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What do you guys do with your compressors? Trying to keep heat out of the shop!

eimim

Aluminum
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Location
Dallas, Tx
Hey guys, I've got a 10hp Atlas Copco screw compressor I got last year and I love it. It's quiet and gives nice clean air. The main issue is the thing puts off a ton of heat. Currently we have a tiny 1000 square foot space and I'm hoping to get into a larger area soon. We currently have a 12" duct that goes up to the roof to get most of the exhaust out, but the thing still generates a ton of heat.

I know these things like being in hot environments, so I guess just giving it it's own little room is probably a decent solution. I don't really want to put it outside, but that might be the easiest solution and it wouldn't eat up any shop space. Just need to make sure it's in an area it won't get rained on. I'm looking for suggestions for what you guys do and what you have seen that is successful.

I'm in Dallas, Texas and currently we AC the shop and the new space will be AC'd too. The machines alone provide enough heat during the winter.
 
I added an 8' x 10' room with roof and insulated walls to an exterior wall with a door. Air compressor and tumbler reside there, with only a little low noise from either in the shop when the door is closed. Compressor provides heat for the room to prevent freezing in winter. No problem except from the county assessor . . . he added a hundred square feet or so to be taxed . . .
 
You will not regret building a dog house outside for it. I am east of you 175 miles, as you know, our winters here are not that bad, just keep him nice and dry and all will be well.
 
I have a similar problem with a five ton refrigerative water chiller. We don't run a cooling tower; cooling towers are a glorious pain in the a** in sub zero weather. Likewise, I don't want the chiller out in a doghouse for fear it will freeze. So, it sits in the corner of the molding area and dumps its heat into the shop, which is welcome during the winter, but not the summer. Biggest part of the solution was to install a 3' diameter thru wall exhaust fan directly adjacent to the condenser coil. Second part was kind of organic; someone fitted a broken down Gaylord (big pallet size cardboard box) to form an air scoop. During the summer it's placed to direct the air off the condenser to the exhaust fan. During the winter it gets flipped around and directs the warm air flow out into the shop, and the thru-wall fan is covered. Works pretty well for low investment.

Dennis
 
I have my compressor outside under an extended roof overhang. Winters here are no too cold.
 
We bought an old shipping container and put it in there, ran power and air and cut a hole in either end for cooling in the summer. Set up a blower fan to circulate air in the summer as well. Keep it off in the winter. No more loud compressor and keeps the heat out.


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We have a compressor room. Inlet on the roof. Two fans with automatic louvers. One goes to the shop, the other goes through the wall outside. In the summer it draws from outside and exhausts outside. In the winter it draws from the shop and exhausts into the shop.

Ducts and dampers are cheap compared to electricity.
 
Home Depot sells fiberglass cupolas; they are functional, and would provide an escape for hot air. Perhaps install an attic fan under it.
 
Definitely outside under a shed.

For cold climates, install a stick-on tank/block heater to the side of the compressor pump, controlled by an automatic thermostat. The 100w heater keeps the compressor and oil nice and toasty in the cold weather.

I've had my compressor outside like this for 21 years, and with the block heater it's never been a problem in the cold Virginia winters.

Synthetic compressor oil helps too.

ToolCat
 
You should never close up a room for any compressor. The heat generated will overwhelm the compressor by adding 140 degree+ incoming air. They need venting and you can do that with a simple temp sensor and barn fan.
 
You should never close up a room for any compressor. The heat generated will overwhelm the compressor by adding 140 degree+ incoming air. They need venting and you can do that with a simple temp sensor and barn fan.

Many moons ago, at a previous shop.. We had just moved in, and our compressor was out back.. Apparently
a deaf guy 5 streets over was bothered by the noise, so the Codes Clowns showed up.. So we slapped a shed
around the compressor really quick (it was in the plans anyways).. Insulation and everything... Except we
hadn't bought an exhaust fan yet....

About a day later, the compressor quit.. Open up the new shed, and it was HOT!!!! So hot that the insulation
on the inside had started charring.. And the motor melted down.. I'm pretty sure if the motor hadn't melted
down, we would have had a fire...

10hp 220 single phase compressor, 120 gallon tank I think, and the shed wasn't small, I think it was 12x8x8..

I was VERY surprised how much heat that thing put out.
 
When we built our building we put in a separate room for the Compressors and Spotweld Chiller. There is a air intake and an exhaust fan on the ceiling. Keeps the compressors clean and cool and eliminates putting the heat back in the shop.
 
Excellent feedback, thanks for all the suggestions guys! Going to be doing some sort of shed with a temp controlled fan.
 








 
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