DIY air compressor.
Copyright Unkl Ian 2009 ALL right reserved.
Ever see the expensive Designer series air o!pressors at the art store " #he s$per %$iet ones &ith the !at hing Designer 'eries pri e tag. #his explains ho& to !ake a s!all(silent( o!pressor )ro! an old re)rigerator. Any type o) re)rigerator( deh$!idi)ier( air onditioner(et o$ld *e $sed. I $sed an old &ater ooler. COMPRESSED AIR CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS! MAY CAUSE INJURY, OR DEAT ! Ma!e s"re #o" "$%ers&a$% '(a& #o" are %oi$),a$% '(#. T(is is o$*# a )"i%e. Procee% a& o'$ ris!. G"ara$&ee% + ,ee& or + seco$%s,'(ic( e-er comes ,irs&. +o$ &ill need a o!pressor s&it h( ,I#- an $nloading valve. An ad.$sta*le s&it h &o$ld *e )irst hoi e. It &ill allo& yo$ to de ide at &hat press$re the p$!p t$rns on an o)). I) yo$ don/t $se a o!pressor s&it h( the p$!p &on/t sh$t o)) and so!ething ,ILL 01EA2. Also need a 3 &ay he k valve( *oth are 4E1+ i!portant. Look inside the re)rigerator( the *ig *la k l$!p is the o!pressor. #here are 5 Copper t$*es o!ing o$t o) the o!pressor. 6ne is pl$gged( )orget that one. #he larger o) the other 2 is the intake( it an *e $t o)) &here onvenient. #he s!aller o) the t$*es is the press$re side. It pro*a*ly steps $p to approx. 3789 dia!eter a)ter a*o$t :9. +o$ need to $t the 3789 dia!eter t$*e( leaving approx 5789( and install a # )itting. Co!pression )ittings are availa*le &here ever they sell pl$!*ing st$)). #he se ond side o) the # goes to the $nloader s&it h( $se a plasti t$*e the orre t dia!eter. #he he k valve goes on the third side o) the #. #he he k valve &ill allo& air to )lo& one &ay( not the other. #here sho$ld *e an arro& on the valve. Install the he k valve so that air an o!e o$t o) the p$!p( and thro$gh the he k valve( *$t an/t go *a k in. 6n e the syste! is press$ri;ed( the press$re s&it h t$rns the p$!p o))( and the $nloader valve releases the press$re $pstrea! o) the he k valve. I) yo$ don/t do it this &ay( the o!pressor isn/t po&er)$l eno$gh to restart $ntil the press$re has dropped &ell *elo& 20 psi. <ro! the he k valve( I r$n the air thro$gh the s!all radiator that at a!e &ith the &ater ooler. I) yo$ don/t have one( don/t &orry a*o$t it. It also a!e &ith a ther!ostati s&it h that ontrols a )an. ,hen the p$!p gets too &ar!( the )an dra&s air a ross the p$!p and *lo&s thro$gh the radiator. Again( i) yo$ don/t have one( don/t &orry a*o$t it.
Exiting the radiator the air goes thro$gh the o!pressor s&it h to the !oist$re trap and reg$lator. #he !oist$re trap olle ts any oil and &ater vapor( the reg$lator ontrols the o$tp$t press$re. I $se a s!all !oist$re trap and reg$lator )ro! -o!e Depot. #he o!pressor s&it h t$rns the p$!p o)) at 320 psi and t$rns it on at =0 psi or lo&er. 330 volts )ro! the &all goes to one side o) the o!pressor s&it h( the 2 &ires )ro! the o!pressor go to the other side o) the s&it h. And that/s it. A s!all tank &o$ldn/t *e a *ad idea. I re ently added a large !oist$re trap a)ter the radiator to a t as a s!all tank. A 3>0 psi pop o)) valve &o$ld *e a very good sa)ety )eat$re. I think all the real o!pressors have the!. ?ake s$re yo$r o!pressor s&it h has an $nloader valve( it looks like an air )itting on the side o) the s!all *la k s&it h *ox. And don/t )orget the he k valve. Any ind$strial s$pplier that sells pne$!ati s sho$ld have he k valves. I don/t kno& ho& long this type o) o!pressor &ill last &itho$t l$*ri ation. #hey $se oil in the <reon to l$*e the p$!p. I don/t kno& ho& riti al this is. It !ay or !ay not *e a pro*le!. ,hen yo$ drain the <reon !ake s$re yo$ )l$sh the oil o$t o) the syste!( or it &ill get in yo$r paint. I $sed 0rake 2leen. @reen Aea e hates !e. I) yo$ are on erned a*o$t the environ!ent( take yo$r re)rigerator to yo$r lo al air onditioning g$y( to have the <reon drained. It !ight not last 300(000 !iles *$t it is BUIE# and &ill deliver !ore than eno$gh press$re and vol$!e )or air*r$shing( or leaning s!all parts. And ho& hard is it to )ind an old re)rigerator"