How I got the noise of my compressor out of the workshop

Compressors are noisy so if you can locate them away from the action it makes life a lot more pleasant!
🧰 The tools and equipment I use: www.amazon.co....
Rag 'n' Bone Brown Workshop Extension Video: • My New Dust Extraction...
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Amazon links to the tools used in this video...
► Silverline Nail Gun: amzn.to/3mEBI36
► Air Hose Reel: amzn.to/3A6f6eE
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► Compressed Air Fittings: amzn.to/43yKDne
► Silenced Compressor: amzn.to/3KHqlPS
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[@danyalm10]

Instead of the bulkhead indicator light, you should fit an old 'ON AIR' light! 🙂

[@David_Powell]

ha ha!

[@ProperDIY]

Now that is a very good idea - thank you.

[@chrish247]

Haha! Top idea 😂

[@jonb8241]

🤣🤣🤣

[@raspyper_o3405]

Brilliant 👌

[@alexanderpersinger7074]

Awesome book that gives you step-by-step photos kzbin.infoUgkxTNB_zFBSnTo_O1PqfVUwgi7ityw0JlKt and directions to make every day project. I can see myself making a few of these projects and giving them as housewarming and holiday gifts!

[@extremelawncare9062]

Love this idea I think I may do this with my compressor.. Important note u might want to add. It’s important to blow out the tank often on the bottom of the tank. Prevents rust and damage to the tools from the water in the air line… I was thinking a small copper line with a valve down by your on off switch so it’s a simple open it up let the water blow out and back off, good to go. Just an idea but again great idea!

[@ianauthbert2810]

I’m becoming increasingly more jealous of your workshop our kid. One thing worthy of note. The pressure switch unloads the pressure in the cylinder head when it turns off automatically (the burst of escaping air). This eases the load on the motor as it starts back up. So best practice is to only isolate the power when the compressor is not running.

[@ProperDIY]

Thanks Ian - good point

[@tonyrooke]

Nice solution to the noise issue, and saves space in the workshop. You may need to stick foam down, or use bungees to stop it wandering, without using vibration transmitting fixings.

[@christianblack2916]

I work for the company that makes and sells those compressors. We do recommend that a compressor is turned on and off with the red knob on top the black pressure switch box, and not by switching the mains supply. However, this is a clever setup for dealing with noise and I hope the power arrangement does not cause problems. I would discourage anyone from switching the mains supply for a less-good reason, such as saving themselves from reaching under a bench to turn the machine on an off with the knob!

[@mrdainase]

Somewhere around KZbin is a video of a chap encasing his compressor to make it really quiet with a baffled air feed to prevent noise escaping. All home made, simple and very impressive. That, along with some additional suppression material on the base, would make your compressor much nicer to use.

[@samuelholmes3696]

I’ve been watching your DIY videos for a few weeks now Stuart - mainly because I’ve been doing a lot of DIY in our new house - and I’ve been really impressed, particularly with projects like this, because you always make everything look really neat and tidy - which pleases me as I’m someone who hates messy looking installations!!

[@marlinstudio.]

Another great Proper DIY video. I am now considering moving my noisy compressor too. I may just use a switched fuse spur with a neon indicator to show it's on.

[@accessfm]

Great job as always Stuart. I would recommend Like other comments have suggested to drain the compressor tank once a month, especially during the winter. There's normally a push in drain valve on the underneath belly of those type compressors.

[@JuhoJohansson-bz3jb]

Really nice setup. I like the way you factored in cost and labour as well... I just watched someone building a real fancy pants enclosure, and he even had his video titled "don't do"... Not that it didn't work, but was a quite a bit of work and then he wasn't even happy with it so ended up buying some fancy silent compressor. I put my compressor in my boiler room, under a sink. A bit like on this video, on a sort of tray with some soft material to dampen vibration. I just used some leftover gypsum board for the tray, thinking some added weight might not hurt. It was actually surprisingly good even as is. I mean, if standing right next to it, it is noisy as anything, but not as noisy as before. And I am planning on building a bit of an enclosure around it, but for now it will do. I have simply too much work and not enough time. A dedicated socket with a switch outside would be a very nice thing. That would really help make things neat, as not having some random extension cord hanging out, like I have now. Often a simple way of doing things is better than overly complex one that would blow ones budget.

