriction filter) and a ceiling vent fan (220 cfm unit).

 

[tecster]

Can you mount a compressor above your garage? Inside, like above the work space.

 

[CNGsaves]

Can you mount a compressor above your garage? Inside, like above the work space.

Oh yeah, use Advanced Search and you'll find GJ shops with compressors in loft, attic, up on shelf, etc. Just be sure structure can handle the weight and vibration of the compressor.

 

[jwith68]

Mine's indoors, and the setup is described in a recent thread on GJ...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3178418#post3178418

 

[ABADWILLYS]

Im going to put mine outside in a shed like Winmon's above(nice job btw)'cept going to build mine using leftover metal panels i have from my garage build, i just poured the slab last weekend, probaly start framing today..

 

[A29]

Mine is in a 8x10 barn about 10 feet behind my shop. Real hard to hear it running.

 

[92GreenYJ]

When my lovely wife and I bought our house a couple of months ago I had planned to build a shed along the side of the garage to house my compressor. However the side alley does not provide enough space for this. So after installing the washer and dryer and deciding where my dream work bench was to be built, I wound up putting the compressor in the corner that was left over and would otherwise have been wasted space. For noise reduction I am putting up some sound deadening panels on the walls in that corner.

This is how it sits right now. Waiting for my Rapid Air kits to arrive as well as my Gladiator cabinets before I can move much further.

 

[kbs2244]

Mine is under my work bench.
My son’s is on the shop joists.
We just figure they are too expensive to tempt the weather or thieves by putting them outside.

As has been mentioned many time, most compressor noise come from the input plumbing.
We both have a small car muffler plumbed into inlet.
If you have the radio on you don’t know when they kick in.

 

[csp]

Mine sits on the top shelf of a small section of pallet rack. It's loud as hell, being an oilless model, but I bought it many years ago when I didn't care how loud it was. Once it finally dies I will replace the compressor head with an oiled head that I have sitting on a rusted out tank.

 

[Steevo]

Mine is up on pallet racking, inside the shop.

The mounts are rubber mounted to the racking, and the compressor feet are rubber mounted to the mounts. It is a low-rpm, high volume cast-iron IR pump and it pretty quiet. I still plan to silence the intake when I have time.