Compressor in attic

[alankulwicki7]

After seeing a post a few weeks ago with a picture of a compressor in the garage attic, I was thinking about doing the same with mine.

Currently I have a 6hp, 33 gallon Craftsman portable compressor so it doesn't take up that much space but I'd like to get rid of the noise. I've got a few questions about this project:

1. I don't have a separate regulator but was thinking about buying one in order to do this project. I assume I should get one.

2. Should I use copper lines of just a section of air hose from the compressor to my hose reel?

3. Do I need to worry about draining the compressor? Currently I only drain it occasionally but if it's up in the attic, I would drain it less often than I do now.

4. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[dxdexter]

The only thing i can think of is that it would be exposed to extremes of temperature, if the attic is insulated. It gets mighty hot up there in the heat of the summer and vise versa for winter.

 

[IanF]

The only thing i can think of is that it would be exposed to extremes of temperature, if the attic is insulated. It gets mighty hot up there in the heat of the summer and vise versa for winter.

Agreed. If I were doing it, I'd probably rig up a relay to turn on an auxillary fan when the compressor kicked on.

The other concern is the vibration. I would place the compressor on some high-density foam padding to help keep it from rattling stuff off the walls.

The draining problem I'm not sure about... one option is to pipe an extension on the drain valve to make it easier to get to.

 

[russlaferrera]

Put a fitting for 1/4 copper tubing on the bottom of the compressor. Run the tubing downstairs to a shutoff valve.

Is your attic enclosed? As stated in former post it will get very hot/cold if air does not circulate.

I would put a hose to allow for vibration.

 

[alankulwicki7]

Thanks for the replies.

I do live in Minnesota so we do get some really hot days (100F +) and some really cold days (-30F).

The attic is not insulated and it is pretty big. I might just try it temporarily and see how it goes.

Thanks!
Doug

 

[mikeceli]

Can your trusses support the wieght?

 

[Jey]

just run an air intake from the outside of the building. that will quiet it down a bit too.

 

[zr1nsx]

I have a 60 Gallon version of the Craftsman compressor that is in a storage shed in my back yard. Between the shed and my house I have burried 6" pvc underground and into the crawl space of the house. This allows me to run power, air line, telephone, and alarm system cabeling between the house and shed. In the winter, it gets well below 0 and in the hottest part of summer, I'm sure it gets up to about 120 dergrees inside the shed. The compressor has been fine for the 8 years I've had this setup. It's nice to be able to turn on the compressor from the attached garage and not have to listen to it run. It used to annoy the hell out of me when either my favorite song would come on the radio, or be interrupted on a telephone call when the compressor would turn on. After many interruptions, I finally got the idea to move to compressor far away (150 ') from the shop.

 

[epmills]

My old roomate did this with that exact air compressor (assuming you have the horizontal tank). He just ran the air hose through a hole in the ceiling so, which was nice because it could be pulled back in to get it out of the way if needed. It helped a little for noise, but not much-its a noisy air compressor period. Just be careful putting it up there, managing a 100lb compressor on a ladder is just asking for the darwin award.

 

[shopforeman]

In the summer it will get really hot. In the winter I think you would have serious condensation problems when the hot compressed air hits the freezing cold tank and lines that are located in the uninsulated space. Condensation might freeze in the tank if not drained promptly? Is the attic going to be a dusty area? If I were doing this I would want the compressor to be located in a temperature controlled zone with adequate ventilation and where I could access it easily for daily draining and service/maintenance. I want to relocate my compressor because of the noise too but I want a compressor room.

 

[SteveL]

My biggest concern would be freezing condensation in the tank and lines during the winter. If it's 30* or below outside, the heated air will generate a bunch of water in the tank and if not routinely emptyed could damage the tank. Plus you will need GOOD filters on the lines to the tools. Have you thought about how you would drain the tank being in the attic. It's a messy process unless you have a ball valve and hose to run it some place.

 

[zr1nsx]

I use a auto drain at the bottom of the tank that cycles for 3 seconds every half hour. At the manifold inside my garage, I have my moisture separator. I use my system a lot and have never had any moisture or freezing problems even though my "compressor house" is not temperature controlled. I serioulsy doubt that mounting a compressor in the attic will cause any problems if he drains the tank properly and uses some traps to catch what collects in the airlines.

 

[Mr.N]

I'm in Minnesocold, and my brother runs his compressor in the attic that is not insulated.
He just ran the drain line as his main line, and used copper to pipe it down. The kicker is the line is not level, so all the water drops down. At his main air station he has a T in the copper line with the lower part to capture the water. A simple plug to open to let the water out. In the line that goes vertical, he has a water remover then the shop air lines.
Worked well for him, in summer and winter.

 

[BartPeace]

I put a similar compressor in the attic. Used a short whip of hose to allow for the vibration. I used 1" pvc to the bench and to the other side of the shop. I put a regulator at each outlet. All line are in the attic or the walls. This has worked for two years. But still is loud. I am building an external closet for a compressor, and getting a larger unit to move outside.