Noise Insulation for shop compressor?

[Doofy]

I ran my intake hose and silencer almost to the floor where it is noticeably cooler. Hopefully, this will help with cooling.

 

[dragoneggs]

Just for a couple minutes, make it all the way to the floor, so it's enclosed on all 4 sides, the top, and the bottom and take some quick measurements. It would be interesting to see how much sound escapes that bottom. I'm happy to hear the higher pitches are noticeable less.

Why did I know you would suggest this... I was thinking the same thing but I will have to get creative to dam it up. Dang you Moss.

 

[dragoneggs]

I ran my intake hose and silencer almost to the floor where it is noticeably cooler. Hopefully, this will help with cooling.

Yeah maybe getting the cooler intake air from the just off the cement floor will be a positive design feature?

 

[MossRoad]

Why did I know you would suggest this... I was thinking the same thing but I will have to get creative to dam it up. Dang you Moss.

I could see your progression and I guess I have a similar curiosity. :laughing:

Thanks for taking the time to do the work and post the results. It is appreciated.

I have a horrible H-O-R-R-I-B-I-L-E Harbor Freight compressor that's insanely loud. It is inside an enclosed garage about 50' from my house and I can hear it running inside my house if I forget to turn it off. After my garage addition is done I'm looking to build a ventilated closet or box to put it in.

 

[dragoneggs]

At your command, Moss! Late afternoon sun beaming in through my only garage/shop window. Clamped on a doubled HF blanket around most of the base.

Actually made no difference at my 3ft and 6ft distances at about ear level. Same 81dB / 79dB measurements w/ w/o lower skirt.

I moved the meter around to various areas of the blankets at a 1ft distance and it was pretty steady as well. I pointed it close to the exposed dolly w/castors (lower right) and it did jump about 3dB but very local.

I will remove the lower blankets for more air circ. I think for now this will be the solution until I design an attaching outhouse behind the back wall of the shop where it resides now. I think it would be too costly besides the real estate loss to do more in its present locale.

BTW... I sure wasted a lot of air today! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks. It is appreciated. :thumbsup:

 

[Doofy]

Yep, I hated wasting all that air too so I took the opportunity to add a cabled drain on the bottom of the tank. Now, I don't have to crawl under the tank to drain the moisture. I just pull the cable.

 

[downsizingnow48]

At what point does it become more practical and cost effective to buy a quiet compressor? I would be thinking about hooking up a CAT 20 gal/4hp to your 60 gal tank. That would give 80 gal of air at 75 db for $1k plus a good heavy duty motor to be repurposed.:dance1:

 

[Doofy]

At what point does it become more practical and cost effective to buy a quiet compressor? I would be thinking about hooking up a CAT 20 gal/4hp to your 60 gal tank. That would give 80 gal of air at 75 db for $1k plus a good heavy duty motor to be repurposed.:dance1:

At what point do Old Farts NOT want to spend money to replace a perfectly good but loud and obnoxious air compressor? Not I. At 69 years old, I am not trying to make a living using an air compressor and even now I may not even need to use one at all for weeks or months at a time.

I'd much rather discuss the problem and find solutions that work for others and try the same. Doesn't have to cost much.

 

[Doofy]

I threw a heavy packing blanket over my compressor too and the racket was muffled to the tune of 4dB at 6'. I am thinking that a lot of my noise is from vibration and from the steel legs echoing off the cement floor. No soft materials or furniture to absorb the sound in a garage or shop. Hopefully, we will cut the noise down enough to live with.