Years ago, it was common for shops to have a central power source that drove all the tools

through a
system of belts, wheels and driveshafts. The power was routed around the work space by mechanical means.
While the belts and shafts may be gone, many shops still use a mechanical system to move power around the
shop. It's based on the energy stored in air that's under pressure, and the heart of the system is the air
compressor.

You'll find air compressors used in a wide range of situations—from corner gas stations to major manufacturing
plants. And, more and more, air compressors are finding their way into home workshops, basements and
garages. Models sized to handle every job, from inflating pool toys to powering tools such as nail guns, sanders,
drills, impact wrenches, staplers and spray guns are now available through local home centers, tool dealers and
mail-order catalogs.

The big advantage of air power is that each tool doesn't need its own bulky motor. Instead, a single motor on the
compressor converts the electrical energy into kinetic energy. This makes for light, compact, easy-to-handle tools
that run quietly and have fewer parts that wear out.
Air compressor types

While there are compressors that use rotating impellers to generate air pressure, positive-displacement
compressors are more common and include the models used by homeowners, woodworkers, mechanics and
contractors. Here, air pressure is increased by reducing the size of the space that contains the air. Most of the
compressors you'll run across do this job with a reciprocating piston.

Like a small internal combustion engine, a conventional piston compressor has a crankshaft, a connecting rod
and piston, a cylinder and a valve head. The crankshaft is driven by either an electric motor or a gas engine.
While there are small models that are comprised of just the pump and motor, most compressors have an air tank
to hold a quantity of air within a preset pressure range. The compressed air in the tank drives the air tools, and
the motor cycles on and off to automatically maintain pressure in the tank.
At the top of the cylinder, you'll find a valve head that holds the inlet and discharge valves. Both are simply thin
metal flaps–one mounted underneath and one mounted on top of the valve plate. As the piston moves down, a
vacuum is created above it. This allows outside air at atmospheric pressure to push open the inlet valve and fill
the area above the piston. As the piston moves up, the air above it compresses, holds the inlet valve shut and
pushes the discharge valve open. The air moves from the discharge port to the tank. With each stroke, more air
enters the tank and the pressure rises.

Typical compressors come in 1- or 2-cylinder versions to suit the requirements of the tools they power. On the
homeowner/contractor level, most of the 2-cylinder models operate just like single-cylinder versions, except that
there are two strokes per revolution instead of one. Some commercial 2-cylinder compressors are 2-stage
compressors–one piston pumps air into a second cylinder that further increases pressure.

Compressors use a pressure switch to stop the motor when tank pressure reaches a preset limit–about 125 psi
for many single-stage models. Most of the time, though, you don't need that much pressure. Therefore, the air
line will include a regulator that you set to match the pressure requirements of the tool you're using. A gauge
before the regulator monitors tank pressure and a gauge after the regulator monitors air-line pressure. In
addition, the tank has a safety valve that opens if the pressure switch malfunctions. The pressure switch may
also incorporate an unloader valve that reduces tank pressure when the compressor is turned off.

Many articulated-piston compressors are oil lubricated. That is, they have an oil bath that splash-lubricates the
bearings and cylinder walls as the crank rotates. The pistons have rings that help keep the compressed air on top
of the piston and keep the lubricating oil away from the air. Rings, though, are not completely effective, so some
oil will enter the compressed air in aerosol form.

Having oil in the air isn't necessarily a problem. Many air tools require oiling, and inline oilers are often added to
increase a uniform supply to the tool. On the down side, these models require regular oil checks, periodic oil
changes and they must be operated on a level surface. Most of all, there are some tools and situations that
require oilfree air. Spray painting with oil in the airstream will cause finish problems. And many new woodworking
air tools such as nailers and sanders are designed to be oilfree so there's no chance of fouling wood surfaces
with oil. While solutions to the airborne oil problem include using an oil separator or filter in the air line, a better
idea is to use an oilfree compressor that uses permanently lubricated bearings in place of the oil bath.

A variation on the automotive-type piston compressor is a model that uses a one-piece piston/connecting rod.
Because there is no wrist pin, the piston leans from side to side as the eccentric journal on the shaft moves it up
and down. A seal around the piston maintains contact with the cylinder walls and prevents air leakage.

Where air requirements are modest, a diaphragm compressor can be effective. In this design, a membrane
between the piston and the compression chamber seals off the air and prevents leakage.

Compressor power
One of the factors used to designate compressor power is motor horsepower. However, this isn't the best
indicator. You really need to know the amount of air the compressor can deliver at a specific pressure.

The rate at which a compressor can deliver a volume of air is noted in cubic feet per minute (cfm). Because
atmospheric pressure plays a role in how fast air moves into the cylinder, cfm will vary with atmospheric
pressure. It also varies with the temperature and humidity of the air. To set an even playing field, makers
calculate standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) as cfm at sea level with 68 degrees F air at 36% relative humidity.
Scfm ratings are given at a specific pressure–3.0 scfm at 90 psi, for example. If you reduce pressure, scfm goes
up, and vice versa.

You also may run across a rating called displacement cfm. This figure is the product of cylinder displacement and
motor rpm. In comparison with scfm, it provides an index of compressor pump efficiency.

The cfm and psi ratings are important because they indicate the tools that a particular compressor can drive.
When choosing a compressor, make sure it can supply the amount of air and the pressure that your tools need.
Read more: How It Works: Air Compressor - Popular Mechanics
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An air compressor takes free air into an intake port, and using mechanical means
whether pistons, screws or rotary sliding vanes, pushes that air into a smaller area.
As more and more air is pushed into the smaller area the pressure continues to
increase inside that tank. There is a pressure switch that monitors the air pressure
inside the tank. When the air pressure reaches the high pressure level setting, the
compressor shuts off. When someone uses compressed air from the tank, the air
pressure inside the tank will start to fall gradually. When it reaches the pressure
switch low pressure setting, it turns the compressor back on until the pressure inside
the tank again reaches the high set point.

Air compressors are essential mechanical equipment for homeowners, commercial

Air compressors usually collect and store air in a pressurized tank, and also they use
pistons and valves to achieve the appropriate pressure levels within an air storage
tank that is attached to the motorized unit.