Thread: help me choose air compressor

Tweet

wow.. thanks soo much for you help... Industen i love your work... i actually purchased it yesterday... got the same compressor from craigslist for $35... so if i want to add a tank to it, in general.. what size should i get if my air compressor is only a 8-10 gallon tank????...

i have been a member for some time, i am just lazy about putting up pictures of my props but i will be better this year i promise....lol.. thanks everyone..

Hey no problem that's what I'm here for

You can add storage tanks to any air system later if your compressor is lacking. I usually use 5gal tanks but there are 11gal out there. It is a cheap way to raise the storage capacity of your system other then buying two compressors.

The great thing about it is the tanks share the air throughout your haunt. So when one prop activates it rips the air either out of the main tank or the tank closest to it. Meaning the PSI will remain higher then waiting for the main tank to fill your lines back up.

I have a bunch of them and they work perfect. I can even shut off my main tank at the end of the night and get plenty of activations before depleting the main tank and storage tanks.

When you loop all of your aux tanks together do you install a one way valve to keep pressure from going back to the main tank? Not sure if it matters, but I saw the suggestion in another thread.

You really do not need a check valve, but I usually put one after the main tank just in case. If you ever run 2 compressors on the same line then you must install a check valve on each compressor. More room for error when using 2 or more compressors.

As long as you keep the main units PSI above the rest of the system it will not back feed. Part of the reason I use aux tanks is so it can bounce around the yard to go where is needs be.

Ideally a loop is the best way, this way air travels both ways instead of one.

It's depends on how the rate of air you're using (CFM). Air cylinder props are one thing, but webcasters, air tools, and air cannons are another. The compressor I used in my pirate/treasure chest display was a Campbell Hausfeld I picked up for $30 (new) at a swap meet. It's really slow, and doesn't hold much air, either. But because I was just running small air cylinders, it still only needed to charge itself up every half an hour or hour.

But if you're running a webcaster, that's going to require a constant stream of air. Air cannons, too, will require a higher CFM (cubic feet per minute). The small CH was less than 1 CFM (ok for small cylinders, no good for constant stream of air). There's a bigger CH that's 4.3 CFM, and that can keep up with even an air duster, as long as you don't hold down the trigger *all* the time.

- Hook

Hook is right I think. CFM is what you want to compare. Usually a compressor shows ratings of CFM for 90psi and 40psi. When shopping, you will see that the more expensive compressors have higher CFM ratings. Last year I did some shopping and decided that the best CFM value for the money was at Harbor Freight Tools. If you're looking at painting and don't want to have to stop frequently and wait for the compressor to build up sufficient pressure, I recommend a compressor that will do at least 5 SCFM @ 90psi and 6 @ 40psi.