Compressor question

[C2 Turbo]

Haven't done much research on compressors yet but I have this in my garage for years and unfortunately, haven't used it for anything but checking tire pressures

I am now building a house with a lift and need some feedback as to if this is good enough for a weekend hobbier who would be learning to work on the cars

Electrician is asking me for compressor info.

Thanks

 

[Scimmia]

For most automotive tools, that should work just fine, but it will probably be a bit loud. It won't work well for things like a buffer/sander or trying to spray a whole car, though.

 

[zkling]

General recommendation is 10CFM @90psi. Which are common 60gal ~4hp vertical units.

 

[ms fowler]

When comparing compressors, its CFM and the delivery pressure that matters. Horse Power is a misleading term at best. Look at the tools you plan to use, and that will tell you how much compressor you need.

 

[BearsFan315]

What kind of tools are you looking to run ?? now and possibly in the near future ?!?

 

[Sokoloff]

I am now building a house with a lift and need some feedback as to if this is good enough for a weekend hobbier who would be learning to work on the cars

Electrician is asking me for compressor info.

IMO, tell your electrician to install a dedicated NEMA 14-50 (in addition to the normal 120VAC outlets).

That'll run a welder, plasma cutter, a massive compressor, or L2 charge an electric car down the road. It's (relatively) short money now.

 

[Fixnair]

Regardless of what the label says, do not try to pump up tp 175PSI. That oiless pump will not last 6 months at that pressure. Set the pressure switch to shut off at 100 PSI. 110 max.
All the electrician needs to know is that the machine is designed to run on 120v and less than 15 amps.

Being an oiless compressor it will be very noisy and will not give you long service. When it wears out buy a lubricated machine. You will find several that will pump 13 CFM and will be advertised at 5 peak horsepower. That should work fine for the home hobbiest.

 

[Scimmia]

Regardless of what the label says, do not try to pump up tp 175PSI. That oiless pump will not last 6 months at that pressure. Set the pressure switch to shut off at 100 PSI. 110 max.
All the electrician needs to know is that the machine is designed to run on 120v and less than 15 amps.

Being an oiless compressor it will be very noisy and will not give you long service. When it wears out buy a lubricated machine. You will find several that will pump 13 CFM and will be advertised at 5 peak horsepower. That should work fine for the home hobbiest.

Care to explain the 100 to 110 PSI shutoff? That makes it next to useless.

It's crazy here how overboard people will go with recommendations. You seriously think he needs 13 CFM to run an impact and air ratchet?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Regardless of what the label says, do not try to pump up tp 175PSI. That oiless pump will not last 6 months at that pressure. Set the pressure switch to shut off at 100 PSI. 110 max.
All the electrician needs to know is that the machine is designed to run on 120v and less than 15 amps.

Being an oiless compressor it will be very noisy and will not give you long service. When it wears out buy a lubricated machine. You will find several that will pump 13 CFM and will be advertised at 5 peak horsepower. That should work fine for the home hobbiest.

Well he says he has owned it for a number of years and while not having used it alot, I'll bet its had its share of runs to 175 psi. While I would not suggest ever buying an oilless compressor, this is what the OP has and it will probably do him fine, just as it is, for quite some time to come. When it croaks, he can get something better.

 

[C2 Turbo]

IMO, tell your electrician to install a dedicated NEMA 14-50 (in addition to the normal 120VAC outlets).

That'll run a welder, plasma cutter, a massive compressor, or L2 charge an electric car down the road. It's (relatively) short money now.

I do have a dedicated 240 V socket in each garage for future electric car but have no clue what this NEMA 14-50 really is?

Is it a plug (240 V) where any of the above mentioned stuff can plug into?

 

[rburke65]

Yes it will be noisy. It's amazing how much air the small hand tools consume. Use it until ya can't use it anymore!

 

[Sokoloff]

I do have a dedicated 240 V socket in each garage for future electric car but have no clue what this NEMA 14-50 really is?

Is it a plug (240 V) where any of the above mentioned stuff can plug into?

Yes.

It looks like this:

The benefit of that plug is that is has both 120VAC and 240VAC usable at the plug (in a code and safety compliant way) and can source 50A. That's big enough to run anything sane you'll need down the road. It's also a plug that gives you easy adaptability to other devices/plug as needed. If your guy has spec'd a 14-30R, or any "3 wire" (counting the ground) plug, I'd change it now as it's reasonably cheap now and way expensive down the road.

I read your post as asking about electrical for a new garage build, and only tangentially about the compressor, although a large compressor down the road can be run off such a plug.

