air compressor for garage, instead of bike pump

[NoHeat]

I've been using a bike pump in the garage. Two strokes on the pump adds one psi in the front tire, for example. It works, and it would be easy if I were more skillful with the tire gauge. I check the pressure every day I ride, and half the time I fumble the air gauge enough that some air escapes. Then I have to use the pump, then the gauge that I fumble, then repeat until I get it right without letting air out with the gauge. That's the hassle I'd like to avoid.

 

My 110VAC power outlet is on the opposite side of the garage from where I use a pump, so I figure if I got a compressor, I'd need one with a tank and wheels, so that I can park it by the bike for a week or so until the tank needs refilling, then wheel it across the garage for that.

 

Questions:

 

1.

I noticed small air compressors on sale at home improvement stores, as cheap as $60 with a 2 gallon tank, a set of wheels and a hose. Would that do the job?

 

2.

Is there any downside, like water or oil getting into my tires? (I ask because I'm accustomed to using compressed air at work where there's a big central compressor somewhere in the building to serve many rooms, and we have to use a water trap in the line just before any hose we hook up, to avoid water sputtering out with the compressed air. I don't see any such water trap on the portable compressors stores sell for use in a garage.)

 

3.

I looked in the home-improvement stores for a gauge that could be installed on the hose -- one that you can set to a certain pressure as a stop point, so that when you fill a tire it automatically stops filling at the desire pressure, so there's no need to verify with a handheld gauge. But I didn't see one in the stores. Anybody know of a good product that will do this?

[Firefight911]

I have a compressor (oil type) in my garage. Not enough to run air tools but more than enough to blow down the floor, etc.

 

You shouldn't have to worry about and oil/water separator if your use is to maintain your tires. The separators are insurance for expensive air tools, etc. that tend to gum up and corrode with contamination.

 

Most home use compressors have a drain at the bottom of the storage tank to drain off any accumulated water.

 

If you are not sure or doubtdful about getting a compressor, just run down to Home Depot, or the like, and grab a storage tank with air chuck on it. Run down to your local garage (or your work), fill it up, and use that. If you fill it to its max (usually between 100-120 psi) you should have more than enough air in the tank for at least a month of top off, etc.

 

I have this for my dirt bikes. I top it off with my compressor, throw it in the truck with the dirt bikes and off I go with all thet air I need. Even if I have to change a tube while out there!

[russg]

A small, home use, oil-less compressor will do the trick. You most likely won't use it enough to accumulate water. If the regulator is accurate all you do is set it to the pressure you want and it will equalize with the tires.

 

Setup the compressor and run a few tests. Once you are happy with the regulator setting for a particular tire pressure just mark it on the compressor gauge.

 

I have learned from experience with my compressor how long to pump air into the tire to put it at the pressure I need based on my initial gauge reading.

[Redbrick]

QUOTE

Questions:

 

1.

I noticed small air compressors on sale at home improvement stores, as cheap as $60 with a 2 gallon tank, a set of wheels and a hose. Would that do the job?

QUOTE

 

I went through the same thing about 6 months ago and bought a 3 gallon, 90 psi compressor at Kragen....Yes, it does the job of blowing up the bike tires but that's all....No volume in 3 gallons...Cant' blow off anything or the tank is empty quick...Wish I'd bought a bigger one...More volume....But it did a good job of taking the place of the bicycle pump...If you've got room in your garage, which I don't, suggest you get a bigger tank job....Wish I would have...

 

Phil......Redbrick

[John Ranalletta]

Your post prompted me to search us.trader.com (IN, KY, TN) for a larger compressor. I think I found one that not only provides air but might be good for the soul...

Buckeye Pneumatics Air Compressor - This compressor was used to power a Christian auto repair shop here in Ft. Wayne.

Are Christians easier on compressors than atheists, or Baptists? Maybe, but I hear those Lutherans really give 'em a workout.

[velomoto]

... so I figure if I got a compressor, I'd need one with a tank and wheels, so that I can park it by the bike for a week or so until the tank needs refilling, then wheel it across the garage for that.

Two other options:

1. Get a compressor and a loooong hose which will reach across your garage. This will allow you place the compressor in the ideal location.

2. Use PVC plumbing pipe to route the air. A friend has a HUGE 220V 60 gallon compressor located in his basement shop. He routed a 3/4 inch PVC schedule 80 (that's 800 PSI) pipe from the basement into the garage where he connected to a hose on a rectractable reel.

 

Regarding the question about a dial gauge, check out this link - it's not exactly what you asked for but it should work: HarborFreight.com inflator w/gauge

[RFW]

1.

I noticed small air compressors on sale at home improvement stores, as cheap as $60 with a 2 gallon tank, a set of wheels and a hose. Would that do the job?

Ever wondered why in the US, they measure compressor output in Cubic Feet per Minute, but tank size is measured in Gallons?

 

Gallons of compressed air??

 

How incredibly useless!

