Thinking about boxing in my air compressor

[mikeylikesit5805]

So I have searched a bit and found quite a bit of info on this site, but most of the threads seemed old/dead. I figured I would start a new one...

I have a compressor very similar to this one. http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202208...ads-_-pla-_-202208341&ci_gpa=pla#.UP8_ryeumAA

I was planning on building a box around it, maybe 6 inches all the way around it, and maybe a foot higher that it.

My questions:

Best material to do this? and any ideas to make the outside of the box usable? (pegboard shelves maybe) I was thinking OSB on the side with a layer of pegboard on the outside... IDK

what should I use for ventilation? I was thinking doing something like floor furnace vents, maybe one down low and one high up.

Let me know what you think! Thank you in advanced for the help.....

 

[LEVE]

I boxed mine in... under my workbench. A few 2X4's, some plywood and insulation was all it took. It vents from the back and there's a door for access. I can turn it on and carry on a conversation right by it. It was one of my brighter ideas that year.

 

[mikeylikesit5805]

Thanks LEVE, Mine is a vertical compressor. But im thinking the same thing.... what kind of compressor do you have?

 

[Jomo]

If it is not subject to too much moisture what about using a 3/4 inch MDF? Easier to paint and would absorb more sound? The pegboard would help as well I'm thinking.

Furnace vents would probably work or you could just drill a group of holes. Either way if it were me I might cut a piece off a furnace filter to cover the holes and help keep the dust down inside the box.

You don't say why you want the box. So I'm assuming for sound reduction right?

 

[Garage5.9]

Only thing i would be worried about is it getting hot in there. Maybe rig up a attic fan or something similar to move some air

 

[Jomo]

LEVE,
What sort of insulation did you use. Regular batting? Or rigid foam? Did you enclose the bottom or floor part too?

 

[Jomo]

Well, of course it's gonna get hot in a garage in Maui.

Isn't that the point of the extra headroom and the top vent in the box? To allow the heat to move up and out?

 

[HMCFab9]

Only thing i would be worried about is it getting hot in there. Maybe rig up a attic fan or something similar to move some air

If it will be running a lot, it will get hot in the box. Excessive heat is bad for everything. If it will only run occasionally, heat should not be a concern.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I'd like to do the same with a used 60 vertical I scored off Craigslist. Wondering how to have a Home Depot box fan kick on whenever the compressor kicks on?

 

[LEVE]

Thanks LEVE, Mine is a vertical compressor. But im thinking the same thing.... what kind of compressor do you have?

I have a simple Craftsman 5hp, 22gal compressor. It's a vertical footprint, and very squat, about 20 years old.

What sort of insulation did you use.

Regular fiberglass batting.

Did you enclose the bottom or floor part too?

As you can see, it's open on the bottom. I rely on airflow from the bottom as well as the back.

Does it get hot? Yes, but I don't use the compressor to the point it would be too hot. If that's the case, I'll crack open the door for more cooling. I've wired in a switched power box so I can turn it on/off without opening the door.

 

[jlmotox]

Going to follow this one! I was just thinking about this the other day.

My compressor is similar in size to yours

 

[GarageWarrior]

I was considering the same for my 15 years old 2hp Coleman (direct drive/oilless) that was loud as hell ...than thought about the cost and time to built the box, the added footprint, and the overheating problem - compressor pumps get hot because of the thermodynamics business of compressing air and like to have fresh air circulating around them. I had reed valves fail on mine and now point a fan at it any time I use it for any length of time.

Instead of building a box, what I ended up doing to solve the noise problem is getting another compressor - for me it was a 30 year old 4hp craftsman (220v/belt drive/oil lube). When I was buying it - I had the seller turn it on and we could still carry a normal conversation standing right next to it. Best part, in addition to 2 extra HPs was that it was $50 on craigslist. Took a few moths of looking though.

I guess what I'm trying to say - get a better air compressor (look for belt drive) and you'll be way ahead.

 

[Nick Ferry]

I am wanting to do this to my new compressor. Heat wouldn't be an issue for me this time of year, right now with wind chill it's -28 degrees F and a warm -3 degrees w/o windchill. FWIW I am most likely going to do rigid foam inside 1/2" ply with a vent at the very top a lighter bigger than a vent as close to the bottom as possible. I'm no air flow expert, but from what I know of thermal dynamics it should make the hot air rise out quicker than it can be pulled in from the bottom creating a natural airstream. In theory of course. I figured if that didn't work, a small computer fan may do the trick.
The only thing that bugs me is I don't know of anyone that has a decibel meter to measure the results. I am definitely a quantifiable type person. I will post pics once I have the setup complete.
My compressor is a 60 gallon Sanborn from Menards and I hooked it up in the basement and plumbed it up to the garage to save space.

