Air compressor silencer

[DXF]

Just acquired this heavy monster. I am planning on placing it in a corner and walling off 2 sides with sound deadening material panels. Not sure how I'll vent it yet. Anyone made panels that work at muffling the sound? Is it better to place the compressor on rubber mount bushings? Thanks

Dave Hanks

[CNCCAJUN]

Have not done mine yet, but after much research I have found that the majority of noise generated by a compressor is at the INTAKE ! ! ! I have a new QUINCY 7.5 that will get your attention inside a metal building.

They make ($150.00_) or you could make a silencer. It is simply a muffler. Supposably reduces the noise considerably.

As to sound dampening material, OWEN "The Pink Panther" makes a sound deadening material that is not that expensive and can be bought at a home center that carries their products.

If you really need quite, do both insulation and a silencer . . .

http://homedepot.owenscorning.com/acoustic-performance/

Rubber pads, studs in slab to keep it from walking. Use nuts and washers, but DO NOT TIGHTEN, LEAVE 1/8" to 1/4" gap. The nuts and washers are ONLY in case something or someone runs into it so it want topple over.

First instinct is to tighten, my QUINCY dealer has a 5hp in their shop they show people so they can see what happens when you secure a compressor to the floor. It tears it's self apart.

The pads will reduce transfer of vibration to floor. Compressor vibration transmitted to the floor could begin showing up in your cut quality. No, I did not believe it either, but it does.

Hope that helps . . .
Steve

[Shane Warnick]

Yes on the rubber. If you can just put it on a rubber mat before you bolt it down. Tractor supply has some nice ones for $20 for a 4'x4'x3/8" piece. Helps reduce the vibration and sound transfer through the slab.

Foam wallboard works ok for sound, I have had good luck also with the tiles that are used for a drop ceiling, they soak up quite a bit of sound but are not really durable for stuff banging into them etc. Outside would be better, if you could rig a lean to off the side of the shop so the roof would keep the rain off, then it would be a whole lot quieter. I worked at a place where the compressor was inside, if it's what you have to do then it is what it is, but man it was miserable. If it has to go inside, you are going to want some earmuffs when you are doing much cutting.
Shane

[jimcolt]

I silenced mine very effectively 5 years ago. Moved it outside under a roof overhang. It runs at 20 below zero occasionally....starts a little hard but have not had any issues. Much nicer inside now!

Jim Colt

[abmetal]

I left mine on the pallet it was shipped on and put it in a back room.

Allen

[CNCCAJUN]

Mine is inside. I live in a subdivision & I know my neighbors would not appreciate it outside.

I went with a 7.5 HP Quincy wit an 80 gallon tank.

A little overkill, but my thinking is I will recover faster & with 80 gallons @ 175 PSI I may last a little long between runs.

Know soon if my thinking is right. Will put an intake silencer on & walls if necessary.

Steve

[Metriccar]

My Quincy is pretty quiet. It's a 5hp though. If you had it running with the garage closed and went outside, I'd be surprised if it made any more noise than a car going down the street.

[CNCCAJUN]

My Quincy is pretty quiet. It's a 5hp though. If you had it running with the garage closed and went outside, I'd be surprised if it made any more noise than a car going down the street.

I agree . . . when my roll-up door is closed you can barely tell if it is running 20' away . . .

I'm going to try to borrow a real decibel meter to do a before and after with the silencer . . .

Steve

[dewser]

I mounted my Quincy on Hockey Pucks... Worked great

[CNCCAJUN]

I mounted my Quincy on Hockey Pucks... Worked great

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum! Where would you get a Hockey Puck in Louisiana . . .

[beefy]

The tank might amplify the sound a bit. My tank is separate and I buried it underground, definitely helps give more floor space It's also great for condensing the moisture out of the air.

I mounted the skid on inflatable tyres to help with vibration transmission. Google for silencing compressors, generators, etc and you should find a few enclosure designs that allow for air circulation too.

