Air Compressor Pressure Settings

[thatryan]

Hey all,
Dumb questions I am sure...

So, I have never owned a compressor before, always just plugged into the ones at the shop. I just bought the NorthStar 20gallon vertical,

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200518764_200518764

Got it all hooked up today but am not sure how the regulator is supposed to be set. Tank maxes at 135 psi it looked like, and I turned regulator until line pressure was at 90 psi. Most everything I run will be auto air tools, impact/ratchet etc.

I then plugged in the hose and pressure dropped to like 40. So is 90 psi WITH a hose attached? Or, do I crank it higher still so that when a trigger is depressed it stays up at 90?

Would appreciate any info, thanks.

 

[unslow1]

Most guys I know want it to maintain 90psi at the tool while tool is used. I just leave the regulator at 120psi and don't worry about it. I have a gauge to check it but haven't done it lately.

 

[surftele]

Not all regulators, and for that matter gauges are as accurate as we would like. But just plugging in the hose shouldn't drop the pressure by 50 lbs.

Try a different gauge and see but you're probably all right .

I feel a lot more like I do now, than when I got here.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

hook up your impact and adjust the regulator while the gun is running until it shows 90 psi while running.

 

[larry_g]

Perfectly normal operation. It takes downline resistance to flow to build pressure. Your tool and the air line provide little resistance to flow so you will not see pressure at the gauge. You also have the issue of a restrictive regulator. Some of the regulators on these cheap machines are highly restrictive and do not flow the amount of air necessary to power the tools your trying to run. I have tapped into the compressor before the regulator to drive larger air flow tools on the little compressor I have. 125 psi is not going to be a problem with your rattle gun.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[jonjon1]

I have a gauge that I put at the end of my longest hose, pull it over to the compressor and set it just above 90. Then I tee another hose with the blow out tool on it and let some air out to see what I get for a drop, if its too low I up the psi a bit...

 

[thatryan]

Thanks for the input peeps.

To clarify what @emeraldcoupe said, do I plug in the gun and adjust the regulator to 90 at INITIAL trigger pull? Because it continues to drop longer the trigger is held..

 

[chrispyny]

Thanks for the input peeps.

To clarify what @emeraldcoupe said, do I plug in the gun and adjust the regulator to 90 at INITIAL trigger pull? Because it continues to drop longer the trigger is held..

You are looking at the tank guage and not the regulator guage. You should have 2 guages. Find the one that shows total in tank air pressure and the other which is pressure regulation. The pressure regulation will both go down AND up as you turn the knob either way. THAT is the guage tou set at 90 psi. Most anyone i know sets at 90 with nothing running.
For the guys that say to squeeze the trigger on your air gun, and THEN regulate pressure to 90? Never heard of that but what ever works!

 

[Wizzard]

My air tools recommend 90 psi so that is what I run.

 

[thatryan]

My air tools recommend 90 psi so that is what I run.

Well yes that is me as well, my question was how to properly set regulator for that. Is it 90 psi when sitting still, 90 with hose attached, or 90 when you hit trigger on tool...?

 

[LordPsychon]

Well yes that is me as well, my question was how to properly set regulator for that. Is it 90 psi when sitting still, 90 with hose attached, or 90 when you hit trigger on tool...?

90 PSI when you use the tool. It is recommended to use two gauges, one in-line and the tank gauge itself, to monitor pressures. The maximum pressure in the tank (yours for example) should not exceed 135 PSI. The line may have a maximum pressure too but this is usually 200+ PSI so no worries there. The in-line gauge is the one you monitor for the tool's need.

 

[plain garage]

Do you mean when connecting an end hose or when pulling the trigger on the impact the pressure drops to 50? If the latter it's normal, depending on the CFM consumption of the tool.