Do not build a sound insulated enclosure for your noisy air compressor!

[@dfinma]

Unpopular option -- install air compressor in neighbor's house and run a long air hose to your shop 😄

[@kihestad]

Hehe, you don't even have to pay for the electricity 😅

[@AquaMarine1000]

In Australia, air compressors are housed outside.

[@Netflixowy]

Your neigbor will do the same :)

[@HomelessPank]

​@@AquaMarine1000the only problem with that is someone will steal it, in the us anyway

[@rixward5475]

@@AquaMarine1000 not true . commercial based compressors yes but not residential

[@dazaspc]

In my experience there are 3 things you need to worry about to quieten down an air compressor. 1~ Air intake. Some machines have a very crude strainer for the air intake. This will allow a lot of valve noise out. My standard solution is to remove and modify the air intake to use an automotive paper element air filter. if you use a big enough element it will completely shut up the intake noise and with the added benefit of better filtration. 2~ Contact points. The type of floor plays a part as the action of the compressor vibrates the floor and frequently amplifies the noise. plenty of high density sponge rubber under the contact points, can use carpet pieces 2~4 layers. The tank can also amplify so if you are really fussy you could use some stick on sound deadener sheet. Make sure all guards are tight and not vibrating. 3~ Compressor itself. Some units are naturally nosier than others, as a rule of thumb direct drive piston is the noisiest, belt drive piston is next then come all the specialist types like diaphragm, vane or even screw. A rule of thumb is slower is quieter. If you do put a box around it it will get hotter, for air ducts into the box the easiest and best way is to get a couple of soft cheapo brooms and line the path with them. The broom bristles should intersect in the middle 1/3. That works quite well.

[@kihestad]

A lot of useful considerations here, thanks a lot for your input 👍 I will definitely take a look at your bullet point number 2 - I think the vibrations is what is causing most of the remaining noise.

[@p0lyglot]

Also you can add a pipe to the inlet(s) and direct it outdoors, that will quiet it right down too.

[@jonathanbetenbender307]

Ok so I've got a generator in a bus behind an over engineered wall (massively dropping dB and changing the frequency for lower percieved noise). I've already got some 1"thick Rubber matt and ¾"rubber foam matt set it on. I can set it on a platform with super stiff springs (lowering the contact patch)... I'm thinking no lol. My main thought is what can I do to lower the noise it makes in the first place. I've already gone overboard, but was thinking you might have some good input here.

[@dazaspc]

@@p0lyglot You could but that will add another problem I didn't address. All compressors make water in the receiver due to the dew point of air and it getting compressed. It is VERY IMPORTANT to ensure this is drained as frequently as possible. I run the biggest elbow that will fit to replace the drain point in the tank (Always ensure it is the lowest point also) then a big hose to a ball valve in a convenient position to drain moisture every time I switch it on and off. This can also be noisy but there is a cheap solution. I make a silencer to catch the mud and quieten it down. For a 1/2" hose and ball valve drain i'll get a piece of galv water pipe1 1/2" threaded on one end to fit the 1/2 " hose. Usually 300mm long but longer is quieter and pack hard the pipe with old heavy rags, stuff like denim, with a mix of t shirt thrown in. This I compress in the press until it is very tight (you can over compress but that was under a 50 ton press you only need to use enough to make it solid) . I then drill holes in the sides of the pipe to cross over each other at different heights just big enough to clear some nails. Then install the nails into the compressed rags inside the pipe with the nail heads on the outside. Normally not needed but you can then wrap the outside in 100mph tape to restrain the nails from blowing out. If the rags are compressed hard enough it isn't necessary but everyone is different. I have put these against commercially available silencers and unless they are flooded with oil they beat the commercial ones in restriction and noise. They will clog eventually but I pulled the drain one of my compressor that failed after 15 years and used daily and it was still working fine.

[@dazaspc]

@@jonathanbetenbender307 Check anything that comes off the generator. Cables can also transmit vibration therefor noise, cushion the first few contact points. It should help.

[@simondrinkall2933]

You could also remove the wheels and use rubber mounts, this significantly reduced the noise from my compressor before I built an enclosure for it. Better still I moved it outside.

[@kihestad]

You are absolutely correct! It's my first improvement to-do, find some soft rubber to isolate the vibrations going into the box / floor.

[@MaZEEZaM]

@@kihestad cheap and chearful option is washing machine feet. Expensive but more effective is acoustic isolation feet. (iso-feet)

[@KenFullman]

@@kihestad And don't forget to put a floor on the box. Idealy something with some mass to it, such as a concrete paving slab, then put the isolation feet under that slab. It will make the world of difference.

[@RennieAsh]

Use pneumatic tyres

[@NickyNiclas]

Since we know the frequency of the vibration you could make perfectly tuned dampers. Probably overkill, but fun!

[@thorstenoerts]

My advice is to build increasingly larger boxes around the boxes around the compressor until it is completely silent 🙃

[@ukp42]

Like a Russian Doll? Keep building until the final box is the size of a High Rise building!

[@elofos0815]

or bring it far away from u and feed our air with 1-2" plastic pipes. 10-15m, 2 walls is often much more then this box evere can make

[@erict3728]

I worked in a shop with 2 huge air compressors. Never heard them, they were in a fenced enclosure outside.

[@dannyo3317]

That is a great solution. I have followed similar thinking with making gutter guards. My gutter guards are perfect and allow NO junk to get through. Unfortunately, water also does not pass through!

[@digi3218]

@@dannyo3317 Reminds me of the gutter guards where the water is supposed to basically go over the gutter and follow the curve back into it while all the junk blows off. What a gimmick

[@jamesplotkin4674]

Very important that you provide a way to drain the water from the tank. One way is to plumb a line directly to the drain fitting, then to a valve, so you can leave the compressor in it's comfy home. Don't forget to service the oil.

[@kihestad]

These compressors are without oil, but draining the tank from time to time is needed. We have a quite dry environment here where I live, and since the compressor is stationary in my garage it gets quite dry air all the time. For now I have to open the hatch and take it half way out of the box to drain it - have not done it in a couple of months, probably due time 😯. Will consider adding a line to have drain plug on the outside, would have made it much more convenient. Thanks for your tip! 👍

[@vizioasdf]

@@kihestad be sure to read your instruction manual in regards to how often you should be draining the water from the tanks. My Ridgid dual tank says every 4 hours of use.

[@kihestad]

@@vizioasdf Hi, the user manual says 'daily, after work has been done'. I have to admit that I don't drain it daily. Most days I don't use it at all, and some days I just start it once and then turn it off to do a small job. The humidity is what is causing water to get into the tank. I know it can be quite humid some places in the world, while it's a rather dry climate here where I live (although it's raining a lot). I have just drained the compressor 'now and then’ up until now, but I'll start doing it a bit more frequently 😇

[@maxuabo]

See the trick here is to build a separate insulated room with a filter air dryer/dehumidifier and auto drain valve for the tank so there’s room to walk inside, close the door and service the oil and rubber motor pully for those long life compressors

[@maxuabo]

@Robert Swaine I’ve actually seen someone do the in ground concrete part haha but if you’re going to go that far then I guess you might as well add an oil burn furnace to put that spent oil to good use

[@lexer_]

Something to also consider is that, while the reduction in noise in dB is not sufficient, the sound characteristics are way less "sharp" with the insulating case. I don't know how much of a difference it really makes as I can only compare microphone recordings but even without a significant reduction in dB I would probably still prefer the case just because the sound is not as shouty and more basey.

[@kihestad]

That is a very good observation, not many has commented on it 👍Originally these compressors have a high pitched and hard noise that really hurt in your ear. It crashes totally with frequencies in use when we speak. With the box it is just a low rumbling soft noise left, much more pleasing to the ear. Like thunder far away. Even the noise is there you don't need to rise your voice to talk over it.

[@MrVukojeB]

Absolutely! The sound insulation mainly cuts high frequencies. Bravo!

[@nubreed13]

At one of my old jobs they built insulated panels for the dust collectors. The difference was night and day. Before the panels were made you had to shout at the person next to you. Afterwards you could speak normally right next to the collectors.

[@davidrutledge3240]

@@MrVukojeB bingo. The most effective thing to attenuate low frequencies is adding mass.

[@RandoManFPV]

Heck yea port that baby and tune it to 32hz that's what I'm about 🤣🤣🤙

[@alexplorer]

Short version to save a lot of work: Instead of building an enclosure for the entire compressor, much of the noise comes from the intake hole since that's right up against the piston. You can access that and add a muffler or make your own. There are loads of videos showing different approaches, but my low-tech method was to use a hole saw to drill out the grill to access the hole. The intake hole is threaded to add an air filter, so I matched the size (Mine was 3/8"; not sure if that's standard) and added a 4" long brass nipple that I could then just put about vinyl tubing over. I ran that out about 18". The tubing deadened the sound considerably, especially the high-frequency clatter that's especially irritating. I experimented with a homemade muffler on the end of the tubing, but the tubing alone reduced the noise by quite a bit. (Note: I'm using a 6 gal Harbor Freight compressor, so it was pretty noisy to start with. Better now, though not "quiet." While I wouldn't use it indoors, I'm sure I'm not annoying as many neighbors since it is much quieter.)

[@kihestad]

That sounds like a smart solution! 👍 I did consider it, but I just did not know exactly how to build it. I found different examples on KZbin, but none of them made the compressor as quiet as I would like. Some used even a large exhaust muffler from a car, but I still thought it was loud. Did you measure the sound level before / after?