Keith.

[steelfx]

I had a 7.5 h.p. IR in my last shop 3 yrs. back. Really noisy until I ran the Air Intake outside. It was only an 18" run of 3/4" Galv. Iron Pipe & the Air Intake Housing & Filter were under an overhang. That cut the noise by at least 50%. Auto-Drain on the bottom of the tank, set at 15 Second duration every 30 minutes. That sound is something I could never get used to. Buggered me a little every time it spit!

Bill

[Stout]

I have 5hp IR 60 gallon vertical that is in it's own 5x5' room behind the shop with the rotary phase converter. I've never bolted it down and it does not walk around. You cannot hear it run through the CMU walls. Ventilation is must.

[BrianMick]

I mounted my Quincy on Hockey Pucks... Worked great

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum! Where would you get a Hockey Puck in Louisiana . . .

ever hear of ebay?
Brian

[DXF]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm wondering if you could just enclose the motor and pump if it were vented right. And also place the compressor on rubber mounts.

Dave

[steelfx]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm wondering if you could just enclose the motor and pump if it were vented right. And also place the compressor on rubber mounts.

Dave

If you're close to a farm & ranch store, get a stall mat or horse-trailer mat (same thing).

They're built tough & not very expensive. You want to isolate, not mount...meaning: don't run any bolts into the concrete with too much torque. The compressor needs to "float", not be too tight with the floor or it will shake itself to death.

bw

[CNCCAJUN]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm wondering if you could just enclose the motor and pump if it were vented right. And also place the compressor on rubber mounts.

Dave

If you're close to a farm & ranch store, get a stall mat or horse-trailer mat (same thing).

They're built tough & not very expensive. You want to isolate, not mount...meaning: don't run any bolts into the concrete with too much torque. The compressor needs to "float", not be too tight with the floor or it will shake itself to death.

bw

Please listen to the part of NOT BOLTING THE COMPRESSOR FIRMLY TO THE SLAB. Place on rubber something. Use stud in concrete to keep it from acting like an old electric football game. The nut is only to incase it tries to topple over. I left 3/16" of play. I have in this order from slab up . . . a vibration pad (rubber), compressor leg, another rubber washer, metal washer, then the nylon insert nut.

[_Ogre]

i have stairs headed up to the hay loft in my barn. i enclosed the stairs to keep heat in and hung a plywood door. my compressor room gets a little warm in the summer. but i can converse or listen to music without adjusting the volume.

[abmagrum]

If you have a good one that doesnt vibrate across the room,
just leave it on the palate.
done it for 30 years.

[mossie]

HI SORRY I AM CONFUSED DO YOU RAP THE ISULASION ARROUND THE COMPESSOR PUMP (PISTON) WIL IT NOT OVER HEAT

[DXF]

HI SORRY I AM CONFUSED DO YOU RAP THE ISULASION ARROUND THE COMPESSOR PUMP (PISTON) WIL IT NOT OVER HEAT

Build a box around the pump and motor with insulation. Vent it so it stays cool.

Dave Hanks

[_Ogre]

even a box needs to be plenty big to prevent the compressor from overheating and then vent it well to the outside
the more heat you keep in your tank the more moisture you will have in your lines

[beefy]

even a box needs to be plenty big to prevent the compressor from overheating and then vent it well to the outside
the more heat you keep in your tank the more moisture you will have in your lines

A small box will be perfectly OK so long as the ventilation is adequate. The only time a big box would make any difference is if the ventilation was inadequate, but then a big box would only DELAY overheating on the inside due to the extra volume of airspace. If the temperature can continue rising in any size box there's not enough airflow.

The key is ventilating the hot air as as fast as (or faster) than what it is generated.

Keith.

[RGR]

I have a Campbell and hausfield comp and I just put a small piece of electrical tap across the intake aboujt 1/2 way covering the hole ..it reduce the intake noise pretty good and it was cheap