Any insights on the acoustic noise that different brands/models/types of air
compressors produce? I inheirited a single stage model, about 3 hp, 25 or
30 gallon tank. The thing make a lot of noise -- I mean a lot. I think it
is operating properly, as the person who gave it to me commented that the
new one (a two stage) was MUCH quieter.

Thanks,
Matthew

"Matthew Eash" writes:

Any insights on the acoustic noise that different brands/models/types of air
compressors produce? I inheirited a single stage model, about 3 hp, 25 or
30 gallon tank. The thing make a lot of noise -- I mean a lot. I think it
is operating properly, as the person who gave it to me commented that the
new one (a two stage) was MUCH quieter.

An oil lubricated compressor with belt drive will be a lot quieter than
a model with direct drive.

Brian Elfert

"Matthew Eash" wrote in message
...
Any insights on the acoustic noise that different brands/models/types of
air
compressors produce? I inheirited a single stage model, about 3 hp, 25 or
30 gallon tank. The thing make a lot of noise -- I mean a lot. I think
it
is operating properly, as the person who gave it to me commented that the
new one (a two stage) was MUCH quieter.


Quieter usually comes with parts that are made out of iron and not aluminum
and oil lubed.

On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 02:17:11 -0000, Brian Elfert wrote:

"Matthew Eash" writes:

Any insights on the acoustic noise that different brands/models/types of air
compressors produce? I inheirited a single stage model, about 3 hp, 25 or
30 gallon tank. The thing make a lot of noise -- I mean a lot. I think it
is operating properly, as the person who gave it to me commented that the
new one (a two stage) was MUCH quieter.

An oil lubricated compressor with belt drive will be a lot quieter than
a model with direct drive.


Are those still available? If so, who makes them? [Just filing away for
future reference for when, if ever, my sorry Craftsman oil-less decides to
quit]


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 02:17:11 -0000, Brian Elfert wrote:

"Matthew Eash" writes:

Any insights on the acoustic noise that different brands/models/types of
air
compressors produce? I inheirited a single stage model, about 3 hp, 25
or
30 gallon tank. The thing make a lot of noise -- I mean a lot. I think
it
is operating properly, as the person who gave it to me commented that the
new one (a two stage) was MUCH quieter.

An oil lubricated compressor with belt drive will be a lot quieter than
a model with direct drive.


Are those still available? If so, who makes them? [Just filing away for
future reference for when, if ever, my sorry Craftsman oil-less decides to
quit]

Are which still available? Or, yes both are made in large quantities.

"Matthew Eash" wrote in message
...

Any insights on the acoustic noise that different brands/models/types of
air
compressors produce? I inheirited a single stage model, about 3 hp, 25 or
30 gallon tank. The thing make a lot of noise -- I mean a lot. I think
it
is operating properly, as the person who gave it to me commented that the
new one (a two stage) was MUCH quieter.


How old and how used is the compressor you came across? Cheaper compressors
use aluminum heads and they slop more than cast iron, thus are louder -
increasingly so over time. Regardless, a compressor is loud - it's all a
matter of relatively *how* loud. Little ones are louder than a bigger 5 or
7 HP version mounted on a 60 or 80 gallon tank, simply because of the mass
that the bigger compressor has to absorb a lot of the sound.

If you think about it, your compressor is not so different from your car
engine. You've got a piston being driven up and down by the motor via the
belt. It forces air into the tank. The sources of noise include the air
being forced into the tank - you're not going to do anything about that, the
noise of the compression process - you maybe can do something about that.
Search on line and find the owner's manual for your compressor or some specs
on it. Check your compression in the head. Maybe you've got worn rings.
If the compressor was ever allowed to run too hot, you could have bearings
with excess slop. Either worn bearings or worn rings will make quite a
racket. If the noise you hear is a very pronounced rattling noise, then I'd
be looking inside the compressor head. Most all of them are rebuildable and
if you have any mechanical skills, it's not a big job.

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

How old and how used is the compressor you came across? Cheaper
compressors
use aluminum heads and they slop more than cast iron, thus are louder -
increasingly so over time.

Actually compressors with aluminum cylinders tend to decelope the slop.
Since the piston and or rings never come in contact with the head there is
no slop to develope.

Regardless, a compressor is loud - it's all a
matter of relatively *how* loud. Little ones are louder than a bigger 5
or
7 HP version mounted on a 60 or 80 gallon tank, simply because of the mass
that the bigger compressor has to absorb a lot of the sound.

Not recesirially true. Most of the noise I hear from compressors comes from
the air intake. Remove the air intake filter/muffler and the noise will
probably double. My 20 gallon compressor is much quieter than my older 80
gallon compressor.

"Leon" wrote in message
. com...

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

How old and how used is the compressor you came across? Cheaper
compressors
use aluminum heads and they slop more than cast iron, thus are louder -
increasingly so over time.

Actually compressors with aluminum cylinders tend to decelope the slop.
Since the piston and or rings never come in contact with the head there is
no slop to develope.

Yup - I used the word head in vague reference to the compressor head, not
the cylinder head. My bad.


Regardless, a compressor is loud - it's all a
matter of relatively *how* loud. Little ones are louder than a bigger 5
or
7 HP version mounted on a 60 or 80 gallon tank, simply because of the
mass
that the bigger compressor has to absorb a lot of the sound.