[@SGOI_AUS]

hey smart lamb Chop short version to save a lot of work is not have your nose pointing to the sky with your butler next to you , how about this response people like this man put a lot of effort time and money into making these videos i had no problem watching his 19 min video had seen your reply well the first line of it and i was struggling to want to read any further beause its people like you this world dont need making the im so good look what i did comment we already know this no one is better than you your red ccar goes faster than my blue car...... but for the rest of us that really have no issues and appreciate the work these FILTUBERZ make we appreciate and encourage them to make more i want to see an interesting how ever long in minutes video as long as it is informative ill watch all day... What i don't want to wanna watch is some Richard Cranium making a video and saying "OK NOISE FROM HERE, CUT AND PASTE HERE PROBLEM SOLVED" i don't wanna watch one minute not learning id rather watch 19 and learn a lot. all these people, hats off to them and there long ass 19 min video because he has informed me and now i don't gotta spend hundreds of dollars and a weekend to find out i go no difference in sound DB's. thats where the appreciation is and if i could do a video half as good as this man id be over the moon, LONG STORY SHORT....... APPRECIATE .......DONT HATE........POINT YOUR NOSE DOWN AND FIRE YOUR BUTLER..... NOW TO MY NEXT 19 MIN VIDEO

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@kihestad Alexplorer hit one key element. Look up images for Eaton / Polar air compressors so you can see their whisper box design. I have a 10HP, 80 gallon compressor, and the whisper box silences the air intake a very good amount. It is basically a large box mounted to the side of the compressor with rubber hoses that go from the compressor head to the top of the whisper box. with just 2 or 3 labyrinth turns, and it is packed with a low-density fiberglass type mesh, similar to what MERV 4 Air conditioning filters use, and the bottom (floor) of the box has three ~15mm holes where the air is drawn upwards to the pump. That being said mine is outdoors about 30meters from the garage. The key is to have the air flow THROUGH the sound dampening media, not surround it! This disrupts the noise a lot more. That being said, nothing will dampen the noise the way we envision it will in our heads than simply very thick insulation material. This is even more critical with typical oil-less compressors that are obviously very noisy. I built a sound-dampening enclosure for a 7 kW Troy-Bilt generator two years ago during pandemic when everything was shut down. What used to be an unbearably annoying loud generator now became a barely noticed 62 dB very low-frequency muffled sound that you can easily talk over even when standing right next to it. I used 12mm board, and Roxul sound-dampening home insulation that was 3"/76mm thick. The sides/top/bottom of the enclosure were 'sandwiched' walls where I stuffed the 3" thick Roxul down to about 2" compressed, so the walls themselves were 3" thick each! The front and back were bare sheets in a labyrinth style like yours. The air intake on the front was facing down towards the ground and was loosely stuff with Acousta-Stuff speaker insulation, so the air easily flowed through it, yet any sound that escaped that way was still muffled. The exhaust end was also a labyrinth style but with no insulation, even though Roxul is rated to be fire-resistant up to something like 2,000°F I didn't take the time to make proper flow channels, since Roxul does not allow airflow through itself (the exhaust gas also went though a large automotive muffler I welded onto the exhaust pipe). Now, The issue with this and sealing up air compressors is now heat. Oil-less air compressors will suffer piston wall/ring damage very quickly if they don't have TONS of airflow, and a 5" 120mm fan is simply not enough. For my generator box, I used a 10" blower fan that moves over 2700 m³/hr (1,600 CFM) ! Obviously it produces a lot more heat, but for a compressor to stay cool, you still do need a massive amount of airflow, something along the lines of 500 CFM (900ish m³/hr).

[@kihestad]

@@zod-engineering-welding Thanks a lot for sharing tips and your project. Our boxes seems to be somewhat similar, yours a bit bigger. It's not vere hot here where I live, even on the warmest summer days. That's one benefit living up north here in Norway, I need heat pump in my garage instead of air conditioner 😁 In hotter environments and for bigger compressors more cooling is a must 👍

[@JayDee-xj9lu]

Great idea. I made a dog hairdryer from using a vacuum cleaner motor and used a car muffler as the intake. It made it so much quieter.

[@CaedenV]

A 20 Db drop is pretty huge! Rather than a complicated enclosure though, just build a more normal closet and use thicker rockwool to surround it. Much simpler design, and probably just as effective if not better. The problem with the chamber design is that you are inadvertently tuning the sound from the compressor to fill a frequency range like a bass box, when your goal is just to kill it entirely. Building a much larger/simpler cabinet or closet space with thick wood and drywall, and 4-8" of dampening material will allow you to shove all of your loud items in 1 space together and will help a lot.

[@kihestad]

It sounds easy, but you forgot the ventilation / cooling. Without the compressor will overheat and be damaged right away. It's kind of important to let air into the box as well, how else can it generate air pressure in the tank 🤔

[@mjremy2605]

You still need ventilation vents for cooling. A bigger box is not necessarily the solution. He can add Mass Loaded Vinyl to the existing box inside or outside to dampen sound. Noico panels on the tank will also dampen the vibrating metal clanging. Finally, acoustical foam inside the box will absorb sound well.

[@kihestad]

I agree, if I had a bit more space - I think even just 10 cm more on the inner part would have helped a lot, and then add more and better sound absorbing material there. Having my size constraints made it impossible to add more sound absorbing material. I had to make the box fit under my bench 😔

[@drinductor8150]

For some perspective, 20 dB is 100x quieter. Literally 100x!

[@ThatCarGuyYT]

The separating walls that let the air in and the ventilation ones need to be coated/insulated to reduce sound bouncing and escaping. Also a compressor is like an engine you can add a muffler to slightly reduce decibel. But decibel are exponential so a few db are actually a lot

[@histufly]

The parallel surfaces allow more reflection in the baffles. It would be better to use shapes that break up the sound reflection such as cones or pyramids.

[@MR.MR.88]

I agree It's looks like a transmission Line speaker

[@jdrissel]

A trick you can do to optimize the design of this sort of sound isolator is to use a speaker enclosure design tool. Measure the noise that you've got and look at the lowest frequency. Then use the enclosure design program to design ports that are tuned to 1/2 of the lowest frequency that your device produces. Remember to set the program to use two ports because you need a separate one for intake and exhaust. This will give you the maximum noise attenuation for the shortest port length. However in this case I suspect most of the noise is either vibrations transmitted via the floor, or is sound coming through the sides and top. Take a look at how subwoofer boxes are braced. The side with the air intake is probably fine as the vent acts as bracing, but the other side and the door probably could be improved quite a bit. Google the kraken subwoofer build to see what I mean. Also consider using some mechanical isolation such as springs or foam rubber under the compressor and pay attention to draining the tank.

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions 👍 Since the box is already built, I will most likely not change the ports - but this is definitely something I will have to look into if I ever was to build a new one! I think you are right about vibrations and perhaps better insulating the non-vented sides would help. The floor has just a thin carpet on it, I might add Rockwool sound insulation there as well and replace the wheels on the compressor with rubber fees.

[@jlucasound]

Thanks, James! Very in depth info!

[@crabmansteve6844]

@@kihestad Rockwool will help immensely, I've done that myself. Specifically a thick layer of rockwool in the bottom of the enclosure with a 25mm rubber isolating pad on top of it.

[@BillLambert]

When I saw the "maze" I immediately thought of a speaker transmission line enclosure, with the compressor as the "speaker". The same acoustic science applies here.

[@FATTONYKAUAI]

It’s called a T line. Enclosure

[@kingcosworth2643]

A design I created when building speaker cabinets is to bond two very different density woods together to help make them acoustically dead. You can imagine if you have two bits of wood with very different resonate frequencies, when they are mechanically bonded they the two bits of wood fight each other and there is basically zero sustain at the new resonate freq. Works really well for internal braces in a cabinet.

[@tuomas2789]

so you would make the sunwoofer box braces out of a different wood or make one the walls different from each other?

[@Etrehumain123]

@@tuomas2789 i think he meant walls made by laminated panels of 2 different material. A box of wood and a second layer of mdf for example.

[@funkiwikid6106]

Great video and believe it or not you got better results than you thought, 85dB to 70 dB is achieving a 5.6x reduction ! The silent compressor is only half the capacity so is not at all comparable ? Buy a screw compressor that is quieter than a piston type but the cost is was more. Bang for your buck with a home build from surplus material will be great value for most guys. Remove the plastic wheels and rubber mount the compressor inside the box to minimise vibration transfer will help some more. Your car air cleaner's design is to cut intake noise, try the same on the compressor and get some auto sound deadening sheet stuck to the compressor tank as well.

[@kihestad]

Thanks 😊 I guess I have over-simplified and even misunderstood how the decibel scale actually works. The new air compressor is approx half the capacity compared to the old one. For my usage I have not noticed it that much, except when using my sand blasting gun or when just blowing air. A screw compressor would have been great, but as you say to expensive for a hobbyist, and too big as well 😏

[@peterpeterson9903]

If you want a quiet compressor in your shop, get a big one, the bigger belt driven units are much quieter on account of a bigger, slower piston, the little ones knock their pan in high revving a small piston hence the noise.

[@mtsilvagt]

You know your stuff ,peter ✌️

[@kihestad]

Yes, you are absolutely correct. If you can afford it and have space for it! I am not really using it enough to justify either the cost or occupying that much space for it. It's always a compromise 😏

[@monad_tcp]

the bigger it goes, the quieter, less RPM, the frequency is more on the bass, in terms of decibels, doesn't do much, but decibels don't measure loudness, they measure sound pressure. lower frequencies are much more tolerable to the human ear, even with more sound pressure.

[@aaronsbarker]

Rotary Screw Air Compressors

[@carpediemarts705]

@@aaronsbarker please buy me one!

[@tsstsstsstsstsstss]

The sound level doubles for every 3 dB, so the new one is WAY more quiet than the old one. Also, the LwA=98 dB marked on the side of the compressor is decibels sound power level, not sound pressure level as you are measuring with your sound level meter. But the final conclusion in your video is spot on! I work with noise in industry and offshore. The first rule is: Buy silent! It'll always save money and give a better result.

[@cjr1881]

That is a myth

[@cjr1881]

It is about 10 decibels to achieve double the volume. That 3 decibel garbage is energy which is meaningless.

[@kihestad]

I have understood now that I have much to learn when it comes to the decibel scale / measurements. 😳 Thanks for your comment 😊

[@tsstsstsstsstsstss]

@@cjr1881 😄 Well, whether you think it's meaningless garbage or not, it's math and how the physics of sound work. For example: 10*log(4) = 6 dB while 10*log(8) = 9 dB. Doubling from 4 to 8 increases the dB level by 3. Our ears may be said to percieve a 10 dB increase as a doubling because how our ears and brain works, but what Hestad is measuring is a doubling of sound pressure for every 3 dB increase. That's simply not debatable.

