Air compressors are handy tools that you can use for a whole variety of processes in your garage. You might find that you have been needing some additional power for cleaning processes, power washing, or even the use of some kinds of tools. This is where an air compressor can really help you out with your daily tasks and as soon as you get one, you will wonder how you ever lived without one in your garage!
There are some factors that you need to consider before you pick the air compressor that you will use in your garage. There are many styles of air compressors on the market these days and you might find that the choices can be a bit overwhelming when you first start shopping. If you need some guidance about how to choose the best air compressor for your home garage, read on!
What Can an Air Compressor Do?
Air compressors are a great tool for supplying high-pressure air that can be used to power tools, run power washers, blow compressed air for cleaning purposes, and airing up wheels and tires. Air compressors can be used for many things that you might find you will never use all of the many functions that your air compressor has on offer. Air compressors can be used for many common tasks or you might need one to help you with auto repair or maintenance, painting, and other more advanced tasks. Air compressors come in various sizes and power levels as well, so you need to e very careful when checking our air compressors for sale.
How to Choose Air Compressor For Your Home Garage
1. Â Â Â Air Capacity
This can be the biggest factor in your overall buying decision. You will need to think about how much work you want to do with your air compressor and what tasks you are going to use it for when you are deciding what air capacity you will need. Air compressor capacity is governed by air volume and air pressure. Air volume is the amount of compressed air that your compressor can harness and store and air pressure is how much air is squeezed into the compressor’s reservoir tank. The combination of the two dictates how long you can use your air compressor and how suited it is for some tasks. Air capacity directly impacts the size of your compressor as well, so a higher volume compressor will be much bigger than one that is lower volume. If you’ll use your air compressor only for your needs then you should look for a small portable air Compressor within 20 gallon for home garage.
2. Â Â Â Design
You might think that your air compressor needs can be filled by any kind of air compressor, but there are actually numerous designs on the market that can affect your overall use and experience with your air compressor. There are three main styles of air compressors. The most common is a piston-powered design. The other two styles are rotary-screw models and scroll compressors. These last two are not commonly sold for home use, so you will likely be choosing a piston-powered model for your home use. You will want to make sure that you are not shopping for the wrong kind of air compressor thinking that this will be the right tool for your at-home use.
3. Â Â Â Power Supply
Air compressors can be powered by electricity or they might be powered by gasoline. For obvious reasons, gasoline-powered compressors are not practical in every home use arrangement, and they are less common than their electric compatriots for this kind of use. Gasoline units will be louder and not as clean to use as electric units, and the exhaust fumes from this kind of compressor must be attended to if you are working in a small space that is also enclosed. Overall, an electric unit is the right choice to make for your home needs in most cases. Electric compressors need 115-volt, 20-amp current. Make sure that you have the right power outlet arrangement in your garage to safely operate your compressor. It can be easy to assume that your regular power outlets in your garage can handle your large, new air compressor’s draw, but it can be easy to overload your outlets with this kind of device.
4. Â Â Â Your Space Requirements and Restrictions
While it might be attractive to consider buying a large air compressor so that you will have all the compressed air that you will ever need for home projects, larger air compressors will take up quite a bit of space on average. You will find that vertical tank-style compressors have more girth than you would expect and you will need to be sure that you can provide them with a stable footing to rest on. Make sure that you look into the actual size, height, and support requirements of any compressor that you are thinking about buying before you actually purchase your compressor. You will need to have the right amount of space in the corner of your garage or wherever you are planning to place your compressor to be able to use it safely.
5. Â Â Â Air Tool types
Most air tools can be used with any compressor, but you will need to make sure that your specific needs will be met by the compressor that you have selected. If you have picked a smaller unit, some of your air tools may not work with this size unit due to a lack of pressure from the smaller tank of the unit. You will also need to look at the PSI requirements of your specific tools to make sure that your compressor will allow them to function optimally. It can be very easy to grab an air compressor and then find out that the tools that you want to use with it will not work.
Picking the Right Compressor Requires Some Planning
Always make sure that you do some research into the features and functions of any air compressor that you are considering purchasing. You will want to be sure that this investment will take care of your needs. There are many kinds of air compressors on the market, and picking the right one can be a snap if you use these guidelines to help direct your purchase.
