An Air Compressor for Every Home Shop
Anyone who has set up a shop at home will likely have a use for an air compressor. Whether you’re working with wood, outdoor power equipment, precision painting or your own vehicle, an air compressor will be there helping you get the job done.
Air Compressors for Home Use
From the small handheld air compressor to the stationary 60+ gallon tank model, you’ll find all sorts of ways people are using compressed air for fun and to get work done around the home. Here’s a list of the little and big hobbies, maintenance or repairs that may use compressed air:
1. Pumping Tires and Inflatables
Compressed air pumps may be simple in design, but they can provide superior airflow for everyday activities like:
Adding air to tires on bikes and vehicles
Blowing up balloons or inflatable pool accessories
Inflating air mattresses at home or on a trip
Topping off sports equipment that has deflated
2. Pressure Washing
Pressure washers are equipped with an air compressor to force out the pressurized water. With variations in size and tank capacity, compressed air pressure washers are great for:
Cleaning siding, brick and sidewalks on residential properties
Refreshing the appearance of decks and patios
Replacing harsh chemicals or cleaning treatments
3. Carpentry/Woodworking
From seasoned artisans to woodworking novices, carpentry would be more challenging without the help of compressed air. Air compressors are used in woodworking and metalwork for:
Sanding in woodworking to prepare surfaces for treatment
Powering pneumatic tools like nail guns
Eliminating imperfections from wood and metal
Removing excess rust or dust from the workstation
Performing continuous or detailed work on wood materials
4. Crafting
Compressed air crafting tools are often typically portable and lightweight for easy use around the home. Common uses for compressed air in daily life include:
Painting with an airbrush for small precision projects
Using paint sprayers on larger surfaces like bikes and the bodies of vehicles and recreational vehicles
Using various pneumatic tools for home projects
Powering air-blow guns for final project cleanup
5. Yard Work
Crafty homeowners can follow in the footsteps of others who have found ways to make their yard work more efficient with air compressors. Many groundskeepers, landscapers and gardeners use compressed air for:
Cleaning crevices and tight spaces on equipment or other durable items with directed air pressure
Moving puddles of water that have pooled in inconvenient places
Sweeping leaves and debris from the yard
Spreading weed killers for larger yards
Compressed Air Power in Business
From small business applications to large industrial uses, compressed air can be a necessity for running a business efficiently. Many companies use compressed air like a power source, powering equipment and tools for a more reliable and efficient utility. Smaller businesses will be able to provide higher quality and quicker services with the use of an air compressor, from the simple task of inflating tires to the more demanding nature of a manufacturing operation.
Small and Mid-Sized Business Needs for Compressed Air
The most common application for a reciprocating air compressor in smaller businesses is to power pneumatic tools. These types of tools are favored over their electric equivalents for their lighter weight and safer operation. Tools powered by electricity generate heat and can overheat or short out with continuous use.
With their strong history in industrial and manufacturing environments, air-powered tools have grown increasingly common in small businesses, especially in the construction industry. Almost every electric power tool is also made to operate using compressed air.
Businesses that provide small engine service, auto service, recreational activities and dental services can all use compressed air to deliver their services to customers. Although producing compressed air can be expensive, you should always be aware of the most efficient way to have your system provide the right amount of compressed air at the appropriate pressure for the lowest cost. On average, it takes about seven or eight horsepower (hp) of electrical energy to produce one hp of compressed air energy.
Quincy Compressor designs its product with energy efficiency and the environment in mind, and we have several models that offer considerable savings in operation over conventional air compressor designs.
Here are some of the typical air compressor applications of small- and medium-sized businesses:
Painting vehicles in an auto body shop
Sanding in an auto body shop or in woodworking
Using pneumatic nail guns for roofing
Providing dental and medical services
Using pneumatic drills and hammers on construction sites
Powering various air tools in an automotive repair shop
Using an air blowgun to clean machinery
Sandblasting in a machine shop and manufacturing facilities
Industrial Uses for Compressed Air
Compressed air is the only option for some industries that require the safety of a non-heat-producing power source and a reliable flow of that power. Since the first mechanical air compressor was manufactured in the early 1800s, the demand for compressed air systems has steadily grown from the specific beginnings of better equipping the mining and metal fabrication industry to a necessity in almost all industries. It’s often thought of as the fourth utility following electric, water, and gas.
This consistently growing demand has also driven advancement in the engineering of air compressors and vacuum products. When Quincy Compressor started operations nearly 100 years ago, we designed a few models of high-quality reciprocating air compressors that served our customers and their various applications.
In 1970, we added the rotary screw technology to our line in response to the increasing use of compressed air for industrial environments. Efficient and reliable performance was needed for some of the most demanding applications like energy exploration, food and beverage processing and manufacturing. All air compressors perform the same basic function — they increase the pressure and reduce the volume of a gas, like air. However, each of our models has been designed with specific applications in mind to deliver a solution for production requirements.
Both our reciprocating piston and our rotary screw air compressor represent the best air compressor for every industry. Here is a list that shows the wide range of uses for industrial-sized air compressors for almost any application.
1. Agriculture/Farming
For productive and profitable farming operations, compressed air provides long-lasting performance and a low cost of ownership. Compressed air is used for:
Moving feed and grain to and from silos with conveyors
Glasshouse ventilation systems
Spraying crops
Powering dairy machines
Operating pneumatic material handling equipment
2. Manufacturing
Whether in refineries, plastics, assembly plants or metal fabrication, an air compression system is the central power source that keeps a business in production. Powerful air compressors aid in manufacturing by:
Operating air tools on production lines
Cutting and welding equipment
Ejecting pieces from production molds
Monitoring production
Adjusting roller and feed machinery
Blowing a molded gas tank or plastic bottle
Efficiently performing basic tasks such as driving screws and turning nuts
Increasing production efficiency with air cylinders that power positioners, clamps, air chucks, and air knives
Finishing and packaging with pneumatic devices used for liquid padding, carton stapling, appliance sanding, dry powder transporting and fluidizing
Sandblasting and finishing metal
Operating automated machinery
3. Dry Cleaning
Reliable air supply and a dependable system are required for the dry cleaning industry, which demands quality cleaning of garments. Compressed air is used for:
Delivering chemical applications through cleaning guns
Operating laundry presses and steam cleaners