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Air compressor questions.

W

white halftrack

Member
I have a few questions about an air compressor and have had luck with the knowledgeable folk on this forum. If not in the right area I am sorry. We picked up a nice coats tire machine and knew we needed a bigger compressor. We found a larger compressor but have multiple questions. It is an older Speedaire Duplex compressor. I am a bit sketchy on the electrical part of it. Would this compressor run the tire machine?

It is 3 phase and we just have single in our shop. Will these motors run on single phase or be converted? If not with two motors will one Vfd work and what size? Would like to maintain at least 100 psi.

Any help appreciated. The compressor is pretty cheap to obtain.

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I have old aircompresser in old
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Workshop. I repaired the tank that had a pinhole. I decided it was time to get new


I can't see spending the money to get a converter when you have old tank and compressor. Not sure if a VDF can generate the starting current needed for the motor and it looks like you have 2 motors.

For $500 I got a new Dewalt from Rural King.

Napa has good compressor around same money.


I wouldn't be putting good money in old stuff.


It's your money.
 
just by going by looks that is lots of compressor. the tire machine will have its own tank. plus for seating the bead you step on the pedal right to the floor once it seats then let up one notch and it will continue filling the tire. single phase motors are scarse and expensive. i just saw 14 h.p. on kijji for 900.00 someone might have made up that setup with two compressors and motors. seating the bead is the important thing after that any compressor will pump the air its the initial blast that does the trick.
 
Old is correct. You will need a phase converter or switch to a single phase motor. A single phase motor would be my choice. You will have plenty of pressure with that compressor.
 

What is the model number on the compressor (Speedaire)??

With those Furnas pressure switches cutting off at 100 psi max.,

I think that is a climate control (HVAC) air compressor.

What HP are the motors? Can't read the tag, looks like maybe 2hp each?

If it is a CC use compressor, the air volume is only around 10cfm at 90psi
 
Thanks for everyones comments. I am seeing that I get a Vfd for it fairly reasonably. How do I determine what size or specs I use and will it work for both motors or will I need one for each motor?

Thanks again everyone.
 
Those are some really small compressors. Look like 1.5 or 2 HP motors.

Ideally, each motor would have its own control, completely separate from each other, designed to be serviceable without interrupting the air supply.

There may have been an alternating relay so each compressor would get equal run time, and the 2 pressure switches would have been set so if one compressor couldn't handle the volume, both would come on.

If you want to keep that feature, you will need 2 FVD's, one for each motor.

Or you could use one pressure switch, one large VFD, and run both motors at the same time. That would be the easiest and most economical approach.

To size the VFD, add the motor HP together, then go to the next size bigger VFD.

If they are 1 1/2 HP motors, you will need a 5 HP VFD. If 2HP, go with a 7 1/2 HP.

Be sure the motors are wired for 230v and the VFD is rated for 230v.

The pressure switch will wire to the aux input terminals of the VFD, the motors MUST be controlled through the VFD, not wired directly to the pressure switch. This will be covered in the owner's manual/set up procedures.

There are a lot of VFD's to choose from. You won't need anything fancy or expensive, just the basics. TECO Westinghouse is about the cheapest and they work well.
 
There are several options. You could replace the motor with a single phase motor. If you think you might get more three phase machines you could get a rotary phase converter. It would give you three phase power to every machine as long as you weren't running all at once. A VFD would certainly run it however if you got more three phase equipment you would have to get a VFD for each machine. I believe the rule of thumb is to purchase a VFW that is rated twice the amperage that the motor is rated. Make sure you have a magnetic starter switch for a compressor. Compressors use so much power at start up they tend to burn up the pressure switches on the compressors.
 
This isn't really an issue who's right. It's your money.
I bought my old air compressor 42 years ago. It was old when I bought it.
Tank safety was my major concern.
So I left my old air compressor in my old workshop.
At my age, my new air compressor will most likely live longer than I will.
 
Not electrical related, but I would recommend looking inside the tank with a bore scope to check condition before I spent any money on wiring it up. A compressor that old may be a bomb waiting to happen. I've had pinholes start leaking on two older compressors, they went straight to recycling.
 
Recently someone on YT posted about adding a VFD.
If I recall he said the cost of the wire and VFD was a lot.
What's the cost of buying new 220v motors?
 
(quoted from post at 23:52:15 12/16/21) We couldnt find a tag other than the one on the motors. Yes 2 hp.
Click to expand...

Before you spend a lot of $$ on that compressor you need to determine what you have and what the condition is.
Motors?
Tank condition?
Are pumps wore out?
Will it be sufficient for the intended tasks?
Like I said earlier, my bet is that compressor is for climate controls duty.
When new it may pump 4.5cfm to 10cfm and max. PSI of only 90
See current models at bottom of page.
https://www.grainger.com/category/p...mpressors/stationary-electric-air-compressors

P.S. Speedaire is made by Grainger.
 
As a owner of a coats tire machine That's not enoufh compressor. You need at least 18cfm with a pressure setting of 175psi. Even then you will be waiting on it to build enoufh air to bead a tire. What Steve said those are single stage heads borderline not enoufh.

Those machines like their air and all they can get when it comes to seating a bead.
 
Those half tracks are clad with 3/16 inch armor plate. A drill bit just makes a shiny mark if someone tries to drill it. It is designed to shed 50 calibre gunfire. I would hate to be huddled down inside when someone is using it for a target though.
 
Nice halftrack! Can't answer specific compressor questions, but if it produces air, it should run the tire machine. I have an old FMC rim clamp machine and it takes very little air to run it.
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