How Compressed Air Aids Horsepower

Air compressors are used the world over for a wide range of jobs, sites, and tasks. The right air compressor makes a massive difference in how easily any task is completed and how effective they are overall. It is helpful to learn just how horsepower affects compressed air and how horsepower affects the air compressor to be able to choose the right compressor for your job.

How are Compressed Air and Horsepower Related?

Air compressors work by converting electrical horsepower to compress and pressurize air so that it can be stored in a pressurized storage tank to be used later. This pressurized air is often used for pneumatic tools like pneumatic drills, nail guns and more.

The compression of the air is the process of taking energy from the energy source and making it into potential energy when it is stored, and kinetic energy when the pressurized air is then used by the tool in question. It takes 8 horsepower of electricity to create one horsepower of compressed air. Depending on the compressor that you are using, you may be able to find an air compressor horsepower calculator or a refrigerator compressor horsepower chart to better determine what the overall conversion rate is.

What Size Compressor Do You Need?

Depending on what sort of tool you are trying to use, the size of your compressor or the compressor that you need is likely to change. For residential jobs, a smaller compressor may be all you need, anywhere from 5 horsepower up to 15 horsepower. For larger jobs like factories or large construction worksites, much larger compressors are going to be necessary.

The reason for this is that a compressor that is being used continually or that is being used for a larger job needs a higher horsepower to be able to recharge and stay ready to use under all conditions. The higher the horsepower of the compressor, the more work it is going to be able to do. Another benefit to a larger compressor is that it is going to be able to handle just about any job and any tool that you might need to run.

It is always better to have a compressor that you know is going to be able to handle the job you have or the job you may have than to have a smaller compressor and find it lacking.

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