[@mikeZL3XD7029]

Stuart, My advice to you, is to fit a decent drier unit, after your regulator, but before any oiler unit. Depending on how much you use your compressor, you may get away with the silica bead type drier unit, but keep an eye on the beads, they should be purple when new and they turn white when damp. I work on a lot of compressors in my normal daily work and the three things that will kill a compressor or what is connected to it, is not draining the receiver tank (ever), having air fittings that leak on the outlet and down-stream fittings. The third thing, while it won't kill the compressor itself is moisture in the line(s), that cause things like regulator springs to rust and the valves to seize, this will also cause air tools to fail when the internal parts of them get wet inside. Line driers are very cheap insurance no matter what sized compressor you have connected. Thanks for a great video!

[@antking8847]

Great idea Stuart - are you going to add a remote drain for the air tank to remove moisture, thus avoiding the need to get up in the loft?

[@wjb2]

yes he needs to sort out drainage, i worked on commercial compressors for many years and it’s frightening how fast the receivers can rot through and they were super coated inside and had to have certification inspections. God knows how these DIY grade ones will last. I have an Hitachi diy size on and drain after every use.

[@nielspieter]

I was thinking the same

[@WasLostButNowAmFound]

Bomb in the roof.

[@bluewanderer9903]

How do you remotely drain the tank?

[@wjb2]

@@bluewanderer9903 swap out your tank drain plug for a spring loaded drain plug and Stuart can attach a pull cord to it and tray to catch any vented moisture. you can see this type of drain system on many commercial trucks

[@yodabert1]

Great idea for the noise damping but you could have used 15mm copper pipe and normal plumbing fittings 15mm pipe is rated at Maximum Working Pressure (at 65°C) : 58 bar / 841 ps which is more than enough for a small compressor. This is what i did with mine although you've inspired me to look at some damping to reduce the noise.

[@StuffIMade]

Nice video as always! As I am sure you are aware you need to bleed the air tank of moisture regularly so it doesn't rust to quickly inside. One think you can add to your compressor is an automatic bleed valve that you can set a preferred interval to let a little bit of air and moisture out of the tank. Worth considering if your compressor is out of sight like this.

[@darrenbutler1582]

The device next to your regulator is an oiler for tools, you put some tool oil and set the rate at the top to keep your air tools in good working order. Great job!

[@adeh503]

The extended hose reel is a game changer, I put a 30mtr one in my workshop a few year's ago best thing I ever done

[@Keepingthefaith72]

Great idea to put it in the loft, I've just bought a Hyundai super-silent compressor to replace an old SIP one, which was ridiculously loud. The Hyundai is great hardly any noise at all ....

[@Kosh42EFG]

Air nail guns are just awesome to use. Love mine. Though the compressor gets most use as an air duster blowing sawdust out of nooks and crannies.

[@PedroPedro-jm4lk]

Brilliant innovation, love it. Just don't forget to drain the compressor each week. I guess having it the loft just makes draining a tad more difficult. Be well.

[@Ricqu]

If you want to halve the sound level, hang it midair from the nearby roof trusses. I had some old climbing rope, 9.8mm dia. The bulk of the sound is translated through the structures by vibrations, having it hung midair with rope vastly reduces it

[@Chimpiin]

I thought the same thing when it was in the nylon rope sling to get it in the loft... "Just leave it in that, and tie it up.."

[@paulwestlake4278]

Sound isolators, pointy things that we used to stand record decks and speakers on, to attenuate the transmitted noise.

[@robertgrasso3677]

Excellent episode!!! I will use my attic space as well. However (for a future video) you will need to install a drop down ladder for quick access to your attic. You do know you should release the pressure & moisture from the compressor after use. Great content, keep up the good work...

[@nothing0062]

Gotta love blue rope. I've towed several cars with the stuff over the years.

