compressor house noise insulation

[Garage5.9]

going to be building a small compressor house for my 30 gallon crapsman compressor. It will be approx 4 x 3 and was wondering what sound deadening material would be best to keep the sound down to a minimum. If can be something home made better yet or store bought please give me some recommendations. I was thinking old phone books or egg cartons but i dono if that would even work.

 

[EuroVt]

I would use Blue board or foil back and cut it 1/2" under size, and spray foam it in.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Egg cartons deaden the bouncing sound, they don't insulate against it. That's why you see them in recording studios. A lot of insulators are good at temperature insulation, but bad at sound insulation. I tried styrofoam in my first box, and it was terrible.

I bought a $20 roll of roofing underlayment for mine and did several layers thick. Heavy and soft materials seem to be the way to go -- in this total non-expert's opinion.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Is this going to be like a cover, and are you leaving it inside your garage? Or are you building a "dog house" for it outside of the garage?

 

[slickgt1]

Combination of hard and soft material.

MDF box outside.Roxul R15 Comfort Plus insulation inside. Nice thick bubble seal on the door. Trust me when I say you will barely hear it.

MDF needs to be screwed and glued. All seams need to be caulked from inside. Attach the insulation from inside however you are capable. I made little pockets inside to slide 1/4 hardibacker so that I essentially made the insulation sit between it and MDF. it was pretty nice and sturdy. Buddy of mine bought it from me for $200. Have not made another since, no compressor.

 

[A1an]

Possibly a stupid question, but with these compressors sealed so tight do you run into overheating issues since there is zero air circulation going on?

 

[sharpshooter]

The trouble with insulating and sound deadening is that it needs to be completely enclosed for it to work.... Here in lies the problem... I would assume the compressor needs to be able to breathe and let the hot air out, if you do that, it pretty much nullifies anything you do... Im sure it would help to cut out some of the noise but why waste the money if your just going to put a vent in it... Thats the issue im running across. I want to build a "doghouse" for mine, but if I insulate it and then cut a vent for it Im pretty much canceling out the insulation factor....

 

[creativecars]

The trouble with insulating and sound deadening is that it needs to be completely enclosed for it to work.... Here in lies the problem... I would assume the compressor needs to be able to breathe and let the hot air out, if you do that, it pretty much nullifies anything you do... Im sure it would help to cut out some of the noise but why waste the money if your just going to put a vent in it... Thats the issue im running across. I want to build a "doghouse" for mine, but if I insulate it and then cut a vent for it Im pretty much canceling out the insulation factor....

You could vent the enclosure like a gas stove or dryer to the outside. Then insulate the tubing also.

 

[slickgt1]

Right forgot to mention that. I had a 4" duct pipe run to the outside. I insulated the **** out of it too, with that self stick foil insulation for ducts. 3 layers, zip ties around that. Worked well.

 

[Falcon67]

Maybe try hanging a carpet remnant around the compressor using shower hooks. Carpet is a decent muffler of sorts and remnants can be cheap or even free.

 

[Sarki]

Right forgot to mention that. I had a 4" duct pipe run to the outside. I insulated the **** out of it too, with that self stick foil insulation for ducts. 3 layers, zip ties around that. Worked well.

Did you need to use a fan/blower inside the enclosure or just the 4" duct to the outside. A bit concerned about the potential heat buildup as well.

 

[Jack Olsen]

That will depend on how air-tight the box is and also how big it is, relative to the compressor. I am currently using a Craftsman oil-less compressor and the box only allows a couple of inches on all sides. I had to duct air in and out and use a blower at both points. Still, it gets hot. Get a $10 Wal-Mart/Target/Whatever indoor outdoor digital thermometer, and put the 'outdoor' probe inside the box. You'll be able to see how hot it's getting and that will give you a good indication of your venting/circulation needs.

 

[Sarki]

That will depend on how air-tight the box is and also how big it is, relative to the compressor. I am currently using a Craftsman oil-less compressor and the box only allows a couple of inches on all sides. I had to duct air in and out and use a blower at both points. Still, it gets hot. Get a $10 Wal-Mart/Target/Whatever indoor outdoor digital thermometer, and put the 'outdoor' probe inside the box. You'll be able to see how hot it's getting and that will give you a good indication of your venting/circulation needs.

