Budget "silent" air compressor?

[Davie]

Think out loud... loud bring an issue!

Currently have a Workzone air compressor in the garage. I've had it about 15yrs so how it still works is a mystery. It's plenty big enough for blowing up tyres, my air blower, inflating the kids paddling pool etc... never spray paint etc. It does the trick but it's incredibly noisy, about rattles the garage apart too.

Appreciate "silent" is never silent but any experiences with budget compressors that are pretty quiet, as in quiet enough that I could run it in a Sunday morning without getting an asbo? Hoping for sub £100 as I really don't need a huge tank or huge air flow.

Thanks

[twibs]

The hyundai silent ones are very quiet

[Tye Green]

recently bough this -it's vey good and also quite quiet

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374928241532?_skw=air+c...

[Davie]

Tye Green said:

recently bough this -it's vey good and also quite quiet

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374928241532?_skw=air+c...

Thanks. That's the sort of thing I was hoping for as it'd sit nicely in the corner however it says it's 97dbm... which is the same as my current one. My current one being very loud, as in standing beside it is borderline unpleasant - I know a piston type is inevitably louder but not sure if mine is louder than others. For comparison, mateys in his workshop is huge (runs a full garage) yet is about as noisey as my dishwasher.

[poppopbangbang]

twibs said:

The hyundai silent ones are very quiet

Seconded, I've got one in my garage! Well priced from the usual places and whilst not commercial quality they're absolutely fine for domestic garage work. Be warned if you want to spray with one you'll need the version with a big reciever as they're not the fastest of things to air up.... but they are really quite!

[shtu]

SJR said:

Bambi BB8 for domestic garage use … extremely quiet.

https://bambi-air.co.uk/products/budget-range-sile...

At nearly quadruple the OP's ideal budget, peak PH. I'm sure it's very good though.

The other option is to knock up an enclosure for the cheap noisy one. Double skiin, bit of insulation between the skins. Even better if you put it outside and run the power and air to it.

[rodericb]

I don't think you'll get a "silent" compressor for the type of money you're looking at but not for much more: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235196191419?_skw=silen...

The vertical one linked in one of the posts above will likely not be silent. You might be able to change the pump/motor on your existing compressor for a "silent" one (also called a dentists compressor) but that might cost more than just buying a complete new "silent" compressor.

Silent compressors are not actually silent but they're a hell of a lot less noisy than the usual reciprocating ones. They have more of a decent thrum noise but it's certainly a lot easier on the ears. You could run it in the garage for ages and no one is going to jack up about it.

[Davie]

shtu said:

At nearly quadruple the OP's ideal budget, peak PH. I'm sure it's very good though.

The other option is to knock up an enclosure for the cheap noisy one. Double skiin, bit of insulation between the skins. Even better if you put it outside and run the power and air to it.

Cheers.

I had initially debated an enclosure as it sits under the work bench and oddly, it's slightly quieter if you cup your hand slightly over the air intake... but all things considered, more so it's age and the fact one of the couplers has since seized, it's probably far exceeded my expectations over the past decade or more so replacement is my current thought process.

Will have a look into the Hyundai ones in a bit more detail - I know none are silent, more so at the price point but 40dbm is a hell of a lot better than the current 97dbm (or more!) which is making it a bit much for garage use. At the moment i fire it up then retreat to the drive as its that noisy, in an enclosed space that it's pretty unpleasant. Also limits when I can use it so as not to irritate the neighbours!

[nuyorican]

A bit off-tangent, but is a tyre inflator the same thing essentially as an air compressor?

Been thinking of getting one of these as I have the batteries:

[KTMsm]

I have a Workzone too - they are very noisy

I inherited two very old compressors with my house and they are almost silent - I think as others have intimated, noise is directly related to the cost

[rodericb]

nuyorican said:

A bit off-tangent, but is a tyre inflator the same thing essentially as an air compressor?

Been thinking of getting one of these as I have the batteries:

It is theoretically an air compressor but it doesn't have a tank and that greatly limits its utility to pretty much just inflating tyres. The thing with a traditional air compressor is that the tank is an accumulator and you're not so much using the compressor of it but the air which is compressed in the accumulator (the tank).

[biggiles]

rodericb said:

nuyorican said:

A bit off-tangent, but is a tyre inflator the same thing essentially as an air compressor?

Been thinking of getting one of these as I have the batteries:

It is theoretically an air compressor but it doesn't have a tank and that greatly limits its utility to pretty much just inflating tyres. The thing with a traditional air compressor is that the tank is an accumulator and you're not so much using the compressor of it but the air which is compressed in the accumulator (the tank).

All true. But I haven't bothered using my air compressor for tyres once since getting an 18v inflator to match my existing batteries... it's just so much easier. OP, do you NEED an air compressor in 2024?

[Peanut Gallery]

Has your old compressor always been that noisy? - Is it now only firing on one cylinder instead of 2 and is therefore way out of balance etc?

If it is shacking around, some of the noise could be coming from the mountings, would a cheaper option be to mount it on a block of rubber or something, and fashion a door to reduce the airborn noise from it?

That said, tanks do have an age limit, as water sitting in them rusts out the bottom, so it may be time for an upgrade, but if the tank is fine, just build a cupboard that goes around it, use some heavy sound reducing board, leave it to clack away in the corner. (if use is excessive, you may get heating issues, but this is Scotland after all)

[nuyorican]

rodericb said:

It is theoretically an air compressor but it doesn't have a tank and that greatly limits its utility to pretty much just inflating tyres. The thing with a traditional air compressor is that the tank is an accumulator and you're not so much using the compressor of it but the air which is compressed in the accumulator (the tank).

Got it. Thank you for taking the time to explain.