Quiet Air Compressor – Pro-Tips
Commercial compressors and compressor equipment, in general, can be very loud. Today we introduce you to some tips on how to turn your loud compressor into a quiet air compressor. Read below for more…
If you have been around air compressors for some time, you would agree that they are loud and noisy. These industrial machines drive several processes across various sectors, including furnishing, automotive, and canned sectors. Air compressors practically work around the work at factories, almost without missing a beat.
Some experts believe or claim that the prolonged operation of air compressors is primarily responsible for the high level of noise they emit. Some reciprocating compressors can emit noises as high as 85 decibels.
Quick Tips for a Quieter Air Compressor
Noisy reciprocating air compressors should be operated outdoors, especially if they are portable and the weather permits it.
However, there are other tips you should consider for a more quiet air compressor:
1. Use Earplugs
Using earplugs to protect your hearing is a wise move whenever you need to operate your air compressor or any other noisy machine – such as vacuums, lawnmowers, etc. You don’t want to experience what it is like to have highly diminished hearing capabilities.
Do not think or believe that your ears can bear the volume of noise that emanates from your compressor or other noise machinery. Your hearing can diminish over time, just as it happens to human eyes. Hearing the noise from the noisy equipment every day gradually weakens the eardrums.
Therefore, use earplugs that will prevent you from exposing your eardrums to constant abuse via the amplified noise of your loud air compressor. Always have earplugs in your pocket and insert them in your ears just before you activate the compressor.
2. Do Not Always Work Too Close to the Air Compressor
Working too close to the air compressor exposes you to deafening noises. Experts recommend keeping the equipment at a reasonable distance from your specific worksite.
For instance, you may position your air compressor on your driveway while operating the compressor’s pneumatic tools via extension hoses. This significant distance can help minimize the noise by up to 25 percent.
3. Carry Out Maintenance Regularly
Air compressors undergo lots of grueling motion and heat as it sucks air via the inlet, compress the atmospheric air with a piston, and store the compressed air in a tank as energy.
Due to this combination of processes, the air compressor emits noise. When mechanisms within the machine go through the motions, specific components within the air compressor gradually undergo wear and tear.
After a while, the resulting noise from the air compressor increases significantly as it works a lot harder to keep up with the daily demands of every application.
The only way to prevent the machine’s noise from feeding into itself and getting worse is by ensuring the busiest components of the air compressor are maintained regularly.
This is what you need to do as they help minimize the noise that emanates from an air compressor:
4. Ensure the air filters are clean from time to time
Air compressors use air filters that primarily trap airborne dirt particles, preventing them from getting sucked in via the inlet valve and damaging the equipment.
The primary purpose of air filters is to ensure the cylinders are free of dirt. But then, after a while, the air filter traps so much air that it becomes inefficient in doing its work. Leaving the air filter clogged puts the entire system under severe strain as it strives to function optimally as the air gets blocked from passing right into the cylinders.
Moreover, stray dirt particles can start wandering through, making the air compressor start generating more noise.
Therefore, ensure you clear out the inlet air filter every 12 months or even less, depending considerably on operating conditions.
5. Lubricate the compressor regularly
Every air compressor is a combination of components, most of which are constructed from metal, just like every other machine. Thanks to lubrication, these metal parts rub against and move almost effortlessly around each other, making the equipment function as required effectively.
However, if these metal components are devoid of lubrication, the air compressor will need to work much harder as the parts grind against each other, weaken, and erode.
This places a lot of strain on the entire system, and the noise it makes increases. Soon enough, the air compressor wears down unceremoniously.
Therefore, lubricate the appropriate parts of your air compressor regularly using the recommended lubricant.
6. Wrap the Air Compressor with Sound Blankets
A sound blanket is a functional and versatile solution for ‘source’ noise control. It is a reusable and completely removable sound barrier that is easy to install and highly effective in absorbing mid and high-range frequencies. Sound blankets – otherwise known as noise covers or acoustic wraps – can also be used to minimize the roaring decibels that air compressors emit during operations.
You can drape sound blankets – also known as Velcro sealed noise blankets – across the walls where an air compressor or other loud equipment operates. This action reduces the frequencies comfortably for those outside the operating area of the machinery.
This makes sound blankets one of the most efficient anti-noise aids and is typically used in band rehearsal spaces and home recording studios where the blanket fibers absorb amplification. They block excess noise from reaching other parts of the building or the ears of neighbors who may be disturbed by the noise.
Wrapping Up: Quiet Air Compressor – Pro-Tips
Industrial air compressors can be an incredibly massive pain point for any factory. Excessive noise can be somewhat distracting and can even slow down your workflow as the work crew can find it challenging to communicate effectively during ongoing applications.
You should consider these pro-tips for a more quiet air compressor and implement as many of them as possible. This includes using air compressor noise suppressor methods as well as undergoing regular maintenance.
You may not follow every pro tip: implement one or two or even three pro tips, and your air compressor will be quieter.
Consider using earplugs for your ears’ safety, especially when running the air compressor daily. This helps prevent any health issues that excessive noise may cause.
From industry standards like Ariel compressor parts to Gemini and White Superior compressor parts, we carry compressor parts you can trust and the service you can count on.
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