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Need Stationary Compressor Advice

J

Jerry White

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38
Location
Texas
I have a question for those of you with knowledge of stationary compressor installations. I will be installing an IR 3 hp, 60 gallon stationary unit in my shop soon. I have a concrete slab floor and the information that I have says to bolt/anchor the compressor to the floor. I have never dealt with this before, but it seems to me that there should be a shock absorber of some sort between the floor and the compressor feet to reduce vibration and noise.

What, if anything, have you used or recommend for this?
 
Hi Jerry. I have the 5 HP IR compressor. I installed it about 3 years ago in the garage part of the shop building. I bought 4 shock mounts from Granger each rated such that the total of the 4 would be double the weight of the compressor and tank.
I cut 2 2X4s for mounting the shock mounts and compressor. The 2 bys are long enough to assure the compressor is about 8" from the wall. What I ended up with was the 2 2X4s perpendicular to the wall with the compressor with shock mounts screwed to the 2X4s. It has sat there for 3 years and hasn't moved any measurable amount. With the shock mounts the compressor leans a little at start up and shut down due to motor/compressor torquing, not enough to be concerned about and it does show that the shock mounts are working. BTW, the 2X4 base is not bolted to the concrete floor. Because of the small shifting, I bought a 2', 3/4', Stainless steel braided Teflon hose section, from McMasters and Carr, to make the transition from the compressor tank valve to the filter/regular assembly mounted on the wall. From there on, everything is 1/2" copper.

These units are NOISY, and you really want them out of the shop, if you can do it.

I hope this helps and doesn't confuse.:)
 
Thanks for the advice, Ken. Your experience is especially applicable to my situation, as it sounds like we will have a similiar setup. I would like to mount the compressor on 4x4's so that it will allow better access to the bottom for drainage. As far as noise, the compressor will have to go in the shop. I may be forced to build a closet around it. I am hoping that at least the IR is many, many db's quieter that my oilless portable unit. :)

Jerry
 
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I left mine right on the pallet. hooked up some additional drain plumbing and rock-on. Piped it to user drops with 3/4"copper (ADDITIONAL STORAGE). Heavy flex hose to copper. All verticle runs have a drain, Works great.
I wear ear gear anytime it's running so the noise is not a issue.:thumb:
 
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Thanks, Tyler. After listening to you guys, perhaps I may have been making things more complicated that necessary. If so, it would not be the first time.
 
Jerry,

I have a IR 5hp 80gal single stage which is a pretty heavy unit. For my pads I went down to Home Depot and bought a 12 inch length of heavy rubber like pad that they lay down to walk on. It is in the fooring department. I cut eight pieces the size to fit under each bolt down attachment and put two pieces under each one and directly bolted it directly to the concrete floor with lag bolts in lead "whatever they are called". While I had it up off of the floor, like Tyler, I also added extra plumbing in place of the drain plug and put a gate shut off valve out from under the tank where I could get to it. It is a solid instalation with no vibration or movement.

There is a requirement about the minimum distance from a wall but I do not remember the exact figure. I remember that it really messed up where I wanted to put it. I called IR and ask them if it was really important and they said "yes". I do not know why they have the restriction buy you might want to pay attention to it - or not.
 
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Allen Bookout said:
There is a requirement about the minimum distance from a wall but I do not remember the exact figure. I remember that it really messed up where I wanted to put it. I called IR and ask them if it was really important and they said "yes". I do not know why they have the restriction buy you might want to pay attention to it - or not.
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Yep! I just went out and checked the instructions and sure enough, IR specifies a minimum of 12 inches clearance to the wall. I had missed that specification. And like you, Allen, I had not planned on quite that much space between the compressor and the wall. I had planned a spacing of 8 or 10 inches. Hmmm.....I'll have to think about this. :doh:

Thanks for pointing that out, Allen.

Jerry
 
Jerry,
I have enclosed compressors and hydraulic pumps in cabinets and small rooms. Provide plenty of clearance around the unit, both for ventilation of heat and access for maintenance. Some cabinets were “lift-off”. Staggered waffle wall construction of 2x2’s on 2x4 plates, with fiberglass insulation woven past the studs. Plywood exterior and asphalt impregnated (soundboard) board interior. Positive ventilation by fan and exhaust port. Both sides of vent system baffled for sound absorption.

Cut pads from reinforced rubber cow mat for beneath compressor feet. Cut same material for pads above feet and place large steel fender washer above this upper pad, so when the unit is secured on studs embedded in concrete floor the stud will not transmit (much) vibration to the floor. The upper washer may also be constructed of 3/16 to ½” barstock.

Frank Chaffee
 
WOW! That blows my idea of where I was going to put the compressor in my shop. Had no idea it needed that much room around it....Hmmmmm. Well, less space taken up in my finishing room! Will have to see if I can add a closet type space on the pad to the north of the finishing room, and plumb it in from there.
Glad you all brought up this fact. I would have never known until it was too late, or close to it!
How hard would it be to pipe the air from my shed that is 8' away from the shop? I could probably go underground with the pipe, but what would need to be used for this? Or just go above ground and insulate the pipe with the foam pipe wrap? Jim.
 
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Jerry White said:
Yep! I just went out and checked the instructions and sure enough, IR specifies a minimum of 12 inches clearance to the wall. I had missed that specification. And like you, Allen, I had not planned on quite that much space between the compressor and the wall. I had planned a spacing of 8 or 10 inches. Hmmm.....I'll have to think about this. :doh:

Thanks for pointing that out, Allen.

Jerry
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Jerry, I think you can "cheat" a little by measuring from the fan that is built into the pulley on the compressor, or even the cage around the pulleys and belts. I think the IR people want a 12" wall distance to assure sufficient free air follow into the fan.
 
Jim O'Dell said:
How hard would it be to pipe the air from my shed that is 8' away from the shop? I could probably go underground with the pipe, but what would need to be used for this? Or just go above ground and insulate the pipe with the foam pipe wrap? Jim.
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Jim,
I’m going to house both my compressor and cyclone in a concrete block cabinet about 8 feet from my shop. The ducting, airline, and wiring will be in a chase that enters the shop ~9 feet above grade. Burying airlines presents the problem of draining the inevitable condensation in the pipe.

Frank
 
Point well taken Frank. Hadn't thought through the condensation part of it yet, just the logistics of being in the next building. I could easily run the piping on the fence rail between the 2 buildings. Thanks for the info! Jim.
 
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