[@c.a.g.1977]

Smart solution, Stuart! To cut down even more on the noise, you could build a box around it, and isolate the inside of it with foam or what have you.

[@thetifosimsc5231]

Great idea. Get some sound deadening on that box and that’ll help even more

[@TheOldBlackCrow]

That setup looks great! I built a box outside my workshop and lined it with some 2" foam board. The rest is set up similar to yours with the pressure adjustment and hose reel. Great video!

[@MikkoRantalainen]

Great project but you should have started with more silent compressor from the start. If you used a product that's designed to emit less noise from the factory, and put it on the attic, the resulting noise level should be pretty acceptable already. (Some more modern units come from the factory around 75-80 dB instead of 96-98 dB such as the one you had in this video.) The way to did the installation, it should be really easy to switch to more modern unit later, too, so there is no big problem here. And if you find a buyer for your old unit, getting a more modern one shouldn't be overly expensive.

[@awantamta]

Absolutely brilliant job and a great idea

[@robbyborgmans]

Just wat i needed at the perfect timing. Thank you. I m going to install it next week with pneumatic press.

[@LiqdPT]

I have my compressor in a closet in my garage and recently added a remote switch outside the closet. This reminds me that I need to build the doors for the closet (and will likely add insulation). But the indicator light was brilliant. When the compressor isn't cycling, it's easy to forget the switch is on, and then have it kick in much later (the closet is below my bedroom)

[@ProperDIY]

Thanks Matt

[@kevinsimpson7114]

Great solution, saving on noise pollution and workshop space.👍🏻👌🏻

[@HenryOCarmichaelSmith]

If you turn the compressor off mid-charge (Before the pressure relief valve opens) you'll probably find it blows the fuse next time you come to turn it on as the starting load will be very high.

[@emmabird9745]

I think you'll find there is a button on top of the control box. Turn it off there and it vents the top of the piston so it starts alright next time.

[@HenryOCarmichaelSmith]

@@emmabird9745 not much use when the compressor is in a loft

[@emmabird9745]

@@HenryOCarmichaelSmith Totally agree. The chap sold us our compressor pointed it out as the right way when the phone rings or whatever. Plenty of "oops" room here.

[@earlyriser8998]

good job. i just drag mine outside away from the shop, then back in again, over and over..... this is a nice long term solution

[@ProperDIY]

Thanks Early riser

[@anwolfs9804]

Clever Stu! You've certainly given me some thoughts on actually buying one myself now, Cheers!

[@julietphillips1991]

Good thinking! Functional, with safety features and on the plus side, it didn't cost an arm and a leg!

[@ProperDIY]

Exactly!

[@barlow2976]

Or he could have bought a silent compressor instead of that noisy toy. All that work and you still have a noisy compressor.

[@Mrcanon62]

hello, i saw this a while ago, liked it, so i bought one of each, love them both, my first compressor was VERY loud, but the one in this vid is great, so quiet, maybe a bit late for you, but good to know for the future.

[@michaelnash9644]

Regarding draining the tank. You can buy an electric auto drain that will drain the tank automatically for you. It just screws in where the existing drain valve is.

[@lon3don]

I recommend buying a Hydrovane, much quieter and in my experience very reliable. Additionally, an electric valve on the output of the receiver will reduce losses when air isn't required. This will reduce the amount of time that the compressor is running as well as your electricity bill.

[@AntisepticHandwash]

Really well-made video with good narration and camerawork. Really enjoyable watch. One thing I'm curious about regarding the particular project, is power/efficiency-loss with the added length of hose. As far as I know, more hoselength = greater resistance, similar to electric wire. Did adding the hose lengths together result in any air power reduction at the tool-end?

[@CaribouKH]

Would really like to see a small experiment to extend this one: How would the sound change if you string the compressor of your rafters with some heavy duty bungee (or just a bunch of the bicycle bungees)?

[@silicon.alchemist]

That would probably make it even louder, since you are now vibrating the entire roof panel by coupling the compressor to the rafters! You had the right idea putting a pad to mount the compressor on, but the foam you used does not have enough compliance. Some soft upholstery foam would have been much better than the hard poly foam that you used. This would tend to isolate the vibration from the compressor from being coupled into the structure, and preventing the whole floor of the loft from vibrating.

