Air Compressors Sale

Archive for the ‘General Info’ Category

Air Compressors Supply high-pressure clean air to fill gas cylinders moderate-pressure clean air to supply air to a submerged surface supplied diver a large amount of moderate-pressure air to power pneumatic tools air for filling tires to produce large volumes of moderate-pressure air for macroscopic industrial processes (including oxidation for petroleum coking, cement plant bag house purge systems and soon)

Most air compressors are either of the reciprocating piston type, rotary vane or rotary screw. Centrifugal compressors are common in very large applications.

The two main types of air compressor have pumps which are either oil lubed or, oiless (also spelled oil less and oilless).

The oiless system is more technically developed, but of course it is more expensive. It is also louder and not as durable as the oiled lube pumps. However, oiless units deliver better quality air. The best choice depends on the application that the user needs and can be answered by asking where the air compressor will be used:

Around the house
Around the garage
Around the building site
Around the factory

While a somewhat simplified way to determine the type of air compressor needed, it is a fairly accurate starting point.

Good quality air compressors break down just as cheap ones do. They just don’t do it as often and you can get spare parts for the unit, something not all the cheapies form China can match. A good air compressor is a workshop tool that you will use regularly for years to come if you buy right in the first place.

If you do have a break down or lose or break parts, there are several ways you can fix the problem and be back working again quickly.

You can buy a new air compressor, but this does get expensive and should be a last resort.

You can send the unit back if it is still within the warranty period and is small and portable enough. Many of the larger units come with free service onsite or the option to buy a service contract.

You can get the parts you need from your air compressor supplier, providing you have been able to strip the unit down and know exactly what it is you need. The part is usually something small, cheap and yet indispensable to the running of the compressor. Gaskets, o-rings, valves and hose fittings often wear out, usually through mis-treatment or lack of any maintenance whatsoever. A part for a 2 gallon air compressor might not fit a larger 5 gallon unit and vice versa, even if made by the same company and having the same motor.

More serious problems often require the unit to be stripped, serviced, repaired and re-assembled and this might mean a trip back to the shop.

The problem may be in the motor or the compressor. Very often units use motors that are also used in lawn mowers and generator sets. These untis, like Briggs & Stratton, Honda and Kohler, often have their own spare parts departments and can supply quicker than the compressor company.

Compressor units likewise might be made by a third party and then just assembled by whoever made the entire unit. Brands such as Coleman, Husky, Champion and Quincy might assemble units from out sourced parts, it pays to check. Sometimes it can pay to double check as it might be quicker and cheaper to go direct to the manufacturer of the part of the unit that is broken, not the seller of the compressor.

The larger, industrial compressors made by firms such as Ingersoll Rand, Sanborn, Campbell Hausfeld and Porter Cable are all backed by warranties and service arrangements.

Ten years ago you would have been hard pressed to find an air compressor in a family home. Some of the really keen home mechanic guys might have one, but that would be about the limit. Today, many more people are owning their own air compressor and finding more and more uses for it.

Basically the air compressor uses either a gasoline powered or electrically powered engine to work a pump that sucks in and compresses air on the air tank. Tank size, or capacity, is one of the ways air compressors are rated.

Then the unit pumps the air out and the speed in which it does this is another way to rate the air compressor unit. Often this is rated in cubic feet per minute, or CPM. Some air compressors pump at moderate to high pressure and power tools such as wheel nut wrenches and spray paint guns. Others do their job cleanly and filter out contaminants while filling air tanks for scuba divers. Some operate high precision machinery in factories and even dental surgeries.

Of all these applications, by far the biggest growth in the last ten years has been in home air compressor units. People have them for filling the tires on the car or kids bikes, balls and other inflatable toys. They operate tools such as rattle guns that remove wheel nuts or spray painting guns and cutting tools, saws and all sorts of items.

The air compressors most of us need for everyday jobs are used in 5 ways or div (for divisions). While some are electric, others use small gas motors to power the compressor itself. An air compressor supplies:

• high-pressure clean air to fill gas cylinders
• moderate-pressure clean air to supply air to a submerged surface supplied diver
• a large amount of moderate-pressure air to power pneumatic tools (cfm or cubic feet per minute is the measurement here)
• air for filling tires to produce large volumes of moderate-pressure (psi or pounds per square inch)
• air for macroscopic industrial processes (including oxidation for petroleum coking, cement plant bag house purge systems and so on)

Most air compressors are either of the reciprocating piston type, rotary vane or rotary screw. Centrifugal compressors are common in very large applications.

The two main types of air compressor’s pumps are;

• oil lubed pump and
• oiless pump.

The oiless system is more technically developed, but is more expensive, louder and not as durable as the oiled lube pumps. However, they deliver better quality air. The best choice depends on the application that the user needs and can be answered by asking where the air compressor will be used:

• Around the house
• Around the garage
• Around the building site
• Around the factory

While a somewhat simplified way to determine the type of air compressor needed, it is a fairly accurate starting point. Portable pumps  such as those made by deWalt and new units might produce different power outputs to older, worn units or large fully installed but reconditioned Ingersoll-Rand units. Size of the tank, dual lines and full equipment accessories or kit are all things to consider, not to mention free shipping whether buying from a bricks and mortar outlet or online store for your home workshop or professional repair shop.