[@trevorlambert4226]

@@tsstsstsstsstsstss Perceived noise level is ultimately what matters, and from that standpoint you're incorrect.

[@StanEby1]

I put mine in a plastic container on top of a stack of campaign signs. I needed to keep it from vibrating into the floor of my upstairs shop. Your solution is light-years more brilliant and sophisticated. I appreciate those who appreciate quietude, as I. All the best.

[@kihestad]

Thanks, I really do appreciate quietude 😊

[@jeremybanks9007]

Anything to eliminate your neighbours complaining or even knowing you've got it on is priceless plus it's good to have a quiet workshop

[@TheDurdane]

Thanks for your interesting experiment. The reduction in noise is huge. This is because the decibel scale is not linear but logarithmic! By the way, there is still some room for improvement in my opinion, namely: 1. Sound is reduced not only by diffusion, but also by mass. It does not matter what the density of the material is. So if you use heavy material, thinner material will suffice. Covering with lead is an obvious choice then. This can be done on the inside or the outside. 2. There is also much to be gained in the kind of insulation material you use on the inside. If you use specially manufactured foam rubber with a wave pattern for sound insulation, the sound is additionally dampened. 3. Then there is impact sound. Sound that travels through solid material. This can be improved by making the box double-walled. Most of the damping occurs at the transition between solid material and still air. 4. Another improvement would be to isolate the compressor from the ground by removing the wheels and instead putting it on thick and soft rubber pads (or on air tires). Or you turn a couple of sturdy eyes in the ceiling of the box and hang the compressor from them with thick ring-shaped rubbers (as is often used with tent pegs. Anyway, good luck. It was an informative video!

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot, glad you liked the video 😊 I dont think I could have put on lead, it would probably have worked but remember I had to get it upstairs 😂But I got your point! It would probably have been better to use MDF instead of chipboard for the box, as MDF is more dense. When it comes to the insulation I used a pretty good one - it's Rockwool made especially for sound insulation, it is twice as dense as "normal" Rockwool insulation. Double wall would probably have been a solid upgrade, I did not think about that when I made it, it has been mentioned by others as well! I will try your tips number four using some kind of soft rubber material to allow it to "shake" a bit inside and perhaps avoid vibrations. Thanks a lot for your feedback and your improvement tips! 👍

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

The cheapest way to add mass damping is to use sand. Double wall enclosure, pour in the sand. Not only high mass, it is also 'high friction', so absorbs the sound energy. I used this very successfully on my dust extraction system. Sand filled baffles were used in the early days of audio- much lower coloration at lower frequencies.

[@Nphen]

@@Tensquaremetreworkshop Thank you for the trick about using sand, and thank you to this whole thread (and video) for showing the world something I've been thinking about since I bought my compressor: how much quieter is it in a box? I'd think a simple box, then filled with sand and made double-wall, would be the way to go. Less build time, plenty of sound dampening.

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

@@Nphen let me know how it goes!

[@Milan_M95]

what about zig zag walls, i heard no one talking about this here buts its commonly used in stuidios

[@bradster1708]

I have had a similar experience. 5 years ago I had a 1200W old style compressor like your one, very loud and it does occupy quite some amount if real estate. I tried various things to make it quieter with little success. I then moved overseas and left it behind. The replacement compressor I chose is also similar to yours, 800W 2 stage diaphragm type with a 30L tank and super quiet and oil free design. A literal quantum leap from the old one and also way smaller and lighter, I can just take it where I need it and store it in a smaller space. I also use a much smaller diameter 10m hose that takes up 1/10 the space and weight of the old one and does not seem to affect performance. I can use the new one inside the house without noise problems. I could even use this to run an airbrush it's so quiet. Well worth the upgrade.

[@kihestad]

I think your experience is very similar to mine indeed! 😊 It's not every day a equipment upgrade feels like a quantum leap, but I agree: this one does 👍🤩

[@bradster1708]

@@kihestad upon reflection I realize that the only good thing about the old compressor was the handle was easier to reach because it was physically larger but the new one is so light I can just carry it around. This is one rare zero regret purchase, another was my cordless Lithium impact driver. There is synergy there too because the cordless driver replaced many air tools which require a large CFM compressor.

[@ElderlyIron]

I used panels for suspended or "drop ceiling" panels or the neighbors generator room. Another aspect you may consider is phase cancellation and not having your box side parallel, as the reflect back and forth to each other. Straight and flat becomes a sounding board.

[@Russell_and_Rosko]

Yes, reflecting is effective at reducing standing waves. It’s shocking how well it can work

[@clarkelliott5389]

My Brother-In-Law put his large air compressor in an enclosed space outside his shop. He poured a concrete pad, ran electrical to it, and ran air lines from the compressor back to his shop. The enclosure has fiberglass in the walls to help deaden the noise. Works pretty well.

[@radicalracing09]

and that's also safer incase it ever exploded

[@clarkelliott5389]

@@radicalracing09 There are a number of videos on YT showing compressors that have exploded. It is surprising how much damage they can do. Some of the users have stated that the next compressor they buy will not be anywhere near where they are working as it is just too dangerous!. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZ7Cd31shcanaqs&ab_channel=3Generation_Racing

[@snowmobile74]

100% appreciate the brutal honesty of the result.

[@kihestad]

Thanks 😊

[@garywatts5477]

I've built several of these over the years before I bought an actual silent compressor, the type made from adapted refrigeration compressors, which are, well, no more noisy than your refrigerator. I would use actual carpet for the insulation and foam. They all worked pretty good, but yours is impressive.

[@DMahalko]

That's a scroll compressor. The main downside is that oil needs to be mixed with the incoming air stream to lubricate the scroll pump and motor bearings, or it will eventually seize and burn up. The oil is finely atomized into the air stream by the scroll, so you need an oil mist removal trap and filter on the output side. If a scroll compressor is pumping into a compressed air line, if it is turned off it can't deal with the output pressure. It will stall and hum, and trip the thermal reset. You need a way to unload the output pressure so it can start easily.

[@garywatts5477]

@@DMahalko I don't know about current refrigeration compressors, but the compressor I have has a piston. It has no rings and compresses air via a thin layer of oil between the piston and cylinder wall and yes, you do get some oil in the air. This requires some really good filters because these units are often (or used to be) used as dental compressors. Most compressors should have a check valve after the pump and before the tank as well as a pressure relief or unloader valve incorporated into the pressure switch because, as you pointed out, the motor may not be able to start the pump while it's under load.

[@Kalium951]

Nice video. However, one thing I would like to recommend is to reroute the on/off switch to somewhere more convenient. If you were to get a broken hose or connection somewhere when you are not in the garage the compressor will keep running until it destroys itself from overheating. It's a good idea to turn off the compressor when you are not using it to avoid this risk.

[@dolphincliffs8864]

We shut ours off at the breaker box. Done.

[@ArtyMars]

@@dolphincliffs8864 I recently Discovered Most American Outlets don't have on/off switches at the wall powerpoint. They rely on the product having an off/on swith built in which is terrifying as an Australian who can't imaging leaving a 240 volt outlet plugged in and turned on indefinitely hahaha

[@dolphincliffs8864]

@@ArtyMars I agree it is stupid how we do it here however,in our case the compressor and outlet is out of reach.

[@ArtyMars]

@@dolphincliffs8864 the amount of times however I’ve been going mental trying to figure out why something won’t turn on tho and it’s just not turned on at the outlet hahah I’ve wasted hours of my life on that 😂😂😂

[@LifeInJambles]

@@ArtyMars There's a lot about our standard electrical practices that doesn't seem like the best idea tbh. Daisy-chained stab connector receptacles are a convenient way to do things, but a little time spent pigtailing can make things a lot more reliable for instance.

[@stevem1081]

I've seen this done with generators used at events, (yes, they have very quiet ones, but very expensive). They built a box with baffles and used fiberglass, which is not a good sound killer, then they used a squirrel cage fan, which was small, quiet and blew a lot of air into the box to keep it from overheating. It was not silent, but it drastically reduced the noise. I also watched a demonstration where they took a 55 gallon drum, lined it with fiberglass, then put a old school bell in it, put the lid on and it only slightly muffled the sound, then they used the blown-in insulation made with shredded paper, and it made a huge difference in the reduction of sound. This was to show the difference of how much quieter your house could be using a different insulation in the attic.

[@kihestad]

Sounds great 👍 I would assume this kind of box will work quite similar for a generator as for an air compressor. You might have to deal with exhaust from the engine, and perhaps even more heat than from an air compressor, but otherwise much of the same 😊

[@repairfreak]

Hello, props to your design & craftsmanship, I can tell you have much skill working with wood and tools. As you mentioned quiet compressors are not cheap, this is true. I worked at two companies that built industrial compressors, Sullair and Sullivan Palatek here in the U.S.A.. My job was to assemble and wire up these machines. These machines ranged from aporox 5 hp all the way up to 125 hp. However the big difference was these were screw compressors. Instead of using pistons, these compressors use two screws “male & female” that mate with each other like two worm gears side by side. These screws spin at high speed in a special synthetic oil bath, the oil is then separated out of the compressed air using an oil separator tank. This separator is basically like a big air filter that removes the leftover oil from the air. The advantage of screw compressors is they run much quieter, and produce continuous air flow rather than in puffs. Their frequency of sound is much higher, but generally still considerably quieter than then piston type machines. However these screw type machines start of at around approx $4000 for a 5 hp and a 100 hp approx 30-$40K depending on options. All refrigerators and for home and commercial cooling compressors are also of this screw design for compressing of the refrigerant. Thanks for your video sir, I found it interesting.😎👍

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot for your comment, it was very interesting 👍😊 I have heard about screw compressors and knew they where expensive, but I did not really know how they worked. This was very fun to read, and now I am a bit wiser 😊Learing every day! Thanks!!!

[@repairfreak]

@@kihestad Your welcome my friend. I can appreciate you for taking the time to design your enclosure, and document the process. I also have always found compressors annoyingly loud. My father and I would often jump in surprise whenever his 5hp craftsman compressor would turn on automatically in his garage. Just so ridiculously loud, lol. Best wishes 😎👍

[@robonator2945]

Holy, jesus I just scrolled down to say how well presented this was and how well explained it was and saw the subscriber count; this channel easily has the production value of a channel a million times it's size. 10/10 stuff, seriously just, god.