Not recesirially true. Most of the noise I hear from compressors comes
from
the air intake. Remove the air intake filter/muffler and the noise will
probably double. My 20 gallon compressor is much quieter than my older 80
gallon compressor.


OK, but I was speaking on the assumption of all else being equal - equally
new and similarly constructed in terms of things like the airfilter
assembly, etc. My 60 gallon compressor is only a fraction of the noise
level that my old 30 gallon was. However - remove the intakes off of it and
you can't even be in the garage while it's cycling.

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

OK, but I was speaking on the assumption of all else being equal - equally
new and similarly constructed in terms of things like the airfilter
assembly, etc. My 60 gallon compressor is only a fraction of the noise
level that my old 30 gallon was. However - remove the intakes off of it
and
you can't even be in the garage while it's cycling.


Agreed. Which reminds me of an automobile dealer I worked for in the late
70's. They had 1 massive compressor the powered the mechanical and body
shop. The tank was about 12' long and stood about 4' tall. Twin pumps and
2 motors setting on top. It was located up stairs of all places, in the
Parts Department. For what I thought was convenience they had a rope coming
through the concrete floor to the first floor that was connected to the
switch. They would start the compressor by pulling the rope. One morning I
was up stairs before the compressor had been turned on and I heard some one
yell at me to turn the compressor on. You had to kinda lean towards the
compressor to reach the lever on the box. When I flipped the switch the
compressor exploded to life and I just about soiled my pants. Unbelievably
loud and all so sudden. I learned right then that the rope was not for
convenience. When I went back down stairs there was a small crowd waiting
to see the expression on my face.

"Leon" wrote in message
. com...



Agreed. Which reminds me of an automobile dealer I worked for in the late
70's. They had 1 massive compressor the powered the mechanical and body
shop. The tank was about 12' long and stood about 4' tall. Twin pumps
and
2 motors setting on top. It was located up stairs of all places, in the
Parts Department. For what I thought was convenience they had a rope
coming
through the concrete floor to the first floor that was connected to the
switch. They would start the compressor by pulling the rope. One morning
I
was up stairs before the compressor had been turned on and I heard some
one
yell at me to turn the compressor on. You had to kinda lean towards the
compressor to reach the lever on the box. When I flipped the switch the
compressor exploded to life and I just about soiled my pants.
Unbelievably
loud and all so sudden. I learned right then that the rope was not for
convenience. When I went back down stairs there was a small crowd waiting
to see the expression on my face.



Don't it suck to be the new guy? Fess up now - how many new guys were you a
part of pulling that one on afterwards?

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

Don't it suck to be the new guy? Fess up now - how many new guys were you
a
part of pulling that one on afterwards?


Well I was not in that location long enough. We had 4 dealerships and I
traveled between them occasionally. I was only there for a short period of
time.

On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 16:41:03 GMT, "Leon" wrote:

yeah, a top post.. *g*

I am SO glad that I read this yesterday.... my old HF compressor is LOUD...

After reading the stuff about intake noise, I remembered the plastic intake
thing with the foam filter that the compressor had for about 3 days before the
kids broke it off...
I threaded a 3/8" pipe elbow into the hole in the cylinder and added a 6"
plastic pipe nipple.. roaring got a little better but still loud..
I rolled up a pad of synthetic steel wool and stuffed it down the pipe... looked
so cool that I followed it with a 2nd one...
Damned compressor is at maybe 1/3 of the noise it was making and at a different,
less annoying tone... used it last night for some brad driving and it seemed to
perform fine and was much more "user friendly"..
THANKS, guys..


"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
.. .

OK, but I was speaking on the assumption of all else being equal - equally
new and similarly constructed in terms of things like the airfilter
assembly, etc. My 60 gallon compressor is only a fraction of the noise
level that my old 30 gallon was. However - remove the intakes off of it
and
you can't even be in the garage while it's cycling.


Agreed. Which reminds me of an automobile dealer I worked for in the late
70's. They had 1 massive compressor the powered the mechanical and body
shop. The tank was about 12' long and stood about 4' tall. Twin pumps and
2 motors setting on top. It was located up stairs of all places, in the
Parts Department. For what I thought was convenience they had a rope coming
through the concrete floor to the first floor that was connected to the
switch. They would start the compressor by pulling the rope. One morning I
was up stairs before the compressor had been turned on and I heard some one
yell at me to turn the compressor on. You had to kinda lean towards the
compressor to reach the lever on the box. When I flipped the switch the
compressor exploded to life and I just about soiled my pants. Unbelievably
loud and all so sudden. I learned right then that the rope was not for
convenience. When I went back down stairs there was a small crowd waiting
to see the expression on my face.


Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

Even Sears still offers oiled compressors.

--
If at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving
"Leon" wrote in message
m...

"Mark & Juanita" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 02:17:11 -0000, Brian Elfert
wrote:

"Matthew Eash" writes:

Any insights on the acoustic noise that different brands/models/types
of
air
compressors produce? I inheirited a single stage model, about 3 hp, 25
or
30 gallon tank. The thing make a lot of noise -- I mean a lot. I
think
it
is operating properly, as the person who gave it to me commented that
the
new one (a two stage) was MUCH quieter.

An oil lubricated compressor with belt drive will be a lot quieter than
a model with direct drive.


Are those still available? If so, who makes them? [Just filing away
for
future reference for when, if ever, my sorry Craftsman oil-less decides
to
quit]

Are which still available? Or, yes both are made in large quantities.