A lot of thought, planning, and calculation have gone into the design of your new air compressor. One factor that is often forgotten or overlooked, however, is where in the facility the compressor will be housed. Here are four things to keep in mind when deciding where to keep your air compressor.
Size
The physical size of your compressor will depend on the unique needs of your facility. If your compressor is particularly large, you will need to have the measurements ahead of time so that you can plan out sufficient space to house it. You may even want to house your compressed air distribution system in a separate room.
Distance
Where is the air being delivered? The longer the compressed air has to travel through the air compressor piping, the greater the risk of drops in pressure. Make sure that when you are setting up space to house your air compressor, you perform the necessary calculations to ensure that enough pressure will be available when the air arrives at end use. Pressure loss in a properly designed system should be less than 10% of the compressor’s overall discharge pressure.
Air Quality
Make sure that you are housing your air compressor in an area where the air is suitable for the application. For instance, if you are running a food or medical manufacturing plant, the air must be extremely pure to comply with safety regulations. Air compressors do have filtration systems to remove hazardous contaminants; however, the air that goes in should already be as safe and pure as possible.
Noise
If your facility is small or prone to echoes, the noise from the air compressor may become irritating to workers in the vicinity. While some compressed air systems come with noise-reducing features, others do not. If your system is too loud for comfort, you may want to house your air compressor in a separate area far enough away from end users and operations.
These are things you should be thinking about while choosing and designing a new compressor system. They should not be brought up as an afterthought upon the delivery of your new compressor.