[ShovelStrokeEd]

C'mon Bob, tanks are measured in gallons cause it describes the capacity of the tank. It is, if you will, a static measure and an appropriate one for volume as the unit is pretty familiar to everyone. You could use liters just as easily but, that is kinda a small unit.

 

Ditto CFM for air production. The same unit is used for consumption so it makes sense to match the two. Actually, CFM by itself is kinda useless unless you relate it to a pressure as well.

 

What it boils down to is those are commonly accepted units, appropriate to describing the devices in question. Tanks are used for more than just air storage.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

My 110VAC power outlet is on the opposite side of the garage from where I use a pump, so I figure if I got a compressor, I'd need one with a tank and wheels, so that I can park it by the bike for a week or so until the tank needs refilling, then wheel it across the garage for that.

 

Just get a nice long hose; your compressor can stay put. Quick-disconnects on the ends of the hose are nice in case you ever want to switch between an air chuck and a blast nozzle.

 

1. I noticed small air compressors on sale at home improvement stores, as cheap as $60 with a 2 gallon tank, a set of wheels and a hose. Would that do the job?

 

Sure, that'd be perfect for tire fills. Check the hose length that comes with the compressor; you may find you want to buy something longer.

 

2. Is there any downside, like water or oil getting into my tires?

 

Oil:

Most small compressors are oil-free, so this won't be a problem for you. You have to spend several hundred dollars to get an oil-lubed compressor.

 

Water:

I studied this in detail last fall when I was looking into pressure-versus-temperature issues with tires. The short version: if you fill your compressor's tank to ~150 psi (a typical compressor shut-off pressure), and let it cool off, most of the moisture will condense inside the tank. When you empty some of that air into your ~40-psi tire, the water vapor pressure drops accordingly. The end result is that the relative humidity inside your tires won't be more than about 33%, no matter how humid it was when you filled the compressor's tank. Pressure-versus-temperature behavior will be virtually identical to pure dry air; you won't get condensation inside your tires until you get down below about 40F; and even then the total mass of the condensate will be a fraction of a gram. If you really wanted to dry the air, you'd need to invest maybe $300 on a coalescing filter, a desiccant dryer, and a bag full of pipe fittings, but if all you're doing is filling tires, this is not a worthwhile investment.

 

3. I looked in the home-improvement stores for a gauge that could be installed on the hose -- one that you can set to a certain pressure as a stop point, so that when you fill a tire it automatically stops filling at the desire pressure, so there's no need to verify with a handheld gauge. But I didn't see one in the stores. Anybody know of a good product that will do this?

 

Haven't seen one of these. How does it work? Pressure at the valve stem increases when you're trying to stuff air through it, so I don't understand how it could accurately measure tire pressure, unless it's filling the tire very, very slowly.

[NoHeat]

Thanks, all, for the tips.

 

You're right, Mitch, that an external gauge cannot indicate the internal tire pressure while air is flowing. The pressure will be higher in the chuck than inside the tire. I should have known better.

[Jerry Johnston]

I have three compressors, a 60gal upright non-movable with enough hose to go all over the yard, a 20 gal upright that is on wheels and a little cheapy like you're discribing. They'll all work the lager the tank the less often the motor has to turn on. I have a short hose on the cheapy which works fine because it's so portable andd I have it plugged into a retractable ac cord. I think on a really small compressor having a long hose is a pain - just my opinion.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Thanks, all, for the tips.

 

You're right, Mitch, that an external gauge cannot indicate the internal tire pressure while air is flowing. The pressure will be higher in the chuck than inside the tire. I should have known better.

 

I was under the impression you had actually seen one of these, which is why I was confused.

 

What I have seen is an air chuck with the gauge built in, and you have a lever for controlling airflow; you temporarily shut off the airflow to measure tire pressure. So it's like this:

 

1. place/hold chuck on valve stem.

 

2. read pressure.

 

3. press lever to add air, or briefly relax chuck to remove air.

 

4. release lever (or restore seal between chuck and stem), and check pressure.

 

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as needed, then release chuck.

 

This kind of device should solve the problem of difficulty resealing the chuck on the stem to check pressure every time.

 

Found 'em. Go to www.mcmaster.com. Search for 2151, which will bring up page 2151 of their catalog. Scroll about halfway down to "tire inflator gauges." They've got a handful to choose from, anywhere between $40 and $90.

[AviP]

I have a 2-hp 4-gallon Hitachi compressor. I have one straight hose with inline oiler for my nailers/staplers and another coiled hose for simple stuff. I've used it successfully for popping tires onto the bead, filling air, etc.

 

But if you don't have other home needs for a compressor, you should just buy a $20 portable compressor for your bike.

[Firefight911]

Thanks, all, for the tips.

 

You're right, Mitch, that an external gauge cannot indicate the internal tire pressure while air is flowing. The pressure will be higher in the chuck than inside the tire. I should have known better.