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot, that was very kind words!! 🤩It is so many skillful people creating so much great content here on KZbin, it's not easy to be "discovered" amongst the crowd. I think that is OK, you should have to put in some effort to earn your spot. It's the same as in any profession really. It seems like this video got a little extra traction now, I normally have around 500 visitors per day - and not I suddenly got 60 000 😁 I have to admit - it was a bit scary... 😂

[@cadwerks3277]

I did the same thing for a 25-gallon compressor in the early 90s... Learned a lot. I used thick foam, foam spray..We lived in a very quiet neighborhood

[@kihestad]

Cool, I guess the same challenges exists and solutions works today as they did 30 years ago 😊

[@cadwerks3277]

@KI Hestad yes, sir!. I do love your "BAFFLE SYSTEM," though. Great Research!. One improvement [beating the dead tree] would be to incase the case...similar to a Refrigerator chamber..with foam padding in between...The Door is the Weakest point 👉 I would create a Waffle Door with at least 3 layers. Your work teaches people a lot, and we can improve upon...

[@steveadamo6693]

Apart from honest this video has a great educational value to it because its unrestricted by ego and pride that's seen far to often in KZbin videos. He willingly saved his mistakes for others to see only it was up to us to figure it out. Your truly awesome thanx👍

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot, that was very kind words 🙂 Sometimes things just does not work out as you expect. I have found it best to just admit the failure when it happens and come forward with it. If others can learn from or reflect on my mistake, then at least something good has come out of it. Not many has commented on this (if any?), I guess you have a eye for noticing the underlaying story Steve 👍😁 Thank you very much for you positive comment!!!

[@steveadamo6693]

@@kihestad your welcome sir👍

[@rpavlik1]

Make sure you provide a way to open the drain on the bottom to let out the water! You don't want the tank to rust and burst, it can be pretty violent when that happens.

[@kihestad]

Absolutely! It's a bit cumbersome as it is now, I need to open the four eccentric locks and pull of the door and then take the compressor out of the box. It takes no more than 5 minutes, but it's enough to postpone it to the next day 🙄I better put on a line and have it on the outside....

[@kootenaycat]

@@kihestad there are automatic drain solenoids you can add that work on a timer. Connect it to the power when the compressor is turn on and route the drain outside to make it low maintenance and safe.

[@bryceg5709]

Take some largish iron pipe. id recommend atleast 1" bigger is better. Put in a T and a drip leg and drain valve and then a vertical component the longer the better. From the air compressor take your pressure off the drain side yea this is the wet side but now we constantly drain the condensate. Run that to the T. Off the top of the pipe elbow reducer regulator and moisture trap/dryer. Now 100% of that water gets blowm out of the tank into this vertical pipe. The air cools in this large manifold and the moisture falls out dropping into the drip leg. Being large the air flow is low and the water condenses out and runs to the bottom were you should reduce and install a drain valve on the drip leg ideally routed outside so you can just blow that water out. Mine doesnt get any moisture in the trap.

[@strescicca]

so, the "port' you built can be tuned using a speaker enclosure calculator. might be fun to adjust the port area and length to tune the box to a really low frequency to maybe reduce output through it. it wont really change the frequency of the air compressor but it will help filter out the higher frequencies in theory.

[@kihestad]

You are probably right about that, but I don't really know how to calculate it and I don't have any tool to measure the sound level in different frequencies - I am afraid it would be a lot of trial and errors, and possibly only errors 😁

[@strescicca]

@@kihestad yeah. the returns may not be worth the investment.

[@bradley3549]

Something else that I don't think people necessarily realize, moving up to a larger oil bath belt drive compressor has big impact on the sound. It's incredible how much quieter my big 5hp unit is compared to my old small oil less direct drive.

[@kihestad]

Yes, I have heard some of those. They are not only more quiet, but the sound from them is much less annoying as well. You have to go up in size and prize though... 😬

[@bradley3549]

@@kihestad New price for sure is hard to justify for light use. thought I had a quite old belt driven oil bath compressor that was of similar size as yours picked up for free in need of repair. After a compressor pump rebuild and a new tank it worked quite well and despite still being small, was very pleasant on the ears. As they say - they don't make them like they used to!

[@kihestad]

ahh, cool - I would love to get hold of a old one and fix it 🙂

[@EthanTheEx]

Sorry I dont get it; are No-Oil comps quieter? Coz I was looking for a silent comp and the silent + oilless models are sold as a technological progress.

[@bradley3549]

@@EthanTheEx Oil-less compressors have been typically a lot louder. Mainly, I think, because they also tended to be direct drive. So the compressor pump is turning at the same RPM as the motor and sometimes the motor is also turning at 3400rpm instead of 1700rpm! Makess them super loud. Oil bath pumps tended to be large displacement, so they can turn slowly for the same CFM output. Technically I'm not sure there is any reason you couldn't apply the teflon piston rings and permanently lubricated bearings AND a high displacement slow RPM pump. But for whatever reason it's just not typically done?

[@philhermetic]

As already said the most noise comes from the air inlet filter, which are generally awful, take it off and dump it! Replace it with an oil bath filter and most of the noise will disappear. The other problem is one of materials, they used to be made of cast iron, which doesn’t resonate whereas aluminium rings like a bell!

[@kihestad]

@@philhermetic I just moved the air compressor and the plastics air filter snapped off because I was careless 😓 Since I gotta replace it, I'll check out oil bath filter - thanks for the tips!!!!

[@BobKreator]

It's fit fantastic. But if you don't worry about space, just do only two easy things. Set sheets of soundproof sponge (triangle type), around and above compressor. It doesn't need to be close. And srew your compressor to flat hard plate, then place it one the same sponge. Work is done. Sound is a vibration, it's doesn't matter how good it is locked in box, but how effective you reduce vibration of standing platform and air coming to you.

[@kihestad]

@@BobKreator That was a creative solution, did you try it in real life?

[@Tomm9y]

More isolation inside and around the box will help, particularly from the floor. Use suitable sound deadening material, often dense material with less dense foam and an undulating suface. Also consider connecting the inlet and outlets to tubes going outside.

[@ThrawnFett123]

"You need to drain the tank, it will rust and fail eventually!" I agree, but I never drained my work compressor and it works 1000 times harder than my house compressor. The things that failed on all the compressors that I ever owned wasn't tanks, was the compressor from lack of oil (changes or "sealed no oil" compressors). I had a tank last 3 compressors, the last 2 not same brand and used, over 15 years by the sea. So clearly ideal environment for rust and humidity...

[@A6Legit]

Yeah but a failed tank is catastrophic. A failed motor is not...

[@LeeBinder]

Thank You. You answered a very specific question. Base 85dB attenuation of 15DB. Your demonstration will clearly help people decide if its worth building a baffle box for their specific application. Once again Thank you for a great demo on Compressor Noise Baffle Box

[@kihestad]

Glad you liked the video 🙏 Hopefully it can provide valuable info for others 😊

[@bur1t0]

I love the "should you build it? no there are better and cheaper options. But if you've done them, then you don't have a choice anymore!". I like the consideration of different use cases. Great project too!

[@ronaldjesse9892]

He created a speakerbox, not a sounds reducing casting. Therefore the result is very poor

[@tracyrreed]

@@ronaldjesse9892 What should he have done differently? Isn't a speaker box the desired kind of enclosure in this case?

[@kihestad]

Thanks Dan 😊that was a decent summary!

[@kihestad]

@Ronald Jesse: But the result was actually great... I think you might have missed some parts of the movie - there is a hidden plot twist in it, some needs to see the video a couple of times before they catch it! 😊

[@Xx_TheCuriousBrain_xX]

Just wanted to say i truly enjoyed your video, creative idea, pretty nice editing skills, very quick straight on point and started showing actual content real quick and didn't feel waste of time...well done!

[@kihestad]

Thank you very much 😊 Glad you noticed and appreciated the way I made the video. I am still learning though, and I try to improve for every video.

[@michaelrichardson5505]

This guy built a 16th order tripple iso clamshell reverse anti bandpass air compressor enclosure. Im actually impressed with his box building skills

[@kihestad]

Haha, that sounds cool 😎 Let's go with that 😋

[@oalternativo]

Well done! one way to make it even quieter, is to simply build a box around the box, with empty space between the outer and inner wall. Same principle as in sound studios, called room inside a room. Double walls, double doors, double glass window.

[@silicon.alchemist]

Nice job, if not a bit of overkill. Some of it was in the wrong direction, however. There are a few keys to sound deadening: 1. The first principle of sound deadening is mass. The greater the mass of the enclosure, the less it vibrates. Also, higher mass minimizes energy transfer between the noisy object and the enclosure. Higher mass has a lower resonant frequency, and is more likely to turn the sound energy into heat rather than conducting it. See #4 2. Second is vibration isolation. Dense foam or rubber pads under the compressor between it and the enclosure will help immensely. Also between the enclosure and the structure it sits on to prevent vibrating the whole building. Again, see #4 3. Absorption. You have done a pretty good job in that regard, with the baffles and so on, but you need a thicker and denser material than that rag cloth for better absorption. High density closed cell foam, carpet underlay, or automotive audio sound deadening mat would work way better. Higher density materials are better than light ones for the low frequency sounds of the compressor. Light materials work better for high frequency sounds, the lower the frequency the higher density needed. 4. Conduction: Decoupling of the panels used to make the box. Gluing a dense foam sheet material between two sheets of MDF makes a great sound deadening panel. Use this sandwich as your external box material, and as a "pad" to mount the compressor on inside the box. Also, a panel between the box and the floor. 5. Sealing: In order to prevent air leaving the enclosure from carrying sound waves with it, the enclosure should be basically airtight. This is not really possible in your situation, as you need to remove built up heat. Your baffle arrangement is the next best thing. See #3 As several other people mentioned, the compressor air intake is a major source of noise. It is a direct pipe to the piston and valves. Adding a coaxial tubular muffler in series with the intake pipe (very similar in construction to an automotive muffler ) will make a huge difference. Just a piece of PVC pipe stuffed with rolled up carpet underlay (dense) and some adapters will work wonders. Plumbing the air inlet outside the building will also plumb the noise outside as well. Cooler incoming air will result in less heat buildup too. Sucking hot air from inside the box is not really a good idea. Also mentioned by others, you definitely need a water drain accessible on the outside of the box. There are automatic drains which are a simple solenoid valve. When you power on the compressor, it closes the valve and allows pressure buildup, when you turn off the mains switch it opens and drains water through a hose to a suitable drain or receptacle. Finally, keep a close eye on the heat buildup in the enclosure. Your small fan may not provide enough airflow to keep the box cool under high duty cycle use. You risk early demise of the motor and bearings, not to mention the possibility of starting a fire.