Sorry to be long winded, I can do that sometimes.

 

[Drew_flux]

I'm suprised noone mentioned insulating the box or extending the air intake outside the box. I'm sure I have seen a thread on this before.

 

[Tre900]

While attempted to build a quite box for a cheapo Generator I downloaded a decibel meter to my Android smart phone for free. It would be foolish to think it's as accurate as a real meter but for basic "is it still as loud" measurment it worked fine for me.

Good luck

Tre900

 

[Falcon67]

Well - to quiet that oiless unit, you'll want to put it in a 3/4" plywood box and bury it in the neighbor's yard.

I used a combination of Quiet Brace and insulation for my compressor closet. But the dB noise output on my 3.5 HP upright is about 1/3 or 1/4 what your noisy thing makes.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...d=-1&keyword=quiet&storeId=10051#.UQA9zWfjG1g

 

[aka Larry]

Well - to quiet that oiless unit, you'll want to put it in a 3/4" plywood box and bury it in the neighbor's yard.

This, but I think you could still hear it! Damn those things are loud.

 

[pnut]

I did exactly what you describe. See my whole write up line below. It is VERY quiet, you can stand right next to it. My hot dawg heater in the ceiling is louder. If doing it again I would:

- encapsulate the fiberglass due to glass fiber concerns
- Use a bigger fan. It gets hot but I don't use it for extended periods.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54952&showall=1

 

[aka Larry]

I did exactly what you describe. See my whole write up line below. It is VERY quiet, you can stand right next to it. My hot dawg heater in the ceiling is louder. If doing it again I would:

- encapsulate the fiberglass due to glass fiber concerns
- Use a bigger fan. It gets hot but I don't use it for extended periods.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54952&showall=1

But, you don't have an oil-less unit. Those are at least TWICE as loud and run four times as often. FYI, I have the same 60 gallon Husky myself.

 

[pnut]

But, you don't have an oil-less unit. Those are at least TWICE as loud and run four times as ofter. FYI, I have the same 60 gallon Husky myself.

Very true, those things are terrible. Any compressor can still use a good covering to make it quieter, those even more.

 

[E.rodz]

I recomend putting your air intake and doing something like this first using glass packs as a intake silencer was huge big sound damper and if you can move it to another room.

 

[aka Larry]

Damn that is an over the top intake setup E.rodz.

When I researching making mine more quiet I happened on another GJ thread where a member plumbed his intake all the way into his attic, tested with a dB meter, and found the difference was nearly zero. Since I considered plumbing my intake to the outside I found that enlightning. I decided the Solberg Silencer was a good compromise, which is what I ended up with, and it does help. Of course it could always be more quiet!

 

[woodrail]

I went to a quick lecture years ago on soundproofing. Basically, there is no substitute for MASS. If your looking to eliminate the sound, you need to construct a thick wall as solid as possible. Batt insulation is OK, Sound Batts are better. A surround built out of 4" solid concrete blocks with a patio stone cap would beat them all. Just gotta figure out a door!

I was at a fancy outdoor art festival once where I guy had a generator going buried in an igloo of staw bails. It worked great! The only way you could tell it was there was by the flames about two hours into the show :0

 

[E.rodz]

ok the intake does really quite it dow by about half, but if you still want it quieter then inclose it I used 3/4 steel tube welded a frame then hinged it with a caster to hold some weight glued some recycled plexi glass to it. topped it off with a couple of computer fans hooked up to to a thermostat it comes on at 90f adjustable + or - if wanted then lined with recycled foam packing material it is so quite you can talk to someone right next to it. hope this helps.

 

[LEVE]

The only thing that bugs me is I don't know of anyone that has a decibel meter to measure the results. I am definitely a quantifiable type person.

That was a good question and idea! I too like quantifiable data. I never even thought about using the DB app on my iPhone. So, I did. Here's the results:

• Ambient background DB with compressor off: 45 db
• Compressor on with door closed: 51 db
• Compressor on with Door open: 101 db

 

[Nick Ferry]

I'm suprised noone mentioned insulating the box or extending the air intake outside the box. I'm sure I have seen a thread on this before.

I did mention insulation and opted for rigid foam for fiber intake concerns.

While attempted to build a quite box for a cheapo Generator I downloaded a decibel meter to my Android smart phone for free. It would be foolish to think it's as accurate as a real meter but for basic "is it still as loud" measurment it worked fine for me.

