Want to buy an air compressor? You must read the buying guide on how to choose an air compressor that’ll help you to pick the suitable machine!
An air compressor is a fantastic tool in the hand of the right person. And by the right person, we mean someone who knows and understands the ins and outs of this device and how it is used. This knowledge is the first step to procuring your very own perfect air compressor unit.
In no means is an air compressor a simple device. It has a wide variety of usage that can range from inflating a tire to powering a nail gun. Furthermore, many factors contribute to the overall quality of the product. It would be best if you made yourself familiar with all this information before you go out and buy one for your needs.
In this article, we will help you pick the perfect air compressor by diving in-depth into the different sectors of this tool to help you differentiate between the bad and the best.
Contents
What Is an Air Compressor?
The idea of the air compressor is quite simple despite the extensive mechanics of the device. It converts power from an electric motor or gas engine (depending on the type of compressor) into potential energy. The energy is stored inside a storage tank in the form of compressed air.
As more and more air gets stored, the pressure inside the tank increases. When the pressure inside the tank reaches the maximum, it shuts off, preventing any further entrance of air inside the container. The contained air can then be used when required by the user with the help of a hose or a nozzle to power any air tool or for various other applications.
Types of Air Compressor
Depending on the design of the device, an air compressor can be categorized into several classes. The three most common variants, along with how they function, are listed below for your convenience.
Reciprocating Air Compressors
These units are what you might call a positive displacement machine. It means that these devices increase air pressure by reducing the overall volume. The engine achieves this by forcing a high amount of air inside a confined space and increasing the pressure inside the tank. There is a piston located on the inside of the cylinder to help with this task.
This type of compressor usually features either air or water cooling to keep the temperatures regulated in the device. It can come in both lubricated and non-lubricated formats that can handle a wide range of pressure and capacity.
Rotary Screw Compressors
The second variant is the rotary screw compressor. Similar to reciprocating models, this one is also a positive displacement unit. There are also several varieties of rotary screw compressors, the most common ones being the single-stage helical or the spiral love oil-flooded screw air compressors.
Rotary screw compressors come with two rotors inside a casing that does the compression inside the machine. To keep the temperatures optimal, these devices use oil-cooling. There are no valves inside the unit, and the oil seals the internal crevices.
Centrifugal Air Compressors
Finally, we have the centrifugal air compressor units, which is a dynamic model. It transfers energy through a rotating impeller. Due to its design, it can withstand a higher capacity of pressurized air.
These units do not require oil cooling. But they do use oil-lubricated gear that is separated from the air with the help of vents and seals.
How to Choose an Air Compressor?
Now that we understand the basics, it is time to jump into the crucial part. The following guidelines are designed to help you find the perfect air compressor, no matter the budget, by looking at the factors that make a good unit.
Intended Purpose
First thing first, you need to be clear on why you are getting the air compressor. Is it to power pneumatic tools, or powering industrial machinery, or just to inflate a tire? Depending on your requirements, the power of the machine you need will vary wildly.
For heavy-duty use, you cannot expect a portable handheld air compressor to suffice. So before taking a look at the specifications of the product, spend some time considering your purpose with the unit.
Horsepower
Horsepower determines the overall power of the engine, and it is an important factor to consider when picking out your air compressors. The power in most commercial air compressors ranges from 1.5 to 6.5 HP. Units with higher horsepower value are usually found only in large factories.
However, horsepower is not the only determining factor, and there are many other small things you need to consider. If you are using the compressor for lightweight tasks, you can get away with lower values.
CFM
CFM or cubic feet per minute is the measure of the volumetric flow of air through the machine. This is a complicated subject, so we will try to keep things as simple as possible. To get the most out of your machine, you would want a unit that can handle the SCFM (standard CFM) requirement of all your intended air tools.
Portability
If you want a portable air compressor, you need to sacrifice power and storage capacity to some extent. But you can make up for it by being able to take your device anywhere you want without having to worry about its weight. However, if you require a heavy-duty air compressor, portability will not be easy to find.
Power Source
You can either opt for an air compressor that uses an electrical outlet, or mobile units that run on gas or diesel engines. If the place of your work does not have a consistent flow of electricity, gas, or diesel-powered units may serve you better. These days there are many other alternatives to powering an air compressor.
Final Thoughts
Finding the perfect air compressor can prove challenging to an inexperienced person because of the nature of this device. However, with some research and our help, you should be able to find the best one for your requirements with little to no hassle.
We hope you found this informative article on picking out the perfect air compressor helpful in your quest to finding the right unit.