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot for a thorough analysis and for a lot of tips 💡👍 I have planned some improvements based on comments, and I think you have pinpointed most of them 😊 I have limited space where I have put my compressor box, so I cannot make it any bigger, but I will try to improve it on the 'inside'.

[@flowinsounds]

you can swap mass for tension, push the resonance up in frequency so that the sound sources don't trigger it.

[@josef56]

A lot cheaper and easier to buy a compressor that is a quiet model. I bought one from hitachi that is almost silent. I use it in my church work and it works as advertised. Great video and project!

[@kihestad]

Glad to hear you have come to the same conclusion as me. Thanks a lot for you comment! 😊

[@fluidsc_]

It has probably been said elsewhere in the comments, but your "strange exhaust contraption" in my country is referred to as a "baffle". Fantastic job on the build. I like the design. It is really too bad it did not work as well as you wanted. :(

[@kihestad]

Ah yes, baffle is the name 😊 The box was not the success I hoped for, but not a total failure either. At least it was a fun project and I learned a lot 😊

[@r2db]

You had mentioned that the new compressor, although significantly quieter, is also rated for much less capacity. Considering that the decibel scale is logarithmic, the sound reduction your enclosure had offered is very impressive. Yes, the old compressor may still have been loud inside the enclosure. If you have air tools that require that capacity then the enclosure can make it far more comfortable in the shop. In addition, an enclosure such as what you had constructed can be easily modified to use a readily available (and cheap) home heating air filter that would offer vastly greater particulate filtration and exponentially more surface area for filtration than the typical air filters used for shop compressors. If you are doing a lot of sanding and/ or grinding this particulate filtration will be appreciated by the compressor in the long run.

[@kihestad]

Aha, not 100% sure if I understood you correctly - but yes it would not be difficult to add filtration for the air the fan blows into the box. I am doing mostly metal work, so I dont have an extremely dusty environment, but for those who have this would be quite smart.

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

When I worked at a truck repair shop we had a large high capacity air compressor with a very large air tank. It was located in a shed behind the shop and the noise it made inside the shop was very small. All we had to do was periodically go out there and open the bottom drain valve to let any accumulated water out so it did not diminish air capacity. A lot of people make the mistake of not purging the water that condenses inside their air tank frequently and then wonder why their air capacity keeps decreasing. If you build an interior sound dampening enclosure for your compressor inside your shop, I would strongly suggest running a line from the bottom drain valve fitting to a drain valve mounted on the outside of the enclosure.

[@kihestad]

I wish I could keep it outside my garage as well, but I just dont have space for it. My garage is placed with minimum distance to two of my neighbors. The side facing my own property is not usable either, as it's just a slim path between my garage outer wall and a concrete retaining wall. In front of the garage door is no good either 😋 I agree when it comes to draining the tank! It's a bit cumbersome as it is now, I need to open the four eccentric locks and pull of the door and then take the compressor out of the box. It takes no more than 5 minutes, but it's enough to postpone it to the next day 🙄I better put on a line and have it on the outside....

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

@@kihestad Understandable. The shop I worked in was between the track of a railroad turn around and we had a salvage yard on the other side and we had an air tank of a little over 2200 liters. You do the best you can with what you have. Since you have a small air compressor, might I suggest you connect a hose between the compressor drain and an easily accessible place on the wall of the box. A 90 degree ell on the bottom of the tank with some sort of quick coupler to hook the hose to the compressor and then a fitting that goes through the wall of the box (not the door) and a drain that empties downward. Then you could simply uses an old milk jug to drain water into and then just poor it down a sink drain. Then if you needed to pull the compressor out of the box you could use the quick connect to unhook the hose and pull it out unencumbered by the hose.

[@kihestad]

@@oldtimefarmboy617 Yes, that was a good Idea. Adding a 90 degree bend and a quick release coupling sounds to be very smart! 👍Thanks for the tips!

[@WillN2Go1]

Tip. If you have to haul something heavy like that up or down, put a pulley on the box, anchor one end of your rope to the wall or the steel leg of the bench. Now when you pull on the rope you have 2:1 mechanical advantage -- you pull twice as much rope but only half the weight. Also if you can run the rope you are pulling on around the other steel leg, if you need to stop you just bend the rope against the leg and it stops - you won't have to hold all that weight. Those baffles shouldn't be made the chip board, that's a hard surface. They don't need to be structural, so just use foam, egg crate sound proofing foam is best. Now you just have to make sure if you use it a lot it doesn't overheat. One way to sound proof a compressor outdoors is to just build a surround and let the noise go straight up.

[@kihestad]

Thanks for the advice. My back was hurting for several days, a pulley would have been smart 😔

[@JoeRoganful]

10 dB increase isn't twice as high. Log scales are tricky. Each increase of 3 dB is twice as high as the previous number, so 9 dB higher is about eight times louder.

[@kihestad]

I might have oversimplified the explanation of the decibel scale 🥴 The measured power and how a human typically interpret it is not the quite the same. I was referring to the perceived loudness, and with this in mind a 10 dB increase is generally perceived as being twice as loud.

[@evankolpack]

I'm an audio engineer with a decent background in acoustics. It seemed like much of the sound was from vibrating the floor of the enclosure which transferred into the floor of the room and thus the air. I'd suggest reducing sympathetic resonance with a rubber or mastic flooring inside the enclosure. It won't make a huge difference, but it's an easy add and will attenuate a few more dB, and reduce vibration in your structure. Aloha!

[@kihestad]

Ahh, then you are much more qualified than me when it comes to understanding how sound works😊 I think you are spot on bout the vibrations. It is probably the biggest source of noise now. Will try to improve it by adding soft rubber, dampening foam or springs on the compressor and/or between the box and the floor to improve it. Thanks for the tips! 😊

[@shiijei2638]

I had the same idea, of enclosing my compressor, but I thought you were going to say "don't do it because it'll overheat and blow up!" lol. I'm happy to learn that you just don't think it's worth it but it'll be fine :) My idea is to build an entire room for it (my compressor/tank is large) and use double stud walls with rockwool insulation. If what I've read is accurate about double stud walls and I get at least an STC 50 room then I will reduce the decibels/noise by ~50 as well.

[@kihestad]

I think you have a solid plan there 👌👍 I live on the north-west coast of Norway, the warmest summer days are normally max 25C = 77F. The ventilation I built into the box has luckily worked fine for me 🙂

[@shangoy]

Great video, absolutely hilarious watching the multiple attempts getting it up the stairs into your attic. Not sure why this is showing up in my feed after a year but a lot of people are commenting recently and you are replying which is awesome. I read a few of the comments and have the same ideas about some improvements, ie, removing the direct coupling to the box from the feet (I saw you had some padding inside, but removing the wheels and using something like a rubber engine mount, adding padding to the bottom of the box on the exterior, etc... Those are minor though compared to reducing the sound vs vibration. I think however though you have partially designed a slot loaded subwoofer or something similar with the zig zag chamber, I think using eggshell foam or any soundproofing foam would be better than the fabric unless that fabric was specifically made for sound. Also, if you used a breathable foam filter on the input and output of the box to do more noise attenuation but increased the airflow to make up for loss it should have made it even quieter. I don't know if I trust a manufacturer that builds both db meters and air compressors though.😆

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot for your feedback, especially fun to see that you noticed that I try my best to reply to all the comments. That has been just natural for me up until now, if anyone takes time to post me a comment I sure want to take time to reply to it. This video suddenly got a lot of traction, so now I struggle a lot now to keep up 😋 Agree with your thoughts, my next improvement will be to tackle the vibrations. The fabric I used on the channels was just something I had laying around, it is not made for sound absorption at all, perhaps I could look into that and add a thicker and better material. I will have to look into breathable foam filter, thanks for the tips! Haha - I buy a lot of my tools and equipment from Biltema, a Scandinavian retail store chain. It's like buying stuff from Amazone or eBay, most of their products comes from China and you can normally find the same products with different colors and under different names. Their products are cheep and has decent quality, but is not typically the tools you see professionals use (for sure 😊)

[@max_power8510]

I just bought a California Air Tools compressor. Took care of the noisy compressor problem. You can have a normal conversation standing right next to it when on. Would highly recommend!

[@kihestad]

I have heard a lot of positive comments about California Air Tools, unfortunately they don't sell these here where I live. Not sure they are sold in Europe at all 😔

[@bass_and_bass3323]

love it you made a technically a 6th order band pass speaker box for your compressor that box could be quieter with a few mods

[@kihestad]

It has very many similarities with a speaker box, I have made some of those as well over the years. I am no expert though, any tips are welcome!

[@QuintonNG2000]

that really seems like an incredible result!! A 20 decibel reduction is insane

[@kihestad]

It's not bad at all 🙂

[@rickybailey7123]

Great job thank you for your time and effort I do appreciate that!! And your video skills were awesome as well !!👏 👍

[@Now_lets_get_this_straight]

Where did you get 20 decibel reduction? 1st one- on box 98 decibel… recorded 85 decibel down to 71. Second one (watts 1/2 of 1st) - on box 78 decibel…recorded 59 decibel down to 51.

