Compressor Muffler


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Old 12-08-05, 01:25 PM
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Compressor Muffler

I hate my compressor. If it weren't a gift from the in-laws, I'd have pushed it out into traffic by now. It's a 20 gal Coleman Powermate Oil-less type. It works fine and keep up with all my tools except the die grinder. It's not too heavy and hasn't given me one bit of difficulty, but I still hate it. It's so ridiculously loud I look for reasons not to use it. It's so loud; I won't use it on Sundays so to not bother the neighbors who live over 1000' away. It's so loud, that even with ear muffs on, my brain still itches. Got it, it's really loud.

Now, I have been told that the noise from all compressors comes from the suction side of the pump. The oiless ones are that much louder because the pumps run 4 to 5 times as fast as the belt drive pumps. Does anyone know a means of putting an intake muffler on one of these awful things? I've taken the plastic cover off an investigated where the air is drawn in. It looks like I could tap an NPT thread into the intake, but I'd bet the vibration would make short order of that. I've also considered making a sound insulated box, but I'd have to put in a fan to draw out the heat and provide convenient access to the drain. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Old 12-08-05, 02:48 PM
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imagineer,

If I read your comments correctly I think you are saying that your oilless compressor is LOUD!

You have discovered a big drawback with this type of unit.
Installing a better intake muffler/filter will not really make a noticable difference.
Things like making a soundproof enclosure outside of your shop would be as expensive and way more trouble than just replacing the compressor with a belt drive oil type compressor.

Option 1:
You would do well to be honest with the gift givers and explain your reason for buying a new one.
Option 2:
If what they bought you is an example of their knowledge of such things, it should be easy to be tactfull and convince them that the new compressor is to compliment their gift, not replace it.
It is possible to interconnect the two units to give you more capacity.
You would just need to find two different circuits to power them.
 

Last edited by GregH; 12-08-05 at 03:09 PM. Reason: Typo
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Old 12-09-05, 05:44 AM
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Thanks for the input, but the issue preventing my replacing it is less that it was a gift and more that I'm too darn cheap to pay for a better unit. Besides, the in-laws have NEVER set foot in my workshop, and if the did and saw a spiffy 60gal, belt drive upright, I doubt they would realize it was different from the one they bought. I should add at this point that they only thought to get me the compressor once they decided they wanted me to repaint all their exterior house doors and then replace the bedside on their pickup.

After the holidays, I plan to rebuild the lumber rack in my workshop to make more efficient use of the space. I'll probably go with the insulated box idea, tucked in a corner under the rack. I've got a spare bathroom exhaust fan I could rig on a power-off timer to run for 5 minutes or so after the compressor cycles.

The drain is another issue though. I'd like to take out the drain valve and plumb an extended line thats easier to get at and use a simple ball valve, but I don't know if I'll mess up the Coleman tank by removing the stock valve. Any thoughts on that?
 
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Old 12-09-05, 04:06 PM
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IMO there is no better place for an air compressor than in another room [building a closet for it qualifies]

I have often thought [especially when my back aches] about removing the petcock on my 60 gal comp and installing an elbow, pipe and valve. But it is a stationary compressor. I don't know that I would do that to a portable comp. You may need to move its location for a small job and then an extended drain pipe would be a hassle. I assume yours has wheels, with my little 11gal comp it is no problem to lift the front up, turn the drain valve and set it back down.
 
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Old 12-09-05, 05:20 PM
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I agree with marksr. I once built a small lean-to type addition on a friend's garage (body shop) just for his air compressor. The floor was 4x4 and it sloped to a floor drain in the middle (gravel pit under the cement slab), the walls were 8ft tall and I put a storm window on it to provide some fresh air ventilation. It made a HUGE difference having that sound isolated out there. The room had a swinging door that included replaceable furnace filters to help filter out his overspray.
 
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Old 12-09-05, 05:58 PM
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The fitting size on the bottom of the tank is likely 1/4" mpt and there would be nothing wrong with modifying it with a better valve.
In fact there is nothing that says you cannot bring up a copper line from the bottom of the tank and have it at waist height.
Tanks are normally drained while under pressure and it makes no difference where the outlet is.
Only thing to watch is you would need to be carefull if you ever started using the compressor as a portable so as not to knock of your modified drain valve.

My main compressor is mounted outside the shop under a sorta temporary shelter for now and is only heated with a 100 watt magnet heater.
No problems with it starting at all, even in sub-zero temps.
 
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Old 12-10-05, 06:02 AM
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Originally Posted by GregH
.
Tanks are normally drained while under pressure and it makes no difference where the outlet is..


Greg
Will this still allow all the moisture to be removed from the bottom of the tank?
 
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Old 12-10-05, 07:12 AM
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As long as you are draining it under pressure it will remove the same amount of moisture as if the tap were left on the bottom.
The proper term for draining a compressor under pressure is "blowing it down".
This term also applies to draining sediment from a boiler and similar operations.

One thing you need to be cautious of is the fact that if the drain were higher than the floor you need to be carefull of the air blast.
There is the possibility of hearing or penetration damage from the force of the air so you need to be watchfull on how you construct, direct and fasten the air discharge line.

If you wish to do this and are unsure just ask.
 
 

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