Quiet air compressors can be a blessing for your employees and visitors. Everyone expects an air compressor to make a lot of noise, especially when running at full capacity. However, technology has changed everything.
Today, you can find an ultra-quiet air compressor of 60 gallons with ease.
In this article, we will cover some basics about choosing a quiet air compressor, including the decibels to look for and some oil-free options.
What makes an air compressor loud?
In general, the noise of air compressors ranges between 40 to 95 decibels. For people without a background in the noise measurement unit, this is a very large gap.
The following elements determine how loud your air compressor is:
Friction
Within the air compressor, there are numerous moving parts. Some of these parts must make contact with each other, leading to friction. Some manufacturers produce devices with high friction levels because the used technology requires that. For instance, reciprocating air compressors generate considerable friction.
On the other hand, scroll and rotary screw compressors tend to be more silent due to their minimized friction.
A crucial factor that determines the level of friction is the size and capacity of the air compressor. Differently put, a tiny, compact inflator will ultimately be very noisy. Keep in mind that to generate the required pressure to fill your tires, the pistol within the inflator must develop a high RPM. As a result, it will be noisy and hot during operation.
Electric or gas-powered quiet air compressor
This one is straightforward.
If your air compressor is electric-powered, it will generate less noise compared to machines that use gas to operate. The reason is that gas-powered air compressors contain an engine that uses that gas to produce energy.
The location of the air compressor
Depending on how close you are to an air compressor, the noise levels will dramatically vary.
If the air compressor is installed in an industrial area where staff members are wearing appropriate protection gear, this may be acceptable. However, an air compressor within a clinic can be extremely annoying.
Ideally, you would want to relocate the air compressor as far away as possible from your workplace. If that’s possible, you should use an air compressor piping kit to move the machine into a more appropriate location.
Check out the air compressor piping kit by clicking here.
Otherwise, you can always purchase a quiet air compressor and gain peace of mind.
What to look for before buying a quiet air compressor?
Before you buy a quiet air compressor, you should learn about the technology that makes this machinery silent. This will help you make an informed decision.
Note that long-term exposure to any noise source above 80 decibels can cause reversible or permanent hearing loss. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to this part, especially if you are exposed to noisy air compressors or have employees working near these machines.
While numerous factors determine how quiet an air compressor is, the following two are the most important:
Sound isolation
Most traditional air compressors do not cover the pump, leading to loud noises. Luckily, manufacturers noticed this problem and started producing their compressors using thicker gauge steel or aluminum.
What’s more, some companies invested greatly in developing sound-dampening systems that cover the pump and fan (more on that later).
To sum up, silent air compressors take advantage of sound-dampening systems that are strategically placed to lower the vibration and noise generated by the compressor.
Nature of components
Many users don’t realize that the vibrations of the compressor can potentially amplify the noise of the machine. This is why more companies are using rubbery components to prevent vibrations from reaching the floor.
Rubber pads can bring the noise of an air compressor to below 65 decibels, which is similar to what you would hear when someone is laughing. Compare this to loud air compressors without rubber isolation pads, which can reach up to 90 dB. That’s a noise that could easily cause permanent hearing loss.
If you already have an air compressor without rubber isolation, consider getting these pads online and installing them.
Why choose a silent air compressor?
Researchers found that a silent air compressor can dramatically reduce the risk of medical problems, such as noise-induced hearing loss. There is also some evidence that suggests a connection between noisy workplace machinery and chronic tinnitus.
Aside from these health reasons, a silent air compressor can make your employees and customers more comfortable. Just imagine going to the dentist’s office with a terrible toothache and hearing an annoying noise coming from the compressor. We don’t know about you, but we might consider switching to another dentist.
If your workplace operates several machines, investing in a low-noise air compressor can potentially improve the productivity of your employees. It will also lower the risk of miscommunicating between colleagues who would have to raise their voices when talking near a noisy air compressor.
For these reasons, we recommend that you get an ultra-quiet air compressor for your workplace. Speaking of ultra-quiet, however, you will encounter numerous phrases similar to this one when shopping for a low-noise air compressor.
The next section will put things into perspective when it comes to silent air compressors.
What is the lowest dB for air compressors?
Similar to all noises, we measure the noise generated by air compressors using the universal unit of decibels (dB).
The lowest dB for an air compressor is generally around 40 dB. Expect to hear this level of noise in small air compressors that are mostly designed for domestic use. For reference, this is approximately the same level of noise you hear from light rain.
To give you more perspective, the chart below demonstrates different decibel ratings of daily sources:
Unfortunately, achieving a low dB for an air compressor is not always possible, especially for workplace machines. Safe levels of noise for the majority of air compressors will be around 60 dB, which is what an electric toothbrush produces.
As a general rule of thumb, you should be careful around any noise source that produces more than 85 dB.
Finally, keep in mind that all air compressors will produce noise, regardless of the promotion or advertisement you encounter. With that said, you can significantly reduce this noise by choosing a quiet air compressor.
Quiet oil-free air compressor
There is a common belief that oil-free air compressors tend to be very noisy. The logic behind this way of thinking makes sense. If the moving parts within the compressor come in contact with each other without the oil to lubricate the process, things are bound to be noisy. Just think of the horror of a car engine working without oil.
Well, we are here to tell you that this is not entirely true. In reality, this rule only applies to reciprocating air compressors. Newer models of oil-free air compressors can be very quiet. This is because manufacturers are working with new technology to accommodate the dental and food industries. It goes without saying that these places need quiet, oil-free air compressors.
Read more – Why Air Compressors Explode?
Takeaway message
Buying a quiet air compressor can be extremely beneficial for your health and those who work for you. Thankfully, newer air compressors have implemented newer technology to reduce the noise levels of compressors and make the nearby environment comfortable and safe.
Hopefully, this article successfully introduced the topic of quiet air compressors and where you can potentially purchase one.
If you have any questions about a specific air compressor covered above, please do not hesitate to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