[@jimandrews2967]

I have an 80 gallon , 5HP , dual stage air compresdor and it is nowhere near as loud as those oil free air compressors. I mounted mine to the floor with 1.0" or 25cm rubber pads under and on top of the tank feet. I made up a heavy rubber hose in the shape of a loop for connection to the pressure lines mounted to the wall. I have seen people use an automotive air filter assembly adapted to the compressor air intake. It does make the air intake quieter and also filters the air better. Other than some sort of baffled enclosure , there us not much else that can be done. Keep in mind these things can get very hot while running as they also need good cooling air circulation.

[@kihestad]

80 gallons = 300 litres = more than 10 times bigger than mine (24 litres) 😋 that's a different league 👍 I had a bigger workshop with some friends in my younger days. We had a 1000 litres air compressor, that was also more silent than the little noisy one I had now 😌

[@CM-km6ux]

Excellent video! Not only it appears to be a cleverly thought build, but also the writing/recording/editing is, I think, really well done. Thank you and congrats, new sub!

[@kihestad]

Hehe, it does look like a sub woofer 😂 Thanks!

[@martinoamello3017]

My compressor isn't exactly silent, but I do have ear plugs. I run a small, old crapman oil-less with plans to upgrade to something substantially better. I used to have a 60 gallon Sanborn oil comp which was really quiet, but youth and alcohol made sure I sold it prematurely years ago.. I could build most any box i wanted being I own my own cabinet shop, but I also own several machines that are every bit if not noisier than the AC so enclosing the AC would be...how can I say,...redundant? Table saw, planer, joiner, etc.. You get the gist..Try using a planer! You better wear ear protection with one of those and to build an enclosure for it would mean an entirely new shop inside my shop after I made the original shop twice as big..LOL I'm too poor and at 62 I've survived all these years in a noisy environment with no appreciable hearing loss. Nice job though..

[@kihestad]

Thanks, and very good points. If all other machines in the workshop are noisy, runs frequently, and you use hearing protection all the time, a silent air compressor is probably less important. In my garage it is normally quite silent, and I don't use air plugs normally. The air compressor turns on and off by itself, while other machines are started manually. When I use my angle grinder I always put on my hearing protection first. When my old noisy air compressor started it was always a surprise, making me jump like a scared chicken... felt like I got a heart attack each time 😂

[@gonefilming2020]

You did a very nice job on the enclosure, but - IMHO - missed out on a few important points. I build an an enclosure for our compressor some 12 years ago featuring some of your ideas with routing the inlet & exhaust air. Differences: 1. I used acoustic foam, reducing the neccessity of elaborate air routing - two "turns" were enough. 2. The plastic wheels of the compressor will transfer vibrations to the case. I took off the wheels and used power generator rubber mounts. That uncoupled the compressor from the enclosure. 3. I only used two 230V fans on the outlet wired to an automatic temperature control. Once set to 23 degrees, the fans could cope with the generated heat just fine. 4. Last but not least, you're pulling air from the top and are expelling it on the bottom. Heat rises, so the heat dissipation cannot perform well within your design. All this ended up in a mobile workbench with hefty wheels to move it wherever it was needed. Using great lengths of hose counteracts the hose pressure. Past tense though, as the compressor gave out about 3 months ago - a repair was financially not feasible. Will I build another? Probably.

[@kihestad]

I absolutely agree with your improvement suggestions 👍 sounds like you made a smart solution, building it as a mobile workbench was very clever - I really liked that idea 🤩🤩🤩

[@leonpoirier6892]

Great idea, another idea, the biggest part of your box is the tank, so if you separate the compressor from the tank, the compressor box could be in your attic and the tank in your workshop or somewhere else, all connected with hoses Thanks ! Leon

[@kihestad]

Yes, it really is a good idea 👍 I just did not think of it as an option when I started the project 😫 I would probably have done it now, if I where to do it again. Would have made my box smaller and easier to build, and it could have been even more insulated.

[@mattsyson3980]

@@kihestad I really enjoyed seeing the precision work you put into building the box. extending Leon's idea of putting the compressor in the attic, maybe put it in your neighbours house and use their electricity too (just kidding!). I am also suffering severe 'workshop envy' of your super clean and bright workshop space.

[@kihestad]

Hehe, I guess I like it tidy 😊

[@1SGBob1]

Interesting video, thanks for posting. One question for you: Have you found the increase in ambient temperature around the compressor to be causing any issues?

[@tepidtuna7450]

I grew up around noisy compressors. When it was time to buy my own I dread the thought of noisy. I bought a diaphragm pump design (Chicago brand) and never been happier. I hear it when it's on but it's not disturbing. 69dB Chicago Hush 50.

[@kihestad]

That is not bad at all, you can absolutely tolerate 69db noise once in a while 👍

[@jan_phd]

I put my compressor outside. Remote AC, sound box that is weather proof, long hose.

[@kihestad]

That sounds like a perfect solution 😊Would have loved to do something similar, but I just dont have space for it. My garage is placed with minimum distance to two of my neighbors. The side facing my own property is not usable either, as it's just a slim path between my garage outer wall and a concrete retaining wall. In front of the garage door is no good either 😋

[@brallybear620]

I really enjoyed your video. But, note that air compressors in general have very poor efficiency and that means there is a lot of heat procuced inside the small volume of the enclosure. I would guess like 80% of the installed power is lost. So a lot of cooling air must be circulated around the compressor at all times. If the temperature inside the enclosure rises the efficiency of the compressor will be even worse.

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot, glad you liked it 😊 It's a pretty cold climate here where I live in Norway, in the Northern part of Europe. I have actually fitted a heat pump in my garage to be able to use during winter time. I can see this is a bigger challenge in warmer climate, and a more powerful fan or event radiator cooling could be needed if it's in a very warm environment.

[@brallybear620]

@@kihestad We are pretty much neighbours then.LOL Gteetings from Sverige.

[@David-hm9ic]

Thank you for the effort and demonstration. My old air compressor is one of the high rpm oil free very loud ones. It's 30 years old and I'm becoming afraid that the tank is unsafe so it's time to get a replacement. When I had my workshop built I made provisions to put the compressor in a storeroom in the adjacent garage. Even though there is an insulated wall separating the shop and the garage you convinced me to buy a "silent" compressor.

[@kihestad]

It's hard to know how much rust it might be on the inside of the tank after 30 years. Replacing it with silent one sounds like a smart move 😊

[@SteagallConde]

VERY GOOD, perfect project! I just lost an extremely silent Dental Compressor due to lifespan and in this update I bought a similar to the one in the video but it really is humanly impossible to use it in my home workshop, even if it is located outside my home. Thanks for sharing! PS: This tutorial was so splendid, that we even forgot -as viewers- how the film direction, the pre-production of the actual setting, the photography, the lighting, the angles and shots of the scenes, the speechs, as well as the entire post-production, refined and very didactic in the final product, not to mention the FX and the subliminal humor always present, with an EPIC ending, congratulations!

[@kihestad]

Ahh, I can just imagine how silent a dental compressor is 😌 Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so glad you enjoyed the video, and especially for noticing all the small details 😊😊😊

[@ryandalm]

Very good ideas! One tip I would give you is to add a fan at the exhaust end of the box. Therefore it creates a low pressure inside the box which the intake fan blows in and the air will be sucked out much better. Edit: hopefully that makes sense. 🙂

[@WoodUCreate]

It probably depends on how well the intake fan runs. If it's providing enough CFM, one fan could be sufficient.

[@davefink2326]

11:22 that’s how ALL “unboxing” videos should be!

[@kihestad]

Pretty efficient unboxing 😁 Glad you liked it, thank you so much for your positive feedback 😊

[@derchesten]

So my fiance just bought a new compressor for her dentist consult. They even included the sound proof box with it. Being medical grade it's not as noisy but what surprised me is that the box doesn't have any baffles or ducts, it's just a box with a couple of perforations for the lines. Works fine lol

[@kihestad]

@@derchesten The perforations for the lines was probably enough to let air inside? I would assume it's not that much air pressure needed for a dental office 😊

[@derchesten]

@@kihestad for what I remember the equipment uses 80-115 psi and I think the safety valve kicks in at 130, but the flow is super miniscule, the tubes from the manifold to the tools are like 6mm id and the nozzles are miniscule. I think the perforations are enough

[@TheBigWrist]

My old Craftsman compressor was crazy loud. I did build a soundproof box for it and lined it with acoustic foam and added a dedicated fan. It worked OK for a few years. When I finally needed a more powerful compressor I bought a much quieter one and then it worked amazingly. I still have .t.

[@kihestad]

That is just how I do it as well. I try to improve and make the best out of what I have until I have to upgrade - or can afford to upgrade - and then select a better solution based on my experience 😊

[@zerocks88]

in my mind the drop in volume of noise from the first compressor was the difference between it being outside in the open air compared to it being in a neighbours house the difference in the second one was not as dramatic, but since it started off so much quieter it is still very impressive

[@kihestad]

Yes I agree. Not sure why, but it might be harder and harder to get rid of the noise the lower the volume is? Perhaps it's just because the noise noise reduction is like a fixed percentage, for example 25%, and the amount of sound reduced is then more when it's louder? It could be just that my box was more efficient to reduce the soundwaves from the old compressor 🤔

[@MrBrassporkchop]

They sell anti vibration pads for appliances which could take this the rest of the way and make it even quieter. Because most of the sound you're left with now is low frequency sound from the compressor shaking and transmitting through the floor and into the walls of the box by putting pads under the compressor it should make a noticeable difference. I think they sell these for washing machines and should be pretty cheap.

[@kihestad]

Yes, I think you are 100% spot on! I have put it on some rubber pieces I had, but they are to hard and slippery. The box has several times moved itself sideways because of the vibrations, unitil it hits the wall - and then the vibrations also get transferred that way .. 🥴 I have also got a tip using special dampening springs, guess these washing machine pads are easiest to get hold of. Thanks for the tip!!! 👍👍👍

[@dominicmillerca]

Is KZbin reading my mind with its suggestions... I'm currently building a sound insulating enclosure for my compressor. I thought I had a genius idea but you got it first! I'll continue my build, I have a different approach for the sound insulating part and for the vibration reduction. I'll follow up on my comment when I'm done. Thanks for sharing your project. :)

[@kihestad]

Great, let us know how it goes - and good luck with your project 👍☺️

[@kennuimuffins2426]

Great video, but one major factor you haven't account for is in the design. So first up is the fact it is single walled and the material is particleboard, which is not as dense. MDF would be a better option, especially getting thicker sheets and making sure the corners are well sealed. Doing this with a double walled box will be a big improvement. Of course this adds to the cost and time to build it - whether this is worth it is subjective. If you have no option to move the compressor or to get a different one then the price is not an issue. The airflow path is also very open. Many designs i've looked at use small channels and more of them, as well as lining the entirely inside of the channel with foam. It would be great to see you try some new designs in the future, putting the same compressor in each to see how they perform.

