Silencing an air compressor - what to do?

[Reflexx]

gents!

What have you come up with to shut up an air compressor? I've got an 80 gallon, 4 cyl, cast iron, CH unit. It's still loud (at night the neighbors will complain). I don't want it inside my shop with me anymore.

I'm thinking a concrete block "bunker" with a thick door and some sort of ducting?

Any suggestions???

thanks,

REFLEXX

[Old Scout]

If it's oil-less just replace the pump and it will be quite.

[redrangie]

best thing I did on my oiled unit was to stick a pvc tube in the air inlet, and route it outside. Changed the harmonics of the filter/silencer, and made it silent except for the motor noise, which is not really loud at all.

[Pook]

My friend built a small shed and just insulated the hell out it. works good for a 15 hp compressor. In the summer he had to add a small barn fan and thermostat to keep it cool though

[randii]

There are lots of options -- putting the compressor in a dog-house outside is probably the easiest, but if you keep the compressor inside, it is pretty simple to stifle intake noise, and more difficult to handle pump and motor noise. Whatever you do, be sure to factor in airflow and heat-shedding ability.

Search for more info, both here and on the net:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=318465
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=391037

Randii

[Kendo]

The intake is the biggest source of noise on a compressor. Put some kind of silencer on that and move it outside. Neighbors should be OK with it and you will too!

[hungryjpr]

For my oiless (As in LOUD) I framed up a simple room just big enough for the compressor & insulated it with sound board on the inside, drywall outside. Ran some small fans (one in & one out) hooked up to the pressure switch. Also extended the drain outside the "box" so I didn't have to open/close it all the time in case a project was too close to the door. Beforehand you needed earplugs just to be in the garage when it kicked on. I was able to have a conversation without yelling afterwards.
Having the room/box also added a place to stack stuff on top of, instead of dead space above the compressor. HTH
Mattb

[45acp]

Doghouse off the back of the shop works great.

I have my upright in a little closet inside the garage. The closet is for the CH/A unit. I put carpet scraps on the floor, then stapled more carpet scraps to the walls and the backside of the door. You can barely hear the thing run now. Before i used the carpet scraps it was still fairly loud. I thought about plumbing the intake to the outside, but carpet was easier.

[jmhinescj]

I was going to do something similar to this with my 30 gallon oiless craftsman comp. but it burnt up before I had a chance:

http://www.rvproject.com/compressor.html