Air Compressors for Home and Hobby Applications

Heard a lot about the utility of an air compressor and want to know how to benefit from it at home? You are in the right place!

An air compressor is a versatile tool able to get various projects done quicker, better, easier. Indeed, by being able to compress air and transform it in precious energy, it is not surprising these machines are the foremost workmates assisting professionals as well as hobbyists for both crucial and routine operations.

You may have never even thought about it but, even air that is invisible, is one of the top 3 energy sources today when compressed. Let’s deepen this topic and find out why and how it can become a fundamental tool almost everywhere from your home duties to hobby times.

Which application is a home air compressor used for?

cleaning-home

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We pulled together the most useful applications compressed air is all about when dealing in domestic matters. Essentially, in this post we will go through cleaning, painting, repairing, performing maintenance and hobby crafting actions and how you can carry out several operations with your air compressor. All you need to do is to keep calm and read the article. We know time is money, this is why you will be able to skip between activities grouped in macro areas.

How to choose an air compressor for house cleaning

Can I use a compressor for cleaning? It goes without saying the answer is yes! However, it is important to understand the air compressor market is vast and a compressor exists out there for each and every specific aim. In other words: cleaning the pc and removing rust from the railings of your garden are certainly not the same. By carefully choosing the machine – and the tool – you will be able to perform your application without the risk of damaging objects or surfaces (the filtering and drying systems availability become crucial in this choice). The same goes for the average air displacement needed. Don’t worry, in the following chart you will find compressed air consumption levels for the most common activities.

Trick tips: how to select the right air compressor for home uses based on air displacements needed

EQUIPMENT AIR DISPLACEMENT (L/MIN)
Drill 10 mm 500
Angle Grinder 5" 900
Impact Wrench 1/2" 450
Chipping hammer 400
Varnishing Machine 500
Pressure Cleaner 350
Paint Gun 300
Small Pressure Cleaner 300
Light Work 50
Pneumatic Doors 60
Blow Gun 90
Nail Gun 2 bar 60
Nail Gun 3,5 bar 120
Grease Gun 120
Tire Changer 30
Tire Inflation (car) 60
Hammer (small) 90

Another rule of thumb to keep in mind is: understand the tools you need, the type of air compressor will follow. This doesn’t mean you’ll be completely limited to that specific tool but it will sufficiently narrow your options.

A blowing gun is the right tool when it comes to removing dust form electronics or bringing new life to your golf shoes- but not only. The same goes for cleaning your car, motorbike or bicycle. Bear in mind for these specific applications you might want to evaluate an oilfree air compressor able to provide dry, clean air.

Are you specifically interested in learning more about bike maintenance? Take a look to our online guide!

The wider the surface the more air displacement that is required, think about your roof, yard or shed clean up for instance. Moreover, have you mowed the lawn? Well, with a portable air compressor you can quickly remove the excess weed and clean the shears as well.

Trick tips: Where to place you air compressor

Air compressors come with a lot of configuration: wall mount, wheels, feet and handles. The potential interest depends, as usual, on your needs. Generally speaking, if you need a high amount of air a big compressor will be needed. Even if the compressor is not a stationary one, moving the machine here and there is never a chore (usually the medium to big sized ones come with wheels). On the other hand, average air-demands for home and hobby applications can be met with compressors that are put together and easily transportable. Indeed, handy and wheel-based compressors are flanked by wall-mounted solutions. In summary, once you’ve understood what is the main use of the air compressor, it won’t be a problem to choose among the several market opportunities. 

How the air compressor can upgrade your hobby painting

What could be better than getting your motorbike back in shape with a lick of paint? You could evaluate brushing it but the results wouldn’t be the best: let’s be honest! On the contrary, the use of a spray paint gun would assure a quality of a professional work thanks to a uniform casting. By painting at home like a pro you won’t have to worry anymore about vehicle renovation, from small car body parts to bike frames. 

