Shop compressed air pressure setting?

[David Lageman]

Although I only have a pancake unit which is always turned on, I'm going home tonight and turning it off after reading this thread!!!

[Bill Dufour]

Higher pressure does save money by using a smaller, cheaper tank size. But all that energy to compress the air above the final use pressure is wasted as soon as it goes through a regulator.
Bill D
PS: a two stage pump saves energy at around 5 hp.

[Michael W. Clark]

In large systems with multiple compressors, they use storage tanks at higher pressure so the extra capacity will smooth out the high demand peaks. They do this as an alternative to buying a new compressor and can sometimes allow you to turn off a compressor. This only works if you have a cyclic demand for air. You still have to have enough compressor to handle the base load and build tank storage during the low demand times.

I have done this on several systems when I worked as plant engineer in foundries. Foundries use a lot of compressed air.

[Mike Rambour]

I run tank pressure in my shop, so 175 in the lines, regulated down at every drop, so I have a lot of regulators probably would have been better to have one regulator at the compressor and nothing nothing on the drops but quite happy the way it is.

[John K Jordan]

I run tank pressure in my shop, so 175 in the lines, regulated down at every drop, so I have a lot of regulators probably would have been better to have one regulator at the compressor and nothing nothing on the drops but quite happy the way it is.

I like that method. I might set the one at the lathe to a lower pressure and use a higher pressure where I air up big tires and blow dust out of radiators.

[Tom M King]

I have 175 in the tank, 110 in the main lines, and regulators for different things, at different places. I could have done it like Mike, but drops kept getting added later, after the first one, so there is still a regulator on the tank output.

[Robert Engel]

I used to leave mine on all the time. Everything was fine for 15+ years, until the pressure switch malfunctioned and the compressor wouldn't shut off.

That was a $600 mistake........

[Bruce Page]

I used to leave mine on all the time. Everything was fine for 15+ years, until the pressure switch malfunctioned and the compressor wouldn't shut off.

That was a $600 mistake........

I did the same until one of my yellow coil air hoses popped off of the quick connects brass barb. Luckily I was in the shop at the time.
I did have to change clothes.

[Tom Bender]

For blowoff nozzles 30 psi is the right number, not sure if that was a company rule or an OSHA reg.

[Jerome Stanek]

I run mine at 125 in the lines but the compressor pumps to 175. I have a light by my shop door that is lit when the compressor switch is on to remind me to shut the power off when i leave also I have a solenoid valve that shut the air off when I shut the lights down.