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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Adam Haymer | Posted under Shopping and Product Reviews
How To Choose The Right Speedaire Air Compressor
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Let's start by looking at important terms. Horsepower or HPThe horsepower rating tells you what size compressor you need. The biggest problem is that companies selling compressor for the home market often over inflate their horsepower ratings to help sell more compressors. Industrial compressors don't share this problem as they are generally rated properly. That's why if you look at a home 5 horsepower compressor and an industrial 5 horsepower compressor the industrial one is likely to cost twice as much and be twice the size. Of course you are getting a real 5 horsepower compressor too. There is a very easy way to tell if the compressor you are looking at is really what it says it is. You can solve the problem by checking out the type of electrical power it uses. For example a real 5 horsepower motor draws 24 amps so it will need 220 volts. Almost every home compressor uses 110 volt and runs on a regular 15 amp circuit which can only run 2 true horsepower. So in summary if it plugs into your regular home plugs it isn't anymore than 2 hp no matter what the packaging says. 1. Pressure or PSIMost air tools require at least 90 PSI or pounds per square inch so for a tool that requires 90 PSI you need a compressor that is rated higher than that. Most industrial compressors are two stage compressors compared to the home market which usually sees single stage compressors. Two stage means the compressor builds to a shut off stage in two stages rather than one. So the first stage would be 90 PSI and the second stage 175 PSI. A single stage would build to the 125 PSI and then shut off. Don't be fooled into thinking this is lots of air pressure. Usually a compressor first kicks in at 100 PSI then add in the pressure drops because of restrictions you will hardly have the pressure to run your tool. 2. Cubic Feet Per Minute or CFMAll air tools have a specific volume of air needed to keep them running. This volume is expresses as CFM. Different compressors will have different CFM ratings. Again manufacturers can be deceiving showing you a rating that's based on the speed and size of the compressor but its really is a useless rating. On a small compressor the most important CFM rating is the actual PSI rating usually around the 90 PSI rating which is required by tools for them to run. 3. Tank SizeThe tank size really doesn't matter much because it does not produce air rather it is only the storage device for the air. The motor and pump size are far more important. With the right size motor and pump you will never run out of air no matter how small the tank is but a huge tank with the wrong motor and pump will lead you to trouble because you will run out of air. These are just the basics to decide before you buy your new Speedair air compressor. Knowing what you need and what you want will ensure you get the right compressor the first time around. About The Author: Adam works as a air compressor technician for over 7 years. For his work, he finds it advantageous to keep a notebook on the common problems and fixes of the various brands and models that he works on. At http://www.aircompressorhut.com, he makes this information open to the public to facilitate the evaluation of the different air compressor. |
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