Liking the idea of the indoor/outdoor thermometer-great suggestion!

 

[Garage5.9]

Is this going to be like a cover, and are you leaving it inside your garage? Or are you building a "dog house" for it outside of the garage?

Dog house out side my garage. O

 

[Garage5.9]

After reading everybodys very informative posts I think.I will just build a dog house for it and line with carpet and run a good size exhaust fan. I don't mind if I can still hear it running I.just want it to be bearable

 

[kbs2244]

While these are all god ideas, another way to attack it is to reduce the source of the noise.
Most compressor noise is from the intake filter.
If you replace the filter plumbing with a small car muffler spliced in I think you will see a huge difference.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

After reading everybodys very informative posts I think.I will just build a dog house for it and line with carpet and run a good size exhaust fan. I don't mind if I can still hear it running I.just want it to be bearable

Good idea.... Down the road when (not if) it dies, you can get a 60 gal oiled comp, and get yourself a big dog....Why not, you'll have a vacant doghouse...

 

[PontiacFan]

McMaster-Carr might be a good resource.
Relatively inexpensive.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#sound-absorbers/=ba0q83
Look at page 3494.

Or check your local building supply store like Home Depot, Menards, Lowes.
Maybe they have something that would work?

 

[Jack Olsen]

The trouble with insulating and sound deadening is that it needs to be completely enclosed for it to work.... Here in lies the problem... I would assume the compressor needs to be able to breathe and let the hot air out, if you do that, it pretty much nullifies anything you do... Im sure it would help to cut out some of the noise but why waste the money if your just going to put a vent in it... Thats the issue im running across. I want to build a "doghouse" for mine, but if I insulate it and then cut a vent for it Im pretty much canceling out the insulation factor....

Like I said, mine is an oil-less compressor -- the really loud kind. It's in a box in our crawlspace -- right under our bedroom. The fans turn on automatically when the compressor cycles on -- I got a long roll of insulated 4" duct to bring air in (from a vent in an outside wall) and then pump out 20' away. It's very quiet. You can feel the vibration, when it's on. But it's like when the heater or AC is on -- you don't really notice it.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Like I said, mine is an oil-less compressor -- the really loud kind. It's in a box in our crawlspace -- right under our bedroom. The fans turn on automatically when the compressor cycles on -- I got a long roll of insulated 4" duct to bring air in (from a vent in an outside wall) and then pump out 20' away. It's very quiet. You can feel the vibration, when it's on. But it's like when the heater or AC is on -- you don't really notice it.

Hey Jack, do you leave yours on all the time?

 

[Jack Olsen]

No. I've got one of those wireless switches (it's like a car remote fob) that switches the basement circuit on from my shop. So I can turn it on when I come into the garage and turn it back off when I'm done.

I've got a 220v compressor waiting to go in, which is going to mean a different soundproofing box and probably no more remote control. The plus side is that it'll be a lot quieter than this one. I might be able to leave it on all the time. We'll see.

 

[Nuts]

I would think that not only insulating the doghouse, but insulating it from the building would be a bonus, no direct connection thru the structure that way.

My compressor vibrates the walls in the shop. One of these days I'll get off of my lazy **** and put some rubber under the feet.


Nuts

 

[milner351]

Pallets make a great floor vibration insulator for compressors.

I have my compressor and spare tank on a plallet with rubber isolators under the feet, sitting on the top of my pallet racks.

Sound is an issue - I've considered hanging fiberglass batts from the ceiling around it, like a curtain - but from the posts here - that alone won't do much.

 

[Greatbear]

Acoustic ceiling tiles make a decent covering for the walls and ceiling of the enclosure. They have the added benefit of being somewhat fire resistant. You still need to provide ventilation. The trick here is to cut in your vents offset on the inside vs. outside so the resulting wall space acts as a baffle.

 

[JohnJL]

Roxul is a commercial sound insulation available at any Lowes or HD, we used it in our home and garage construction.