[@kihestad]

Hi, thanks a lot for you feedback! I agree, MDF would have been better, I have built some speakers over the years using MDF. The cost for MDF is however quite high, probably 4X compared to these mass produced flooring chipboards I used. But I agree, it would have worked better. Double walls would have been great, although I think most if the noise now comes through the air vents. I did not want to make the channels in the ventilation system to narrow as I was afraid of it reducing the airflow. When I check the temp inside now it barely rises when the compressor is running, so I think I'll try to add more insulation into them. Thanks again for the feedback, highly appreciated!!! 😊

[@kennuimuffins2426]

No worries. I agree most of the noise will be from the inlet and outlet areas. A better design will mean spending a lot more money and time and everyone has a limit. But here's what I would update for a new version: 1. More channels, tighter spacing and covered in foam on all surfaces. The same arrangement is used on the intake and exhaust. 2. Fan moved to exhaust (negative pressure) which will be more efficient. A larger fan will be needed (ideally with speed control). A temp sensor near the exhaust area will help determine what fan speed is suitable. Personally I use a quiet compressor with a laser cutter but I want to reduce it even further as i'm in a small garage. There's a market for this kind of product but no one is making them, at least not here in Australia. I will be working on prototypes and doing testing. I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone do detailed testing and try out different features/techniques/materials etc.

[@kihestad]

Nice, thanks again for good input! I suppose it is hard to get off the shelf sound insulated boxes for compressors as they some in all kind of sizes, and from my experience it takes quite some time to make them, so it will probably be very expensive 😬 Good luck with your project! 😊

[@pheelix-]

Another thing he can change is to use Sound deadening mats, I built an enclosure for my 25 Gallon Husky using OSB and Noico 80mil Sound deadening mats. Not only does it cut down on how much sound you hear, but it also reduces vibrations. For my ventilation, I drilled 2 holes in the wall leading to the outside of my garage. The Fresh Air intake I used 4" dryer tubing, and 3d printed a sound reducer that goes on the outside of the house. The Exhaust I ran the 4" tube under a table next to the enclosure hooked up to a small motorcycle muffler, this also helps keep the garage warm when it's cold out. The second hole in the wall is for the compressors Air intake for the pump itself, and used the same size tubing that was on the pump to the wall, with a 3d-printed silencer. I didn't run a dB check but it went from having to yell to hear someone to the talking volume you would use if someone was using the vacuum cleaner in the other room/same room.

[@kihestad]

That sounds like a well thought of solution 👍 I am using 30mm ROCKWOOL sound absorbing insulating inside the main chamber, might be that other material would perform better.

[@andrewbarnard6169]

This guys episodes are some magic school bus shit. Love it.

[@kihestad]

hehe, wished for some magic when pulling that case up the stairs 😂

[@dwarden3]

I just built a small shed just behind the garage. Houses my compressor and generator nicely. Ran hose and cord in 2" PVC through the back wall. Virtually silent and very easy.

[@kihestad]

Yes, that is probably the easies and smartest solution to the problem 😊Unfortunately, I just dont have space for it. My garage is placed with minimum distance to two of my neighbors. The side facing my own property is not usable either, as it's just a slim path between my garage outer wall and a concrete retaining wall. In front of the garage door is no good either 😋

[@aco2518]

Maybe with a simple foam pad between the box and the floor, it will keep the vibrations from transmitting the floor and make it more quiet :) Maybe a yoga mat will do~

[@kihestad]

Yes, I think you are right. It's the vibrations from the box to the floor now causing most noise. A Yoga mat was actually a very good idea! If remember correct it is a bit "sticky" as well? The box does some times slide into the wall because of the vibrations, and then even more noise get transferred to the room. Perhaps a Yoga mat will avoid it moving sideways! I'll have to test it - thanks a lot for the tips! 👍😊

[@aco2518]

@@kihestad let us know if it helps :)

[@thomaseriksen6175]

Maybe you could install the the old compressor in series with the new one, to increase the volume of air, but only use the new motor to compress? 😊

[@kihestad]

Hi, yes it has crossed my mind as well 👍 I'll put the old one aside for a while and just use the new one to see if it has enough capacity.

[@pheelix-]

He could use both motors, it would just require a One way Check valve from the smaller pump/motor to the other tank. This way the 2nd tank/motor doesn't get pressure push back from the bigger tank/motor. I plan on doing something like this soon as the pump/motor on my 25gal doesn't seem to be able to keep up with my small sanding tool I use.

[@kihestad]

Aha, that was clever. 'One way check valve' is noted 😊 It does give great flexibility, for quiet/normal operation when less air per minute is required, only the compressor in the noise-cabinet could be turned on.

[@pheelix-]

@@kihestad Yup just set the second compressor to turn on at a lower psi and it shouldn't kick on unless needed. In my case my 2nd compressor is a small dual tank portable type that maxes at 120psi, and my main 25 gal maxes at 175. So I shouldn't have to adjust anything as the smaller compressor is already set to turn on a off at lower psi. If anything it just helps add a little more CFM when PSI reaches that level.

[@kihestad]

Very smart! Adding a delay relay would also make sure it does not turn on before the main compressor had got the chance to fill up the tank!

[@carnage50x]

I built one many years ago. I installed an inlet and outlet for ventilation. In the inlet side I put a PC fan that sucked air in and blew it right on the compressor head (hottest part). Both the in/outlets had baffles but not near as complicated as yours. I carpeted only 2 walls. Mine dropped the noise down considerably

[@kihestad]

I think your design is better than mine, I plan to move my fan inside the box and make sure it pulls the air from the outside insted of pushing air from outside as it does now. Glad to hear your solution worked! 👍

[@carnage50x]

@@kihestad I didn't record any db readings but you could easily hold a normal conversation right next to it as it runs. Where as before w/ no box. You could not talk at all. You'd have to yell and even then it was difficult to comprehend.

[@tshansen]

Haha, this is so well done Hestad 👏🏻 The details in the sfx when trying to pull it up the stairs. Amazing stuff, I love this kinda "good old neighbour" vibe (the old animated series on tv) So much to learn from this video. The angles, the storytelling with the camera, yes. really well done 🔥

[@kihestad]

Thanks Thomas 😊 Trying for each video to improve slightly. 'Good old neighbor' - yes I remember the animated series, a neighbor that always wanted to help but always messed up. Defenetly how I felt trying to get the almost 100kg case up the stairs 😁

[@PeterYannick]

I have the Czech cartoon vibe - "Pat and Mat". It might be the same because it's called different in different countries.

[@tshansen]

@@PeterYannick It is the same yes 👏🏻

[@firstmkb]

I liked your build and thought process. I think a lot of the benefit you had was simply from distance. For my existing “pancake” style compressor, I would probably look at moving the moving parts further away, and leaving the tank in the shop. Ideally, I’d like a larger tank too.

[@paulstubbs7678]

I had a noisy vertical compressor, I figured a fair amount of the noise was via the tank, that wrung like a gong, so I was going to try wrapping sound deadening carpet underlay around it. I acquired the underlay, however the compressor died before I could try. So I'm now in the market for a silent compressor.

[@kihestad]

Sounds probably like a better plan anyway 😊

[@ohiphotopro]

Congrats, you build a transmission line speaker rather than a sound insulation box. You need something to absorb sound and turn it into a different form of energy. Sound will not disappear because it has longer to travel, you need to convert energy. Basic combination of mass loading layers and Rockwool like insulation will convert sound waves into heat.

[@kihestad]

@@ohiphotopro The walls on the main chamber was covered with 3cm Rockwool, the vents was converted with a a soft fabric.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

70 dB shouldn't be dangerous to your hearing even in prolonged exposure. Very annoying, sure.

[@jromhek2070]

Here is my 2 cents : I bought CNC machine 3018 and it sound like jet engine . I made 3/4 plywood box from 5 sides ( the 6th side is the carpet on the floor ) and I used what is called Chip Foam of a thickness of one inch ( 2.5 cm )and installed it from the inside of the box , I checked it with an alarm clock and out of box the noise of the alarm clock was 74 dB and inside the box the noise was astonishing 47 dB . But note : box are all closed except small hole for wires and I used sound meter almost the same one you used and the last thing is the box by itself has small effect on the noise reduction . Keep up the good work .

[@kihestad]

It's a bit easier to sound proof if you don't need ventilation to get rid of the heat. Well done! 👍

[@gregorteply9034]

It will overheat and fail.

[@kihestad]

I have used the box for more than a year now, the ventilation I added was more than powerful enough for the temperatures I have here where I live. No overheating problems whatsoever 😊

[@foogod4237]

BTW, the technical term for the alternating walls you built on the input and output is "baffles". To be honest, i probably would have just created a big box lined with acoustic foam, with standard air filters leading to a few feet of 6-inch insulated flexible air ducting, (which I'd either run to some other location or just leave coiled up for sound reduction), and called it a day. I suspect it would have gotten the same or better sound reduction results as this much more complicated and time-consuming construction...

[@kihestad]

Ahh, baffles it is 👍 I might have overcomplicated it, hard to tell if a much simpler box would had worked as well 🤔

[@dp7933]

I haven't done it yet, but my plan is to make an upward facing parabola to reflect sound up. Then I would place it above head level outside and all the sound gets blasted upwards. Yes, useful only under clear skies, but no ventilation and fire worry.

[@kihestad]

Cool idea!