 

[C2 Turbo]

On top of regular stuff, he has factored in a 40 amp each for the garages so is that enough or shall I have him change one to 50?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Regardless of what the label says, do not try to pump up tp 175PSI. That oiless pump will not last 6 months at that pressure. Set the pressure switch to shut off at 100 PSI. 110 max.
All the electrician needs to know is that the machine is designed to run on 120v and less than 15 amps.

Being an oiless compressor it will be very noisy and will not give you long service. When it wears out buy a lubricated machine. You will find several that will pump 13 CFM and will be advertised at 5 peak horsepower. That should work fine for the home hobbiest.

My freebie Craftsman 5 hp 33 gallon oiless has run almost every weekend for 4 or 5 hours during the warm months since I got it 12 years ago. It ran 8+ hours a day every weekend before that for 4 or 5 years. That being said, I do agree oiless units have a much shorter lifespan if used like a semi-commercial one.

Tommy

 

[Ponchoguy]

When comparing compressors, its CFM and the delivery pressure that matters. Horse Power is a misleading term at best. Look at the tools you plan to use, and that will tell you how much compressor you need.

Back in the day, the major guys (Devap and Sears included) got zinged for false HP ratings. The hp on your shroud is PEAK hp (which it probably would not make coming out of a 120V outlet...lol), and since then, the compressor mfgrs had to put "peak" on their shrouds, even if they did it in small lettering. LOL.

I actually got free product from Devap as part of the class action suit. Campbell Hausfeld was giving away the best stuff though. At the time, I bought a new, but out of the box Sears 4hp(peak..lol)/18 gallon unit from my neighbor who never used it...I think I got some impact sockets and other tools for gratis.....

 

[diver165]

I ditched my Crapsman direct drive. Turned out it was waking the dead from the Cemetery by my house... I bought a California Air Tools 10gal. 125pis, 7.0 CFM. It's compact, easy to move, and runs my nail guns, air ratchet and impact gun. Best of all at 70dB, I can actually talk normally to people in the garage standing next to it while it's running.

I have the Craftsman to my son. He lives out in the country where it will only scare the deer.

 

[finn]

That compressor will work fine for what the op plans to do, but I agree that if the new garage is being wired, install service for a 240V unit for a potential future upgrade.

 

[C2 Turbo]

What's the compact most and the quitest recommended compressor out there?

I was going to have the builder make me a sound proof enclosure to put this dang thing in but I would rather now upgrade the compressor instead

O btw, the compressor has ran a total of about 20 gross minutes in the years I have owned, so i am not worried about it going bad any time soon

 

[Sokoloff]

On top of regular stuff, he has factored in a 40 amp each for the garages so is that enough or shall I have him change one to 50?

If he's running NM-B ("Romex"), I'd wire at least one with 6-3 (and the others 8-3). If he's running THHN (the wires you typically see in conduits), then 8ga is fine for 50A.

The wire is cheap now...

For electric car charging, the J1772 spec goes to 80A, but I wouldn't expect any chargers over 50A to become commercially successful in the residential market. Tesla's 10kW charger can run fine off a 50A circuit.

 

[diver165]

What's the compact most and the quitest recommended compressor out there?

I was going to have the builder make me a sound proof enclosure to put this dang thing in but I would rather now upgrade the compressor instead

O btw, the compressor has ran a total of about 20 gross minutes in the years I have owned, so i am not worried about it going bad any time soon

California Air Tools Model 10020 is what I have. It's 10 gal. At around 70dB it is one of the most quiet compressors available. I love mine. It fills incredibly fast too. About 2min from empty to full shutoff.

 

[owenst7]

As was stated already, the wire is cheap now. I'd install at least one, if not two 220v outlets, preferably 50 amp. One for a compressor and one for a welder/plasma. Even if you'll never use them, when the house gets sold, there's a good chance it will be of greater value to someone buying a place. I know myself and most of my friends have walked away from houses because they had undesirable electrical service and or wiring.

And who knows what will be going on in 50 years as far as electric utilities and cars go. I am starting to believe the world is dumb enough to pursue that "technology" despite what math and thermodynamics prove.

 

[txturbo]

The quietest compressor you can have is the one mounted outside the work area I've had two mounted inside and the new shop is going to have an outside compressor.

 

[C2 Turbo]

Placement of this "noisy" compressor seems to be an issue as I really don't want to move it out of the garage nor I want to keep it next to the inside walls.

I was planning on having GC build me an enclosure with sound proofing but then why not just get a newer and quitter California tools unit

Now help me out with another question: How do I get the lines into the other garage and into the basement? What exactly do I need?

Thanks for being patient and for putting up with my ignorant inquiries?