How to paint a bike frame at home in few steps

painting-home

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If you are in the need of refreshing the railing of the garden, the air compressor is tool a useful tool to get the job done efficiently from start to finish. You can begin by removing the rust and old varnish with a compressed air powered angle grinder, go on then by applying the rustproof and finish by painting. Do you have any time left? Complete the garden renovation, those flower pots can be quickly planted too! Remember with an air compressor and the right tool you can paint different surfaces and objects. It doesn’t matter if it is the door of your bedroom or a diorama.

Trick tips: what is a good size for your home air compressor?

Although the size of air compressors vary a lot, let’s try to consider which are the best choices for home and hobby usages. Firstly, you might want to bear in mind that 3-3,5 kW is about the electricity amount granted for domestic use. This means the compressor should be a single phase one, instead of a triple phase - often used in industrial contexts. Secondly, the air displacement provided by the machine shouldn’t be lower than 90 and more than 350 lt/min (the maximum value can be different upon the use). Next it is important to note that air compressors come both with and without a tank, it depends on the amount of air you need whether to take one or not. If the application needs an extended release of air take into consideration a tank based solution – e.g. see long painting operations – up to 150 lt. On the contrary, if the use goes for “peaks” – like in cleaning your pc components - you can go for a tankless one. Speaking of power- don’t bother looking at air compressors with more than 3hp.

Smart repair and maintenance with air compressors at home

If you are in love with small DIY repairs and maintenance tasks, you’ll be well aware the applications of compressed air are almost endless. However, one can always learn something new, this is why it’s worth going back through the main operations an air compressor will help you with when repairing and fixing objects at home. 

There’s no perfect air compressor for home use, look for the best air compressor for your specific needs!

Check out 5 options!

Often it is not even a matter of a single problem you can sort out thanks to compressed air, think bigger: why don’t you equip you garage with a full compressed air working station? This would lead you in complex task management like small car body parts fixing or replacement as well as motorbike frame sandblasting. Many mechanical home jobs usually rely on pneumatic tools such as; angle and axial grinders, car body saw, blasting devices and grease guns. Are you thinking about a home renovation? No problem, you can remove the old tiles and plaster up with a chisel hammer and a plaster sprayer. The replacements of baseboards or door frames as well as the duct cleaning and fixing are only some of a long list of compressed air domestic application examples. 

Apply additional torque to stuck nuts or bolts!

garden-application

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Obviously, inflating and blowing activities are part of the maintenance and repairing task chapter. Air compressors are the perfect partner for your hobbies: from any tires inflating to blowing up balloons or inflatable products.

How to make a bike repairing home workshop

Trick tips: How to choose the right pneumatic tools

Point of optimal between air consumption and air displacement for tool application

How to complete hobby crafts with air compressors

Have you ever tried your hand at crafting? Woodworking and modeling are a matter of versatility and precision: the more knowledge in treating material you have the better you are in choosing tools and shaping your art crafts. Compressed air technologies are the perfect solutions for each of us is in the need of energy, powering crucial tools like precision painting gun or drills. That said crafting doesn’t happen only in your garage or studio, one of the main places to begin is the garden! Compressors are those machines you should be thinking of when ambitious projects arise: from greenhouse ventilation system to automated gates, from spraying vegetables to even snowmaking for your kid’s birthday.

Final thoughts

This article has given an overview about main applications compressed air can help you with when carrying out hobbies and home operations. With a quite simple machine you will be able to perform tasks in your garden, inside the garage and in your studio as well. We pulled together compressed air applications in order to get a clearer scenario:

·       Cleaning

·       Painting

·       Repairing and maintenance

·       Crafting

As said several times, it is once more worth remembering the right choice of compressor is accomplished when the right questions are answered correctly, this is why we dedicated a few lines to crucial elements as:

·       How to choose the right air compressor based on the amount of air consumption?

·       Where to place the air compressor?

·       What is a good size for your home air compressor?

·       How to choose the right pneumatic tools?

DIY is a mantra for millions as we strive to be less dependent on the mechanic at the end of the road who is never open. And an air compressor can be man’s best friend when it comes to a quick repair,  home renovations and improvements, for a house is a home when you can add a personal touch. Compressed air cannot substitute one’s spark and passion in doing what they love but it can lead to success and extra free time to move straight onto the next project.