How to quieten down an air compressor.

[Davie]

I have a fairly small air compressor that I use quite a lot but it's a noisy little thing. I tried to combat this slightly by sticking it in a little outhouse behind my main shed (with air line running through the wall) however if anything, it's just increased the noise and that's not really ideal given the surroundings. So, basically looking for suggestions as to how I could subdue the racket a bit... I can't afford a screw compressor or anything fancy so I was thinking of constructing (or sourcing) a fairly solid wooden crate / box and put the compressor in it and possibly lining it with something? I also have an abundance of breeze blocks that I could, if needed, build a box out of those.

Any good ideas out there?

[sparkythecat]

Acoustic foam would help a bit and it's not expensive. Problem is that your compressor is air cooled, so you cant make the box airtight

[bluezedd]

is this for you or for your neighbours?

the absolute best £30 I ever spent was on these.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PELTOR-X5A-Defenders-Head...

I even wear them when I'm just hammering on something on the car etc. It's nice to work in the quiet.

[Ritchie335is]

I've heard that screwing on a canister style oil filter instead of the original air filter can help as there will be a fair bit of induction noise.
I haven't tried it though.

[kev b]

Try standing it on something sound deadening ie rubber blocks, also sticking acoustic sheet to the tank.

I made a box for the air intake from a 4 litre ice cream tub which quietened it down a fair bit, even better when the box was covered in sound deadening.

The problem is, being air cooled you cant box it in though a couple of deadened sheets one in front and one above to form an open ended box might help.

[Fast and Spurious]

Tried all this with a Clarke Machine Mart special that ran at 98db! Waste of time, you need something like this:

https://www.axminster.co.uk/swan-drs-207-22-oil-fr...

[Davie]

Thanks gents

It's just a cheapy machine but is fine for what I need. It's not just for my benefit so ear defenders aren't any good in this case. It's more to try and dull the noise to help sleeping toddler / neighbouring houses. If I'm sat in the house, I can't really hear it but it's there... enough for the neighbouring house to hear it too. So, I don't need to silence it, it's location already has taken the edge of it so I'll try the air filter idea then maybe rig up a box and line it. I'd love a nice, silent run unit and it may come to that but this is the cheaper option first.

Cheers

[finishing touch]

Assuming you have a masonry drill;


Mount the compressor in the centre of a thick heavy concrete slab and mount four large rubber blocks underneath.

Engine mounts are ideal. I believe old Land Rover's have them about the size of a half size can of baked beans.

Join to your pipework with a flexible link.



Large industrial versions are mounted on massive springs and are the size of a double bed, made as a steel tray that
is filled with ready-mix once its in place. The ones I have installed were for a company called Sound Attenuators.

Paul G

[steveo3002]

rubber feet , extended airfilter + canister , foam lined box

[peterperkins]

steveo3002 said:

rubber feet , extended airfilter + canister , foam lined box

That's basically what I did.

I had a couple of sheets of 75mm kingspan knocking about and lashed together a box cover to go over mine.
It had enough internal space so that overheating was only an issue when run for long periods.

[steveo3002]

guess extending the filter to a separate compartment would be a good idea too so its breathing cool air ?

[tapkaJohnD]

Davie,
Did you make the same mistake as I did? I bought a 'small' aircompressor, and because it was cheaper, I didn't listen to the shop's comment that direct drive compressors are much noisier than belt drive. It certainly is! Conversation is imposisble while it is on.

But I have a partial solution. I had an old kitchen table, that fitted over the compressor. I panelled between the legs down to the floor with hardboard and filled the space between looselywith old plastic bags. When thus enclosed, the noise is halved.
I did have to fit an window extractor fan, to blow air into the enclosure to stop the overheating cut-out blowing, but since then it has run reliably.
As I had the table, the hardboard and the plastic bags, the only cost was the fan.

And I can still use the top of the table to put things on!
JOhn

[Davie]

To be fair, it's an Aldi special but I've had it almost 10 years and it's still fine for all indeed. Building a box that doubles up as a bench is a good shout. I've actually got a steel double doored unit with a heavy solid wood top that I did debate putting it in but I suspect it's not an ideal base to start with.

I dint think overheating or fresh air will be an issue, it really only runs a couple of cycles then that's enough to do what I need. I might try building a breeze block box with a heavy bit of wood on top and sit in on some old thick foam mats I have and see how that goes. It doesn't have to be silent from a few paces but if I can get it to the point I can't hear it in the house, that suffice.

Cheers gents