On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 00:00:22 -0500, "Glenn Ashmore"
wrote:

I put my old 50 gallon tank in the boat shed and ran a line to my new 60
gallon compressor in the shop. I was concerned about wearing out the new
compressor but the engineer at the local commercial compressor sales company
told me that while it does lengthen the run time it reduces the cycle time
so you come out about the same. There is a small drop in efficiency with
big tanks because with longer run times the cylinder heats up more and the
actual volume of ambient temperature air goes down. The advantage for me is
that I don't have the big pressure drop from the long run to the shop..

I put a 60 G tank on my basement air network in
anticipation of installing a main compressor out
in the garage when it's finished. Currently I
fill the system from a little portable electric
compressor. Once it brings the system up to full
pressure, it runs for no more time than if the
"surge tank" was not there, but it does allow for
intermittent very high consumption with minimal
pressure drop, and it will provide a cushion when
the air is (eventually) coming through 200' of
1/2" black iron pipe. (The little compressor has
been running during work hours for six years now
with nothing but normal maintenance.)
--
--Pete
"Peter W. Meek"
http://www.msen.com/~pwmeek/