[@TheMan-si4iu]

​@@silicon.alchemistthe sound will not transfer through the bungee.

[@silicon.alchemist]

@@TheMan-si4iu Oh yes it will. The bungee acts as a spring, albeit somewhat damped, but it will still transfer vibration to the other end of the bungee. Try a simple experiment: Attach a bungee to your plywood floor with a screw, then stretch the bungee and twang it like a guitar string. Even if the amount of energy transferred is low, the plywood and floor structure will act a a resonator and actually make the sound louder at certain frequencies.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

​@@silicon.alchemist The spring will only pass selected frequencies and with a correctly selected spring force, you should be able to select a frequency that's outside any room mode. I think bungee core probably has wrong tension but you could get spring feets designed for outdoor unit of a split heat pump. Those are specifically designed to reduce compressor noise. And you could also get a rubber feet designed for the same task and put those in stack (I think rubber feet should be closer to the compressor). A well designed rubber feet should be able to make anything above 30 Hz a lot quieter and a correctly tuned spring should be able to silent frequencies below 30 Hz. Of course, if your compressor emits low frequency sound (not physical vibration) and it matches your room mode, there's no way to silent that easily. This is because the transfer medium will be air, not vibration of the feet.

[@michaellacaria910]

Great video as usual from you, its a pleasure listening to your explanations and humor. I placed my large canister filter under my 300L aquarium in a sand box to absorb vibrations. Wonder if that would work for you too, its easy to try.

[@santinho212]

Excellent job and without braking the bank is even better👍

[@cliffcarlo180]

My mate used an old chest freezer to house his compressor. Made a noticeable reduction in the sound. Ok if you've got the room I suppose 👍👍👍👍

[@pgtips1199]

Great idea Stuart and a great solution. I opted for a Hydrovane type compressor, you can stand next to it and you can hardly hear it.

[@pgtips1199]

Also I forgot to add, like other said you will need a drain system too. You can get an auto drain system that works very well.

[@rodgerbell810]

Hi Stuart, you have done a wonderful job here. Shows your lateral thinking mind and ingenuity. Always love your vids. Tc Cheers ✌️😀

[@musthavechannel5262]

First time commenting to let you know how enjoyable and educational your solutions have been. Was wondering about the rumble, it might be further reduced if some rubber feet would be used instead of the packing material with huge contact area with the ceiling.

[@ProperDIY]

Thank you - I'm glad you enjoy them. Yes more rubber etc may well help

[@hamburgermods1396]

I have the same brad nail gun had ut for a couple of years now ita brilliant

[@JohnJones-wo1bc]

Fantastically well planned and executed job.

[@ProperDIY]

Thank you

[@stefang1087]

I believe that the noise from the compressor could be reduced even more if you use 4 rubber cylinders, kind of, under the tray. In that way the contact surface will be much smaller, and the rubber is better to demp the vibrations. Something like en engine mount on the car. I've seen something like that in various hardware stores. It looks like a round cylinder, but 2/3 is like a tube and 1/3 is field with rubber. In that end you can make a hole and use a screw to fix it on the bottom of the tray.

[@TheBeerBox80]

This is a pretty ingenious setup.

[@simonmiddleton4977]

Love the solution of the drain pipe 👍😃

[@eddwalch-homecraftproperty6613]

You should really use rigid pipework with some vibration isolation because if the hose fails and the power has been left on, the compressor can run on until it overheats. You could fit a thermostat in the loft space connected through the normally closed contacts so if the ambient temperature is above a safe setting, i.e. 22, the power is cut to the compressor. I think you can also get a solenoid controlled pressure relief valve to relieve the stat-up load on the motor - it will fail if it always starts without the cylinder head pressure being dropped.

[@hpevans9041]

Excellent insulation, very professional

[@videostarish]

Nice-one! Although..I think that plastic foam will transfer noise more than proper rubber foam would..? Also, I've seen tests using a Rockwool enclosure to suppress noise & it's AMAZING! (not Fiberglass). 👍

[@andylc100]

Great idea , Only improvement would have been a mode to the drain on the compressor so you didn't have to go up there to drain water out of the tank.

