Most home-use air compressors will be small enough to be moved around on wheels or carried around. This type of air compressor can be powered by either an electric motor or a gas engine, which allows for remote uses and ease of mobility. It has a cylinder, valve head, crankshaft and connecting rod and piston that moves up and down compressing air to be delivered to the storage tank. If you’re familiar with the workings of an internal combustion engine, then you are already familiar with the way a piston air compressor works.
These work by increasing air pressure by reducing the space that contains the air. The reciprocating piston air compressor is the most common type of compressor you’ll see, especially in any small shop environment or for use at home.
Any use at home will be covered with the selection of sizes and power offered in a reciprocating piston design.
For fun or profit, having an air compressor at your home will make many maintenance tasks easy to do yourself and allow for creative expression with hobbies and professional artistry. Personal use of compressed air comes in many forms. We’ll start small and personal by going over the typical air compressor applications at home. These compressors are built with high-quality components that allow for customization to the specific environment to improve performance, energy efficiency and reliability. They are designed to provide a steady flow of compressed air for long periods of time and can take fluctuating surges in use typical in major manufacturing plants. Industrial-grade air compressors will be the workhorse of a manufacturing plant or the reliable power source on an oil rig.They could be two-stage reciprocating models or rotary screw models and can provide more power to run several air tools at once with intermittent use. Professional-grade air compressors provide more power and higher pressurized air.They’re used for household tasks like inflating tires and inflatable products and possibly some low-load air tools like staplers and brad guns. Consumer-grade air compressors can be described as a pancake or single-stage model.
The tank can be vertical or horizontal, can be a single cylinder tank or double cylinder and can be a portable design with wheels to easily move around or a stationary model that stays in one place.Īir compressors can be grouped into three classifications: consumer-grade, professional-grade and industrial-grade. However, you may not have seen all the variations of this air compressor design. Unless you work in manufacturing or another industrial environment, you’re probably most familiar with reciprocating piston air compressors. In these two designs, you’ll find several models offering a selection ranging from the low-pressure air in a small storage tank, sufficient to pump up your bike or car tires, to the ultimate power of pressurized air that will supply a heavy manufacturing facility with constant and reliable air for plant operations.
While there are many types of compressors in size and power supply, you will find two main designs for the majority of air compressors: reciprocating piston air compressors and rotary screw air compressors. Still, we have compiled a lengthy list that will widen your knowledge about the various ways that air compressors are used in a multitude of environments.ĭifferent applications call for different types of air compressors. The pressure that comes from compressed air has so many uses that we’re sure to leave out a few applications. In fact, you’ve likely been around many different kinds of air compressors and didn’t even know it - they may be hidden away in your refrigerator or the HVAC system at your local arena.Īir compressors have a multitude of uses for leisure and maintenance at home or in businesses to get work done efficiently and safely. You may have seen small desktop air compressors used with an airbrush or a trailer-style gas-powered air compressor at a construction site powering jackhammers and concrete compactors. You’ll see gas stations offering compressed air to inflate your vehicle’s tires and your tire shop using compressed air with an air tool to remove your tires. Air compressors are found in a wide range of environments for an even wider range of uses.