Air Compressor question
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 4
From: Fairmount, Georgia
Air Compressor question
I got an old air compressor from my grandpa. It needs a new pump. It has a 1 1/2 HP motor off of a concrete mixer. My question is does the pump HP need to match the motor HP or can it be different?
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 171
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The pump will use more hp if you spin it faster. When you first start air compressor, the electric motor is not working very hard, it is not pushing against any air pressure. As the pressure builds up, the electric motor works harder, and draws more current. If the displacement of the pump is too large, or you are spinning the pump too fast, you might overload the electric motor. If you use the compressor only once a day, and the electric motor is allowed to cool before it starts again, a very slight overload will cause no problems. If the compressor is running a lot, you could have problems ranging from the motor not starting until it cools, to the motor getting hot enough to burn out. does the electric motor have any kind of overheat protection?
I replaced the pump on my air compressor with a pump I got at Graingers, an industrial supply company. The pump had a lot of information on pulley sizes, and the recommended hp of the electric motor to drive it. I was also able to find a pump with the same base mounting pattern, and same shaft height for my air compressor.
I replaced the pump on my air compressor with a pump I got at Graingers, an industrial supply company. The pump had a lot of information on pulley sizes, and the recommended hp of the electric motor to drive it. I was also able to find a pump with the same base mounting pattern, and same shaft height for my air compressor.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
Check out Northern Tool or Harbor Freight. Both have two cylinder single stage compressors that would fit your needs.
The cast iron ones last forever, I just dropped a nearly 30year old one on a newer tank and it's still going very strong.
The cast iron ones last forever, I just dropped a nearly 30year old one on a newer tank and it's still going very strong.
