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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Adam Haymer | Posted under Shopping and Product Reviews
Sullivan Palatek Air Compressor
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Most of you are familiar the common elements like direct drive, belt drive, psi, and hp. But there are other important considerations when choosing a compressor. Let's start by looking at the duty cycle which is really important to know before you purchase a compressor. Duty cycles are shown as a percent and it tells you how many minutes the compressor is able to run in a ten minute period. So for home compressor usually has a 50% which means it can't run more than 5 minutes out of a 10 minute period. If you go over this the pump will get too hot and it is likely to overheat which means it will quit working much sooner than it should. Industrial compressors have at least a 75% rating which means it can run 7 � minutes out of every 10 minutes. Some are even as high as 100% which means it can run continuously. Are you still confused on how a good duty cycle will benefit you? Let's say both you and your friend have a house to paint. Each of you has a 10 cfm compressor. Your compressor has a 65% duty cycle and your friends has a 50% duty cycle. That means you paint 6 � minutes out of every 10 and he paints 5 minutes out of 10. That's a 30% increase over what your friend's compressor will put out. You should pay attention to moisture problems. When air is compressed it gets hot and then it cools of water is condensed. The longer your compressor runs and the harder it works the hotter it gets and the bigger the risk of for moisture problems occurring. Often the best solution is to get a bigger compressor so it won't have to work so hard. Humidity can also create moisture problems. Another way to remove the moisture is to use a desiccant dryer or something similar. They use silica gel to absorb the moisture out of the air. When it gets saturated with moisture you just replace it or use heat to dry it out. It's a common misconception that draining the tank will reduce the amount of moisture. That's not true. Actually if you filled your tank half full of cold water the air would actually cool and the moisture would condense out leaving you with dryer air. When you decide it's time to make your purchase you need to consider life expectancy. With compressors manufacturer really does make a difference. Some will last ten times longer than others and they often only cost just a little more. Always ask the dealer what the life expectancy is that the manufacturer assigns. For every dollar you spend to upgrade to a new compressor level it should save you three dollars over the long run. Know what size of compressor you need. If you plan right to begin with and know what you need so that you buy the right compressor the first time. Don't make the mistake of buying a compressor that's too small. It won't do the job right for you and then you'll be back in the market looking for a bigger Sullivan Palatek air compressor before you know it. 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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