[@TheXDred]

I constructed a DIY air compressor using a compressor from a refrigerator. It doesn't produce large volumes of air, but it's so quiet that you can use it comfortably at home. I utilized it for airbrushing, and the tank was a repurposed refrigerant cylinder. In essence, if you don't need large volumes of air, for instance for spray painting with a gun, I would recommend this setup. Additionally, you could use a large receiver and create a multi-stage system: the quiet compressor operates by default, and a more powerful one kicks in only if the quiet one is not sufficient.

[@phox0999]

Thank you for the honest opinion. Everyone wants to DIY sometimes just for the sake of DIYing a solution that already exists.

[@kihestad]

I guess you are right about that 😊 The satisfaction of you making something is of course there, regardless if it is an objective success or not 😊

[@SteelBenderMan1]

KI, I love your design, very impressive. I did buy a quiet compress from California Air, but I also still have a small dual 'hot dog' style compress. It's portable, good for job site nail gun needs, etc. I didn't want to use the hot dog unit in my small shop because it's so loud. However I love your solution and now you have me thinking (which in my case can be trouble a brewing) but regardless, I may find building a sound enclosure with inlet and outlet baffles significantly reduces the loud screaming to a more tolerable level. Now I need to purchase a sound level meter. I being a guitar player didn't want one because it would only confirm what neighbors down the street and around the corner complained of that I'm too loud. I'll get one and of course, exclude it for use of impuning my guitar volume as the cause for the degeneration of today's youth. Thank you for your time creating this Ki, Blessings, Bill Bores SteelBender Innovations Cypress, TX.

[@kihestad]

It sounds like we have a lot in common, I do play guitar (not very often these days) and I also have one of these small portable air compressors, mine is super loud as well. I agree to your plan, just don't use the decibel meter when you are playing guitar 😅😂

[@DNomer]

It sounds a lot quieter when it shuts off! With a typical shop air compressor, which is about a 5 hp piston type, the best answer is to put it OUTSIDE the shop. What I always do is make a tiny little shack to put it in, on its own tiny slab, with some insulation and vents for the air, and the ability to unscrew 6 screws to take one wall off, to drain the water, etc. Most shops are VERY reflective of sound, having all hard surfaces everywhere, so going outside makes a huge difference. Even my big 160 cfm trailer mount air compressor is not very noisy, and outside the shop, you cannot hear it much inside the shop, although it is not for shop air.

[@kihestad]

Agree, putting it outside is probably the easies and smartest solution to the problem 😊Unfortunately, I just dont have space for it. My garage is placed with minimum distance to two of my neighbors. The side facing my own property is not usable either, as it's just a slim path between my garage outer wall and a concrete retaining wall. In front of the garage door is no good either 😋

[@DNomer]

@@kihestad Yeah, I have often seen private people and commercial shops put their shop air compressor out back, but NOT in a little shack, so it radiates plenty of noise to the neighbors -- not such a hot solution! It takes some work to bottle up the sound and still keep the compressor healthy.

[@wilsonrawlin8547]

I used an old used shipping crate lined with recycled egg crate style foam. Worked like a charm. You can stand next to the crate and barely hear the compressor running.

[@mortenjohansen5781]

There are many valid points being made by watchers of your channel. My experience is that the more solid you make the build the more noise it will let through. If you used a softer material eg. pinup board you'd likley have more success. I use to build speaker cabinets and found that to stop standing sound waves the best thing was to use different thickness and hardness of board in, effect the best cabnets were built of old rubbish, I know it sounds counterintuitive but it worked.

[@kihestad]

@@mortenjohansen5781different materials has different properties, some reflect sound waves, other absorbs them. Thin materials might vibrate and cause new sound waves on the outside, and openings will of course make sound waves pass through. I am using chipboard, it's not the best material but it's known to work alright and it's both inexpensive and easy to work with 😊

[@mozer30]

I have a hobby compressor (50ltr) I use in my van, and an industrial compressor (150ltr) in my shed. The industrial compressor seems much quieter due to a lower pitch. My smaller compressor sounds like it will rattle your brains to bits and is running constantly due to the low cfm and tank capacity. I’ve enclosed my large compressor and it’s comfortable to work alongside…..so my advice would be to buy as big as you have room to do so, and it will last much longer due to it not running constantly to keep up with even a blow gun.

[@kihestad]

That is a very good advice 👍 The bigger ones are often belt driven and runs the compressor at lower rpm

[@russellrattys6581]

i have a very large industrial air compressor, and as mentioned in other comments, a lot of the sound comes from the air intake, my compressor has two cylinders, which alternate up and down, so you get two distinct thumping sounds while the machine is running how i made mine quieter, is actually by taking the air filter off, and pushing a piece of drain pipe onto the air compressor, with a right angle bend fitting, then a meter of drain pipe, now when the machine is running, instead of getting the two thumping noises, it just makes one continuous sucking sound like a vacuum cleaner, i think because the original air filter was straight onto the valve block, when each cylinder was sucking in air, it would pull it straight through the air filter into the valve block, and make that thump sound, then there would be a pause, and the second cylinder would suck in air making a second thump, so air was starting and stopping whilst it was going through the filter, but now theres a length of pipe on the air intake, the air going through the pipe is moving more steadily, and more constantly, so its completely removed the thumping sounds, and replaced it with a smooth, sucking sound

[@kihestad]

It is a very smart and easy way to reduce the noise 👍 I did not really consider adding a hose, but I checked if it would work to add an air intake muffler of some kind of sort (I would guess it has some of the same effect). I was not convinced that it would help very much after a bit of research. I searched mostly on KZbin. I did not find any solution that I thought sounded very efficient. It absolutely helps a but, as you say it removes the thumping sound and it gets a bit lower in volume. I think the reason it does not fully work is that the tank itself also emits noise because it acts like a sound chamber, reflecting noise from the compressor through the metal tank (I am not sure about it - but others has also mentioned it in the comments).

[@russellrattys6581]

@@kihestad yes, there is another alternative, but its not cheap, you could buy an empty silent generator housing, and put the compressor in that?

[@robertcairone3619]

Excellent build. My suggestions for improvements (sorry if these were mentioned elsewhere): Vary the separations between the baffles to inhibit resonance. Also the baffles don't all have to be at right angles for similar reasons. Thicker carpeting will make the enclosure quieter, , with acoustic foam being the most expensive. Place a rubber gasket (or the thicker padding) between interior boards and only screw together finger tight without glue. I used rubber washers under metal washers with my screws. Anything that isn't structural shouldn't be rigid. Put soft rubber pads under the feet of the compressor. Anything to prevent transfer of vibration to the exterior box. A sack of sand on top of the box will also absorb some energy that would otherwise radiate as sound. All just design changes or minor cost, but they all add up. It's fun to see such a build work.

[@kihestad]

Very good improvement suggestions! 👍 Thanks for all the tips!!!

[@banepigeon]

You should try out a piece of foam between the enclosure and the floor to stop some of the vibration from traveling through the floor.

[@kihestad]

@@banepigeon Yes, that is a good tips. I will improve that 👍

[@Sushihunter250]

I noticed that you used a very thin material to line the inside of the box. I would recommend that you check out your local auto supply store for a rubber based sound deadening material. It comes in large rolls and 12" X 12" squares and have glue on one side. They are very heavy and could easily double the total weight of the box. Line the inside of the box with these, and then cover that with a sound deadening foam that you can get from a local foam shop. Makes a big difference. I use this system to quiet noisy computer boxes. Also, put a layer of this under the box to isolate it from the floor. I live in a small apartment so what I do with mine is lock it in the bathroom and cover it with towels to keep from disturbing my neighbors.

[@kihestad]

I did use Rockwool sound insulation material (3cm = 1 inch) on the main chamber, but you are correct: a very thin fabric otherwise. I was afraid of not having enough airflow to keep the compressor cool, and I could not make the box much bigger to I went for very little sound dampening on both the inlet and the exhaust channel. The cooling seems to be no problem in my "cold" climate, so I might add some more padding now to see if it helps. Thanks for the tips! 🙂

[@JohnnyTheMonkey]

I have a similar unit from California Air Tools. Heat buildup will be an issue I think, unless the workload is very light. I keep mine on soft rubber anti-fatigue mats with a box fan across the aisle from it. The added cooling allows for continuous use, and noise is tolerable.

[@kihestad]

Since I live in Northern Europe we don't have very hot summers. There has been no problem with heat, I have a thermostat on it, it get's around 10C hotter inside when it runs compared to outside - for a few minutes until it has cooled down because of the fan. I guiess my workload is quite light, it rarely runs constantly. When doing sand blasting it does run quite a lot, but it's not powerful enough to let me run the sand blasting constantly, so there is a lot of on and of and on and off agaian 😬

[@JohnnyTheMonkey]

@@kihestad Your ideas are well-thought-out and your work is very good. Subscribed!

[@powerwagon3731]

I put mine in my 12x16 storage shed and then ran a 4 inch underground conduit for 120v 20 amp power (switched from shop) , airline and a water line (later,maybe). Now it’s silent. I bought a new job site Makita compressor a couple of years back and it was so noisy I don’t use it but use my old trusty Dewalt. I just might copy your well thought out work.

[@kihestad]

That's probably the best solution, move the compressor away from the workspace.

[@powerwagon3731]

Nice Scrambler (Honda)!

[@NeoIsrafil]

What you are gonna want on the muffler end, and potentially on the intake end, are fans capable of creating a reasonable amount of static pressure. Computer vent fans can work, but you need to seal the areas around the fans pretty tightly to get the flow right and youre gonna want fans with good static pressure and cfm. Beyond that id say its a pretty good design and should work mostly. Maybe attach a drain tube extension and a secondary valve so you can drain it from outside the tank. Only thing is youre gonna want a high pressure braided line for it.. if you add some spikes for deflection, or faux fur, or soft fibrous material of some sort to the walls of the exhaust you'll likely be able to reduce the noise further too.

[@kihestad]

Thanks a lot! I have god some feedback and improvements suggestens for the airflow. I might end up moving the fan inside the box to pull fan into it instead of pushing from outside as it is now. When it comes to draining the tank: Absolutely! It's a bit cumbersome as it is now, I need to open the four eccentric locks and pull of the door and then take the compressor out of the box. It takes no more than 5 minutes, but it's enough to postpone it to the next day 🙄I better put on a line and have it on the outside....