I have to point out though that air tools themselves tend to be quite loud, so even if you insulate the heck out of the compressor, if you havent isolated the garage from the house you will still be making quite a bit of noise with that grinder/impact gun/zip gun...

 

[wpozo]

Hello all,

Been reading for a few weeks - great forum!

I've used this website to solve problems in other spaces -http://www.soundisolationcompany.com/ the product most commonly used is "Mass Loaded Vinyl" - expensive but worth it in some cases. Another common product used is rockwool but i'm not sure how useful it would be in an outdoor environment.

Cheers,
William in Miami.

 

[slickgt1]

Did you need to use a fan/blower inside the enclosure or just the 4" duct to the outside. A bit concerned about the potential heat buildup as well.

The box used to be by an outside wall. The duct run was literally 2' max., at an upward pitch for the exhaust. The intake duct was on the bottom, same deal, but not pitched, and shorter because of that. Natural convection will keep the box vented. Never had a fan in there. But like I said, I was really close to the outside wall.

You can always wire in fans for it. As a matter of fact, you can buy those load sensing outlets. I have my saws connected to it, and when I turn it on, it automatically turns on the vac. At $15 you have instant on fans without being an electrician.

 

[Jack Olsen]

As a matter of fact, you can buy those load sensing outlets. I have my saws connected to it, and when I turn it on, it automatically turns on the vac. At $15 you have instant on fans without being an electrician.

That was my trick. In my case, it triggers the fan switch whenever the compressor cycles itself on.

 

[James E]

The trick here is to cut in your vents offset on the inside vs. outside so the resulting wall space acts as a baffle.

Now that's clever!

 

[BLUBAYOU]

You can always wire in fans for it. As a matter of fact, you can buy those load sensing outlets. I have my saws connected to it, and when I turn it on, it automatically turns on the vac. At $15 you have instant on fans without being an electrician.

On a similar note you can also use a thermostat controlled duct fan, which is what I was considering. I think they're around $30 and you can set the temp, and they can be inline with the duct fan power so you don't have to hard-wire anything.

I'm planning to add a small "room" to the back of my garage for my 60 gal. compressor. I'll insulate for sound but wondered if it might get too cold in there when the compressor isn't running. We'll be below freezing for weeks at a time (northern NY). How cold is too cold for a compressor?

I won't usually keep the garage heated unless I'll be working out there for long periods of time. Should I consider a small heat source in the compressor room to warm it up a bit before running it?

 

[BLUBAYOU]

The trick here is to cut in your vents offset on the inside vs. outside so the resulting wall space acts as a baffle.

I saw a post a while back (I think it was on the GJ) about quieting compressor sound in a manner similar to this. It was more complex, having several turns and maybe some sound deadening material inside as well, but I believe the end result was good.

 

[MScott]

Central vacuum systems use a sound insulating mufler on the intake to reduce sound. One of these plumbed into an intake vent in the 'doghouse' could be used to quiet the beast.

 

[sharpshooter]

2 pgs and nobody has posted one pic of their set-up... LOL

 

[slickgt1]

On a similar note you can also use a thermostat controlled duct fan, which is what I was considering. I think they're around $30 and you can set the temp, and they can be inline with the duct fan power so you don't have to hard-wire anything.

I'm planning to add a small "room" to the back of my garage for my 60 gal. compressor. I'll insulate for sound but wondered if it might get too cold in there when the compressor isn't running. We'll be below freezing for weeks at a time (northern NY). How cold is too cold for a compressor?

I won't usually keep the garage heated unless I'll be working out there for long periods of time. Should I consider a small heat source in the compressor room to warm it up a bit before running it?

Well I'm in nyc, and never heated it or anything. Never had an issue. I actually had one standing outside on a deck all winter while building all the rails and stairs, never had a problem. I had a neighbor that used a compressor to pump a well, also stood outside all the time. Never a problem.

Sorry no pics. Like I said I sold it, and was never into taking much pics till got on this forum. Even now all my pics are taken with the iPhone.

 

[1983Camperspecial]

yea 90% of the poise is the intake sucking air, Pipe it to the outside or the attic if its seals and you will see a large reduction in sound, then just install some rubber feet.