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If you purchase a "do-it-yourself" type air
compressor, or if you purchase any type of air compressor for that matter,
check to make sure that it comes with an Air Regulator. If not, purchase one.
You will be glad you did!
An air regulator is a device that lowers the downstream air
pressure. Downstream air is the air that's moving from the regulator towards
your application.
Compressed air will flow from the compressor reservoir into
the air regulator (this supply is called upstream air) and through a system of
an internal diaphragm and springs, the regulator will maintain a constant
downstream air pressure level, despite changes in the upstream supply pressure
from the tank.
Recognize that you can only use a compressed air regulator
to increase the downstream air pressure up to the level of the upstream supply
air pressure. An air regulator will not enable you to "dial up" the
downstream air pressure higher than the upstream level.
However, if you can figure out how to do that, do let me
know, and we'll both get rich! -}
You will want to set the downstream air pressure from your
regulator at a pressure level that is below the lowest air pressure that will
be incoming from your air compressor. Here's why.
The compressor maximum pressure set point is the pressure
level inside the compressor receiver at which the compressor shuts itself off.
This is also known as the "cut out" pressure.
When the cut out pressure is reached, the compressor stops
compressing air. When you start to use compressed air from the compressor tank,
the pressure inside starts to drop, and eventually the compressor will start
again. This is the "cut in" pressure point.
As a result, your application, be it an air tool or an air
brush, will "see" varying pressures from the tank as the compressor
cycles on and off between the two set points.
For most applications, a varying air pressure supply isn't
satisfactory and it is particularly problematical for folks that use compressed
air to spray paint. Despite your best
efforts with the air brush, if the supply air pressure is constantly changing,
so too will the quality of your work.
This brings us back to the why you will always want to have
an air regulator installed in the line between the compressor and your
application.
If you set the downstream air pressure at a pressure level
BELOW the cut in pressure level of the air compressor, in theory, the air
pressure to your application should never change. As the air compressor goes
through its normal cut-in and cut-out cycle your air regulator ensures that your downstream device will see a
steady, non-fluctuating, supply of compressed air.
This is theoretical only, unfortunately. If your application
consumes more compressed air than your compressor can generate, even though you
have set your air regulator at a "safe" level, eventually the air
pressure from the tank will fall below the level your regulator is set for, and
the downstream device will see a steadily diminishing air pressure supply too
this even though your compressor may have cut-in, and is trying desperately to
build up a supply of compressed air inside the tank.
This is why you really want to know how much air you need
for your application to ensure that your air compressor has enough capacity to
oversupply your needs. Check out details of this at ABOUT-air-compressors. com!
Know that air pressure regulators come with different levels
of accuracy with the least accurate being, as you might guess, the least
expensive.
Most general purpose compressed air regulators will have an
accuracy of 3-5 PSI, meaning that the actual air pressure that your device is
being supplied through the regulator will vary within that range, despite what
it says on the gauge.
If you need more accuracy, opt for a precision regulator,
and depending on the manufacturer, you may be able to get a downstream air
pressure within a .5 PSI accuracy of the pressure reading on the gauge.
General purpose air pressure regulators normally have an
operating range in the area of of 0 - 120 PSI. Others will be rated for
pressures of 0-100 or 0-150 PSI.
You can also get air regulators with a narrower and more
specialty oriented range of pressures such as: 0-10 PSI, 0-20, 20-60 PSI and so
on. At the other end of the scale, you can purchase regulators that can safely
handle many thousands of PSI.
For most do-it-yourself types, a general compressed air
regulator with a range of 0-100 PSI will do just fine.
Bill Wade's experience in compressed air and
other industries spans decades from field sales positions through to the
corporate presidential office. His sales agency represents a select group of
industrial firms. Mr. Wade writes about all facets of compressed air at
http://www.about-air-compressors.com.
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