reduce noise from air compressor

What You Can Do To Reduce The Noise From Your Air Compressors

Table of Contents

Air compressors are used in a variety of industries, including automotive, canned goods, and furniture. As a result, air compressors of various kinds and sizes operate at factories, industrial facilities, minute by minute, hour by hour.

All Air Compressors is an expert air compressor repairs in Sydney, NSW. We specialise in compressed air servicing and repairs, air piping installation, and also line filter installation.


Compressors can become a source of noise after a lengthy period of operation, causing significant levels of noise at times. However, much of this can be reduced and even eliminated with the following air compressor sound reduction techniques:

– Place the air compressor in a room apart from the work area.
– Keep a good distance between the compressor and your workspace.
– In a soundproof cage, place the compressor.
– Sound blankets can be used to buffer the compressor’s noise.

When working near an air compressor, personnel should wear earplugs as an extra precaution.

Most of the loudest compressors are reciprocating compressors, which may produce noises of up to 85 dB. These machines should only be used in secluded work areas with a considerable noise barrier from adjacent rooms and floors within the same house or building. Portable reciprocating air compressors can also be used outside if the weather permits. Because soundproof casings are built into the design, rotary screw compressors are often quieter. Rotating screw units can reach 70 to 75 dB at their loudest.

 

Invest in a pair of earplugs

When using an air compressor or any other noisy machine — lawnmowers, food blenders, vacuum cleaners, etc. — earplugs are recommended to protect your hearing. Even if you think your ears are strong enough to handle the volume, they are similar to your eyes. Hearing deteriorates over time in the same manner that eyesight deteriorates. Constant abuse can hasten the deterioration of the eardrum, just as it can hasten the deteriorating of the eyesight. As a result, just as you shouldn’t read from a computer screen in the dark or strain to read the small print from afar, you shouldn’t expose your ears to the amplified noises of noisy machinery.

Earplugs can be purchased at a hardware shop or through an online retailer. When you enter your work area, keep these in your pocket and put them in your ears right before turning on the air compressor. As anyone who has had difficulties hearing as a result of years of noise exposure will tell you, you’re lucky if you can’t imagine what it’s like to have your hearing talents deteriorate.

 

Keep a safe distance from the air compressor while working

When using an air compressor, keeping the unit at a safe distance from your work area is one of the easiest ways to reduce noise. For example, if you have a garage and a driveway, the machine might be in the former while you operate outside using pneumatic tools driven by extension hoses. From your perspective, the distance alone might cut noise by as much as 25%. The noise could be decreased even further by lowering the garage door to just above the level where cords and hoses can pass through.

The weather will also influence whether working outside or inside is more practical. Consider setting up your workspace in the garage, with the air compressor across the room, to stay a safe distance from it while working indoors. It’s typical to limit operation to hours when no one else is home unless sound blankets or other noise absorbers are used.

 

Place the Compressor in a Soundproof Enclosure

Placing a smaller, home-use air compressor inside a soundproof enclosure during operation is the most effective technique to reduce noise. An enclosure can be created by hand with the correct boards and foaming material if they are cut to the right measurements. For example, a horizontal portable compressor could be placed inside a handmade box constructed of a 12 mm medium density fiberboard. For maximum effect, the walls should be double–plated for a total board thickness of 24 mm, in addition to a layer of inner–padding consisting of convoluted foam board.

When the noise generated by an air compressor is decreased or eliminated during each operation, a lot more work can be done, especially if other people are involved in the project. In a workshop scenario, for example, the lower noise levels allow you to hear your coworkers when each application is applied using the machine’s tools. If someone has a question about the job, you can answer it as you demonstrate, and the compressor won’t have to be turned off for you and your coworkers to hear each other.

 

Sound Blankets Should Be Wrapped Around the Compressor

While using a soundproof enclosure is the most efficient technique to minimize compressor noise, sound blankets, which muffle volume by absorbing high and mid-range frequencies, can nevertheless effectively reduce roaring decibels. The frequencies are comfortably decreased for individuals on the outside when draped across walls within a space that houses a compressor or other loud piece of machinery. As a result, sound blankets have become popular anti-noise aids in home recording studios and band rehearsal rooms, where amplification is absorbed by the blanket fibres and so shielded from other sections of the house and, more significantly, neighbours’ ears.