[@chrisjinks5414]

could you add some of those sound panels dotted around the loft to pick up some of that noice, or maybe encase it using acoustic plasterboard

[@ruinunes8251]

I have the same hose reel for years. It is a good one.

[@ProperDIY]

Nice one!

[@chrishorton1631]

About time you fitted a nice folding loft ladder Stuart, the local DIY place does a nice wooden one which would make a video

[@gavinabdul7762]

Good job as always.

[@royhaffenden3228]

Recently picked up a Senco compressor, at 56db it’s a dream.

[@rupe53]

Find an old tire (no rim) lay it flat and set your compressor box on top of that for added isolation from the floor. Hang some old carpet on the wall, then hang more carpet sections around the unit (leaving some air space) to stop reflected sound in that attic room. I'd bet you can shave another 10 dB in the noise department. BTW, if the wheels rattle, run a bungee between them to hold tension.

[@TheRCBiker]

Only minor electrical related thing I thought of, what amp rated fuse have you put in that FCU? 3a would be needed for the light, yet surely 13a required for the socket for compressor? Assuming both are fed from the same FCU (if I understood correctly) how are you getting around this?

[@katierscott8771]

Maybe add a slab below the foam to deaden any vibrations that may get to the wood and cause it to vibrate and amplify sound. Could also put something similar, maybe automotive sound deadining in the box to stop any vibration/buzz sound there. Obviously the foam will remove a lot, but just thinking being mounted on a surface which is likely to vibrate easily, means it may be possible to deaden it further easier with such solutions.

[@BillsCountrysideAdventures]

You will get less noise if you fixed to rubber. Used rubber thing on shower pump and worked well.

[@terrytopliss9506]

Very good idea Stuart.👍👍

[@raymondo162]

i'd reduce the vibration transmission by mounting the compressor on some rubber exhaust mounts. lots of types are available to help wwith your designing

[@tonymoloney3223]

How do you drain the compressor of water??? I do mine after each use and leave the valve open till next use

[@drummingriffin]

@Tony Moloney I had that thought too, very dangerous things are compressors with water left in the receiver. I reckon a fitting on the current outlet extended down to the workshop and a release valve on the end to complete the job. Cheers, Norm.

[@fenners1290]

Your content is always getting better. Many thanks Stuart. You must tell us how you’ve boarded that loft.

[@joehart3826]

Put inside the tray some rubber matting. That will help even more.

[@garethjones2434]

What stops the tray moving around and or the compressor moving in the tray? Great job by the way, you are always doing things the proper way rather than taking the easy route!

[@MatSmithLondon]

This idea is good and it has inspired me to do something similar. We have a basement with an underground storage area. Just need to get hose up front of house in temporary conduit. What kind of max hose lengths are we talking?

[@Quaker521]

Great idea and execution Stuart. Now, if only I had a compressor...........🤔

[@daves4026]

Good idea but the downside would be not being able to open the release valve and water condensate rusting in the tank may shorten the tanks life

[@mikelastname]

I cut the shelves (and fridge/freezer divider) out of an old fridge and have my compressor in it - I barely hear it anymore. I had to put a small vent and fan in it (with a baffle) to keep it cool for long running. The shelves in the door are great to store the compressor oil so I see it every time I open the door to turn it on.

[@julianallen9758]

Quite amusing this. I did this with my compressor. Should have made a vid....but KZbin did not exist back then!!

[@whiteboar3232]

Hi Stuart, very neat job. Have you considered to suspend the compressor with ropes - maybe elastic - from the ceiling of your loft, instead of simply put onto the floor? Air transmits vibrations less than solid materials.

[@petermullens7562]

I did that with the ventilation fan in the bathroom; went from a rumble to nothing at all. I had stainless steel wires from work and used crimp tags at each end, then cup hooks to the rafter from a board the fan was mounted to.

[@clippo111]

Love your vids. Great ideas well delivered, thank you.

