by anonymous2 » Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:21 pm
Hi Shrug,
I work as a assistant facilities maintenance manager. We have several of our compressors in small buildings outside. Our compressors run constantly,and generate enough heat to keep from freezing. They are in a well insulated out buildings{sound mostly} ,however we have a grill vent that operates when the compressor is running,by way of louvers driven by electric motors. I realize your compressor is smaller,but still needs ventilation. I suggest 2 grills placed in the outside walls,one near the bottom,and one near the top. This will allow a natural chimney effect of letting the hot air out the top,and pulling cooler air in the bottom. Compressors do get water condensating inside the tank,and will freeze . You can put a heat lamp,or small electric heater near the tank,with a timer to come on a few times a day to keep from freezing. Make sure the lamp/heater is mounted safely as not to contact any flammable materials. If you plan to put compressor in a soundproof box inside a building you may want to rig a vent fan when compressor is running,and you will still need a small grill to allow air to circulate. I am guessing your compressor is 5HP or smaller,so the grill size should be roughly 8" X 10" or 10" X 10" for both inside,and out. A simple 100cfm bathroom vent fan would be enough for an inside application to vent the compressor. Flat grill can be had at any Home depot,Lowes,etc for around 8-10 dollars. Put screen mesh on the inside to keep out bugs,and bees if using an outside building.Personally,foam type ear plugs are cheap,and you can buy them in bulk.
pateardropper