Overhead mounting compressor tank?

[Ragtop65]

I'm building out a 27 x 20 three stall garage into a compact home shop in an existing home. I've already poured a radiant heat floor and had the new floor epoxied.

I'm short on floor space so I'm thinking of buying a horizontal compressor tank and mounting it overhead along the leftmost stall. Anyone done this? I'm tempted to take the compressor off the tank and mount it separately hanging from the ceiling to increase overhead clearance. Comments?

This is the compressor I'm considering: http://www.eatoncompressor.com/catalog/item/504747/2683294.htm

Do bolt the compressor to some steel tubing and then mount that to existing studs with threaded rod? Can anyone who mounted an overhead compressor comment?

Phil

 

[G M]

I put my 80 gallon IR compressor in the attic, nice not having it take up floor space thats for sure.

 

[kbs2244]

Good idea.
Just be sure you use large dia pipe on the way up. maybe even a cooling radiator, so you have lots of cooling.
You don't want to have to climb a ladder to drain the moisture from a tank that size.
Put in a good sizes drip leg with an easy to use drain valve.

 

[Franz©]

Hang the compressor from spring mounts and use outside air intake and you'll barely hear it running.

Pipe the drain down to a convenient wall mounted spigot.

 

[Ragtop65]

Hang the compressor from spring mounts and use outside air intake and you'll barely hear it running.

Pipe the drain down to a convenient wall mounted spigot.

Great suggestions. I'll plumb the compressor inlet to the outside. Any suggestion on a source for the spring mounts?

I don't have an attic for the compressor. Can I separate the motor and compressor from the tank and mount them side by side to save height?

 

[Franz©]

The model I base that on is the Ritter Dental unit in my cellar.
It's a 5hp Champion configuers into a cabinet about 3 x 2 feet about 4 feet high.
The compressor itself hangs from 4 ½" rods to the top of the cabinet with springs at both the top of the cabinet & below the compressor. The motor hangs below the compressor on a rockwood drive. The springs are compression springs, about 1.25" diameter 2" long ¼ wire.

The same style mount is used on refridgeration units being suspended below floors where noise will be an annoyance. I don't see why a few valve springs wouldn't work along with some washers.

I don't see where the lack of an attic is a problem either, just drop 4 rods from the rafters and hang the compressor assembly. I would give it some clearance to the roof to provide for cooling air flow.

 

[Kilo70]

Hmm....Would the fact that its 690 lbs. cause any concern with hanging it from the Rafters guys??
Great Idea I think.

 

[Ragtop65]

Hmm....Would the fact that its 690 lbs. cause any concern with hanging it from the Rafters guys??
Great Idea I think.

Thanks for the help.

690 pounds is not a lot of weight, and distributed over 4 points that is less than 200 pounds per point. I do wonder about how to tie into the roof beam. I'd hate to depend on threads, but I'm not sure I want to drill all the way through and put double nuts and a washer on top of the threaded rod if it is standard 1 3/4" lumber for fear of weakening the lumber.

Maybe 4 loops of chain? Is there a standard U channel made that I can slip over the top of the lumber to distribute the load?

What is common practice for hanging 200 lbs with a safety factor of 2 for vibration?

Franz, how do you tie yours into the wood?

 

[Franz©]

Mine is inside of a cabinet like a refridgerator.
I'm not buying the 690# weight for the compressor and motor part of the unit either. I moved the entire cabinet down my cellar stairs alone. The top half of the cabinet is a 5 horse Champion (not light) + electric motor, and the bottom half is a vacuum producer for the dental shop + motor PLUS the steel cabinet and that don't weigh 690# total.

As far as suspending weight from rafters, walk in the park. 3/16 x 2 steel strap bent like a leafspring hanger with 1 hole drilled at the bottom of the U for the suspended load and a second hole drilled thru the lips so you can thrubolt the hanger to the rafter. REMEMBER the 1/3 rule for holes. You can penetrate a joyst or rafter 1/3 of the way from either support end with no loss of strength, and the hole must be in the center third of the joyst. If you're still nervous glue and nail cheeks to the rafter made of half inch 2 feet long plywood before drilling.

If you walk into the utility room of most Mobil gas stations you'll find the compressor hung from the roof.

 

[rodnok1]

I bet it does weigh 690 lbs, the big unit for our shop weighed at least that. I don't think I would even attempt to hang a unit that heavy with standard framing. Even if you support it at 4 points. You have to think in lbs per sq ft rating of rafters/roof trusses. Not just 4 points holding 200 lbs. You really need to look at your framing size/locations. I'm not saying you couldn't do it, but that much load needs to be hung properly or the framing will fail over time.