Good luck

Tre900

Meter downloading as I type this. Thanks for the GREAT idea!

That was a good question and idea! I too like quantifiable data. I never even thought about using the DB app on my iPhone. So, I did. Here's the results:

• Ambient background DB with compressor off: 45 db
• Compressor on with door closed: 51 db
• Compressor on with Door open: 101 db

Great data, thanks for sharing. Seems to be a substantial drop in noise.

 

[Nick Ferry]

Downloaded this decibel meter on my iPad for free

Has some pretty cool settings

It also has a vibration meter, plumb bob, level, protractor, timers, among other things for a cost of $1.99. I didn't buy it so I can't speak from experience, but it looks pretty useful.

 

[jlmotox]

I got the free version of that but it only goes to 100db max but seems to work well....wonder if the pay version goes any higher?

 

[woodrail]

Very nice!

I'm thinking a 1970 Brinks truck for a daily driver.....

 

[aka Larry]

I got the free version of that but it only goes to 100db max but seems to work well....wonder if the pay version goes any higher?

What is the exact name of the app? There are many called about the same thing.

 

[jlmotox]

What is the exact name of the app? There are many called about the same thing.

dB - Decibel 10th by SkyPaw Co.

the Icon is just a dB in blue letters with black background...

 

[jlmotox]

this....

 

[aka Larry]

dB - Decibel 10th by SkyPaw Co.

the Icon is just a dB in blue letters with black background...

That must be a iPhone only app. I don't see it on the Google Play store.

I downloaded "Sound Meter". I guess I'll see how well it works.

 

[mikeylikesit5805]

Thank you guys! I think I am going to go ahead and build the box, I have all the material and just keep an eye out for a decent priced belt drive unit.

 

[machine_punk]

I was thinking about doing this to my compressor, but came to the conclusion that there is just too much heat involved. I normally wear earplugs while using any power tool, so the compressor doesn't really bother me.

When I was thinking about doing this, I thought that an old 'office cubicle' would be ideal as a sound dampening material. They are readily available on CL, they are built to reduce noise in a busy office and can be pretty inexpensive on the used market. You don't care what they look like, since you are likely putting sheet metal or plywood or pegboard on the outside.

The key here, I believe, is to get the air to change direction THROUGH sound insulating material (gives you potential for enough air flow and makes the most of your enclosure's ability to reduce sound.) The problem with that is you need to increase the size of your air path quite a bit for every bend you make to trap noise.

I think it would be best for one vent to be low and one vent near the top.

Of course, I've scrapped my idea for an enclosure, because I think the heat is an obstacle which would just take too much time, money and space to overcome effectively. Instead, I plan to redesign the cheap plastic cover for the top of the machine, using better sound deadening materials and designs.

Here are a couple of pics of me measuring the sound levels on my machine, as a baseline, before any changes are made. This project has hit the back burner big time, since earplugs are cheap and I pretty much have them in any time I am working in the studio...

My measuring rig...
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The intake on this compressor (the source of the majority of the noise), without the cheap, black-plastic cover...
View media item 12943
With the cover on, just for reference...
View media item 12942
The components which make up the 'noise reducer...' the cheap, plastic cover with a molded-in, sound-redirecting channel, the piece of foam which fits in that channel, and the cover...
View media item 12947
A couple of different pics without the cover on...
View media item 12945
View media item 12944
Just over 104 dB with the factory cover ON ('C' weighting, slow response)...
View media item 12957
Right at 110 dB with the factory cover OFF (C-weighting, slow response)...
View media item 12955
So, the factory design is somewhat effective (if I remember my theory, every 3 decibels reduces the impression of loudness by half), but nowhere near the 87 dB we need for longer exposure to this sound pressure level (It is recommended that you not be exposed to the sound level for more than 4 hours at a time. The recommended exposure time cuts down drastically for every few dB you go up after that.

Anyway, my though is that a better 'bolt on' head design would control sound better than a cabinet and get rid of the heat problems you have, when you enclose the compressor.

My other recommendation would be to just build a 'sleeve' of sound reduction material around JUST the head of the machine (think a box, about 2 feet tall, without a top or bottom, supported so it is at the level of the air intake). That would allow significant air flow, but also cut out a lot of sound.

I haven't tried any of this yet...just my musings on what I plan to do to reduce noise in my studio.

Kev

 

[volaredon]

my thoughts are an outhouse sized addition behind my garage to enclose mine. I have a 5HP 80 gallon 2 stage vertical unit