How To Quiet An Air Compressor?

If you have ever used or purchased an affordable air compressor, then you will know that they can be very loud during operation. This can be very distracting and is not an ideal situation to be working in, which is why a lot of people are looking for ways to quiet their air compressors.

Luckily, there are a few different ways that you can quiet your air compressor. This is great news as it means you do not have to purchase a new device just to have a more peaceful time using it.

Reduce the Noise on an Air Compressor

Why Are Air Compressors Noisy?

Before we get into the various ways that you can quiet an air compressor, we need to look at the reasons why it may be noisy in the first place.

There are actually a number of different reasons why an air compressor may be noisy during operation. Some of these are related to the vibrations that an air compressor causes when it is turned on, whereas others may be more connected to the actual parts of the device.

It is possible to determine the kind of vibrations and noise that your air compressor releases through a decibel meter. This will determine how loud your air compressor is and could help you find out what the problem really is. It will also allow you to see if any of the changes you have made to your air compressor have actually worked.

There are various different factors when it comes to the noise that an air compressor lets out, but here are some of the most common:

· The device’s intake

This is perhaps the most common issue when it comes to noisy air compressors. The machine’s intake is where the majority of the noise an air compressor makes tends to come from, but luckily it can be quite easy to resolve.

· The device’s exhaust

The exhaust of your air compressor is another major factor when it comes to how noisy it is. This is often the case if you are using a gas-powered or gas-orientated device.

· Vibrational noise

Although the vibrational noise that your air compressor makes is unlikely to be the loudest, it can be very annoying and is an issue most people would like to resolve.

· The types of materials used

The types of material that a manufacturer has used for its air compressor can also impact how loud it is. Air compressors are made from various metal materials, and each of these will have their own sounds. Cheaper air compressors tend to be made from lower-grade metals and will have a different tone to those that are made with superior grade materials.

· The type of air compressor

The type of air compressor you have can also impact the sound it makes and how loud it will be. As we have already mentioned, cheaper models tend to make more noise as they use low-grade materials. The difference in tone can also be impacted by the type of compressor you use, whether that is a belt model or a direct drive air compressor.

How Noisy Is The Average Air Compressor

In order to get a good understanding of what you are working with and how your issues can be resolved, we need to take a look at the bigger picture. As we have already mentioned, there are various different factors that can affect how noisy an air compressor is to use. But we are just going to be looking at a standard model to determine how noisy air compressors are organically.

This will give you a good understanding of the kind of device you have and what you need to do to resolve any issues. The average air compressor will release around 70 to 90 decibels when they are in use. The most average measurement recorded is around 80 dB. There are some silent air compressors that you can purchase, which are specialized devices that have been made to produce less noise. When some of these devices were tested, we found that they released around 60 dB during use.

It is possible to find some models that release 40 or 50 dB, but these are not as common. They can also be quite expensive as they are specialist devices. This is why it is a good idea for you to purchase a decibel meter and see the measurements of your air compressor. You will be able to see how loud the device actually is and whether any of the changes we are going to recommend have made a difference.

How To Quiet An Air Compressor

If you have an air compressor that is just too loud to use, then you may think you have to go out and buy a new model. Luckily, this is not always the case, and you can save some money by trying to quiet the model you already have.

There are various different tutorials and advice articles online that will give you several ways to quiet your air compressor. It is likely that the effectiveness of these tips will differ depending on the type of air compressor you have, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t find success with the first one you try.

In most cases, the ways to quiet an air compressor will require a little bit of DIY so make sure you are prepared. You can choose which steps to try first based on your budget and the tools you already have on hand.

Popular ways to Quiet an Air Compressor:

1. Attach A Muffler To The Intake

There are various tutorials online that will show how you can attach a muffler to the intake of your air compressor, so it will produce less sound. The difference it makes may not be great, with one forum claiming a reduction of 4dB through this step, but it may be helpful for you to try it. You will need to use some heavy-duty hoses to connect the muffler to the intake of your air compressor. The kind of hoses you use could have an impact on the effectiveness of this tip.

2. Add Rubber Grommets To The Motor

It is possible for you to add rubber grommets into the motor of the air compressor you have to muffle the noise it makes. These rubber grommets will act as a dampener between the mounting motor bracket of the air compressor and the frame of the device. This should remove a lot of vibrational noise when you are using an air compressor and ensure that it runs quietly.

This hack has been used on various other power tools, and it can significantly reduce the noise a motor releases when it is powered on. It may require a little bit of experimentation, but this is a good thing to try if you are tired of a noisy air compressor.

3. Extend The Intake To Outside

It is possible for you to extend the intake of your air compressor and move it outside of where you are working. It can be left running on the exterior of buildings and should not affect the way the air compressor works. This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to quiet an air compressor as it requires limited tools. This means it can be tired by almost everyone without the fear of breaking your air compressor.

However, this step will only quiet your air compressor if the noise is being generated by the intake. This is something you should experiment with and see how it affects the noise that your device emits during use.

4. Encapsulate The Air Compressor

This is a very common solution that can be found online, but it has to be said that it is also one of the most expensive ones to try. This is because it requires a lot of building materials in order to perform. You will also need some form of a power drill and saw, which can be an additional cost if you don’t already have them nearby.

This step requires you to basically build a room or a box for your air compressor to prevent the noise from escaping. You should use some kind of sound muffling or soundproof material, like a foam panel or an insulation board.

Although these can be easily found online, this step can still be quite expensive and time-consuming to perform. Nonetheless, it could be the best solution to quieting your air compressor based on the model you have. You will need to make sure that you have left proper ventilation in the box you have made or your air compressor could overheat. This may result in it not working.

5. Wrap The Air Compressor

This may perhaps be a similar and somewhat more affordable version of the step we have just mentioned. A lot of people have claimed success in quieting an air compressor by wrapping it in the same manner as a hot water heater or something similar.

There are some low budget options, such as using carpet cut-offs when wrapping your air compressor, making this a good step for everyone to try. You should try to use some kind of soundproofing material to improve your results.

It can be quite hard to determine which part of the air compressor you should wrap, but it seems that most people opt for the motor. As we have already mentioned, you will need to leave some ventilation room when wrapping an air compressor to prevent overheating.

Final Notes

There are various different things that you can try to quiet an air compressor. All of the steps mentioned above may take a little bit of experimentation to get right, but that still doesn’t mean they will be the right one for you. Before trying to quiet an air compressor, you should determine which part is causing the most noise so you can find the best solution.

All of these hacks as mentioned earlier will require some time for you to try them out and see which is most effective. Although some may be quite expensive to perform, they will still be cheaper than purchasing a new air compressor which is something a lot of people feel is necessary.

We’d also recommend purchasing a decibel meter to determine how noisy your air compressor actually is. This device will also come in useful when testing out different hacks to see whether they have actually made a difference in the volume of noise that your device is generating.