 

I was under the impression you had actually seen one of these, which is why I was confused.

 

What I have seen is an air chuck with the gauge built in, and you have a lever for controlling airflow; you temporarily shut off the airflow to measure tire pressure. So it's like this:

 

1. place/hold chuck on valve stem.

 

2. read pressure.

 

3. press lever to add air, or briefly relax chuck to remove air.

 

4. release lever (or restore seal between chuck and stem), and check pressure.

 

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as needed, then release chuck.

 

This kind of device should solve the problem of difficulty resealing the chuck on the stem to check pressure every time.

 

Found 'em. Go to www.mcmaster.com. Search for 2151, which will bring up page 2151 of their catalog. Scroll about halfway down to "tire inflator gauges." They've got a handful to choose from, anywhere between $40 and $90.

 

Only here can you learn how to use an in-line tire gauge!!

[Rinkydink]

I put my compressor under my house and ran 1/2" cpvc pipe to my garage. I put a light switch in my garage to turn the compressor on and off with. I don't have to listen to the compressor run and it saves room too. I bought a larger (no-oil) unit than I probably needed but now I'm glad I did.

[Lineareagle]

Well those gauges are great for getting to the 'about' range but I wouldn't expect one to be very accurate.

Personally I use a tire pump, overinflate the tire and use the gauge to bring the pressure down to what I want.

A little leak, check, a little leak, check etc.

Much more accurate, I get some excercise, I don't spend the money on something that unless it is fairly large is pretty useless i.e. small compressor.

My dos centimos.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Only here can you learn how to use an in-line tire gauge!!

 

Hm. Wasn't trying to be pedantic; just seemed like something the OP maybe hadn't seen before, so I wanted to describe why it might be a handy thing for him.

[decorbin]

I have a couple of gel battery powered compressers that I got from Home Depot. You can charge them with AC or DC. They were about $35 each. They have a built in air gauge, which as others have said, get you in the "area" but are not that accurate. With regular use, they only need to be charged about one a month. They can inflate a completely flat tire, but would take a while. For checking pressure/topping off tires they are great. Since my bikes are stored in a locker (live in a high rise), they are just the ticket. When we tralier the bikes accross country...yeah I know you're supposed to ride them....we take one along. We also drive around for charity bicycle rides that involve multi-day trips, and riding several days. They are perfect for that as well. Would also be useful for pumping up air mattresses, balls, etc. The brand is Campbell Hausfield.

[mefly2]

Small tank-type on sale now at Sears ($90)... works well on the bike tires or, for me, re-stapling down the cedar shingles on my roof!

[Catbird]

This may not suit you, but it fill my needs perfectly. About a year and a half ago, I purchased a Husqvarna 5-in-1 portable emergency jump starter/auto battery charger, air compressor, worklight, DC to AC inverter and DC power unit from Home Depot.

 

It's totally portable and can be carried in one hand; it weighs ~25lbs. or so. All you need to do is charge it up (AC) every couple of months. I think I paid less than $100.

[Couchrocket]

Keep your eyes out at Sears. The often put their little "pancake" tank air compressors on sale for much less than the advertised price in the link below. Tank is small enough to leave "empty" when not using it for long periods, yet comes up to pressure quickly.

 

As others have said, oil free is worth the extra couple of bucks.

 

I have a little Sears pancake style, and it has enough CFM at pressure to run a nice nailer, or air tool, enough storage to keep the tires on the bike and cars up to snuff, and is small enough and light enough to tote about the property for various jobs.

[99Roadster]

I use this one. A Campbell & Hausfeld 2 gal, 135psi max. Comes in handy for small jobs.

 

Mounts on the wall and the output is adjustable for the really small jobs.

[scottd]

I've gone through several compressors over the years. Bigger is better. If you are a handyman you'll be surprised at the collection of air tools you'll get when you have the power to run them: paint sprayer, impact wrench, die grinder, nail guns. I use the same type nozzle most gas stations use and verify occasionally with a dial gauge. Quick and easy.

[Scarecrow]

Two other options:

1. Get a compressor and a loooong hose which will reach across your garage. This will allow you place the compressor in the ideal location.

Or, probably easier, is an extension cord to reach across the floor. Cheap and useful for other purposes.

 

I bought a cheapie unit which is fine for tire refills, but probably not much more. I just turn it on, let the pressure build, fill the tires, turn it off, then use the valve to release all the pressure and vapor build up. Simple but it works.

 

I'd like to have the setup I saw in Jonathan's garage; but then again, he knows what he's doing as opposed to my fumbling efforts.

[bakerzdosen]

As others have said, oil free is worth the extra couple of bucks.

I don't think anyone really said that. If you're getting a small cheap one, then yes, oil-free isn't that bad. However, if you're spending anywhere near $100 for one, you don't want oil-free. It doesn't add much to the hassle of the compressor (change oil every so often) but it will make it much quieter and durable. If you're getting one with a tank, don't get oil free.