I bought my first air compressor based on suggestion here. I got a 10 gallon, 2.5hp, 125 psi.
if im going to use it on any given day I typically turn it on and let it run until the tank fills before i spray. Ive taped my line connections fairly well. I hear a tiny air leak at the tank valve.
my issue is that I hardly spray at all, maybe a couple minutes, and then the compressor needs to turn back on. Why? 10 gallon tank isn’t that tiny. The other thing that’s confusing is that when i open the tank release valve a ton of air spits out. So i know the tank is not empty when the compressor is switching on.
whys this thing running the whole time i spray? Cant i get some peace and quiet???
When you are spraying or using a die grinder continuously; a 10 gal. tank will run out of air pretty fast. You will then have to wait for the compressor to catch up and fill the tank. I have 20’s and they will kick on before I can spray one full side of a blank with paint. You didn’t get a recommendation to buy anything less than a 20 from me. If I had my way I would have a 60 in my shop, but I don’t want to do 220. A 20 or 22 gallon tank is as big as you can buy at 110. Even grinding laps will require that you wait on a 10 gal. to catch up. Cubic feet per minute don’t mean anything if you use up all the air in the tank and have to wait on the compressor. You can’t get the CFM at the cap of a cup gun if the tank is empty and the compressor is running to catch up… If CFM were all that mattered, you’d be able to buy a tankless compressor that would stay up with a cup gun. I have owned a couple of tankless compressors and they run continuously. They’re OK for airing up a bike tire or blowing off parts. That’s about it. You took some bad advice. Live and learn. You’ll have to put up with it until you buy a bigger compressor. For and extra $50 you could have got twice the tank.
Yes it has some air in it, but not enough pressure to get a good fan at your cup gun. You’ll get lines in your spray job when you try to spray under lower pressure than is required for the cup gun. So you have to just stop and wait for the tank to fill. You can tell how far you can get by watching your spray pattern.
What kind of sprayer are you using? What is your SCFM output on the compressor? What pressure is the tank at when you start spraying? Lots of factors contribute to how often your compressor cycles. If you’re using a standard sprayer, you’re likely going to use more air. However, you can adjust your output. I set my pressure where the paint starts atomizing when I trigger the sprayer. If you’re spraying at 100 PSI, you’re blowing product all over the place. Using an HVLP type sprayer, you usually can get the pressure down to 30-40 PSI.
the compressor rates 6.2 cfm @ 40psi, and 5.3 @ 90psi.
ive added a regulator attached to the gun which ive set at 40-50psi to spray. I had a thought to check the regulator off the tank valve and also set that to 40-50psi. I don’t know what that regulator has been reading. Not sure this would do anything but its my only move.
garage is 25 degrees atm so this experiment will remain on hold
That is an option if all you do is spray. Not worth a $#!t for running a die grinder or even for blowing off a blank. You can buy a Cheopo at Harbor Freight that won’t last more than a couple of blanks, otherwise you are talking $1000—$2000 for Titan or Graco. I don’t have to google them I have used them for years. Go to any Body and Paint shop. They may use a Cap Spray Gun, but that gun is connected to an air line coming from a 220 Compressorwith at a minimum a 60 Gal. tank. If all you to do is spray paint, buy one of the handheld artless units with a plastic pot attached to it. You’ll still need a compressor to run any air tool and blow off your work. And with a ten gal. tank, you’ll be standing there waiting for you compressor to catch up half way thru grinding a rail. Doesn’t bother me if you get offended when somebody disagrees with you. You don’t have to post here if your feelings are hurt. Thanks thrillkill. That is my professional opinion and knowledge. Comes from years of using Pressure Pots and Compressors, Airless Euipment and High Volumne Low Pressure systems, Cap Spray Guns and Air Brushes. Iwata, Devilis,Binks,Graco, Titan, Wagner and Speeflow to name a few.
