Air Compressor FAQ’s – Part Two

This is part two of a three part series –

WHAT ABOUT MOISTURE?
Compressed air gets hot and then cools. When it cools, it creates condensation. The harder your compressor works, the hotter it will get and the more moisture you will have. There are two moisture problems that can cause problems. The first is moisture that goes through the air lines that eventually lead to your Air Tools. Next, the second is air that accumulates in the bottom of the tank which can cause rust and eventually ruin your tank. The idea is to keep the air as cool as possible. Copper pipe works best as it won’t rust and it also dissipates heat well. Our BendPak TRI-MAX air compressors feature an extreme duty three cylinder pump that has been designed to operate with maximum cooling efficiency under all load conditions. The 100% cast-iron pump utilizes a “W-3” configuration that
provides 360° cooling efficiency and splash lubrication for total reliability. A cooling fan helps to provides maximum forced air-cooling for ultimate efficiency. A large pump that puts out little noise and a lot of power is due to the slower RPM speed and efficient two-stage design. Because they operate at slower speeds than other compressors and feature large-diameter finned copper tubing between stages, they have a lower operating temperature, which achieves maximum efficiency.

WHAT IS CUBIC FEET PER MINUTE (CFM)?
Any piece of equipment that runs from air power, (such as air tools) require a certain volume of air to operate them. The volume of air that a compressor produces is rated in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). You usually see several CFM ratings at different pressures on a compressor. CFM ratings can be exaggerated just like HP ratings, but you should get around 3½ – 4 CFM per real HP at 90 PSI.

DOES TANK SIZE MATTER?
An Air Compressor tank doesn’t produce air, it stores the air. It is more important to have a big enough pump and motor, because if you are
producing as much air as you want to use, you’ll never run out of air no matter how small the tank is. A smaller tank is more portable and gets up to pressure quicker, while a compressor with a large tank doesn’t start and stop as often and cools the air better. Having a larger tank doesn’t mean the compressor runs less, it starts and stops less frequently but the running time is the same as if it had a smaller tank.