Sound blankets can be employed in a variety of ways with air compressors to absorb noise, particularly from the machine’s noisiest part: the piston cylinder. Placing sound blankets on the inside of a two-sided enclosure with two walls hinged together at a 45° angle is one way to employ them. Place the compressor in the far back corner of your garage, then use the blanket–buffered enclosure to block it off. This should lower sound to a level that is barely audible to anyone in your home, or even individuals in neighbouring homes. Both portable and stationary compressors benefit from the two-sided enclosure technology.

Sound blankets can also be used to isolate compressor sounds by placing the machine within a large cabinet or box and then laying the blanket over the outside. A small horizontal compressor, for example, maybe sit inside a box or even a chest, with the blanket draped over the top and sides as if it were a tablecloth. A portable compressor might be placed inside a large cabinet, with the blanket thrown over the closed door.

Sound blankets can also be placed directly on top of an air compressor or around its borders. A blanket can be draped over large, square, stationary units in the same way that you would drape a box or chest, as long as the inlet valve, wires, and hoses aren’t hindered by the material. Even the noisiest sections of an air compressor can be physically encased in sound fabric. The cylinders of the scroll and reciprocating air compressors can be encased in acoustic fibreglass insulation that can be trimmed and sewn to fit snugly.

Even these sound blankets won’t create the same level of silence as a soundproof enclosure, they can reduce the compressor’s lawnmower-like noise to that of a dishwasher or laundry machine. When used at a distance or with earplugs, sound blankets can render compressor noises harmless to even the most sensitive–hearing user.

 

Maintenance should be done on a regular basis

As it suckes ambient air from the inlet, compresses it with a piston, and stores it as energy in the tank, an air compressor is subjected to a lot of severe heat and action. As a result, a compressor makes a lot of noise when it’s running. As the mechanisms are put through the motions, certain parts within the machine can gradually wear and grind. As the machine works harder to keep up with the needs of each application, the resulting noise can increase over time. In fact, the noise of an air compressor feeds back on itself, getting louder as time passes. Unless, of course, the compressor’s busiest sections are regularly repaired.

 

Ensure that the air compressor is properly lubricated

Air compressors, like all machines, are made up of moving metal elements that rub against one another. Lubrication must be present around the joints and bearings at all times in order for these parts to continue moving and for the compressor to function properly. The metals will grind, rust, and weaken without lubrication, putting strain on the system and eventually wearing down the compressor. As a result of all of this, the compressor will work harder and harder to maintain its previous level of performance, producing more noise in the process. As a result, a compressor requires lubrication, which must be reapplied on a regular basis to maintain it fresh and performing at its best.

 

Make sure the air filters are clean

The air filter of an air compressor collects dirt particles that are sucked in through the inlet valve. The goal is to maintain the cylinders clean. A filter, on the other hand, can only hold so much filth before it needs to be unclogged and restarted. If the filter becomes clogged, the system struggles to function because atmospheric air is barred from entering the cylinders, while stray dirt particles begin to pass through. The compressor will produce more and more noise as the situation worsens. Depending on operation conditions, the inlet filters should be taken out every 12 months or less.

 

Have a professional maintain your compressor

You may extend the life of your air compressor by performing routine maintenance. While some maintenance activities, such as lubricating and filtering, are simple enough for the ordinary homeowner to accomplish, there are those that are better left to a qualified service professional. Contact a nearby service centre every year or so to have parts checked and performance assessed. Belts, gaskets, and valve plates are all parts of a compressor that need to be replaced from time to time, so check to see whether it’s time for new ones. When a compressor becomes noisier than usual, it’s a sign that it’s due for a maintenance examination.

Air compressor noise reduction is a critical problem for everyone involved in factories, manufacturing, workshops, and garages. Noise is not only distracting, but it may also stifle productivity by making it impossible for a work crew to communicate during a project. While using air compressor noise suppressor methods is a good idea, it’s also critical for machines to be maintained on a regular basis. The quality of the air compressor is, nevertheless, the most important factor.

 

Contact All Air Compressors To Deal With Your Air Compressor Issues In Sydney!

Looking for the best air compressor repairs and services in Sydney? Contact All Air Compressors today! With more than 15 years of experience, we provide the best repair services for your industrial air compressors.

Source: quincycompressor.com