[@fraserjrgensen3192]

Great stuff but make sure you can still drain the compressor tank of water. Maby replace the ball valve with a solenoid valve so you can drain the compressor from another switch downstairs.

[@carlhobson1578]

What about the tank drain? Must say I do love your videos, nice to see quality jobs! 👍👍

[@grecoa7]

The on off switch on the compressor (usually a red knob) is designed as a "zero load" switch. It ensures that there is no air pressure in the air charging lines during motor start up, therefore the compressor should only be turned on and off by that red knob, not a remote electrical switch as you have done. OK if you remember to drain down the air pressure in the system before turning on by your remote switch.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

Remote switch should be all okay as long as you don't cut the power while the compressor is running. Simply wait it to stop before cutting the power.

[@SpectrumGeeks]

Another excellent video, thanks for sharing.

[@longshanks4833]

Nice job, but I hope you have better luck with that Clarke air hose reel than I did. Started leaking just over 12 months with very light use.

[@ProperDIY]

Oh - I'll have to keep an eye on it

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Compressor mini shed incoming? 😉

[@lcook0825]

Thanks Stuart. Very nice video.

[@ProperDIY]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@lrdisco2005]

Hang some old dust sheets around compressor leaving at least a meter. That will absorb a surprising amount of noise

[@craigwilliams6734]

Great Video Stuart! May i suggest more foam under the compressor platform for netter sound isolation!!

[@KendalSmithy]

I was thinking that too. I was going to suggest thicker but smaller pads of foam which will suspend the compressor, allowing more give.

[@garulusglandarius6126]

Excellent as always Stuart 👍

[@ProperDIY]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mikeenglish7063]

Nice and quiet...... But youre going to have to go upto the loft every time you use it. To open up the moisture drain under the air tank. The moisture trap/valve youve put in only affects the air coming out. Not whats in the tank after use

[@denmartos6019]

I've got a tiny air compressor that I us with my air brushes. I live in a studio apartment and tend to be a night owl. What I did was suspend my air compressor from two springs which helps with the vibrations.

[@dirkdingle7926]

I bought one a few months ago same size 24ltr sprayed my garage internal doors with the crap spray gun included my compressor never switched of was on constant but I’m not bothered as I work nights and get sick of people cutting there grass having a laugh in the garden washing the car so to me it’s just pay back on a Sunday morning at about 0700 am

[@Mike40M]

One thing missing is a convenient way to drain the tank. Could be fixed with another pipe downstairs and a valve downstairs.

[@Coffeesurgeons]

so totally practical to service and drain... Getting up there to make adjustments and service is going to be so much fun.

[@MadAsKiwi]

This is quite a good idea. I am moving to a new place soon, and have been wondering where my compressor is going to go (as, like yours, it is really noisy). The only thing that worries me about mounting it in the ceiling is, how will you go about draining the tank from time to time to get the moisture out that builds up in the tank itself?

[@waynesworld6020]

Hello. How about turning compressor off with power or do you leave it powered on? If leave on would it cause any issues with the unit as I thought you need to turn off and drain air out of the unit. Iam asking because I have nearly the same unit in my shed workshop and I drain mine of air if leaving unused for few weeks at a time.

[@hpLondon]

Simply a genius!!!

[@sirrichardpumpaloaf8154]

I’ve done similar but added a wireless remote switch. 👍

[@AndrewStorer-kb9un]

All very well putting the compressor in your loft - but what about provision for receiver condensate drainage?... Much more importantly, you should ALWAYS switch on and off at the compressor pressure switch - NEVER at the wall point/isolator etc.!... This is because the pressure switch vents your pump outlet to atmosphere upon operation, thereby preventing the motor from attempting to start against a pressurised cylinder. It is VERY easy to burn your motor out should this be allowed to happen!!!... (The “brief hiss” you hear when the motor switches itself off is the pump pressure venting via the small bore tube which leads from your receiver non-return iinlet valve to the pressure switch.)

[@martinholt2844]

Nice idea!

[@reyalPRON]

moving it is the only way.. made a shed out back for mine :P