kellogg air compressor

[ponytug]

I agree.

Traditionally, the strategy is to let the compressor store air in a tank at pressure, and then regulate it down to the use pressure. One stored a lot of air at high pressure to deal with surges in demand, and to help remove water.

However, unless you have a tool that needs 150psi (I can't imagine what), or have some use that needs 80 gallons of 150psi air (like putting tires on big earth movers) then running the compressor to 150psi only to regulate down to 100psi is wasting ~50% of the energy. It would be much more energy efficient to have the compressor run from 110-130, and regulate that to the 100psi that you need.

Industrially, one gets a big savings in plant energy use by switching from these old cycling compressors to variable speed compressors that output the required 100psi for process use.

All the best,

Peter

P.S. I would put a good filter on the compressor output and keep an eye on it for awhile. Moving and restarting the compressor might knock free a lot of debris from inside the tank.

Originally Posted by Bob999

Toy, your post got me curious and I started looking online for air regulators. Most I found did not list what I undersood to be a max pressure rating--rather they had a max pressure that they regulate to. Here is a quote from one I found: "Regulates the air pressure from 0 to 160 PSI to give an even air flow". Obviously to regulate to 160 the supply pressure has to be 160 or higher.

I fully agree with ponytug's comments about safety but I wonder if basically all units will handle the 175 psi of the compressor and the difference is the pressure they will regulate to. I have no tools that use even 160 psi--most max out around 100 psi.

[toy]

Originally Posted by Bob999

Toy, your post got me curious and I started looking online for air regulators. Most I found did not list what I undersood to be a max pressure rating--rather they had a max pressure that they regulate to. Here is a quote from one I found: "Regulates the air pressure from 0 to 160 PSI to give an even air flow". Obviously to regulate to 160 the supply pressure has to be 160 or higher.

I fully agree with ponytug's comments about safety but I wonder if basically all units will handle the 175 psi of the compressor and the difference is the pressure they will regulate to. I have no tools that use even 160 psi--most max out around 100 psi.

It would be just fine if the 0 to 150 max pressure rating was on the out put side of the regulator, but if it was the max input rating at 150 psi then you would have a problem. The reason for my concern is that on the porter cable unit when the contactors stuck and it kept running it was the regulator that blew and started leaking air and not the pop off valve, I just barley touched the outside of the pop off valve and it opened up. The pop off valve should have opened up before any damage to anything else in my system, and I believe it was working properly. I believe it was the regulator that was insufficient, just trying to educate myself on what the psi ratings really mean.

[cqaigy2]

I admit i hadn't thought about the ancillary attachments to an air compressor, but i thought the pop off valves were to help insure the tank wouldn't explode.

I also had an air compressor that welded the contacts and didn't notice until i spelled the compressor and noticed the gauge on the unregulated side was up to 300 PSI and the pop off didn't. admittedly the compressor was over 30 years old and one that i scrounged. I replace the pressure contact switch and put a modern pop off valve on.

[toy]

Originally Posted by cqaigy2

I admit i hadn't thought about the ancillary attachments to an air compressor, but i thought the pop off valves were to help insure the tank wouldn't explode.

I also had an air compressor that welded the contacts and didn't notice until i spelled the compressor and noticed the gauge on the unregulated side was up to 300 PSI and the pop off didn't. admittedly the compressor was over 30 years old and one that i scrounged. I replace the pressure contact switch and put a modern pop off valve on.

That is what I believe it is supposed to do to but the regulator should be able to withstand the additional pressure that it takes for the pop off valve to work before the regulator fails. At $40 bucks a pop you can't afford to pop too many of them. I would be satisfied with the 150 psi output to the tools if I knew that it would withstand the 175 psi going into it. I looked on the Ingersoll Rand web site for information about it but all they have is adds trying to sell their compressors and a bunch of junk that is of no value to what I am searching for. I have searched the web asking every way I can think of about air regulators and basically all I get is compressor sell ads. I have looked kobalt air regulators and basically they don't have anything either. I looked at the instructions that comes with the 150psi regulator and it don't tell what the max input pressure is unless it is the 150 psi.