"silent" air compressor?

[Tai Fu]

So exactly how does it work? I have seen a few silent compressors for sale in Taiwan that looks like a regular direct drive compressor with two compressing units... then there's the belt driven kind that is essentially a regular belt driven compressor, but housed inside a metal box with acoustic foam around it, and an external tank. How quite are those? They really look like just a normal compressor that's housed in a box...

[Elbert Weinberger]

I just order a super quiet one from California Air. Comes in soon, I will let you know.

[Rich Riddle]

The only silent compressor I know of is an inoperable compressor. I have a very quiet compressor compared to most purchased in the past. When it's operating you can have a conversation in a normal voice when you are only a couple feet from it. It's in a garage workshop and a few times it's been powered on during the night. It doesn't wake the wife, and the master bedroom only sits on the other side of the wall.

[Charles Lent]

If "Quiet" is the primary concern, look into Jun-Air compressors. They aren't cheap, but they are VERY QUIET.
Mine makes about as much noise as a refrigerated drinking fountain. The first time that I turned it on I thought there was something wrong with it. Then I felt air coming out of the tank bleed. When I closed the bleed the gauge began to show pressure. The bleed off, when the compressor reaches full pressure and shuts off, is way louder than the compressor is when it's running. Mine is one of the smaller ones, so it isn't my only compressor, but it's the one that I use for my air engraver and air brushing work. If I need to use a brad nailer or stapler I'll frequently use it too.

Charley

[glenn bradley]

I just order a super quiet one from California Air. Comes in soon, I will let you know.

Which model did you go with?

[John McClanahan]

The Rolair JC10 is suppose to be quiet, that is for air compressors. I think Rolair has a video of it in action on their web site. The one from California Air may use the same compressor, so I have read.

John

[Tai Fu]

This is what I'm talking about... It is essentially a standard belt driven compressor that's housed inside a metal box to make it quiet. I know they have oil less silent compressor, and I have heard one. They are quiet, so quiet you can barely hear them. The problem is they really don't put out that much air, and oil less direct drive compressor just have lower overall lifetime because that teflon wears out, means poor duty cycle. I really needed the increased airflow and duty cycle of a belt drive compressor... Also realize that a lot of those oil less things have aluminum housing in addition to teflon sleeves... which only aggravates the lifespan problem.

You'll be surprised how much air an engraver needs! It's the size of an airbrush and I seriously thought it would only draw as much as an airbrush, but eats quite a bit of air! No way you can run that on a direct drive for any length of time.

By the way I do not own this compressor... it is a picture I found on ebay to show you what it means...


277859

This is what I have:

277862

It's a Swan Air SVP 205 (or actually a clone, it has the exact construction/spec as that model but just different brand, paint color, and more importantly, price). Does 8CFM at 90 PSI and I can blow air until I'm tired before it will turn on. Probably won't run a sander but it will run everything else like paint guns and engravers. It also fills up pretty fast... time from cut in to cut out is about 30 seconds, tank is 20 gallons. It is unfortunately a single stage... However the pump is 100% cast iron. No idea if it has a steel liner.

This compressor is actually intended for motorcycle repair, however while it's nowhere near as loud as a 3000 RPM direct drive, it's still 90 decibels... so if I can lower it by even 20 decibels then it will be much better.

[joe milana]

I've tried to quiet an oil-less air compressor with a wooden enclosure & acoustical foam for use in an office building. It helped some, but was still pretty loud & the neighboring office still complained. Then I bought a panther compressor pictured below. It uses refrigerator compressors and is QUIET. Maybe slightly louder than a microwave & they last forever, but not cheap. I think I paid about 1k for it.
277890

[HANK METZ]

I've tried to quiet an oil-less air compressor with a wooden enclosure & acoustical foam for use in an office building. It helped some, but was still pretty loud & the neighboring office still complained. Then I bought a panther compressor pictured below. It uses refrigerator compressors and is QUIET. Maybe slightly louder than a microwave & they last forever, but not cheap. I think I paid about 1k for it.
277890


I used to work in the medical/ dental products world, noise factor was big with dentists and at the time noiseless compressors were not cheap, but times have changed and the one in this link (http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Noiseless-Less-Dental-Compressor/dp/B003K1MA22#productDetails) looks reasonably priced at $485.00

[joe milana]

Interesting Frank. The compressor you link to uses the same pump that a dental porcelain firing kiln uses. They must just run it in reverse. Can't imagine it being much for CFM though.

[Ty Williams]

I've got a California Air compressor that I picked up to do trim work in the house so I wouldn't have to move the big compressor I have in the shop (pro mechanic) into the house and have it thundering away. The thing is actually astonishingly quiet. Not library quiet, but so quiet you can be right next to it without ear pro and talk in a normal voice, etc. The nice thing is that it's still relatively fast for the application and (aluminum model) light enough to carry around without stressing my back (herniated disc). I don't think it'd support two pros going hell bent for leather with framing nailers, but short of that, it'll pump fast enough to stay ahead of any other nailing work.

My only (severe) disappointment with it is that the regulator they supply is a piece of junk and MASSIVELY undersized for the job. For now, I just crank the reg on it wide open and then use a tiny Wilkerson reg at the tool. Replacing the regulator built into it has been on my todo list for months but I've never gotten to it yet.

[Frank Trinkle]

The Rolair JC10 is suppose to be quiet, that is for air compressors. I think Rolair has a video of it in action on their web site. The one from California Air may use the same compressor, so I have read.

John

I own the Rolair JC10. Is it quiet?? Incredibly quiet!! It also only takes less than 45 seconds to regenerate, and will run a brad nailer virtually non-stop. I don't use heavy air tools with it, but for filling a tire, using a blower nozzle, or powering a brad or pin nailer, it's perfect. You can stand right next to it and have a conversation in normal volume. Quite a surprise and highly recommended!

http://www.toolnut.com/Rolair_JC10_1HP_Oil_Less_2_5_Gallon_Air_Compressor _p/jc10.htm